Stinger226 Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Team Needs 2012…Chicago Bears February 29th, 2012 | Author: Nathan Jahnke From the time Lovie Smith took over as the Bears’ head coach, they’ve been an average team at worst who, at times, flirts with greatness. While they need to take care of a few of their own guys first (starting with Matt Forte), they have needs elsewhere that can be filled. In the past, Chicago has shown no problem making the big moves in the offseason to improve their football team. In 2009 they traded for Jay Cutler, and in 2010 they added Julius Peppers. Both moves greatly altered how the team played on their respective sides of the ball. With the Packers being the class of the division and the Lions continuing to rise, the Bears need to make some changes in order to keep up. Here are just three of the changes the Bears could make this offseason to help their team return to playing into January. Primary Need: Offensive Tackle The Bears could add any quality linemen in free agency, and they would be able to find a spot along the line to use him. Last week was offensive line week here at PFF, and when we ranked the offensive line, Chicago finished at the bottom. While they could improve on the inside, tackle is the far bigger need. J’Marcus Webb (-26.2) started all 16 games at left tackle in 2011 and, while he did improve on his pass blocking compared to 2010, he still allowed 12 sacks–the most among left tackles. On the right side for most of the season was Lance Louis, who managed the third-lowest rating for right tackles at -33.5 despite starting just 12 games there. Replacing one of the tackles will be Gabe Carimi who was a first round pick last year that unfortunately sustained a serious knee injury in Week 2. With a full offseason to learn, we’re guessing he will move to left tackle, which means the biggest need on the right. The tackle market is weak, with the most intriguing right tackle prospect being Anthony Collins of the Bengals. He started two games and played most of a third and allowed just one overall pressure in 2011. Since moving to right tackle in his second season, he has looked good in his limited time, but was buried on the Cincinnati depth chart. Pairing Carimi with Collins would be a big improvement, especially compared to recent years. Secondary Need: Wide Receiver In 2009 and 2010, the Bears ran with Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Earl Bennett at receiver. Since that wasn’t working out, Roy Williams and Dane Sanzenbacher were added to the mix for 2011. Last season, Hester and Sanzenbacher had two of the lowest catch rates in the league as both caught less than 51% of passes thrown their way. It’s looking like Roy Willliams’ one-year experiment might be over as he is a free agent and Bennett had one catch or less in five of his last six games. Knox’s status is uncertain for the start of 2012 due to a serious back injury he sustained against Seattle. This team is sorely in need of a makeover at the receiver position. The Bears likely will want to keep Bennett in the slot, so they need someone who can play out wide. Of the available unrestricted free agents, Vincent Jackson (+5.0) might be the best. He’s a high-risk receiver that had eight dropped passes in 2011, but high reward too, with nine touchdowns and 18.4 yards per catch. The Bears are used to receivers who aren’t always consistent, but can sometimes make the big plays. Jackson is just that, but a much better version than what’s currently on the roster. Tertiary Need: Safety Chicago has used third round picks on safeties the last two years in Chris Conte (-2.1) and Major Wright (-5.0). Neither player has panned out yet, although it is definitely not too late in their careers. The Bears are a unique team in that they like rotating players in and out at safety more than most. They likely need at least a third man to bring in competition and push everyone to be better. Both Craig Steltz (+4.8) and Brandon Meriweather (-3.2) are free agents who are likely to look for a home elsewhere, which leaves a big opening on the depth chart. Someone who can come in and win a starting job is Thomas DeCoud who has spent the first part of his carrier with the Falcons. In 2010, the Bears had Danieal Manning and Chris Harris who brought a strong run stopping presence that Chicago was lacking in 2011. DeCoud had a run defense rating of +4.4, which was the 12th-best for safeties. He had some problems in coverage early on in the season, but was solid down the stretch. He would make it three third round picks at the position on the roster, but DeCoud has performed better than Conte or Wright so far. 2012 Free Agent Tracker | PFF’s Top 50 Free Agents | QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | CB | S | OLB | ILB | Interior DL | Edge Rushers Follow Nathan on Twitter: @PFF_NateJahnke and check out our main Twitter feed too: @ProFootbalFocus Related posts: Team Needs 2012 … Atlanta Falcons Team Needs 2012…New Orleans Saints Team Needs 2012…Carolina Panthers Team Needs 2012 …Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Needs 2012 … St. Louis Rams Posted in Chicago Bears, Free Agency 2012, Help Wanted Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Premium Login Login: Password: Remember me Not subscribed yet? Sign up! Learn more? Click here! Follow Us! 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madlithuanian Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 That's a fair assessment. Team Needs 2012…Chicago Bears February 29th, 2012 | Author: Nathan Jahnke From the time Lovie Smith took over as the Bears’ head coach, they’ve been an average team at worst who, at times, flirts with greatness. While they need to take care of a few of their own guys first (starting with Matt Forte), they have needs elsewhere that can be filled. In the past, Chicago has shown no problem making the big moves in the offseason to improve their football team. In 2009 they traded for Jay Cutler, and in 2010 they added Julius Peppers. Both moves greatly altered how the team played on their respective sides of the ball. With the Packers being the class of the division and the Lions continuing to rise, the Bears need to make some changes in order to keep up. Here are just three of the changes the Bears could make this offseason to help their team return to playing into January. Primary Need: Offensive Tackle The Bears could add any quality linemen in free agency, and they would be able to find a spot along the line to use him. Last week was offensive line week here at PFF, and when we ranked the offensive line, Chicago finished at the bottom. While they could improve on the inside, tackle is the far bigger need. J’Marcus Webb (-26.2) started all 16 games at left tackle in 2011 and, while he did improve on his pass blocking compared to 2010, he still allowed 12 sacks–the most among left tackles. On the right side for most of the season was Lance Louis, who managed the third-lowest rating for right tackles at -33.5 despite starting just 12 games there. Replacing one of the tackles will be Gabe Carimi who was a first round pick last year that unfortunately sustained a serious knee injury in Week 2. With a full offseason to learn, we’re guessing he will move to left tackle, which means the biggest need on the right. The tackle market is weak, with the most intriguing right tackle prospect being Anthony Collins of the Bengals. He started two games and played most of a third and allowed just one overall pressure in 2011. Since moving to right tackle in his second season, he has looked good in his limited time, but was buried on the Cincinnati depth chart. Pairing Carimi with Collins would be a big improvement, especially compared to recent years. Secondary Need: Wide Receiver In 2009 and 2010, the Bears ran with Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Earl Bennett at receiver. Since that wasn’t working out, Roy Williams and Dane Sanzenbacher were added to the mix for 2011. Last season, Hester and Sanzenbacher had two of the lowest catch rates in the league as both caught less than 51% of passes thrown their way. It’s looking like Roy Willliams’ one-year experiment might be over as he is a free agent and Bennett had one catch or less in five of his last six games. Knox’s status is uncertain for the start of 2012 due to a serious back injury he sustained against Seattle. This team is sorely in need of a makeover at the receiver position. The Bears likely will want to keep Bennett in the slot, so they need someone who can play out wide. Of the available unrestricted free agents, Vincent Jackson (+5.0) might be the best. He’s a high-risk receiver that had eight dropped passes in 2011, but high reward too, with nine touchdowns and 18.4 yards per catch. The Bears are used to receivers who aren’t always consistent, but can sometimes make the big plays. Jackson is just that, but a much better version than what’s currently on the roster. Tertiary Need: Safety Chicago has used third round picks on safeties the last two years in Chris Conte (-2.1) and Major Wright (-5.0). Neither player has panned out yet, although it is definitely not too late in their careers. The Bears are a unique team in that they like rotating players in and out at safety more than most. They likely need at least a third man to bring in competition and push everyone to be better. Both Craig Steltz (+4.8) and Brandon Meriweather (-3.2) are free agents who are likely to look for a home elsewhere, which leaves a big opening on the depth chart. Someone who can come in and win a starting job is Thomas DeCoud who has spent the first part of his carrier with the Falcons. In 2010, the Bears had Danieal Manning and Chris Harris who brought a strong run stopping presence that Chicago was lacking in 2011. DeCoud had a run defense rating of +4.4, which was the 12th-best for safeties. He had some problems in coverage early on in the season, but was solid down the stretch. He would make it three third round picks at the position on the roster, but DeCoud has performed better than Conte or Wright so far. 2012 Free Agent Tracker | PFF’s Top 50 Free Agents | QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | CB | S | OLB | ILB | Interior DL | Edge Rushers Follow Nathan on Twitter: @PFF_NateJahnke and check out our main Twitter feed too: @ProFootbalFocus Related posts: Team Needs 2012 … Atlanta Falcons Team Needs 2012…New Orleans Saints Team Needs 2012…Carolina Panthers Team Needs 2012 …Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Needs 2012 … St. Louis Rams Posted in Chicago Bears, Free Agency 2012, Help Wanted Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Premium Login Login: Password: Remember me Not subscribed yet? Sign up! Learn more? Click here! Follow Us! Fantasy Tools 2012 Free Agency 2012 Player Rankings Dynasty Rankings Fantasy Depth Charts PFF Fantasy Staff Superbowl Proj. – IDP Superbowl Projections Recent Fantasy Posts Fantasy: Rookie Reflection – Greg Little Fantasy: IDP Bets for Breakout – Kelvin Sheppard Fantasy: Buyer Beware – Harper isn’t Sharper Fantasy: The Devil and the Angel on Matt Ryan’s shoulders Fantasy: ADP Value Study – Running Backs Navigate To Articles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Calling Lance Louis a Tackle tells me they don't do much research. They also cite Bennett's numbers late in the season but fail to mention the horrible backup QB play we had. Same goes for sacks allowed with Hanie under center. Again, I don't think we had the worst Oline in the league and the fact Forte made the Pro Bowl despite missing 4 games means someone was blocking for him. Fixing LT is clearly the top Oline need but given that Tice stated last year Carimi would be the RT where he felt he could develop into a Pro Bowl player why do they think that will change now that Tice is our OC? Add in that Tice has already stated he wants the backs to help out the OTs with chip blocks and it seems to me he was largely talking about helping Webb. I just don't put much stock in these reports and personally I trust the analysis from the members of this board far more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Calling Lance Louis a Tackle tells me they don't do much research. They also cite Bennett's numbers late in the season but fail to mention the horrible backup QB play we had. Same goes for sacks allowed with Hanie under center. Again, I don't think we had the worst Oline in the league and the fact Forte made the Pro Bowl despite missing 4 games means someone was blocking for him. Fixing LT is clearly the top Oline need but given that Tice stated last year Carimi would be the RT where he felt he could develop into a Pro Bowl player why do they think that will change now that Tice is our OC? Add in that Tice has already stated he wants the backs to help out the OTs with chip blocks and it seems to me he was largely talking about helping Webb. I just don't put much stock in these reports and personally I trust the analysis from the members of this board far more. With how they describe Anthony Collins, it suggests he's an intriguing option that might be had for less than the price of a front line tackle. That'd be something that would catch my interest if I were in that GM spot...with the number of bodies available for the Line I'm still not a fan of paying for a top of the line guy, but they absolutely need another guy who can step in and cover a spot in the event of another rash of injuries or a complete Webb collapse. If Collins were available for good but not great money, they could grab him, call the tackle spots more of an open competition, and still be able to sign the top flight WR I'd like to see them sign. That would then leave the entire draft, with 4 picks in the first 3 rounds, to fill in the 2nd WR, DE, CB, and OLB spots, in addition to having some money left over to provide depth at those spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 With how they describe Anthony Collins, it suggests he's an intriguing option that might be had for less than the price of a front line tackle. That'd be something that would catch my interest if I were in that GM spot...with the number of bodies available for the Line I'm still not a fan of paying for a top of the line guy, but they absolutely need another guy who can step in and cover a spot in the event of another rash of injuries or a complete Webb collapse. If Collins were available for good but not great money, they could grab him, call the tackle spots more of an open competition, and still be able to sign the top flight WR I'd like to see them sign. That would then leave the entire draft, with 4 picks in the first 3 rounds, to fill in the 2nd WR, DE, CB, and OLB spots, in addition to having some money left over to provide depth at those spots. Yes, and I remember how Frank Omiyale was described before we signed him. I remain very cautious about any backup player that has only seen the field for a few games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger226 Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Yes, and I remember how Frank Omiyale was described before we signed him. I remain very cautious about any backup player that has only seen the field for a few games. actually Collins may be a good cheap addition. The difference between him and Frank is now we have Tice expertise involved and if they go after him, I have more faith in the judgement now. According to p ff he has faired quite well. i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chwtom Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 actually Collins may be a good cheap addition. The difference between him and Frank is now we have Tice expertise involved and if they go after him, I have more faith in the judgement now. According to p ff he has faired quite well. i The other issue is that Collins is a RT, and they are assuming that Carimi will be healthy AND a LT. I'm not sure I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 "Neither has panned out but it's not too late in their careers." Um, no s***. Conte has played in like 12 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger226 Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 The other issue is that Collins is a RT, and they are assuming that Carimi will be healthy AND a LT. I'm not sure I agree. I would prefer a #1 draft pick for the LT spot, but adding Collins just gives you another option as an upgrade. If we add an OL in FAgency and a high draft pick at least we dont fall in the same pattern of (they will get better) for Webb and even Williams. All I want is some options if something doesnt pan out what ever direction they go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 The other issue is that Collins is a RT, and they are assuming that Carimi will be healthy AND a LT. I'm not sure I agree. If Carimi winds up not being healthy, then COllins would be decent there also...gives you a RT who can step in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradjock Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 As for Lance Louis, they are just saying he will be replaced after starting 12 games at tackle. That's technically true. I actually didn't realize he started that many games there. If he was listed as the 3rd worst, how bad was Omiyale? Louis was one helluva an upgrade IMO. I'd love to read an article that broke down how good or bad the o-line was as a result of the Martz playcalling. How does a team that run-block so well pass block so poorly? Is it it the players or the system? Both? It's a typical generic article. Our WR's and o-line suck. Not surprising. Calling Lance Louis a Tackle tells me they don't do much research. They also cite Bennett's numbers late in the season but fail to mention the horrible backup QB play we had. Same goes for sacks allowed with Hanie under center. Again, I don't think we had the worst Oline in the league and the fact Forte made the Pro Bowl despite missing 4 games means someone was blocking for him. Fixing LT is clearly the top Oline need but given that Tice stated last year Carimi would be the RT where he felt he could develop into a Pro Bowl player why do they think that will change now that Tice is our OC? Add in that Tice has already stated he wants the backs to help out the OTs with chip blocks and it seems to me he was largely talking about helping Webb. I just don't put much stock in these reports and personally I trust the analysis from the members of this board far more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 As for Lance Louis, they are just saying he will be replaced after starting 12 games at tackle. That's technically true. I actually didn't realize he started that many games there. If he was listed as the 3rd worst, how bad was Omiyale? Louis was one helluva an upgrade IMO. I'd love to read an article that broke down how good or bad the o-line was as a result of the Martz playcalling. How does a team that run-block so well pass block so poorly? Is it it the players or the system? Both? It's a typical generic article. Our WR's and o-line suck. Not surprising. I think that there were a couple parts to the failure of the Bears O-line last year. First, they lost their 2 most talented guys, that would hurt any team. Secondly, they also lost all the guys who helped make that O-line work...they lost Cutler and Forte, and it was those 2 going down that really wound up dismantling the offense. The guys who came in afterwards didn't have the pacing down and were trying to run Martz's system where they let things develop downfield. Cutler learned pretty quick he couldn't do that if max-protection wasn't there, so he would still be moving or stepping up or whatever it took to keep a play alive. Throw in Martz's refusal to ever help out with a chip or anything that would slow down the receiver heading out, an it's a recipe for a mess. Omiyale would have broken records for awfulness if in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Calling Lance Louis a Tackle tells me they don't do much research. They also cite Bennett's numbers late in the season but fail to mention the horrible backup QB play we had. Same goes for sacks allowed with Hanie under center. Again, I don't think we had the worst Oline in the league and the fact Forte made the Pro Bowl despite missing 4 games means someone was blocking for him. Fixing LT is clearly the top Oline need but given that Tice stated last year Carimi would be the RT where he felt he could develop into a Pro Bowl player why do they think that will change now that Tice is our OC? Add in that Tice has already stated he wants the backs to help out the OTs with chip blocks and it seems to me he was largely talking about helping Webb. I just don't put much stock in these reports and personally I trust the analysis from the members of this board far more. They didn't say he was an OT, they said he played there. And sucked. I'd say that's pretty accurate. The "worst OL in the league" is also pretty accurate. Too much boom or bust, too many missed blocks, consistent penalties, atrocious pass blocking, worst in the league with RBs being met behind the OL. They were the worst in the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 As for Lance Louis, they are just saying he will be replaced after starting 12 games at tackle. That's technically true. I actually didn't realize he started that many games there. If he was listed as the 3rd worst, how bad was Omiyale? Louis was one helluva an upgrade IMO. I'd love to read an article that broke down how good or bad the o-line was as a result of the Martz playcalling. How does a team that run-block so well pass block so poorly? Is it it the players or the system? Both? It's a typical generic article. Our WR's and o-line suck. Not surprising. Your final comment. LOL. That should have been the title of the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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