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Pressure Point: Taylor must produce
Pressure Point: Taylor must produce
After sub-par 2010 season, veteran running back on shaky ground in Chicago
A weekly look at a player whose performance must improve in 2011.
Matt Forte exceeded most expectations (including my own) last season. His backup, on whom Chicago spent quite a bit of money, fell short.
The Bears need more from Chester Taylor. In fact, if this deep running back draft yields the Bears a value pick at the position, Taylor could find himself without a team if/when this lockout ever comes to a head.
Taylor didn't play well in his first season as a Bear. He averaged a measly 2.4 yards per carry and accumulated only 406 combined yards in 2010. Needless to say, that just isn't good enough -- especially considering how much Chicago has invested in the veteran running back.
The most rushing yards Taylor could muster in a game last season was 43, and that was on 18 carries and against the team that is scheduled to pick first in the upcoming draft, Carolina. Including that game, Taylor received double-digit carries on five occasions. In those games, he averaged an embarrassing 1.7 yards per attempt.
Of course, the Bears' offensive line was among the worst in the league, but this guy didn't produce a thing, and Chicago's run blocking was better than its ability to protect QB Jay Cutler.
Forte produced rather well behind the same blocking, averaging 4.5 yards per rush. In fact, I am having a difficult time coming up with a running back who had a worse 2010 season than Taylor. He will turn 32 during the 2011 season, and it is conceivable that we have already seen the best that Taylor has to offer and that his signing in Chicago will go down as a massive mistake.
I liked Taylor quite a bit when he was in Minnesota; he was an excellent complement to a very young Adrian Peterson, who was learning the game at this level and was unrefined in the passing game.
In a way, Taylor is too much like Forte -- but lesser in all regards. Taylor has been at his best when he can thrive on third downs and use his receiving skills. But Forte is the superior route runner and overall weapon in this department, which is of extra importance in Mike Martz's offensive scheme.
The Bears -- especially considering the weather and conditions in which they play -- might be better off with a more powerful and bigger complement to Forte instead of what Taylor brings to the table. Or even a real dynamic back in the Reggie Bush/Danny Woodhead mold that is as much wide receiver as he is running back. Such a player would give Martz even more play-calling options.
Any way you cut it, Taylor needs to step up in a big way.
Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.
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What he writes is pretty much what I've been saying all along. So far Taylor has been a huge and very expensive mistake. While I can understand the rationale for signing him I still think we could have done just as well with Bell as Forte's backup.
If Taylor can't convincingly win the #2 back slot in the preseason then I think we part company and turn the reins over to Bell or whoever we may pick up in the draft or FA.
I'm really hoping that we made a good decision in drafting Harvey Unga. If he can elevate to playing the power back and blocking back role we then have three good ball carriers aleady on the team. If we can add one more in the draft or FA we'll be fine.
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I couldn't agree more. It got overshadowed in the shuffle of other issues (OL embarrassments, Martz-ian misadventurism, Cutler/MCL bs controversy, Todd "hey guys, what's this eliptical brown thing with laces for?" Collins), but anyone who followed the Bears closely last year couldn't help but notice how unproductive Chester Taylor was. I think I saw the guy 'break' an 5+yd carry maybe twice (?!?!). Forte must have been thinking to himself: "This guy is making way more money than ME??? WTF?"
Crazy idea here: Hey, Chester, if you can't pickup more than 2 yards on the ground and you're near-useless as a checkdown receiver, would you mind maybe picking up a block once in a while? See that guy dressed like you who's wearing #6 and running for his life? See those other guys dressed differently who seem to be crashing through the line of scrimmage to chase after him? Chester, you may notice that 1 or 2 of those dudes are a bit smaller than the typical lineman--those guys are called 'blitzers', buddy. They are usually LBs or DBs from the other team (that's why they are dressed up all funny and shit compared to you). If you happen to notice one of those guys near you without being invited, do you think you might be able to, say, 'accidentally' brush up against him and slow him down a little? Maybe distract and chat him up a bit, wing-man style, and see if he wants to hang out and have a beer later? Just a thought...Thanks, Chester, I'm sure Mr. #6 would sure appreciate it...
The two most disappointingly AWOL players on O had to be Taylor and Brandon Man-Boobs. Add those two names to Chris Williams' on the "2011 Prove It or Move It List".
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Originally Posted by
soulman 
What he writes is pretty much what I've been saying all along. So far Taylor has been a huge and very expensive mistake. While I can understand the rationale for signing him I still think we could have done just as well with Bell as Forte's backup.
If Taylor can't convincingly win the #2 back slot in the preseason then I think we part company and turn the reins over to Bell or whoever we may pick up in the draft or FA.
I'm really hoping that we made a good decision in drafting Harvey Unga. If he can elevate to playing the power back and blocking back role we then have three good ball carriers aleady on the team. If we can add one more in the draft or FA we'll be fine.
Think in the offseason it was a smart move- both to get forte a legit back up9 that we lacked in 2010) and weaken the vikes- which they admitt really missed taylor... that taylor had a bad year a seperate issue from the actual move- and agree taylor in camp really needs to step it up to show he should stay for 2011
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Originally Posted by
MPBears68 I couldn't agree more. It got overshadowed in the shuffle of other issues (OL embarrassments, Martz-ian misadventurism, Cutler/MCL bs controversy, Todd "hey guys, what's this eliptical brown thing with laces for?" Collins), but anyone who followed the Bears closely last year couldn't help but notice how unproductive Chester Taylor was. I think I saw the guy 'break' an 5+yd carry maybe
twice (?!?!). Forte must have been thinking to himself: "This guy is making way more money than ME??? WTF?"
Crazy idea here: Hey, Chester, if you can't pickup more than 2 yards on the ground and you're near-useless as a checkdown receiver, would you mind maybe picking up a block once in a while? See that guy dressed like you who's wearing #6 and running for his life? See those other guys dressed differently who seem to be crashing through the line of scrimmage to chase after him? Chester, you may notice that 1 or 2 of those dudes are a bit smaller than the typical lineman--those guys are called 'blitzers', buddy. They are usually LBs or DBs from the other team (that's why they are dressed up all funny and shit compared to you). If you happen to notice one of those guys near you without being invited, do you think you might be able to, say, 'accidentally' brush up against him and slow him down a little? Maybe distract and chat him up a bit, wing-man style, and see if he wants to hang out and have a beer later? Just a thought...Thanks, Chester, I'm sure Mr. #6 would sure appreciate it...
The two most disappointingly AWOL players on O had to be Taylor and Brandon Man-Boobs. Add those two names to Chris Williams' on the "2011 Prove It or Move It List".
Even CWill played his position better than Taylor and Manu. Taylor showed some nifty footwork around the goaline but if there was no hole he sure never made one. Peolple can say what they want about his alround abilites and his low mileage but all I see is a 32 year old RB who got the deal of his career and is content to go through the motions.
I dare him to prove me wrong and if he does everyone will be happy.
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