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Bears must make contingency plans
Bears GM Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith introduce their first-round draft choice, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune / April 30, 2011)
Whenever labor peace arrives, free agents will be sought to upgrade many positions
Dan PompeiOn the NFL3:05 p.m. CDT, May 14, 2011
The draft is done, but the Bears are not.
They still have some construction projects to undertake — a asphalt patching here, concrete pouring there.
They could bring in as many as four free agents expected to be significant contributors, but it's not like the Bears are planning on a wild spending spree. They do have the wherewithal to make at least one big splash if they desire, however.
It's most likely the Bears will not set their sights on any stars but instead will let the market unfold and players come to them. The team likely will sign some of its own free agents as well.
They can't be certain of anything yet because there won't be any free agent period until the league's labor impasse clears up. And it's unclear who will be available.
If rules from last year are in effect, players will need six years of experience to be an unrestricted free agent. It's also possible players with four or five years of experience will be unrestricted.
Another complicating factor is the Final Eight rules. If 2010 rules are in place, the Bears and the other top seven teams in the league last season would be limited to signing one unrestricted free agent for each one they lose, and they couldn't pay the player a lot more than what the departing player receives.
Here is a depth chart of where the Bears stand, with explanations of the hot spots.
Quarterback: The drafting of Nathan Enderle has ended the Bears' interest in a veteran backup. It is possible the team will sign a camp arm, but if all goes according to plan Caleb Hanie and Enderle will be the backups to Jay Cutler in 2011.
Wide receiver: Signing a free agent wide receiver is a strong possibility. If he's a big one, all the better because the Bears already have some of the small to medium variety they like. Bears fans probably shouldn't get their hearts set on Sidney Rice, though, nor Terrell Owens, Randy Moss or Chad Ochocinco.
The good news is the market could be loaded, depending on the rules. Some who could fit the Bears besides Rice include Mike Sims-Walker, Malcom Floyd and James Jones.
Offensive tackle: The first round selection of Gabe Carimi means the Bears are set. If it all goes smoothly, J'Marcus Webb starts on the left side, Carimi starts on the right and Frank Omiyale is the swing tackle. If either Webb Carimi isn't ready, Omiyale should be.
Guard: It is possible the Bears will bring in a free agent here, but don't be surprised if they don't. The fallout from the selection of Carimi means Chris Williams probably will stay at guard. So both starters from last year, Williams and Roberto Garza, are returning.
And the Bears have a number of young developmental linemen they are high on, particularly Levi Horn. The only problem is the lockout is taking away developmental time from prospects like Horn, Herman Johnson, Lance Louis and Edwin Williams. The longer the lockout goes, the more interested the Bears may become in a veteran free agent.
Center: The hope is free agent Olin Kreutz will return, and it's likely the Bears will be Kreutz's best option. If Kreutz goes elsewhere, however, the Bears probably would give Edwin Williams a shot at the position. He played center in college. Garza also could move to center.
Defensive end: The Bears looked hard at edge rushers in the draft, but didn't end up taking one because of the way the players came off the board. Expect them to look hard at free agents. Two players who could make sense are Jason Babin and Ray Edwards.
Defensive tackle: The drafting of Stephen Paea alleviates the need here and also could result in Anthony Adams leaving as a free agent.
The Bears still appear interested in bringing back Adams, but probably will not pay more than they think he's worth. If they need to replace Adams, raiding the Packers for free agent Cullen Jenkins is an enticing option.
Outside linebacker: Lance Briggs in the only one the Bears have who is sure to be back, so the team will be looking for one or two free agents. One of them could be the starter on the strong side. Keeping Nick Roach and letting him compete for the job makes sense.
Other players who could work for the Bears include Ben Leber, Leroy Hill and Thomas Davis.
Middle linebacker: The quest to find a successor to Brian Urlacher likely will have to wait a year. The draft is the best way to get Urlacher's eventual replacement.
Cornerback: If a free agent corner falls into their laps for the right price, the Bears gladly will take him. But they probably won't push the issue. Between Tim Jennings, Zack Bowman and Josh Moore, someone should be able to man the left cornerback position opposite Charles Tillman. Nnamdi Asomugha is not coming to Chicago, but another good value player like Jennings could be. Ike Taylor, a potential free agent from the Steelers, would be a good fit.
Safety: First, the new kickoff rules diminished the value of Danieal Manning. Then, the acquisition of Chris Conte diminished Manning's value to the Bears further. Manning still could come back to the Bears, and still could end up in the starting lineup. But he might not be making the kind of coin he desires.
Punter: The only punter the Bears have under contract is Richmond McGee. Assuming the team allows free agent Brad Maynard to leave, the Bears will need to bring in another leg for competition. It might be a player with limited or no NFL experience.
dpompei@tribune.com
Twitter @danpompei
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...7521457.column
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Offensive tackle: The first round selection of Gabe Carimi means the Bears are set. If it all goes smoothly, J'Marcus Webb starts on the left side, Carimi starts on the right and Frank Omiyale is the swing tackle. If either Webb Carimi isn't ready, Omiyale should be.
Guard: It is possible the Bears will bring in a free agent here, but don't be surprised if they don't. The fallout from the selection of Carimi means Chris Williams probably will stay at guard. So both starters from last year, Williams and Roberto Garza, are returning.
And the Bears have a number of young developmental linemen they are high on, particularly Levi Horn. The only problem is the lockout is taking away developmental time from prospects like Horn, Herman Johnson, Lance Louis and Edwin Williams. The longer the lockout goes, the more interested the Bears may become in a veteran free agent.
Center: The hope is free agent Olin Kreutz will return, and it's likely the Bears will be Kreutz's best option. If Kreutz goes elsewhere, however, the Bears probably would give Edwin Williams a shot at the position. He played center in college. Garza also could move to center.
Cornerback: If a free agent corner falls into their laps for the right price, the Bears gladly will take him. But they probably won't push the issue. Between Tim Jennings, Zack Bowman and Josh Moore, someone should be able to man the left cornerback position opposite Charles Tillman. Nnamdi Asomugha is not coming to Chicago, but another good value player like Jennings could be. Ike Taylor, a potential free agent from the Steelers, would be a good fit.
That doesn't make me feel too good.
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High Fives / Like - 1 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Originally Posted by
The Benjamin 
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That doesn't make me feel too good.
Pompei is not one of my favorite football writers.
Q: Hey guys, I'm curious about the Bears’ plans for J'Marcus Webb. It seems like the starting tackles for 2011 are Webb and Gabe Carimi, and now the Bears are just trying to figure out who plays on the left and right side. Is J'Marcus really good enough to play on the blind side? Is Carimi? Add Chris Williams and Frank Omiyale, and it seems like the Bears have four right tackles and zero left tackles. Who will play on the left side in 2011? -- Matt (San Carlos, Calif.)
A: Matt that was the first question we asked once the Bears drafted Carimi, and
Lovie and Tice have said that the plan is to try the rookie on the left side first. Carimi held his own last season against three players (Adrian Clayborn, Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Heyward) drafted in the first round, not to mention his day-to-day practice battles with former Wisconsin teammate J.J. Watt, also a first-rounder.
Based on Carimi’s college production as a four-year starter at left tackle, his reputation for being a hard worker, and surprisingly polished technique,
the Bears expect him to be able to step in and protect Jay Cutler’s blind side as a rookie. The team also expects offensive line guru Tice to quickly help Carimi refine some of the technical deficiencies in his game to have him ready by opening day.
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bear...-about-mankins
The Bears could look to add another veteran to the bunch. Perhaps they will seek a guard now that Gabe Carimi was selected in the first round.
http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com...,1794809.story
Last edited by GeorgiaJeff; 05-14-2011 at 06:31 PM.
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If Tice can make Carimi a LT, C.Williams a LG, Kreutz C, Herman Johnson RG, Webb RT...
we could be on to somthing. Tice got his in Carimi and Johnson, he must have seen somthing in both of them.
Did anyone think Webb was going to be on the team much less starting?
It should be remembered that Thomas Jones was a bust at Arizona...and Cedric Benson was a bust with Chicago.
Herman Johnson...theres somthing going on here that Tice sees.
As a guard a few years back with Johnsons height (6'8") that would have been laughable...
but this aint a few years back anymore. This is now in the NFL.
With Cutler's height he can see over and Johnson's weight (360) makes him a natural to push the line to break it for RB's.
All the youngbloods are big guys...really...big guys...
Carimi 6'7" 314 Rookie
C. Williams 6'6" 315 4 years
H. Johnson 6'8" 360 2 years
Webb 6'8" 335 2 years
That leaves Kreutz... 6'2" 292 14 years
If you were Tice, who drafted Webb...and signed Johnson...and drafted Carimi...
what do you think he's thinking right now as to what to upgrade on the OL?
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There's some confusion on his part as well as to who is and isn't an UFA. For instance; Floyd is mentioned as a WR possibility but we've already determined that SD had tendered him at a 1st and 3rd level. If that's the case then no way he becomes a Bear. He also mentions Ike Taylor as a CB yet just today there was an article on how much Taylor was a part of the Steeler "family" and that he intended to stay with the team if at all possible.
There's so much confusion and misinformation going on right now that I don't even want to debate needs and who might fill them until we get some kind of clarification on what the FA ground rules for 2011 will be. Otherwise it's just an excercise in futility.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. 
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Originally Posted by
soulman There's some confusion on his part as well as to who is and isn't an UFA. For instance; Floyd is mentioned as a WR possibility but we've already determined that SD had tendered him at a 1st and 3rd level. If that's the case then no way he becomes a Bear. He also mentions Ike Taylor as a CB yet just today there was an article on how much Taylor was a part of the Steeler "family" and that he intended to stay with the team if at all possible.
There's so much confusion and misinformation going on right now that I don't even want to debate needs and who might fill them until we get some kind of clarification on what the FA ground rules for 2011 will be. Otherwise it's just an excercise in futility.
Ther's no confusion on his part. He states "The good news is the market could be loaded, depending on the rules" and calls Taylor a "potential" free agent.
He doesn't use any difinitive terms. Really just rehashing the possible scenarios.
I think we all need to chill out on the writers a bit. It's got to really suck trying to make a living reporting on the NFL right now.
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But Nnamdi Asomugha is going to be a Bear! I swear I saw it in the news somewhere! lol
I've been saying for the past week or more than Ike Taylor would be the best fit for the Bears at CB. We do need a stud at the position because it's not a guarantee that Josh Moore or Zack Bowman will work out well playing there. Also, Pittsburgh's "zone blitz" might give Taylor enough experience to play zone coverage, and he might good enough to serve as a blanket at the position. The only knock on him is that he is like 31 years old and probably only has about three years or so left in the tank to which he will be effective.
The Pompeii article basically confirms my worst fears. The longer this lockout goes on and the longer there is no CBA, that means that there will be a bare cupboard in terms of available potential acquisitions to us. We won't be going after a lot of the desirable WR unless as Globe made mention to me the yesterday, we go after a veteran like T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who would be immediately an upgrade for our core of wide receivers but also comes with a chip on his shoulder from not getting a lot of playing time up in Baltimore. Tyson Clabo is certainly an option and I wouldn't mind picking him up to play RT in place of J'Marcus Webb, who has not proven to me that he is going to be a reliable OT in the league yet and may well regress back to his former "bad self" if he isn't able to get with any coaches soon to continue working on his foot work and other aspects to his game. The problem on the line is going to come in at G...who's going to be available under the present auspices of the 2010 rules? And what about the Final Eight rule? What are we going to do about that?
Why do we need to worry about getting another DE when we have one of the best tandems in the league at the position? And where in the blue hell is Pompeii getting this shit that we would go after Cullen Jenkins? Yes, Jenkins has experience in the 4-3 defense, but as we have discussed on here before, he is prone to injury, and his asking price might be a bit too steep. I can't even believe that the team would consider not resigning Anthony Adams in favor of Jenkins.
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Originally Posted by
GlobeOfFrogs Ther's no confusion on his part. He states "The good news is the market could be loaded, depending on the rules" and calls Taylor a "potential" free agent.
He doesn't use any difinitive terms. Really just rehashing the possible scenarios.
I think we all need to chill out on the writers a bit. It's got to really suck trying to make a living reporting on the NFL right now.
I read the article Globe and reading comprehension isn't one of my weak points. I guess what I'm trying to say is that almost all of these articles are worthless wastes of newsprint and ink without knowing what rules will govern FA this year. I can speculate just as well as any sprortswriter at the moment but unfortunately I don't get paid for it so I won't spend anymore time doing it.
Once the rules are set it may be worth it to have some debates about who and how much but for now it's pretty much a dead issue.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Originally Posted by
soulman I read the article Globe and reading comprehension isn't one of my weak points. I guess what I'm trying to say is that almost all of these articles are worthless wastes of newsprint and ink without knowing what rules will govern FA this year. I can speculate just as well as any sprortswriter at the moment but unfortunately I don't get paid for it so I won't spend anymore time doing it.
Once the rules are set it may be worth it to have some debates about who and how much but for now it's pretty much a dead issue.
It is a dead issue but these reporters still have to submitt SOMETHING or they don't get paid. So we will keep seeing articles like this, they will keep getting posted, and we will keep debating it because there isn't much else to talk about.
My hockey team is out of the playoffs, my basketball team didn't even make the playoffs, and my baseball team sucks, so here I sit to avoid having to "share my feelings" with my wife.
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Getting a OG in FA could come down to weather or not we keep 8 or 9 on the roster and the developmental projects. The potential starters (Carimi, Cwill, Kreutz, Garza, Webb) and backups (Omiyale, Louis, E.Williams) appear to be in place somewhat. So to add another would possibly depend on weather or not Tice has confidence he can manufacture another Webb type player.
Arguing on the internet is like winning the special olympics, even if you win your still messed up.
Restore the roar!
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