and pomeii's mailbag..
Dan Pompei's Bears mailbag
Which Bears players will have a breakout season? How high is Johnny Knox's ceiling? The Tribune's Bears columnist answers these questions and more in his weekly mailbag.
By Dan Pompei Tribune staff reporter June 7, 2011
Which
Bears player do you see having a breakout year like
D.J. Moore,
Israel Idonije and
Johnny Knox last year? Haluk, London, UK
My top three candidates would be Henry Melton, Zack Bowman and
Nick Roach. In three conversations I have had with
Lovie Smith this offseason, he has brought up Melton's name, without prompting, three times. He clearly is as excited about Melton as he is about any player. Melton is going to get his chance. I thought the coaching staff got down on Bowman after a couple of bad plays early last season. But I think he's an
NFL starting-caliber cornerback who can be really good if he cleans up some of his tackling issues. Bowman is big, fast and can come up with takeaways. That should endear him to his coaches. If the Bears do not sign a starting cornerback in free agency, Bowman will have an excellent chance of beating out Tim Jennings, D.J. Moore and
Josh Moore to be the starting corner opposite
Charles Tillman. Roach actually is out of contract, but I expect he will return. And he could be given a chance to start at strong-side linebacker. He's a gifted young player who could be ready for his opportunity.
How high do you think the ceiling is for Johnny Knox? I see lots of flashes of something special, I just think he needs to get stronger. What do you think? Brandon, Wisconsin
I think Knox already is a very good player, but he still has some room to improve. He can be a receiver who has 1,000-yard seasons with regularity. He has the speed to make big plays, too. I can't say I believe he is ever going to turn into
Jerry Rice, though. He probably always will be a little limited by his frame.
What are your thoughts on Tony Dungy meeting with the Bears' coaches for a day? Since they were Cover-2 disciples. I think this a smart move by Lovie. Jason, Richmond, Va.
It certainly couldn't hurt. An influx of different ideas certainly can be beneficial. Dungy might have noticed some things about how the Bears are playing that had escaped Bears coaches. Maybe he was able to lend some missing perspective. Perhaps he got through to some coaches in a way few others could. More than anything, though, the visit probably is about fellowship. I would not expect that it's going to have a profound effect on the Bears' season.
Where do you think
Stephen Paea fits best, as an under tackle or at the nose? He has stated he prefers the former and I agree, simply because I don't think he's big enough for the nose and he's more of a playmaker than a hold-the-line-steady kind of guy. Also, I think it would be pretty neat if we had an all-Samoan starting tackle combo on defense with him and
Matt Toeaina. Ray Bishop, Fayetteville, Ark.
Good question. Truthfully, I'm not sure anyone can answer it yet. The best-case scenario, which the Bears believe will play out, is Paea is versatile enough to play both positions. The worst-case scenario is he's not quick enough to be a dynamic three technique, nor big enough to be an impact nose tackle. The scouts I have spoken with have been split on what Paea can do best. We'll find out when the pads come on and Paea gets to test his abilities against NFL competition.
Dan, I know I am a year off but it seems that drafting a linebacker next year should be a priority. Do you agree? Or can J.T. Thomas be a starter? Ed, Chicago
It's way too early to know if Thomas can be a starter. I do know the Bears like him very much and are excited to have him. Physically, Thomas doesn't lack anything. He has the size, speed and athleticism to be a starter in the Bears' system. Whether he can put it all together remains to be seen. The Bears need to learn a little about Thomas during the 2011 season. But chances are they still will be looking at linebackers hard in 2012.
Will
Mike Martz commit to Chester Taylor as his short-yardage back? Ryan, Dallas
Taylor earned that role last year, and he'll have to earn it again if he wants to keep it. I'm not completely sure Taylor makes the 53-man roster. He probably will be a Bear this year, but he will have competition from Kahlil Bell and Harvey Unga, at least. The Bears could even sign another back. In terms of the role of short-yardage back, that could be filled by Bell, Unga or even Matt Forte if not Taylor. The backup running back position is going to be one to watch in training camp.
What are the chances that the Bears go after
Plaxico Burress? Mike Termini, Elgin
I would say slim to none. On several fronts, he is not what they are looking for. That's not to say he is incapable of helping some team. In fact, he might very well do that. But he needs the perfect situation, and the Bears are not the perfect situation for him.
Why wouldn't the Bears value a big wide receiver who can give
Jay Cutler more options in the end zone other then
Greg Olsen? Jermaine, Harvey
The Bears are not opposed to adding a big receiver. In fact, there is a chance, maybe even a good one, that they will do so. But it's hard to find a big receiver who can do everything the Bears ask their receivers to do. What the Bears want, essentially, is a big receiver who can run routes like a smaller one. Mike Martz is big on having receivers who are versatile enough to efficiently run all the routes in his playbook. If all a receiver has is one or two tricks, it becomes easier for defenses to take away those tricks.
Will the Bears try for guard
Logan Mankins, or do you see any other free agent offensive linemen they may target? John, Naperville
The Patriots have the franchise tag on Mankins, which basically puts him off limits to the Bears and any other team. There are some other good possibilities in free agency on the offensive line, but
the vibe I'm getting from Halas Hall is the Bears may not go for a starting offensive lineman in free agency. I think they want to see what the players they already have can do, given another year working with Mike Tice.
How will the
NFL lockout affect the ability of the offensive line to jell, especially with our first-round pick? Martin Corral, Chicago
There is no doubt in my mind the Bears offensive line will not be as good as it could have been in 2011 because the players did not get a chance to work with Tice for a full offseason. Continuity and working together affects offensive linemen more than anyone. The Bears very well could have three young starters who need as much work as they can get in
Gabe Carimi, J'Marcus Webb and Chris Williams. What's more, they also have some developmental prospects who needed the work.
Sports Turf at
Soldier Field -- why not now? DGP, Chicago
Because the Bears don't want it. They fear field turf products may not be as safe to play on as grass, even grass that comes out in clumps late in the year. Studies about player safety on field turf have been inconclusive, and until the Bears get a better feel for injury rates, they plan on sticking with grass.
Is there a stat kept on head coaches who win a championship for one organization and then go to another one and win a title again? It doesn't seem like it happens very often. Eddie Sedgwick, St. John, Ind.
In football, it has never happened in the
Super Bowl era. Many have tried, including
Vince Lombardi,
Mike Ditka, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren and
Jimmy Johnson. But no one has been able to win a Super Bowl with a second team.
dpompei@tribune.com
