Thread: Strong Evidence Somebody Else Should Wear #86

Let's see...
Pace
Tinoisamoa
Manu

would seem all three former Rams havn't quite lived up to the billing.. can we stop taking the Rams used up crap?

Mo, here's another guy who agrees with you about using Lance Louis in place of Manu as a FB/TE. This is another layman produced post but I think a good one and well researched. It pretty much proves statistically what we all knew already from having watched him.

Now before anyone goes off blaming JA for another FA blunder let's look at the facts. The idea of signing Manu came from one Mike Martz and was based on his offensive needs for a TE who blocks to protect the QB rather than being on the receiving end of his passes. Manu sums up his understanding of his primary responsibilities in his own words. So how did Manu do with this seemingly simple task? Don't ask, the numbers are there. So let's hang this bad idea on Martz where it belongs and not on Angelo.

Now when Manu failed to live up to expectations Martz didn't admit the error of his way instead he made one of our best pass catchers and the only starting pass catcher we had over 6' tall into a blocking back thereby keeping him out of the pass patterns. There's something wrong with this picture isn't there? Maybe that's why Lovie had words with him around mid season and why he's number two on the list of Bears with the most to prove in 2011.

On top of all of that Manu is due to make more $$$ in 2011 ($2.6 mil) than the three guys who should really be replacing him completely with their combined salaries of around $1.85 mil. I guess it doesn't take an ecomomist to figure out that this isn't a wise use of our dollars getting one for 140% of the price for three. Even your basic shop-a-holic buys better than that. He still has an unamortized signing bonus of $1.6 mil so you subtract that from his 2011 $2.6 mil cap number and we save $1 mil on the cap and $2.6 mil in cash we can put towards Olsen's extension. Come the first day of camp I'm gonna be saying what are we waiting for.

Originally Posted by GrizzlyBear91

Let's see...
Pace
Tinoisamoa
Manu

would seem all three former Rams havn't quite lived up to the billing.. can we stop taking the Rams used up crap?

Angelo needs to stop filling Martz request list and we should be fine. Pisa wasn't a bad addition but he can't stay healthy. When he does he kicks ass and him I'd bring back on another 1 year deal but Manu should be gone on the first day of the new season.

Originally Posted by motownbear

good article soul. It seems everytime the gm bows to pressure of the coach when it comes to the player we are set back some way. I have never seen a one dimensional TE get a contract like that lol. Actually ever since we lost Gilmore we really havent had that great blocking TE. Clarks was adequate all around guy but didnt have that grit. The need for a blocking te is important but 6 mil yikes lol. Ive been saying it since last preseason Louis blocking style would be perfect as a TE

Thanks mo. The guy who produced it is just a fan contributor to that site no different than you or I and it was his first shot at it. Like I've been saying most of us research and write better than half the sportswriters on sites we repost from. Because it was an uncapped year we gave both Manu and Taylor far more than we would have otherwise IMO but the competition probably forced it. The real mistake in my mind has been giving into Martz and his needs. That's how we ended up with Collins and a lost shot at the SB too.

Manu is a waste but fortunately because his signing bonus was so low we can cut him now without taking a cap hit. In fact we gain $1 mil under the cap and $2.6 mil in cash and if we move Louis into that spot we don't even need to spend $$$ replacing Manu. It all just makes too much sense not to do. Louis is very athletic but not a Tice style lineman because of his size so move him to where his skills can be used. How come we can come up with ideas as simple as this while they seem to go right over Martz's head. Loyalty to a guy is one thing but when your $6 million dollar man screws it us as bad as he did last year he doesn't deserve it. Cut him now and let him catch on elsewhere.

If he reports to camp in shape, he has pride in his game and he cares. If he doesn't I'd run his ass into the ground and make him prove he still wants to make the team ( added benefit is he gets in shape ). They should demand more out if a guy making millions ..... and if they put up with bullcrap, then they're stupid and the lack of faith the fans have in thier judgement is completely justified.

It's going to take something like a Louis at TE, and a legit FB to mitigate the offensive line woes. Last year we had neither. It is also going to help with the goalline punch also which we had either.

Originally Posted by Blue Horse-shoe

If he reports to camp in shape, he has pride in his game and he cares. If he doesn't I'd run his ass into the ground and make him prove he still wants to make the team ( added benefit is he gets in shape ). They should demand more out if a guy making millions ..... and if they put up with bullcrap, then they're stupid and the lack of faith the fans have in thier judgement is completely justified.

I can't see how we can justify keeping the guy when he costs us more than the three guys who can replace him. There is no way in hell that Lance Louis could do any worse a job in his spot than Manu did last year. Classic example of a guy who gets his last big payday and then lays it down. We can gain $1 mil more to the good capwise and $2.6 mil in cash by cutting him, use that money towards Olsen's extension and we'd be far better off. Sometimes you just have to admit your mistake, lick your wounds and move on. That would be the smart thing to do in this case.

Originally Posted by short faced bear

It's going to take something like a Louis at TE, and a legit FB to mitigate the offensive line woes. Last year we had neither. It is also going to help with the goalline punch also which we had either.

I've got a good solution for all of that. Put Louis in Manu's spot and if the Packers let John Kuhn loose sign him immediately. Now you've got an OG size blocking TE/FB, a true FB/RB (Kuhn) and if we get lucky Harvey Unga can become that other power back we need. That will change the entire look of the running game over last year.

You still have Forte as your #1 back and receiver but you have another guy in Kuhn who can either block for Unga or carry the ball himself on short yardage plays. You also have a big guy at who's a pure blocker at TE in two TE sets. One of our biggest problems last years was our inability to get first downs on short yardage plays and run the ball successfully inside the 5 yard line. These are the fixes we could make.