Thread: Bears May Benefit From FA Scramble...........

I can imagine that with such a short time for free agency many teams will make strong attempts to keep their own FA's but there are some teams who simply don't have the cap room to do it. Fortunately the Bears are not one of them so I have a feeling that guys like Olin Kreutz and Anthony Adams will be re-signed quickly as will our free agent LB's. Keeping guys who are familiar with your system will be important.

Unless it's all just another of JA's smoke screens what I can't understand are the constant statments that the Bears won't be making a "big splash" in FA this year. I'm not sure of exactly what that means but there are two pretty obvious glaring holes on offense that still need to be filled this offseason. I can see us bypassing a Sidney Rice in favor of a lower profile WR but if either of the two Atlanta FA OG's, Dahl and Blalock or Tampa Bay's Davin Joseph are not re-signed by their teams I can't see how we can avoid signing one of them.

I can agree that the signing of Peppers consituted a "big splash" but mentioning either Taylor or Manu in that same sentence is just plain wrong. All that happened there is that we woefully overpaid for two marginal veteran players whom, as it turns out, we really didn't need anyway. I know that Taylor was an insurance policy against Forte's not being fully recovered but lets face it, he was a failure plain ans simple and with any luck someone will take his job away this year. Since we actually gain cap space and cash by releasing Manu that should be done as soon as the league opens for business. He was and still is a total waste.

I know that we have to preserve cap space for the extensions of both Forte and Olsen but JA still can't use that as an excuse not to fill those two offensive holes later this week. We absolutely need an OG and a WR that can start. We also could use another DE to add to the rotation and give Pep and Izzy more breathers. After that out of some second tier veteran guys and rookie UDFA's we should be able to rebuild the ST for Toub and put some depth together where we're thin but sigining two front line starters for the offense shouldn't be considered a "big splash". It should be considered a necessity.

Just a "No Shit Sherlock" addition to this thread from Dan Pompei. Nothing here we don't already know. After taking care of re-signing our own getting an OG and a WR should be first on the list. I don't agree with at all about Carimi's readiness to play so to me signing another OT when we have glaring needs at OG just doesn't make sense. On top of that the supply of OG's should be much better than that of OT's. The best LT prospects will most likely re-sign with their own teams.

We shouldn't ignore the need for another outside pass rusher either. Last year Peppers and Izzy played about 90% of the defensive downs and both need more of a breather than that. If Wootton can step up great but even if he does we still need another DE. Pep's sack totals could probably be solidly back in the double digits again if he could take a few more series off per game.




Here's how Bears can hit ground running after lockout ends


Priorities apparent but not much time to fulfill them before season begins


Anthony Adams does a somersault as he takes the field the NFC Championship. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune / January 23, 2011)





Dan Pompei On the NFL July 24, 2011


When the Bears finally wiggle out of their lockout handcuffs, they should be ready to start moving, shaking and signing.

It still is unclear when teams will be free to start cutting deals because the NFL Players Association has yet to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement. That is expected soon, however.

These are the Bears' top priorities once the league year begins.

Re-sign Kreutz

Of the Bears' 15 unrestricted free agents, Olin Kreutz clearly is the most important. In addition to being the unquestioned leader of the locker room, Kreutz also is the glue of the offensive line.

The Bears understand his value and want him back badly, but are unlikely to give a 34-year old center more than they think he's worth. The good news is Kreutz is more valuable to the Bears than he possibly could be to any other team, so it's unlikely another team will offer him significantly more money than the Bears.

It would have been a challenge to replace Kreutz even if free agency had gone off as originally scheduled and he had signed with another team in March. Given that training camp is almost here, it will be exceedingly difficult to bring in a center from another team who doesn't know the Bears' protections and the players around him.

If Kreutz doesn't re-sign, it's most likely the Bears will shift Roberto Garza from guard to center and try to fill his guard spot with a free agent.

Get some linebackers

As of now, linebackers coach Bob Babich has only two players — Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. The Bears need to identify and sign a starting strong side linebacker and a few backups.

Rookie J.T. Thomas will fill one of the backup spots, and the Bears could re-sign one or more from last year's group whose contracts have expired — Pisa Tinoisamoa, Nick Roach, Brian Iwuh and Rod Wilson.

Tinoisamoa had offseason knee surgery and concerns about his ability to stay healthy likely will prompt the Bears to look for a free agent they believe can replace him in the starting lineup.

Find a cheaper Peppers

The Bears need a complement to defensive end Julius Peppers. Both Israel Idonije and Corey Wootton have value, but neither has the kind of speed off the edge that will attract blocking help away from Peppers.

Given the makeup and philosophy of the Bears defense, the unit has no chance of being effective without a pass rush that creates havoc. With the players on the roster now, the Bears won't be sure they can get after the quarterback the way they must.

Add versatile offensive lineman

Drafting tackle Gabe Carimi in the first round was a start. The Bears could use another blocker, preferably one who can play more than one position.

Because Carimi didn't have the benefit of minicamps and OTAs because of the lockout, it's unrealistic to expect him to step right into the starting lineup. If the Bears could find a veteran who can begin as a tackle and eventually shift to guard if needed, that would help coaches develop Carimi at a pace with which everyone is comfortable.

Bring back Adams

After Matt Toeaina, the defensive tackles who played most last year were Tommie Harris and Anthony Adams. Harris was cut and Adams is a free agent.

The coaches plan on increasing the role of Henry Melton and getting second-round pick Stephen Paea on the field. But Adams is a security blanket. The team knows exactly what he will give them, and no one can say that with certainty about Melton or Paea.

Get a second leg

It appears likely the Bears won't re-sign 37-year old free agent punter Brad Maynard, who has been a team fixture for a decade. They already have signed Richmond McGee as a possible replacement.

This is the fourth time they have signed McGee, which tells you they see something they like. But they also have cut him three times.

McGee never has punted in a regular-season game, so look for the Bears to sign an experienced veteran to compete with him.

Make Cutler's life easier

Wide receiver is the strongest position in free agency. The Bears probably won't be in the market for a Pro Bowler, but they should be able to find a reasonably priced receiver to give quarterback Jay Cutler another option.

Perhaps it's a big receiver. Perhaps it's a fast one. The Bears likely will be open to what the market offers.

Devin Hester may take fewer snaps on offense, which will open up some playing time. Earl Bennett's role is expected to expand, and Johnny Knox will remain a fixture.

Whoever the Bears sign will need to fit in with that trio.

Fill out roster

The Bears have 47 players under contract. They need 90.

That means in addition to signing some of their own free agents as well as those from other teams, they will need undrafted college players — and a lot of them.

They will need somewhere in the vicinity of 30 undrafted players. Among them will be some "priority" free agents the team liked in the draft. Those players will get upfront guarantees.

dpompei@tribune.com

Twitter @danpompei



Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
ct-spt-0724-pompei-bears-chicago--20110724

Originally Posted by 4th and 26

Dear Jerry,

FOCUS ON OFFENSIVE PLAYERS.


4th and 26

Yeah and I'm hoping he does but part of me is getting ready to be very disappointed in what he actually does. This year I'd be paying far more attention to what Mike Tice needs and what Jay Cutler wants than to the demands of Mike Martz. We got zero mileage out of his last two offseason ideas. If their smart Manu goes bye bye tomorrow and Taylor just as soon as Unga can beat him out of we sign a guy like Kuhn in FA. Taylor is not a short yardage back and we no longer need the insurance against an injury to Forte.