Bears offseason

Overall, I like what the Bears have done so far. I am still very nervous about our O line and think we need Kreutz back.

* Roy Williams: Never been a huge fan of his, but he has size and speed. We didn't have to pay a lot for him. There weren't a lot of options in the market and if we had to sign/acquire one of the big name WR's (Moss, Holmes, Owens, Ocho), I think Roy is the best of the bunch.
* Vernon Gholston: Put him at his natural position and see what he can do. No big risk here, but could be great upside
* Sam Hurd: Good replacement for some of the things R. Davis did on ST. Could also contribute on the O. Tough over the middle and fearless.
* Signing our own players: Glad to have A. Adams and N. Roach back. The only reason I think we need Kreutz back is that we don't have any depth at the position. Seems we're making progress on the O line, but without Olin this year, IMO, it will be a disaster to start the season. Especially with the lock-out.
* Greg Olsen: I liked him. I don't think he is a complete tight end (yards after contact too low for a TE); however, opposing defenses had to account for him on the field. IMO, the Bears just never used him properly. In Martz's system, the TE does not play a big role in the passing game, so you might as well trade the guy and get something for him. I wish him well and believe he will thrive in a system that values that TE in the passing game.

They accomplished a lot in a short period of time. I'm excited for this season.

Not throwing darts at those with an opposing viewpoint, but that's a well reasoned opinion on the offseason thus far, and there's still players being cut, and hopefully there's a surprise cut or two, that we would need.

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Originally Posted by Henry Burris

Not throwing darts at those with an opposing viewpoint, but that's a well reasoned opinion on the offseason thus far, and there's still players being cut, and hopefully there's a surprise cut or two, that we would need.

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Not a big fan of the Roy Williams signing, but mostly because it signaled we weren't going to get Malcolm Floyd. He is a bit old too.

We still need the Oline signings, and we better get on it quickly.

The Gholston pickup is a good risk, IMO. Though I don't believe in him now, as chisportsfan mentioned we will put him back at his original position and it's only a cheap one year contract. This is likely his last stop if he doesn't produce, so he should have the motivation.

the only long term investment we have made for this team and we have 34 mil in cap space is a punter. Williams and Gholston on one year deals so even if they did good we have to depend on Mckaskeys to pony up money. They probably would for Gholston but Williams would be let go cause they wont invest in the offense. There were legit targets this FA that would have cost money but would have turned this offense around. If you think Williams is going to change this offense from being one of the worst to one of the best all power to you. BTW the OL FA targets have dried up and the last good piece is Blalock who wants a monster deal so good luck thinking we will get him

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Originally Posted by motownbear

the only long term investment we have made for this team and we have 34 mil in cap space is a punter. Williams and Gholston on one year deals so even if they did good we have to depend on Mckaskeys to pony up money. They probably would for Gholston but Williams would be let go cause they wont invest in the offense. There were legit targets this FA that would have cost money but would have turned this offense around. If you think Williams is going to change this offense from being one of the worst to one of the best all power to you. BTW the OL FA targets have dried up and the last good piece is Blalock who wants a monster deal so good luck thinking we will get him

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I'm more in line with your thinking mo. We had some supreme, priority, fill 'em in the first hour needs going into this and we didn't address them at all. I think by pursuing Bushrod first and Colon second we essentially by passed any opportunity we may have had to get one of the better OG's. I think that was a bigger need than another OT and it may have been a very poor strategy because now we're stuck with nothing. In addition to that we continue to run the risk of losing Olin Kruetz so when I say that this part of free agency has been woefully mishandled I can't see how anyone could argue with the logic.

I'll applaud them for getting a good replacement for Brad Maynard but if all you have to cheer about so far is a punter then so far this FA period can only be described with a huge F bomb. Cutting Manu made sense but what made even more sense was never to have signed him in the first place. Here's a great example of how we give into a Mike Martz demand and end up the worse for it. So now without Manu he once again demands a blocking TE and we get rid of a very good receiving TE who actually contributes to putting points on the board and all because he doesn't fit Mike Martz's ancient schemes. In an era of the pass catching TE Mike Martz wants one who blocks like an OT or an OG as if it were still ten years ago and he was running the Rams. F BOMB!

When it was apparent that the Cowboys were going to release Roy Williams I began a thread asking how others felt about picking him up and the opinions were pretty negative. So what do we do but go out and pick up Roy Williams on the hunch that because he'll be playing for two of his former coaches that they can help him resurrect a great career that basically never was. Roy Williams drops more passes than any other WR in the NFL so we should have kept "good hands" Greg Olsen so he could have caught the ball for him then handed it to him for YAC which Olsen sucked at. It would have taken us two players to make one receiver but it's better than one who can't catch and even in combination they'd be millions cheaper than Sidney Rice.

Since we lost out on Jason Babin who we know can rush the passer we have to have to go an alternative route. So we take the road less travelled and sign a guy whose spent his entire 3 year NFL career proving that he can't rush the passer. In both of these cases I hear posters saying that we aren't risking much bringing these guys in one one year mini deals. I beg to differ. If they don't work out, which based on our past history dumpster diving for talent is very likely, there is still the cost of the lost opportunity to have gotten someone who would work out. Put in simple terms we don't improve the team and we sink back into mediocrity again.

I'll give the credit for getting AA and Roach back in the fold but those were really no brainers. If anyone bothered to notice all of the players who the Bears had been interested in at NT and LB had already signed elsewhere before we closed the deal with AA and Roach. It was as much out of neccessity that they were re-signed as it was the strong desire to keep them. Seems like they'e having trouble making up their minds about Olin too and they better make it up fast before the 49'ers make it up for them. If we lose him in addition to making no upgrades on the interior of the line Cutler may be sacked 100 times this year and we'll be giving Forte a huge contract to run behind a line that has no holes to run through.

Maybe I'm just the Grinch but I can't see how anyone could be pleased with this so far. I think and work in a goal oriented manner so when I see someone as screwed up and rudderless as the Bears appear right now it goes against my nature to attempt to find anything positive about it. It's like eating a poisoned meal and taking heart in the fact that it didn't kill you. Some of their own players can't even figure out what they're doing and why and to me it just plain old fashioned sucks.

I'm not so pants crapingly upset about our offseason as most, but it's puzzling to say the least. Our plan A CLEARLY failed, and that says a lot about our managements capabilities. Had we succeeded, I would love all these small moves we've made in attempt to catch lightning in a bottle.

We upgraded at punter and blocking TE, which were both big holes last year, so both moves that are bigger than their perceived value.

I do not like the Olsen deal whatsoever, and that's all that needs to be said about that one.

One of the biggest things this season is that new players will not have the luxury of studying Martz' huge playbook all Summer in preparation. That's where I think Roy Williams could pay off. He's already familiar with all the things he does and understands his ridiculously huge option route tree. I'll wait and see what we have here in the season before I pass any harsh judgement on this one, because it's not nearly the disaster everyone pegs it to be right now, so I don't expect it to be when the season starts.

I'll repeat what I said in the rumor thread about Gholston. Coming out of college I thought he went to the wrong system, and that he needed to play with his hand in the dirt to be successful (yes, I said this before Lovie did in the presser). It's a low-risk move that should be seen as just that. Instead, frustration has seen us lump every single move into one failure and the forest for the trees mode is in full force because of that.

Jerry really needs to get us some OL, but his statements last night that he is happy with our OL isn't inspiring, and is unbelievably enraging.

I actually don't like the Olsen move, but I think we got a good deal for him; hell didn't cinci just get like a 5th and 6th for Ocho? I'll take a 3rd for Olsen anyday. I just don't see how Williams is an upgrade over him. Again I understand why we got him(martz boy) but again, no system is going to make him a better at catching the ball or less likely to shy away from contact/allegator arm passes. I also have no problem w/Hurd swap for Davis. I think Hurd has better recieving skills then Davis, and is probably just as good on ST's, this is probably an upgrade.

If Gholston works, great, but I doubt it will. Here I do believe that system can matter; but again 42 tackles over 3-4 years is a bust until otherwise proven wrong...and I think maybe it was more about the want then they system w/those #'s. Of course maybe he will be the DE version of Benson.


I'm cool w/the Punter, we needed a new one. I have no problem w/Swapping Spaeth for Manumanu the hugefatarse. But the problem here is they were are first two moves; the sense of urgancy w/the other positions looks like they were a back seat to a blocking TE and a P. Bad form from the F/O. JA per usual seems to have F'd up this FA; he's done some really good stuff the past couple seasons, but this is not a continuation.

I also heard that we resigned K Bell, hopefully he can contribute on ST's, and maybe even get a few plays w/the O to see if he has anything to contribute.

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Originally Posted by soulman

I'm more in line with your thinking mo. We had some supreme, priority, fill 'em in the first hour needs going into this and we didn't address them at all. I think by pursuing Bushrod first and Colon second we essentially by passed any opportunity we may have had to get one of the better OG's. I think that was a bigger need than another OT and it may have been a very poor strategy because now we're stuck with nothing. In addition to that we continue to run the risk of losing Olin Kruetz so when I say that this part of free agency has been woefully mishandled I can't see how anyone could argue with the logic.

I'll applaud them for getting a good replacement for Brad Maynard but if all you have to cheer about so far is a punter then so far this FA period can only be described with a huge F bomb. Cutting Manu made sense but what made even more sense was never to have signed him in the first place. Here's a great example of how we give into a Mike Martz demand and end up the worse for it. So now without Manu he once again demands a blocking TE and we get rid of a very good receiving TE who actually contributes to putting points on the board and all because he doesn't fit Mike Martz's ancient schemes. In an era of the pass catching TE Mike Martz wants one who blocks like an OT or an OG as if it were still ten years ago and he was running the Rams. F BOMB!

When it was apparent that the Cowboys were going to release Roy Williams I began a thread asking how others felt about picking him up and the opinions were pretty negative. So what do we do but go out and pick up Roy Williams on the hunch that because he'll be playing for two of his former coaches that they can help him resurrect a great career that basically never was. Roy Williams drops more passes than any other WR in the NFL so we should have kept "good hands" Greg Olsen so he could have caught the ball for him then handed it to him for YAC which Olsen sucked at. It would have taken us two players to make one receiver but it's better than one who can't catch and even in combination they'd be millions cheaper than Sidney Rice.

Since we lost out on Jason Babin who we know can rush the passer we have to have to go an alternative route. So we take the road less travelled and sign a guy whose spent his entire 3 year NFL career proving that he can't rush the passer. In both of these cases I hear posters saying that we aren't risking much bringing these guys in one one year mini deals. I beg to differ. If they don't work out, which based on our past history dumpster diving for talent is very likely, there is still the cost of the lost opportunity to have gotten someone who would work out. Put in simple terms we don't improve the team and we sink back into mediocrity again.

I'll give the credit for getting AA and Roach back in the fold but those were really no brainers. If anyone bothered to notice all of the players who the Bears had been interested in at NT and LB had already signed elsewhere before we closed the deal with AA and Roach. It was as much out of neccessity that they were re-signed as it was the strong desire to keep them. Seems like they'e having trouble making up their minds about Olin too and they better make it up fast before the 49'ers make it up for them. If we lose him in addition to making no upgrades on the interior of the line Cutler may be sacked 100 times this year and we'll be giving Forte a huge contract to run behind a line that has no holes to run through.

Maybe I'm just the Grinch but I can't see how anyone could be pleased with this so far. I think and work in a goal oriented manner so when I see someone as screwed up and rudderless as the Bears appear right now it goes against my nature to attempt to find anything positive about it. It's like eating a poisoned meal and taking heart in the fact that it didn't kill you. Some of their own players can't even figure out what they're doing and why and to me it just plain old fashioned sucks.

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when special teams highlights your offseason while facts stare us in the face that we have a consistent bottom of the league offense and an aging defense how can anyone be happy at this point?

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Originally Posted by lklrlolnlilklsox

I'm not so pants crapingly upset about our offseason as most, but it's puzzling to say the least. Our plan A CLEARLY failed, and that says a lot about our managements capabilities. Had we succeeded, I would love all these small moves we've made in attempt to catch lightning in a bottle.

We upgraded at punter and blocking TE, which were both big holes last year, so both moves that are bigger than their perceived value.

I do not like the Olsen deal whatsoever, and that's all that needs to be said about that one.

One of the biggest things this season is that new players will not have the luxury of studying Martz' huge playbook all Summer in preparation. That's where I think Roy Williams could pay off. He's already familiar with all the things he does and understands his ridiculously huge option route tree. I'll wait and see what we have here in the season before I pass any harsh judgement on this one, because it's not nearly the disaster everyone pegs it to be right now, so I don't expect it to be when the season starts.

I'll repeat what I said in the rumor thread about Gholston. Coming out of college I thought he went to the wrong system, and that he needed to play with his hand in the dirt to be successful (yes, I said this before Lovie did in the presser). It's a low-risk move that should be seen as just that. Instead, frustration has seen us lump every single move into one failure and the forest for the trees mode is in full force because of that.

Jerry really needs to get us some OL, but his statements last night that he is happy with our OL isn't inspiring, and is unbelievably enraging.

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You're far more content with it than I am sox. Once again caving into Martz's demands to supply him with players to run what I'm beginning to see as an antiquated scheme that has outlived it heyday has been nothing but futile so far. We spent a bundle on Manu then cut him (as we should have) and sign a new behemoth TE for Martz. Fine, but that wasn't any excuse for trading Olsen. I posted a quote from Martz that was in direct reference to Olsen playing within Martz's scheme and Martz claims that if a player has talent but doesn't fit the scheme then the scheme is wrong. That theory didn't stick around long did it?

Now following comments by both Martz and Lovie that big WR's are highly overrated in his scheme (there's that "his scheme" once again) they go out and take one off Dallas' trash heap rationalinzing that he'll be useful again playing for Martz and Drake. How are we ever gonna find out if he drops 50% of the balls thrown to him. The guy has alligator arms and hands of stone. At least Randy Moss can catch.

You're right, the "lightning in a bottle" stuff would be fine if we had first addressed the needs with guys we knew could play but sadly we didn't. See the post about "lost opportunity' I made in the Gholston Thread. If Jerry Angelo is ok with this Oline then more than anything he's stated something aloud which proves he knows nothing about building an offense. He either won't or can't find a way to put a top Oline on the field yet he'll spend millions on a franchise QB but provide him with lousy protection and he's about to spend millions more on a RB who'll have trouble finding holes to run through. If that's not a backassward way to build on offense I don't know what is.

Right now he's spending way too much time allowing Martz to chase him around the halls bugging him for his kind of skill position players (let's spend $15 mil on Brad Smith) while not even that much is spent on the line and Tice shakes his head and tries to figure out again how to make a decent pitcher of Oline lemonade. Mike Martz is becoming the Bears equivalent of Josh McDaniels.

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Originally Posted by motownbear

when special teams highlights your offseason while facts stare us in the face that we have a consistent bottom of the league offense and an aging defense how can anyone be happy at this point?

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I dunno mo. You'll have to ask those who think that signing a punter, a TE, and a never was WR, a ST star and picking up Vernon Gholston is a great way to start free agency. I don't. :badmood:

I guess we can take some solace in the fact that they cut Manu and didn't offer OMG an extension though, LOL.