Dan Pompei's Mailbag; Q&A with the Fans................

**soulman** · 01-24-2012, 05:22 PM

Reader Q&A: Dan Pompei's Bears mailbag

The Tribune's Bears columnist fields questions on the future of Lovie Smith and Matt Forte, and whether the Bears could have reached the Super Bowl had they remained healthy.

Coach Lovie Smith leaves the field after the Bears' season-ending victory at the Metrodome. (Chris Sweda/Tribune Photo)

By Dan Pompei Chicago Tribune reporter January 24, 2012

Isn't Lovie Smith the Bears' general manager? He was kept on and is choosing all the coaches. That sounds like a GM to me. Maurice Sharpe, Chicago

Lovie Smith always has chosen his own assistants. Almost every head coach in the league does that. If there were a general manager in place, the GM likely would have some input, but hiring the assistant coaches usually is the not jurisdiction of the general manager. Finding players is. And Smith is not expected to be choosing players when the Bears have their new GM in place.

Given what happened to Hue Jackson in Oakland when a new GM came in, is it possible for Lovie Smith to still be fired? Timothy Trisham

Anything is possible in the NFL, but the chances are remote that Smith will be fired this year. The difference between what happened in Oakland and what happened in Chicago is no one ever said Hue Jackson was staying. The Bears made it clear from the start Smith wasn't going anywhere, and they have been preceding in that manner.

If the Bears had kept Jay Cutler and Matt Forte healthy enough to get the wild-card spot, could they have made it to the Super Bowl? Jared Johnson, Burke, Va.

Good question. Certainly, you could make the argument that the Bears had a decent chance of being the best team in the NFC. They were 7-3 at the time Cutler went down, when the Giants were 6-4. The Giants peaked at the right time. The Bears appeared to be peaking when the injuries hit. We'll never know what kind of playoff team the Bears would have been, but my guess is they would have been a pretty good one.

Could a new GM come in, look at the "mileage" on Forte and decide to trade him for much-needed picks? This seems to be an NFL trend recently. What is Forte worth in trade? Rick, Naperville

The new GM would have to sign Forte first, then trade him, and I don't believe this has much of a chance of happening. Running backs in general do not carry great trade value. Most of the time, a team would rather draft a younger back that pay a trade premium in order to acquire an older one, and then have to pay that older one a lucrative salary besides. There aren't many good recent examples of a team trading a running back in his prime. In 2004, the Broncos traded Clinton Portis to the Redskins for cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round pick. Last year, the Bills got a fourth-round pick for Marshawn Lynch. If I had to put a value on Forte in a trade, I'd guess he'd be worth a first-round pick. But his value could fluctuate up or down depending on the market, and the number of teams interested.

Cleveland has been unable to find a consistent running back and Chicago has been unable to find anyone who resembles a left tackle, so could Chicago deal Matt Forte to Cleveland for Joe Thomas? Scott Dennler, Columbus Junction, IA

I would not make that trade if I were Browns general manager Tom Heckert. Thomas arguably is the best left tackle in football. Great left tackles are hard to find. You don't give one away when you have one. Forte is an upper-echelon running back, but you can find a decent running back in a lot of places. You don't have to give up an elite left tackle to get one.

Would dealing Lance Briggs for a first-rounder and potentially other picks in the draft be worth it? Joe Devine, from Twitter

It would set the defense back in the short term but potentially pay off in the long run. Briggs is 31. History says he won't be playing at a top level for many more years. If the Bears could replace him with a young Briggs, they would be better off. But finding a young Briggs wouldn't be easy. Briggs is a special player, and he has been a great Bear. And I doubt another team would give up a first-round pick for a 31-year old linebacker.

With such a deep class of free agent O-lineman, do you think the Bears will attempt to sign a top O-lineman in free agency? Brian, Providence, R.I.

It's really hard to say at this point for two reasons. The first is the person who is going to be making that decision hasn't even been identified yet. The second is we have no idea how deep that free agent class of offensive linemen will be. It is possible many of the players you are dreaming about either will re-sign with their teams or be tagged before they become free agents. If I had to bet right now though, I'd say the Bears will be more likely to invest in free agents at other positions.

From what you've seen this past season, do the Bears have any long-term fixtures on the offensive line on their current roster? Personally, the only player on the line that I think has a definite bright future ahead of him is Lance Louis at guard. Ted Sorey, Lancaster, Texas

If you are hoping for five Jim Coverts, you are going to need a lot of new blockers. But the truth is you don't need five Jim Coverts. The Bears are going to change their offense a little so the offensive linemen aren't asked to do so much. They should be able to get by with lesser athletes. There are question marks with a number of the Bears' blockers, but there is a belief at Halas Hall that the team can win with these guys. I like Louis' potential, too. Gabe Carimi definitely looks like a long term fixture. Chris Spencer is plenty good enough. Roberto Garza was probably the most consistent blocker on the team last year, though he isn't going to be playing forever.

With Mike Tice the new OC, what are the chances of David Garrard backing up Jay Cutler next year? Mark Early, Arlington, Va.

If you were David Garrard, would you want to come to Chicago to back up a well-established, durable quarterback? Or would you want to go someplace like Miami where you could compete for the starting job? Don't hold your breath on Garrard signing with the Bears.

The Bears had a very successful run defense early in the century when they had Keith Traylor and Ted Washington, truly massive defensive tackles. They favor the smaller faster ones now, but they don't seem as effective. Any chance of a change in the philosophy back to big tackles? Rick, Spanaway, Wash.

I don't suspect the philosophical change you advocate is going to happen any time soon, Rick. As long as Lovie Smith is the head coach, I'm pretty certain the Bears will look for athletic, quick defensive tackles who can penetrate and pass rush. It would likely take a new head coach to change the team's profile for defensive tackles.

How can it be that the Bears hire an OC and have a head coach who think the way to win in the NFL is by running the ball? The Bears need to wake up to the new NFL. You can't hit a QB or WR during a pass play anymore. Passing is the way to win in this league. Running is just something you do to mix things up a little. Gary Kral

Couple thoughts on this Gary. First of all, not everyone can pass the ball the way Aaron Rodgers can, and if you can't, you had better be able to run it. Second, the best offenses in the NFL usually are balanced -- they don't just give defenses one thing to concentrate on. That's been that way for a long, long time, and probably will be that way for a long, long time no matter how the league changes. What is important in today's NFL is that a team can win the game in the fourth quarter with the passing game. Believe me, Smith and Tice want to be able to do that.

I hear every year how the Bears don't place a premium on quality corners because they aren't as important in the Cover-2 scheme. Didn't the last Packers game especially expose how good teams can isolate a weak corner (like Zack Bowman) -- especially in the red zone -- and capitalize? Should the Chiefs franchise Dwayne Bowe, I would think Brandon Carr would be a good answer to the annual question mark at corner opposite Tillman. Reasonable target? Dan Marshe, Fishhawk, Fla.

No doubt Carr would be a good addition. He is a solid, underrated corner. The question is if the Bears believe the best place to get a cornerback is through free agency or the draft. The previous regime thought the draft was a good source of corners. I tend to agree you can get a good young corner for the right price, especially for the Bears' scheme, in the second to fourth round range. By doing it that way, you can use your free agent bucks on players at other positions.

How likely do you think it is that the Bears make a strong effort to sign Cliff Avril, the Lions' DE? He'd be expensive, but he'd look great opposite Peppers. Andrew Heckman, Portland

My suspicion is Avril will be tagged by the Lions and he will never leave Detroit. But if for some reason he does shake free, the Bears would be nuts not to go after him. Avril is 25. He had 11 sacks and six forced fumbles. Guys like that don't grow on trees. Rod Marinelli drafted him when Marinelli was the head coach of the Lions, so the Bears know him well. He would fill a position of need and enhance the play of Julius Peppers. Signing him would hurt a division rival. Any other questions?

dpompei@tribune.com

Twitter@danpompei

Copyright © 2012, Chicago Tribune

**soulman** · 01-24-2012, 06:07 PM

Sometimes these columns suck but I thought today's had some great questions that have been discussed around here as well and some reasonably well thought out answers from Pompei. I think the was well worth the read.

I'd tend to agree with him that the Bears chances of making it as far as the NFCC Game again would have been pretty good if Cutler and Forte had not gone down. The Bears were building some nice momentum but I think a lot of the chance for continued success would have depended on Martz continuing to let Cutler operate the way Cutler operates best. As soon as Hanie came in he went right back to his old ways. The Packers seemed to have peaked before the playoffs this year so if the Bears were peaking going in they may have been able to turn the tables on them this year as they did to us last. At least is would have been interesting to have found out.

I'd trade Matt Forte to Cleveland for Joe Thomas so fast that the wind from the speed of that transaction would blow the water from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, but.........Pompei is correct. Ain't gonna happen. Mike Holmgren isn't that dumb. Now if we could get a high enough 1st round pick to draft say....Reiff, then maybe we do a sign and trade but I don't see that happening either.

Lance Briggs for a 1st I'd do since we'd need the pick to replace him. As much of a pain in the ass as he can be he's an awfully big part of the defense and we don't have to do it anyway. Could we get a 1st for him? His 2012 salary is low enough to be attractive but he'd only want the new team to cough up more green so I'd say no. If Rosenhaus wants to market him I'd tell him that's my asking price or bring me a Pro Bowl calilber LT or DE in trade and I'd think about it.

If we can score a decent vet LT in FA we need to do it without overpaying. The truly great will never make it to FA and we need to avoid another OMG so we need to tread carefully here. Probably only a 50-50 chance we can do it. If we had the new GM last year we may have gotten Bushrod without breaking the bank so we need to find another like him.

Any vet QB with a decent opportunity to start elsewhere isn't coming to Chicago to be Jay Cutler's backup. That pretty much eliminates Orton too. There are too many teams he could start for to accept a backup deal from the Bears. Maybe a younger guy like Hanie but with a little more experience or maybe as a last resort we bring Hanie to camp with an opportunity to redeem himself under Tice. Martz did him no favors.

He correct in his response about a pass driven offense. Aaron Rodgers has run that offense for three years now and it's a pass driven WCO style offense. That's not what the Bears run nor has Jay Cutler ever operated out of that kind of an offense. We can fix this for him very easily by getting him some top WR talent and giving him protection. He can easily match Aaron Rodgers as a passer if he has an offense which allows him to do it.

I agree with him on the CB plan. If we can get lucky and find a little bigger version of Tim Jennings great but even so unless we move Corey Graham to CB we'll still need to draft one and there are players out there in those rounds who can step in and play in a Cover-2 defense.

I tend to think the Lions won't let Avril go either but if I'm not mistaken they have Megatron to deal with too. If by chance Avril did hit FA I'd send Rod Marinelli to camp on his doorstep the minute the process starts. If Marinelli drafted him he may love playing for him but I won't hold my breath that Avril will reach FA especially if that leaves him vulnerable to the Bears. We need to strongly consider a pass rushing DE in the 1st round of the draft.

Well that my take on some of it. What do the rest of you think?

**Dagan81** · 01-24-2012, 09:34 PM

I agree with the part about trading (or rather, not trading) Matt Forte for Joe Thomas, but for different reasons. Joe Thomas is a great LT, the best in the league along with Jake Long. However, Matt Forte, when healthy, is arguably the most complete running back in the NFL and is capable of making some serious plays. If he ever finishes a season completely healthy, he will run for 1,500-1,800 yards and receive for 450-600 yards. The jury is still out on Webb right now as far as whether he will learn enough about the LT position this offseason to make a difference in his game. I think that if he fails his test at LT in 2012, then then Bears will bench him and look elsewhere.

One thing I'm intrigued by is whether Mike Adams will be rated to be drafted in the top 20 this year. That article that was posted in another thread from, I believe, Pro Football World, says he has the makeup and skills to be a legitimate NFL LT. I watched him play during Ohio State's football games this season, and his run blocking skills are excellent. The only that concerns me, which is what the Bears are trying to address, is his pass rush blocking. Anyone who watched Ohio State this year knows that they had one of the worst offensive lines in the nation, as Braxton Miller, for all of his mobility, stayed under pressure and often was sacked. He might have been the one bright spot on the line as I recalled a lot of the pressure coming from the right side and in the middle. My best friend said that he has been compared to a young Orlando Pace. I plan on doing some more research on him in the future.

I agree with trading Lance Briggs for a first round pick. The guy is a trouble maker and needs to be gone. We could use the extra first round pick on a LB of our choice.

As for a veteran QB like Orton, I disagree that he'll land in a place where he would get the starting job. He lost his job in Denver due to ineffectiveness and, when given an opportunity to prove himself in Kansas City, dislocated his index finger if memory serves me correctly. He's a decent quarterback, but I think his days of being a starter are over. I would urge the Bears to look at signing him as a backup if he'll permit that to happen.

I personally see the Bears drafting a CB or a DE in the first round. A LB is a long shot in my estimation. All of these are needs we have to be met. I will be happy with any of them. I would be really happy if we traded away Briggs because I think he is on the downhill side of his career already as he missed several tackles this past season and really failed miserably to guard against TEs.

Cliff Avril is definitely intriguing, but I'm not optimistic either that we would be able to get him. Besides, he has had one good season, and that's not a guarantee that he will ever produce in the same way ever again. i would prefer some young blood at the position.

**soulman** · 01-24-2012, 10:53 PM

Good running backs come into the league every year but LT's as good as Thomas maybe you see a half dozen or less in a decade. Thomas has been in the league about a year longer than Forte and when Forte hangs 'em up Thomas will still be playing. Matt Forte may have another two or three years at his peak while Joe Thomas may have seven or eight, maybe even ten if he stays in shape. I'd make that trade every day and twice on Sunday Dags.

**short faced bear** · 01-24-2012, 11:42 PM

I'd be ok w/Trading Briggs. I think decent a starting LB can be found in the draft and we can even get some more LB depth. The D has to get younger Pep,Urlacher,Briggs, Peanut. Need to start somewhere and be proactive. CB Carr seems intriguing. I haven't watched him much. Does anyone think he would be a good fit?

**soulman** · 01-24-2012, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by short faced bear

I'd be ok w/Trading Briggs. I think decent a starting LB can be found in the draft and we can even get some more LB depth. The D has to get younger Pep,Urlacher,Briggs, Peanut. Need to start somewhere and be proactive. CB Carr seems intriguing. I haven't watched him much. Does anyone think he would be a good fit?

There's a CB from Vandy the NFP guy says looks real good as a Cover-2 type guy. Decent size, 5'11" 188lbs good ball skills and probably a second round pick. That's a guy we may look at in the draft. It used to players from Florida but now we're on a Vanderbilt kick, LOL.

**Dagan81** · 01-25-2012, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by soulman

Good running backs come into the league every year but LT's as good as Thomas maybe you see a half dozen or less in a decade. Thomas has been in the league about a year longer than Forte and when Forte hangs 'em up Thomas will still be playing. Matt Forte may have another two or three years at his peak while Joe Thomas may have seven or eight, maybe even ten if he stays in shape. I'd make that trade every day and twice on Sunday Dags.

I wouldn't. There are things at times that are more important than an OL. You can build an offensive line that is stout with lesser players than Joe Thomas. Is it nice to have Joe Thomas? Hell yeah. But what the team needs is playmakers, someone who can make something happen out of nothing even when an offensive line isn't performing at its best.

I'd say that, provided the Bears take care of Forte's contract and if Forte stays healthy, he will be a 10-11 year player in this league. Not 10 more years. A solid 10-11 year player.

**soulman** · 01-25-2012, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Dagan81

I wouldn't. There are things at times that are more important than an OL. You can build an offensive line that is stout with lesser players than Joe Thomas. Is it nice to have Joe Thomas? Hell yeah. But what the team needs is playmakers, someone who can make something happen out of nothing even when an offensive line isn't performing at its best.

I'd say that, provided the Bears take care of Forte's contract and if Forte stays healthy, he will be a 10-11 year player in this league. Not 10 more years. A solid 10-11 year player.

You may be right but be that as it may if you asked every other GM in the NFL if they'd make that trade if they were the Bears GM and Cleveland offered I'd be willing to bet you all 31 would say, "in a heartbeat".

**Dagan81** · 01-25-2012, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by soulman

You may be right but be that as it may if you asked every other GM in the NFL if they'd make that trade if they were the Bears GM and Cleveland offered I'd be willing to bet you all 31 would say, "in a heartbeat".

Just assume that I'm right. lol. j/k

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