Smith throws out big hint on WRs

Smith throws out big hint on WRs
Bears coach sounds likes he's on board with making game-breaker a priority

David Haugh's In the Wake of the News

8:38 p.m. CST, February 23, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS — Briefly forget the breakthrough cure for denial Lovie Smith discovered in the 52 days since the last time he spoke publicly about the Bears.

Soon enough we can address Smith changing his tune to finally acknowledge the need to part company with Mike Martz or admit mistakes made in evaluating backup quarterbacks. Before rehashing the past, consider the hint Smith dropped about the future.

The takeaway moment Thursday at the NFL scouting combine came when Smith stepped off the podium and started extolling the virtues of big wide receivers. The question related to stopping Calvin Johnson but, interestingly, Smith expanded his answer to detail how athletic, physical receivers in Johnson's mold "goes along with what teams are doing now.''

Teams other than the Bears, that is.

"A quarterback doesn't have to have that ball right in the perfect spot every time if you have a big body to throw to,'' Smith said. "Most guys would tell you they would like to have big receivers, but as much as anything you would like to have good receivers that can do something with the ball."

Smith might not have spoken to reporters for seven weeks, but it appears he talked — or listened — to Jay Cutler.

If the Chargers allow 6-foot-5 wide receiver Vincent Jackson to enter free agency — reports Thursday indicated they still are considering the franchise tag — somebody will overpay for the 29-year-old difference-maker. As Smith implied in his enthusiastic analysis of big wide receivers, the Bears with roughly $25 million of salary-cap space have as good of a reason as any team.

Give Cutler a weapon like Jackson in an offense that finally won't be designed to turn the quarterback into a crash-test dummy and the Bears understandably believe they can copy the Super Bowl champion Giants.

"You've got to play great defense and run the football, that hasn't changed,'' Smith said. "But at the end you have to also be able to pass the football. It takes all three things.''

The Bears do two of them efficiently. My secret Lovie Smith Decoder Ring tells me they plan to devote this offseason to improving the third, missing element. As much as a veteran free-agent offensive lineman remains a priority, nothing would upgrade the passing game quicker than signing a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Then draft a receiver before the third round. For too many years the Bears' wide receiving corps has resembled a good poker hand: three 3s and a pair of 2s. Enough.

Aggressively pursuing change to take advantage of Cutler's prime years likely will mean targeting Jackson and preparing a solid Plan B if the Chargers tag him. Depending on other franchise-tag decisions, smart alternatives could include Marques Colston and Pro Bowl-caliber, big-play threats Dwayne Bowe and Steve Johnson.

No, the Bears won't get off the bus gunning in 2012, but Smith seemed too preoccupied with passing trends to ignore the clues. I realize Phil Emery is the new GM. But if Smith didn't think his voice could be heard as loud as ever at Halas Hall, would he have framed a new deal with running back Matt Forte as imminent?

"In time, hopefully, (Forte) can get an agreement in place that suits Matt and we feel comfortable with,'' Smith said confidently. "It's just a matter of time. That will happen eventually."

Entering Season 9, Smith could help his image by being so direct more often. He still induced eye-rolling by endorsing tight end Kellen Davis and suggesting Julius Peppers gets double-teamed more than other elite pass-rushers — sorry, Lovie, the Bears used three blockers on Jared Allen in Week 17. But by Smith's standards, he connected by mixing candor with humor.

When I asked Smith about getting younger at linebacker he answered in a way that Brian Urlacher will appreciate more than my wife.

"We have concerns, (but) that's not one of them,'' Smith said. "Brian Urlacher's in perfect health. In time, when he can't play any more football — five, six years — you'll be long gone by then, David, you and I both will probably be long gone in retirement and Brian will still be playing."

When Smith noted the need "to go in a different direction" in regard to Martz, it beat his phony take the day before Martz's forced resignation.

"Mike did a super job for us," Smith said Jan. 2.

No, Martz didn't. Expect replacement Mike Tice to do better because he will install a Bears Offense tailored for their personnel — not one with a nickname or concocted by a so-called genius.

Imagine how smart a big, talented wide receiver such as Jackson could make Tice look

Chicago Bears: Lovie Smith finally making big receiver a priority - chicagotribune.com

Lovie Smith is so full of shit. He didn't really think that Mike Martz did a super job, or else he wouldn't have forced him to resign. That's all political mumbo-jumbo right there. Whatever happened to the days where Ditka used to shout across the room during a press conference, "See, Buddy? That's your IQ!"

Me thinks Dave Haugh's headline about this is hyped just a bit. He says MOST GUYS would tell you they like big receivers but nowhere does he say I or THIS GUY likes big receivers. In fact what he closes with is more revealing. He wants guys who can catch and do something with the ball which spells out good hands and YAC. That about wraps it up for RWill since he can do neither. Nowhere does he say that a big WR is on HIS list and if that's what Haugh calls a hint he must read him far better than I do.

"A quarterback doesn't have to have that ball right in the perfect spot every time if you have a big body to throw to,'' Smith said. "Most guys would tell you they would like to have big receivers, but as much as anything you would like to have good receivers that can do something with the ball."

Doesn't matter, the QB is down by contact when he's on his back and any throw after doesn't count.

More from Lovie on some different topics
Lovie Smith confident Bears can reach long-term deal with Matt Forte

BY MARK POTASH mpotash@suntimes.com February 23, 2012 10:30PM






Updated: February 23, 2012 11:18PM


INDIANAPOLIS — Bears coach Lovie Smith said ‘‘it’s a matter of time’’ before the Bears come to terms with Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte on a long-term contract.


The Bears can apply the franchise tag on Forte if they cannot agree on a long-term contract. After Forte moped his way through the second half of last season, it’s possible that scenario could be more problematic in 2012. But Smith, speaking to reporters at the NFL scouting combine, sounded hopeful the Bears could sign Forte to a long-term contract under new general manager Phil Emery.


‘‘Knowing that Matt is going to play his football for the Chicago Bears — so you start with that,’’ Smith said. ‘‘In time, hopefully we can get an agreement that suits Matt and [the Bears]. And I think it’s a matter of time, and that’ll happen eventually.’’


The hot receiver


Perhaps because the Bears don’t want to tip their hand, Smith downplayed any specific interest in what appears to be an obvious void at wide receiver. Mock drafts have the Bears taking a receiver — usually Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd — more than any other position.


‘‘In the offseason we look to improve our ball club — wide receiver, linebacker, defensive line, offensive line, running back, coaching staff, the works,’’ Smith said. ‘‘Wide receiver is a part of that.’’ (I'm not hearing him drop any hints here either. David Haugh must be able to read between the lines better than Mark Potash)


Change at the top


Smith, speaking to the media for the first time since general manager Jerry Angelo was fired, said he was not surprised at the move, because of the nature of the business, and called Angelo a ‘‘lifetime friend.’’ ‘‘We know in our profession [with] what’s at stake changes can happen at any time,’’ Smith said. ‘‘I’m here primarily because of what Jerry Angelo did for me —leading the charge to give me the opportunity to be the head football coach here. I can’t necessarily say surprised at the end of the year, it’s not a surprise, I don’t think any coach or GM in the league is surprised about anything that happens but again Jerry did an awful lot for us, but you move on and
that’s what we’ve done.’’


Backup QB plan


Smith said the Bears ‘‘have a lot of options,’’ to upgrade the No. 2 quarterback after Caleb Hanie’s devastating flop last season. But signing a veteran free agent seemed to be at the top of the list. The Bears finished last season with Hanie, Josh McCown and rookie Nathan Enderle behind Cutler.


‘‘We need to get ourselves in a better position at the backup quarterback position,’’ Smith said. ‘‘We have a lot of options out there. I think this is an attractive place for a quarterback. We’re going to look at all people. And I’m talking Caleb, Josh and free-agent quarterbacks out there. I just feel like we’ll be able to strengthen that position more than we were [last] year.’’ (Hanie isn't out of the picture yet so maybe Lovie saw the same thing I did. Martz made it about as tough on that kid to succeed as he could. But if he's still in the picture they need to offer him contract)


The hot seat

Working under a new GM, Smith said he feels he is in a ‘‘win-or-else’’ situation in 2012 — but no more than in his previous eight seasons as the Bears’ head coach. ‘‘Every year I’ve been a head football coach I felt like we had to win the next year or else,’’ Smith said. ‘‘There’s a standard that we’re going to try to get accomplished. That hasn’t changed at all.’’

Oh yea I remember the good old days, people won't take that kind of shit anymore. If Lovie came out and said Martz was a dumbass and messed this team up we would be hearing from Martz for years to come, in court. When the Bears told Martz he was not longer needed that in it self tells you how there really feel.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dagan81

Lovie Smith is so full of shit. He didn't really think that Mike Martz did a super job, or else he wouldn't have forced him to resign. That's all political mumbo-jumbo right there. Whatever happened to the days where Ditka used to shout across the room during a press conference, "See, Buddy? That's your IQ!"

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by JJ-30

Oh yea I remember the good old days, people won't take that kind of shit anymore. If Lovie came out and said Martz was a dumbass and messed this team up we would be hearing from Martz for years to come, in court. When the Bears told Martz he was not longer needed that in it self tells you how there really feel.

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People have been pussified badly. lol