Pompei: "Urlacher and Bears must reach understanding"

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 06-02-2012, 10:32 PM

Urlacher and Bears must reach understanding

Aging star's career need not end badly for him or club

Dan Pompei On the NFL 9:25 p.m. CDT, June 2, 2012

This is how ugly starts.

The aging star has one year left on his contract. He wants a new deal. The team doesn't want to give him one. He talks up the merits of free agency.Next thing you know, Brian Urlacher is a Cardinal.

Or a Seahawk.

Or a Patriot.

And nobody really feels good about it.

Urlacher hardly is the first great player to walk this road.

Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Emmitt Smith all had to find new teams near the ends of their careers.

It has happened to Bears too. In fact, you could say old-timers being run out of town is almost a team tradition, like the Bears fight song after a score.

But it's an unfortunate tradition, one that is best forgotten.

Among Bears notables who have been shoved out are Doug Atkins, Mike Brown, Mark Carrier, Rick Casares, Harlon Hill, Richard Dent, Mike Ditka, Jay Hilgenberg, Stan Jones, Olin Kreutz, Steve McMichael, Richie Petitbon, Roosevelt Taylor, Tom Thayer, Fred Williams and Otis Wilson.

There might not be a way for this one to end well either.

Ballclubs use up players, push them to the side and forget about them. Leave them for someone else to worry about.

But it is not easy for teams to deal with aging stars.

These players can become sacred cows in the locker room, cranky untouchables. If they are not what they once were, they can be difficult to coach and manage, let alone bench.

When they are in decline, they rarely see themselves as they are. They usually believe they should be paid as much or more than ever, despite the fact the team is getting less return. They can be astounded at their teams' lack of appreciation for them, and their status in the locker room can be turned against the overall cause.

Players don't often leave the game gracefully at the first hint that closing time may be near. They often wait so long they must be thrown out on the street.

None of this is true of Urlacher. Not now anyway.

No one knows where Urlacher will be physically one year from now at 35. You can understand why the Bears would take a wait-and-see approach on his contract.

**ZifanQ** · 06-03-2012, 07:53 AM

I won't see Urlacher in any other jerserys than the Bears.
Urlacher --> Forte imo.

**Jimmors** · 06-03-2012, 08:34 AM

lol they listed Mike Brown? Seriously? We parted ways because he had a string of really unfortunate injuries, not because we "chased him out of town."

I swear, "journalists" just try to come up with ridiculous shit just to try and make a point.

**soulman** · 06-03-2012, 12:24 PM

I would not be a happy camper if the Bears failed to offer him a new contract. As long as he's willing most of the deal can be put into salaries or a combination or salary and roster bonus which need to be earned each year. If his play deteriorates or he sustains a career ending injury he simple retires and the contract is done.

I can't honestly say that I've seen any deterioration is his play yet. Either that or it's been so gradual that it just doesn't appear obvious. What he may have lost in speed is made up for by experience and savvy. The position of MLB on the Chicago Bears has some legendary football players. Legends should be allowed to finish their careers in the uniform they've always played in.

I think Pompei is right when he says the must reach and understanding. Brian has to realize that this deal may not be a lucrative in terms of guaranteed dollars as those he's gotten in the past and the Bears need to find a way to allow the players their entire defense has been built around for more than a decade to retire as a Chicago Bear.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 06-03-2012, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by soulman

I can't honestly say that I've seen any deterioration is his play yet. Either that or it's been so gradual that it just doesn't appear obvious. What he may have lost in speed is made up for by experience and savvy. The position of MLB on the Chicago Bears has some legendary football players. Legends should be allowed to finish their careers in the uniform they've always played in.

I think Brian and Briggs are playing great right now. They are incredibly smart LB's too. Next draft will be a perfect year to draft a young gifted top-tier LB and begin ramping HIM up to speed. Let him play alongside Urlacher and Briggs for a season or two. Then let him step into Urlacher's big shoes when Brian retires. Seamless transition. We go from one great LB to another, in the great LB tradition of the Bears.

That's my "dream" anyway

**soulman** · 06-03-2012, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I think Brian and Briggs are playing great right now. They are incredibly smart LB's too. Next draft will be a perfect year to draft a young gifted top-tier LB and begin ramping HIM up to speed. Let him play alongside Urlacher and Briggs for a season or two. Then let him step into Urlacher's big shoes when Brian retires. Seamless transition. We go from one great LB to another, in the great LB tradition of the Bears.

That's my "dream" anyway

That's perfect solution. Let a younger guy come in as a SLB and be groomed by Urlacher himself and when that kids play is equal to or better than Urlacher's then hopefully he'd step aside and let the kid have MLB and retire as one of the greatest Bears players of all time. Sounds too much like a Hollywood script to happen just that way though.

**Papa Bear** · 06-03-2012, 08:28 PM

One thing that may help is Urlacher's desire to win a Super Bowl. He hasn't been shy about that desire in the past. And, moving forward, the Bears may be his best shot at one for the next couple years. Another contending team wouldn't likely offer him more cash than the Bears and also make him an almost surer fire starter.

**BigBadPapaBear** · 06-03-2012, 08:45 PM

If Urlacher were to decline tremendously this season, where he is a shell of himself, then the Bears shouldn't offer him a contract and he should hang it up. But I just can't see Urlacher declining that dramatically this year. I mean the guy played at an incredibly high level last year. He still looks like he has plenty in the tank. But the wait and see approach is a good one by the Bears. The Bears have taken care of Urlacher for years and he should do the same for the Bears if he's going to play another season.

**ZifanQ** · 06-04-2012, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

One thing that may help is Urlacher's desire to win a Super Bowl. He hasn't been shy about that desire in the past. And, moving forward, the Bears may be his best shot at one for the next couple years. Another contending team wouldn't likely offer him more cash than the Bears and also make him an almost surer fire starter.

Oh boy do I hope for him that Bears will win a SB with him. He really deserves it. Would be perfect to finnish with a SB ring.

**soulman** · 06-04-2012, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

One thing that may help is Urlacher's desire to win a Super Bowl. He hasn't been shy about that desire in the past. And, moving forward, the Bears may be his best shot at one for the next couple years. Another contending team wouldn't likely offer him more cash than the Bears and also make him an almost surer fire starter.

And that may end up being a key factor in his decision just as long as the Bears are willing to give him a decent offer. Our window of opportunity before we need to do a major rebuild of the defense is about three years. Beyond that we only stay in contention if we can find replacements for Urlacher, Briggs and Pep.

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