Originally Posted by
soulman 
Guess you didn't really read the article brother so this bears repeating.
For Williams, the switch to right tackle only a few days into camp essentially ended his bid to unseat Webb on the left side. Tice explained the motives behind the move.
"With Gabe's knee being sore a week ago, we had to get somebody over there with some experience to take some reps off of Gabe. He was in a little bit of a bad way there for a couple of days. We took some reps off of him which seemed to have worked. That kind of [interfered] with the competition.
This would pretty clearly indicate that the "competition" ended very soon after it started. Isn't that what it says to you too? And I think this makes it pretty clear that Webb hasn't "taken a step forward" and that neither "outplayed" the other. I'd say it was pretty much a dead heat before Tice felt he needed to move CWill to give Carimi some rest for now.
"I thought that one guy would separate himself and really jump out there," Tice said. "I don't think that's really happened. So for me, let's keep status quo and see where the games take us. I'm not in a rush to change for changes sake. We hope that a guy in his third year, Webb, will step up and mature as a football player and as a person...will get better, as to show us this means something to him.'
If he'd already stepped up his play and matured there's no need to hope that he'll get better.
I think Webb has only retained his hold on LT because once again old Chris "I've Been Moved" Williams is going where they need him most and that's to give Carimi some preseason relief at RT. There's nothing in Tice comments that say this is permanent. In fact he says just the opposite right here.
"As far as left and right tackle is concerned; we're going to go with Webb and Carimi for now," Tice said. "Gabe's knee is really going to come around. We're going to still evaluate the games and if one guy in a back up role steps up and has a great game, then we'll re-evaluate that."
If you've been following these guys like I have I think you'd see that all they've ever done is move CWill around to wherever they needed him to play. He started out at LT but got hurt. When he returned it was at RT because they had already settled on OMG at LT but needed a RT. He did OK for never having played RT before that. Much better in his stint there than Webb did in his.
But instead of leaving him at OT to develop they needed a LG so they moved him to yet another position he'd never played before. He struggled a bit at first but by the beginning of last season he's locked it down and was the best lineman we had until he was injured again.
No one is making excuses for CWill brother. No need to. There's no doubt in my mind that the combination of his injuries and all the shifting of positions have affected his development at any one position but he's intelligent and athletic enough to have adapted pretty well and become a good lineman. Given the fact that he could play any position on the line but OC makes him pretty valuable as a backup and the way we go through lineman we need experienced backup as much as we need starters. The idea that we should trade him as Biggs suggested is ridiculous. We'll need all the healthy experienced lineman we have before this year is out.
I can understand your defense of Webb. You're pulling for the guy and we all have our favorites but the way you're going about it is wrong. The facts and Tice's own comments tear down your argument brother. Right to the ground.
When you attack CWill it's like you're a politician who can't defend his own track record so he sets out to smear his opponents to gain support. Sorry pal, it ain't working. I don't know why as a Bears fan you'd want to charge head long into criticizing a guy who has actually been a pretty decent lineman given the hand he's been dealt. So should we shit can him and bring back OMG?
If JWebb, in this his third year, does improve and mature as an NFL LT we'll all be ecstatic but if he doesn't, and according to Tice he's not seen that yet, then Cutler is in for another long year of playing "duck, dodge, and hide unless we come up with another solution.
So I really don't give a rat's ass who has more upside. This could be a Super Bowl year and all I care about is who has more to offer in 2012. If Webb can grow out of his mental midget stage and stop making stupid mistakes and cut his sacks at least in half then I'll admit he's grown and earned the job but right now? NO! I'm just relieved we have CWill as a backup right now and not "The Living Turnstile".
