Thread: Bears Report; LB Picture Still Unclear..........

The important questions for Brian Urlacher

August, 28, 2012 Aug 28
5:28
PM ET



By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com



Urlacher


The question has never been whether Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher would return from arthroscopic knee surgery in time for the start of the 2012 regular season. To me, it has always been about how effective Urlacher would be upon his return and the extent to which he could maintain the knee during the rigors of a 16-game season.

From that perspective, there should have been no surprise Tuesday that Bears coach Lovie Smith predicted Urlacher will be ready to begin practicing next week and play in the Sept. 9 season-opening game against the Indianapolis Colts. That was the whole purpose in having surgery in the first place.

The unanswered question can't be addressed until the days in between Sept. 9 and Sept. 13, when the Bears face the Green Bay Packers in a quick turnaround for Week 2. How did Urlacher play and move against the Colts? How did the knee respond in the ensuing days? How much practice time will he need to miss to be ready for the Packers, and then fall into a regular-season routine?

Those are the questions that Bears fans should be eager to see addressed.

A couple of follow ups on the LB situation.

It's been pretty apparent all along the Urlacher would play once the season began so Lovie's announcement about his return to practice prior to the Indy games should come as no surprise to anyone. Brian is gonna play and keep playing until he can't play anymore either temporarily.....or for good.

Seifert sums it all up in that last paragraph though. Exactly how effective he'll be and what we can expect and for how long remain up in the air right now. He's right. Those questions won't be answered until after we see him play and then recover in the in between games period. Until then all we can do is hope he's still the Brian Urlacher of old.

Now what to do with the roster as far as the LB positions are concerned?

IMO Dickerson calls the four locks correctly and the fact that Hayes has been starting and continues to start in place of Roach would tell me that he's made it too. That leave just one sure spot open and a possible second depending on what we do elsewhere. Now that we've let Davis go here's another position that could benefit by keeping seven LB's and only four CB's in order to bolster STeams.

As it stands I'd keep JT Thomas as the sixth LB just as long as the Bears are certain the league has no plans to take action against him for him marijuana arrest. Looks like it was a one shot deal and as long as he doesn't drop a hot UA of anything he should be good from here on. If for whatever reason Thomas has to be cut then Williams is next up on the list but I'll be pulling for Thomas.

That leaves us what to do with DeCicco and IMHO you don't want to cut the guy who may be your "MLB in waiting". From what Babich says here DeCicco has been a little banged up all through camp and the groin injury has only added to his bad luck. You never know how long it will take for a groin pull to heal and from the looks of it his is serious enough to think that he's not gonna be at full strength for a while and even capable of practicing let alone playing. So.......

I put DeCicco on IR and let him heal. Roach's play at MLB has been spotty but he can still sub for Urlacher in a pinch and after a lousy start in the Denver game Costanzo's play at MLB has improved so based on this were two deep behind Urlacher and we really don't need DeCicco now as badly as we may need him next season or possibly later this one. He's one of those guys you could probably get through waivers later in the year if we decided to try and activate him again.

Well that's my suggestion for how to clear up the questions. Here's the 6 LB;

Urlacher, Briggs and Roach @ MLB, WLB, SLB

Costanzo, Thomas, Hayes @ the reserve spots

Originally Posted by motownbear

btw soul decicio released sorry bro lol

Ah well there's always another. Being injured hasn't helped him but it also means it's unlikely anyone else will pick him up. Maybe it's for the best. It was only a hope and a prayer that he'd ever be able to play well enough to be a Bears MLB. I think regardless of how it all works out Emery needs to start beating the bushes for the next one.

Originally Posted by motownbear

all these people over the years that down played Urlacher skill level as being "overhyped" and not a big deal are in for a rude awakening if he misses games. I have been dreading life without lach for years........

There are a lot of people who don't understand how the way he plays the position differs from those who have come before him and they still don't. Because he's not a Ray Lewis "run stuffer" he must not be as good. LOL There are plays that Urlacher makes that Ray Lewis and some others can only make in their dreams.

When does Patrick Willis become a FA?

Originally Posted by motownbear

really makes me wish that kid in the last draft fell to us I think his name was Kuechly or something. Im still not sold on Mcclennan at DE maybe he will be our mlb. Either way Lach will be missed by this fan lots of good times watching him play

Kuechley would have been perfect and in four more years when he becomes a FA he still may be. Maybe we can hold out 'til 2016. LOL. There's Patrick Willis too if we can outbid SF in 2017, LOL even more.

McClellin is always a possibility. He has the size and the speed the position calls for so who knows. Never say never but I think Emery needs to scout the college ranks for out next guy. There's no way to buy a top MLB in FA. We gotta go find one.

It's weird . Some teams historically have a hard time filling certain positions ( QB ring a bell ? ) and seem to be blessed at others, like us with LB's . There's some kid out there, who's name we don't know yet , who's gonna be the next HOF'r animal linebacker who's gonna don the navy , white and orange someday.. soon enough .

But first things first