Bears bring in veteran offensive tackle for a look

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,5033114.story


Bears bring in veteran offensive tackle for a look


By Brad Biggs,
Tribune reporter
9:14 a.m.
CDT, September 1, 2012


The Chicago Bears have not
made any moves to add help for the offensive line but it doesn’t mean the club
has not been looking.

The Bears hosted veteran free agent tackle Jonathan
Scott for a visit at Halas Hall, according to an NFL source. Scott was let go by
the Detroit Lions earlier this week after suffering a knee injury near the start
of training camp. It was his second tour with the Lions, who drafted him in the
fifth round in 2006 out of Texas.

Scott has also played for the
Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills. He played in 28 games making 14 starts
for the Steelers over the last two seasons as injuries impacted the depth chart
in Pittsburgh. In his career, Scott has played in 58 games and made 28
starts.

It could be the Bears just wanted to check Scott out physically
to see where he is at. Teams work to firm up emergency lists at this time of
year in the event a need arises, and the Bears have Chris Williams as a reserve
for both tackle positions right now. The team released two undrafted tackles on
Friday, waiving Cory Brandon and James Brown. There is a possibility one or both
could return to the practice squad, which can be formed beginning at 11 a.m.
Saturday.

The Bears also reached injury settlements with veteran wide
receiver Rashied Davis and linebacker Adrien Cole.


bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs

Sounds like another bum like Rachal. We already have an oline roster full of these guys.

But, is this bum better than a bum we already have?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Benjamin

But, is this bum better than a bum we already have?

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I read that he's been injury prone his entire NFL career. Just can't keep healthy. So he's a sick bum too. Just another "reach into the toilet" for the Bears. Pull out another "smelly one" and put him on the oline roster. We have a toilet, I mean roster, full of 'em.

Tice just sprinkles the turds with his pixie dust, and tells us they're gellin' - and he's pleased with them.

Maybe if we started calling our oline "safeties" or "dline men" we'd start getting some attention. They'd actually try to "draft" decent players - instead of pulling 'em outta the toilet. And with Emery here, I think he can tell a stinky turd from a good football player. A guy who knows how to draft well.

Imagine that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I read that he's been injury prone his entire NFL career. Just can't keep healthy. So he's a sick bum too. Just another "reach into the toilet" for the Bears. Pull out another "smelly one" and put him on the oline roster. We have a toilet, I mean roster, full of 'em.

Tice just sprinkles the turds with his pixie dust, and tells us they're gellin' - and he's pleased with them.

Maybe if we started calling our oline "safeties" or "dline men" we'd start getting some attention. They'd actually try to "draft" decent players - instead of pulling 'em outta the toilet. And with Emery here, I think he can tell a stinky turd from a good football player. A guy who knows how to draft well.

Imagine that.

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I know this is all just fun and games commenting on "dumpster diving" for a vet OT or looking for "OT Roadkill" as you put it, JABF. But let's focus for a moment on what our PLAUSIBLE GOAL should be here to help this OL for THIS YEAR at this late point.

Reality check:
We aren't going to find a starting quality LT on the waiver wire. 1 in a million chance. We aren't going to "upgrade Webb" here (yeah, despite the fact that he was the 32nd best starting LT in the NFL last year). That is NOT the goal. If by some miracle it happens, then consider that the best "gravy" you ever tasted. Pie-in-the-sky stuff here.

We aren't even really trying to find some hidden-gem young guy "with major upside" either. It would again be nice (and is more possible than the above), but that isn't the primary goal either right now. It wouldn't make a hill of beans worth of difference for the season we are about to embark on. That's basically what JBrown and CBrandon are (PS candidates, 1 of whom min I would hope are re-signed this weekend). I'd take if that's the best we could do, but it isn't really what's needed for the here and now.

The goal is to find a CWill replacement...ie, someone who can serviceably fill CWill's current position and shoes on the depth chart. In other words, a half-decent, serviceable OT who can man the reserve/swing position freeing up CW to move back to LG where virtually all of us agree...

A) is his best natural position
B) he's the best and most experienced starter we have there and
C) we have been struggling in PS (Rachal totally blows, Spencer would be better backing up RG where he played last year decently)

That's the one move that has a realistic chance of happening and would upgrade this OL immediately for THIS SEASON.

Another reality check:
No team in their right mind is going to release an experienced OT unless...

A) He's proven to suck with no upside left (a la OMG)
B) He's dinged up a bit and they've got a healthier/younger player already in place

Obviously A wouldn't help us as the pickup must be CWill-OT quality or better, not worse, for this to work. B is about all we could realistically hope for. If we could find an experienced decent/serviceable OT who still has some gas left in the tank and who's health is adequate/improving enough to man the swing tackle spot, then the above plan becomes plausible.

I'm not saying this guy or that guy is "the one". You all probably know that better than me from seeing him play for other teams. But I am glad that the Bears aren't just sitting on their hands and are actively kicking a few tires to see which ones still hold air. No guarantees it will amount to anything but there is still a possibility to enact this plan which would upgrade the overall OL for this season in the only realistic way still possible at the 11th hour.

I'm fine with kicking tires. What about the 22 year old LT from SF? He'd cost a ton of money, but he's a talent from what I hear. He'd bump Webb to swing tackle and C.Will could go back to LG. He's started the 16 games in each of the past two years. He's been playing RT, but it sounds like he'd be fine at LT too. Certainly better than any LT we have on the roster. He was a 1st round pick in 2010 (11th overall pick of the draft). They paid him a boatload of money. Big bucks.

But they won't get a quality guy like this on the cheap. I think that's why SF cut him. They have a lot of talent there now on the oline.

p.s. If we DO bring in some top-tier talent, we gotta get that old box of pixie dust away from Tice. Ruins guys.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I'm fine with kicking tires. What about the 22 year old LT from SF? He'd cost a ton of money, but he's a talent from what I hear. He'd bump Webb to swing tackle and C.Will could go back to LG.

But they won't get a quality guy like this on the cheap.

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You know the kid way better than me I'm sure. But, again reality check time. He would have never been released if he was a 1st string quality LT (unless he'd just had a left leg amputation two days ago). He's not a Webb-upgrade (he started only at RT, right?) and that isn't what we are looking for. If he can man CWill's spot at swing tackle adequately talent- and health-wise, then that's all we need right now. Any potential he may offer in future development (1st string LT) is a huge bonus but not in the cards for this year.

Like it or not, Webb is the starting LT all year this season barring injury.

Wouldn't that mean that Tice would admit defeat with Webb? Not sure that is going to happen unless Webb goes down in flames.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I'm fine with kicking tires. What about the 22 year old LT from SF? He'd cost a ton of money, but he's a talent from what I hear. He'd bump Webb to swing tackle and C.Will could go back to LG. He's started the 16 games in each of the past two years. He's been playing RT, but it sounds like he'd be fine at LT too. Certainly better than any LT we have on the roster. He was a 1st round pick in 2010 (11th overall pick of the draft). They paid him a boatload of money. Big bucks.

But they won't get a quality guy like this on the cheap. I think that's why SF cut him. They have a lot of talent there now on the oline.

p.s. If we DO bring in some top-tier talent, we gotta get that old box of pixie dust away from Tice. Ruins guys.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by MPBears68

You know the kid way better than me I'm sure. But, again reality check time. He would have never been released if he was a 1st string quality LT (unless he'd just had a left leg amputation two days ago). He's not a Webb-upgrade (he started only at RT, right?) and that isn't what we are looking for. If he can man CWill's spot at swing tackle adequately talent- and health-wise, then that's all we need right now. Any potential he may offer in future development (1st string LT) is a huge bonus but not in the cards for this year.

Like it or not, Webb is the starting LT all year this season barring injury.

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Here's my 2 cents worth. We just cut some guys at other positions, who will be very good NFL players. Some will contribute this year to a team. Other teams may be in a similar boat, but with oline guys. Money and cap space is a huge issue for some teams. That factors in too.

Then, finally, you look at our guys on the oline. It's not like we have true #1 talent there except for Carimi. Maybe C.Will (at LG not at LT) is a legit starter on other teams. Maybe even Garza. The rest of the oline roster is pretty much crap top-to-bottom.

So would a guy cut from another team make us better than say, our t-shirt salesman? Maybe. I agree with your original post. Kick the tires. See if they do look decent.

We can't do worse than what we have now. I'm convinced of that.

Wish they'd shove that pixie dust up Tice's butt (box and all).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

Here's my 2 cents worth. We just cut some guys at other positions, who will be very good NFL players. Some will contribute this year to a team. Other teams may be in a similar boat, but with oline guys. Money and cap space is a huge issue for some teams. That factors in too.

Then, finally, you look at our guys on the oline. It's not like we have true #1 talent there except for Carimi. Maybe C.Will (at LG not at LT) is a legit starter on other teams. Maybe even Garza. The rest of the oline roster is pretty much crap top-to-bottom.

So would a guy cut from another team make us better than say, our t-shirt salesman? Maybe. I agree with your original post. Kick the tires. See if they do look decent.

We can't do worse than what we have now. I'm convinced of that.

Wish they'd shove that pixie dust up Tice's butt (box and all).

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I don't deny that the only "talents" we have on the line is Carimi, with some "honorable mentions" to Garza and CWill (at LG not OT). Louis is unproven though has potential, Rachal is garbage, Spencer & EWill are backup/spot-start quality only, and Webb....'nuff said.

I'm just being realistic about what can be achieved at this late hour FOR THIS SEASON.

Yes, we cut/traded a few good football players (Allen, Clutts, DeCicco) who could probably help other teams in backup/niche/ST roles. None of them are going to be 1st line type players. It's even more so with LTs. They're hard to come by. I think its very unrealistic to expect that any other team has/will cut a relatively healthy player who could start at LT this season as a 1st line choice. That's just not going to happen for obvious reasons.

If we can snag a dinged-up but serviceable OT-with-experience to fill the swing OT role and allow CW to start again at LG, that would upgrade the overall OL and imho is the only plausible scenario we can hope for in the immediate future.