Bears release C. Williams, re-sign Bowman, terminate Aston Whiteside

**soulman** · 10-16-2012, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

Well, letting him go now may not have been the brightest move, but it's not like everyone didn't know it was coming. Resigning Bowman is interesting.....

How come we keep resigning our own guys? If they were so good, why did we let them go?

I think Williams gets picked up and he may even do well elsewhere depending on what they do with him.

I'm also convinced that CWill can play in the NFL. He just needs to find the right team. He's never had a fair shot at settling in and learning one position since he's been here. He played pretty well at LG last year only to be put into that competition folly with Webb this year and even then they wouldn't leave him there throughout the preseason.

I suppose in a way they're doing him a favor by releasing him now. It's pretty clear we weren't gonna extend his deal so this way he has a chance to latch on with somebody who needs a vet lineman and may be willing for sign him longer term. He may actually be in a better spot to bargain for that now than he would be next spring when a dozen other guys hit the market too.

Ric and Tommy are right though. After Denver leap frogged us for Clady, Angelo made a poor choice and reached for CWill because he needed a LT. That's one good example of why no team should ever get too hung up on any one position in the first round. We passed on some good football players in order to draft him and overall he's been a disappointment although some of that isn't exactly his fault.

I guess one of the positives that comes from this is that it looks like we made a good move signing Rachal. He's got more of the size and hard nosed attitude Tice likes and I think we can all admit that the right side of the line is playing a little better since he replaced Spencer. Spencer and CWill are both more finesse players whereas Rachal and Louis are both people movers who play with an attitude. Tice turned Louis into a very good pass blocker and maybe he's making some progress with Rachal in that regard too.

I'm also thinking that the Bears may be about ready to activate James Brown from the PS before another team signs him away. That would be another reason for letting CWill go. We know that kid has some potential so we don't want to lose him now leaving him unprotected.

**AtomicTommy** · 10-16-2012, 05:41 PM

signing Bowman is kind of a head scratcher... I thought Hayden looked good... I wonder if this means there is a trade in the works involving someone in the secondary. That would kind of suck, I like our CBs... hehe

**soulman** · 10-16-2012, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by MPBears68

Writing was on the wall for CW as we all saw in advance though I'm surprised it was before the season was over (why NOW?).

I can only hope that this move means two things:

A) they are really happy with and confident in Rachal going forward at LG and

B) ditto about Scott as the backup swing tackle.

As for Bowman, I don't get the point of bringing him back at all. Another backup CB/ST guy? Wasn't that the point of getting McMannis in trade (foolishly IMO) for Clutts?

As for Brown, I read a lot about him being suited body-type-wise much more for OG than OT, so might he be activated for backup LG/OT-in-a-pinch duty? I dunno...

Btw, did any of you happen to notice that San Diego has an UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT ROOKIE starting at LT last night?

Well since they got their asses handed to them in that second half that's not a strong advertisement for the kid, LOL. They lost McNeil to that neck injury so maybe the rookie is the best they had.

Good LTs are getting like good QBs. There aren't enough to go around.

**soulman** · 10-16-2012, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by AtomicTommy

signing Bowman is kind of a head scratcher... I thought Hayden looked good... I wonder if this means there is a trade in the works involving someone in the secondary. That would kind of suck, I like our CBs... hehe

Well Bowman can't play CB in a zone defense worth shit and that's one of Hayden's strong points so I doubt it has anything to do with that. Bowman was a good "gunner" on STeams so I think it's more likely that was the reason for re-signing him Tommy.

He and Corey Graham were the "gunners" these last two years and we lost both this spring but only added Eric Weems as a replacement. I think Hardin was the other guy they intended to use at "gunner" but with him on IR for the rest of the year Toub was probably still short a guy. Bowman can fill that spot and he's pretty good at it too.

**matsellah** · 10-16-2012, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by MPBears68

Writing was on the wall for CW

Yeah, I agree with this. Seems like he'd given up even before TC. Just never saw (or heard) any fire from this guy. And gotta believe (a little bit still) that Tice and his coaches know OL when they see 'em and gotta believe Emery wouldn't hesitate to cut JWebb if the coaches recommended it. They did say the job was up for grabs and expected the two of them to battle it out.

And if you get beat out by JWebb...

**short faced bear** · 10-16-2012, 06:05 PM

If Bowman jump starts Hesters returns then kudos. If he's just CB depth then wtf? I think there must have been some real heat between Tice and Cwill. I'm w/Soul on activating James Brown if he's good enough. The Unga release and Eldridge signing is a bit of a head scratcher too.

**RochBear** · 10-16-2012, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by short faced bear

If Bowman jump starts Hesters returns then kudos. If he's just CB depth then wtf? I think there must have been some real heat between Tice and Cwill. I'm w/Soul on activating James Brown if he's good enough. The Unga release and Eldridge signing is a bit of a head scratcher too.

On the theory that you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince, I have no problem at all with churn among the last 5 or so spots on the roster. Has Bowman gotten better in zone coverage? Probably not, but CBs often have "no memory" which in some cases may be translated as "are cock sure of themselves even when evidence points other ways." If that characteristic leads a CB to refuse to take instruction, then perhaps being released a few times by clubs will teach sufficient humility to allow learning. THEN get back to having "no memory." Or perhaps the gunner on punt coverage is the key? The front office is just not going to tell us.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 10-16-2012, 07:42 PM

I'm not criticizing the C.Will cut. I just don't understand how he can go from being our "best and most consistent" offensive lineman last year at LG, to being cut.

Cut.

We couldn't trade a 1st round draft pick, our most consistent starter from 2011 - for SOMETHING? Anything?

Forgive me on this, because I'm still angry that we let go another 1st round pick for nothing - in Cedric Benson, who goes on to average 1,100+ yards per year for YEARS after we cut him.

We got nothing for him. Not a ham sandwich for the guy.

Yet, we're told J'Marcus Webb is "The Answer" instead. Want a LT? Anybody can be coached up, even 7th round pick Webb. Cut the 1st round guy.

C.Will, at the very least SHOULD be a decent backup if he was our BEST olineman last year.

Right?

I'm not trying to be critical. I just don't understand any of this.

There was a time when I blindly told myself Jerry Angelo "knows best" and to "trust him"........now I'm telling myself the same thing with Emery. Just "trust him" he "knows best".....but boy, it's a head scratcher for me.

**short faced bear** · 10-16-2012, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I'm not criticizing the C.Will cut. I just don't understand how he can go from being our "best and most consistent" offensive lineman last year at LG, to being cut.

Cut.

We couldn't trade a 1st round draft pick, our most consistent starter from 2011 - for SOMETHING? Anything?

Forgive me on this, because I'm still angry that we let go another 1st round pick for nothing - in Cedric Benson, who goes on to average 1,100+ yards per year for YEARS after we cut him.

We got nothing for him. Not a ham sandwich for the guy.

Yet, we're told J'Marcus Webb is "The Answer" instead. Want a LT? Anybody can be coached up, even 7th round pick Webb. Cut the 1st round guy.

C.Will, at the very least SHOULD be a decent backup if he was our BEST olineman last year.

Right?

I'm not trying to be critical. I just don't understand any of this.

There was a time when I blindly told myself Jerry Angelo "knows best" and to "trust him"........now I'm telling myself the same thing with Emery. Just "trust him" he "knows best".....but boy, it's a head scratcher for me.

Yep. I think if healthy he would at the very least be worth a role player or a lower round draft pick. Many of Tice's decisions have defied logic. I just hope they pan out and injuries do not become a problem.

**soulman** · 10-16-2012, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by short faced bear

If Bowman jump starts Hesters returns then kudos. If he's just CB depth then wtf? I think there must have been some real heat between Tice and Cwill. I'm w/Soul on activating James Brown if he's good enough. The Unga release and Eldridge signing is a bit of a head scratcher too.

Not really a surprise shorty since Unga = FB and Eldridge = TE and Tice = OC.

I think CWill finally got tired of being jacked around by Tice. You could hear that much in his comments in the preseason. The LG spot should have been his to lose not the LT spot to win. When they shifted his position again for the 4th time I think he'd had it and really didn't care all that much. Tice is a Webb fan, not a CWill fan, so it was pretty much a done deal anyway. Webb didn't win LT he just didn't lose it and CWill never got his LG spot back. I'd have been pissed too.

Bowman is strictly a STeams "gunner" IMO. They won't move him ahead of Hayden on the depth chart unless Hayden is hurt. I haven't heard anything on that. Has anyone else? Bowman and McManis are strictly Toub guys unless the injuries pile up. Both are very good coverage guys.

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