Roster Breakdown and Grades Heading Into FA.............

It's from the Bleacher Report so take that into consideration but that author covers each position and makes suggestions as to what move might be made. It's in a slide show format so it's far too lengthy to copy and paste the entire thing but what we can do is take each position and debate what he's suggesting. I'd just suggest that when we do it we head each post with those positions we're gonna debate or simply copy and paste that part of the text into that post.

My overall comment about it is that it's an amateurish job at best which is typical of a lot of stuff from B/R but all the better for debate. I think he completely off base with a few of his suggestions so I'll begin some response.


Grading the Strength of Each Position on Bears' Roster Heading into Free Agency | Bleacher Report

Wide Receiver: C


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Brandon Marshall
Norm Hall/Getty Images


Brandon Marshall came in last season and set all kinds of single-season records for the Bears. Yet Alshon Jeffery had an up-and-down rookie year, and Earl Bennett and Devin Hester were less than mediocre.

The Bears need another receiver to work underneath, which would allow Marshall and Jeffery to go after the bigger play. Bennett and Hester are just not viable options in the No. 3 spot. They are both No. 4 options, at best.


If the Bears really want to play with the big boys, then they need to upgrade their aerial attack. The better offenses have at least three solid options at the receiver position. Bringing in a guy like Wes Welker would make a world of difference as the Bears move towards becoming a more offensive-minded team under new head coach Marc Trestman.


If the price for Welker gets too big, though, then Danny Amendola, Brian Hartline and Brandon Stokley are all backup options on the free agent market.





If you rate Earl Bennett on his receiving skills as a slot receiver there is no way you could find him no better than a #4 WR. When he's healthy he's been one of the most dependable WRs in the NFL and a clutch producer on 3rd down. Furthermore Jay Cutler has worked with him for years and he trusts him so there's your #3 WR, and that's the name of that game.

Because of Bennett's injury history we do need a good backup #3 guy and maybe someone like Joe Anderson can step up and capture that role or we find another guy in the draft, an UDFA or a guy currently on the PS. To me Anderson looked good last preseason and he's earned himself a roster spot with his STeams play so to me he's a logical prospect.

IF the price for Wes Welker gets to big????? OMFG, it already has! The guy was franchised last year wasn't he? He makes more money than Marshall and this is his suggestion for #3 WR???? Do the guys who write this stuff know anything about the cap at all? We don't need and can't afford Wes Welker so let's put that one aside.

We had a potential Welker in Sanz until Lovie cut him so he could sign another Safety who never even dressed for a game. What a waste and I doubt seriously Cincy will cut him and give us another shot at him. It took them all of about ten minutes to sign him after we let him go. Of all the fool moves I've seen Lovie make that one was one of the worst but done is done.

Brandon Stokely may be a good option and a relatively inexpensive one if Trestman really feels he needs another vet WR. I don't have a problem with the others but I don't see them as being cheap alternatives and I still believe that whoever we have will play second fiddle to the others as long as those three stay healthy. Therefore Anderson or another rookie or 2nd tier FA are probably our best bets. Maybe Trestman has an eye on a guy from the CFL he may bring in as well.

Wes Welker..............:icon_smile_slap:

Welker will be expensive but Sanz getting cut won't be the reason we wouldn't get him. Honestly, if Angelo had done his job, and we had a decent o-line, this would be an over-the-top type of move. Honestly, i would love for him to be on the team, but don't see it happening. Honestly, as much as we love Bennet and AJ, they're not really proven, and went against Bears fan wisdom by not getting open more with a true number one on the field. With Welker and Marshall, it really wouldn't matter if no one else produces. But, I also think brining Trestman in signifies that our position players on O are the ones we'll be watching, but they are trying to prove worth by switching systems and not so much on roster turnover, so we gotta hope Bennett finally breaks out and AJ makes teams regret him by passing on him. I don't think either will be pro bowlers anytime soon, but are more than talented enough to win the big one, for what they are being asked to do, if they can stay healthy.

Offensive Tackle: F


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J'Marcus Webb
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

It's time to cut ties with J'Marcus Webb. There is not an impending move on the roster that is more cut-and-dry. There also isn't a position on the roster that is in more dire need of an upgrade.


Left tackle is not the only issue, though. When you look at the other side of the line, the Bears don't really have an answer there either. Gabe Carimi might be salvageable, but only time will tell.


Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer and Coach Trestman will have their hands full getting Carimi back on track. In the meantime, Phil Emery has to go out and find a quality left tackle. In a strong free agent class, guys like Branden Albert, Sam Baker and Jermon Bushrod are good fits.


I think I'll have to disagree again on both counts. For once Webb wasn't the worst OLineman on the team and I'd say overall LT and TE are in about a dead heat as far as needing an upgrade. But if I had to pick one over the other I'd say Webb did his job better in 2012 than Kellen Davis did his.

At this point in time it would also be foolish to cut Webb. He's in the last year of his rookie deal and he's comes very cheap for a guy with three years starting experience. I have no quarrel with the need to upgrade LT but assuming Carimi returns to form we probably couldn't find a better prospect for a swing tackle than Webb.

He comes cheaper than Scott and is probably a marginally better player who may still have some upside. Any suggestion that we just let Webb go after three years of developing him and with as little as he makes isn't thinking with his head. It's pure emotion and frustration.

Center: C

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Roberto Garza
Christian Petersen/Getty Images


Here's a curious question: Is Roberto Garza really this bad or was his poor play a result of Mike Tice's offense? It's most likely a combination of both factors, but don't let Garza off the hook.


The problem with Garza is his slow movement, lack of awareness and inability to lead on the front line. When you factor in all those issues, it's obvious that the Bears could use an upgrade.

Well I think it's a good question but his age and the first sentence in the second paragraph render it moot. I don't know about his speed but it's obvious to me that he doesn't have the instincts of a natural OC and he just doesn't have the personality of an offensive line leader. Bottom line is he's not the guy you want in the middle to rebuild your line around and I think Kromer will recognize that.

I don't know that any of us have an idea of what we have in EWill but it could well be more of the same. I gotta think that if the guy had starting potential then he would have realized it by now. I think he's probably nothing more than a useful career backup at OC and OG.

So this is where the argument for drafting Barrett Jones becomes a strong one and all that much better if we could trade down and still get it done. I'd sure like to have that third back this year and I'll bet Phil Emery would to. All of the great Bears OLines were led by a great OC who played the part of QB of the line.

Ever since we let Olin go we've lacked that and I see Jones as an opportunity to regain that type of ball player and build around him. I think he's another Olin who takes no shit from anybody and if you're not doing your job you'll hear about it and maybe get you jaw broken too, LOL. If we're looking for a guy who can tell Cutler to wipe that frown off his face and lead his team I think Jones is the guy to do it.

I think we can find a LT in FA and OGs are all over the place in most drafts but a guy who can come in and lead your line day one is harder to find and lately those guys have been taken much higher than in the past. Jones is still very high on my list for a 1st round pick.

how did they give the safeties an A? And Jeffery had an up and down year? He was injured.

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Originally Posted by gopherguy22

how did they give the safeties an A? And Jeffery had an up and down year? He was injured.

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Yeah I though somewhat the same thing but when you consider that the source for this is the B/R amateurs it's understandable. That's what makes the whole article somewhat suspect and a great starting point for debates. Or at least I thought it would but it doesn't seem to be working as planned.

For example, putting Bennett and Hester in the same category is ridiculous. One is a very skilled receiver who gets open and almost never drops a pass and the other still hasn't a clue of how to better himself at that position yet expects to be more involved without every having earned it.

Jeffery shows some incredible potential but much like Bennett he needs to stay healthy but he's a rookie and that happens to some guys their first year in the league. He'll learn to protect himself better as time goes by. He had a bad game against GB but a vet probably wouldn't have been called for the PI penalties he drew. That was over officiating and when you compare it to the way they let them just play in the SB it becomes obvious that it was.

There are a few more contentions made in that article I'll dispute too but that's the whole idea of this thread. The guy who wrote it is just another fan the same as we are so what do we agree with and what do we disagree with.

Tight End: F


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Kellen Davis
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images


Last year, Kellen Davis averaged only 14.3 receiving yards per game, and he finished with just 19 catches in 16 games.


Davis was a complete disaster, and Matt Spaeth and Kyle Adams were not good enough receivers to step in and fill the void. The Bears need a serious upgrade at the position.


Too much pressure cannot be placed on Evan Rodriguez, who will be looking to renew himself after being forced to block for most of the season under Mike Tice.


A nice, big target like Brandon Myers will fit nicely with the Bears and will allow Rodriguez to be more of an underneath No. 2 option.

If you ask me this was the biggest failure on the offense last year even more so than LT or RT. If there's such a thing as a most improved player like Tim Jennings then the guy who gets my vote for having fallen the farthest is Kellen Davis. The guy absolutely sucked and cost us drives that may have cost us games. The guy was an offensive "death dealer" all year long.

TEs are the second lowest paid of all position players so signing an upgrade in FA for little more than we paid Davis shouldn't be much of a problem and Myers might be a good target. He's closer to ERods size than Davis' but he can actually catch the ball when it's thrown his way. He's only had one big year so he's not a top tier guy either. We need an upgrade here not Gronkowski.

Spaeth is the better blocker of the two and we can't afford two blocking TEs who can't catch so sayonara Kellen Davis. Spaeth is big enough to be a red zone receiver you just can't use him as a pass catcher anywhere else which is where a guy like Meyers and ERod come in. I expect Trestman will make much better use of ERod than Tice did last year. I guess it wasn't a total waste though because the kid has turned himself into a pretty fair blocker.

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Originally Posted by soulman

Offensive Tackle: F


http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images...jpg?1360251962
J'Marcus Webb
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

It's time to cut ties with J'Marcus Webb. There is not an impending move on the roster that is more cut-and-dry. There also isn't a position on the roster that is in more dire need of an upgrade.


Left tackle is not the only issue, though. When you look at the other side of the line, the Bears don't really have an answer there either. Gabe Carimi might be salvageable, but only time will tell.


Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer and Coach Trestman will have their hands full getting Carimi back on track. In the meantime, Phil Emery has to go out and find a quality left tackle. In a strong free agent class, guys like Branden Albert, Sam Baker and Jermon Bushrod are good fits.


I think I'll have to disagree again on both counts. For once Webb wasn't the worst OLineman on the team and I'd say overall LT and TE are in about a dead heat as far as needing an upgrade. But if I had to pick one over the other I'd say Webb did his job better in 2012 than Kellen Davis did his.

At this point in time it would also be foolish to cut Webb. He's in the last year of his rookie deal and he's comes very cheap for a guy with three years starting experience. I have no quarrel with the need to upgrade LT but assuming Carimi returns to form we probably couldn't find a better prospect for a swing tackle than Webb.

He comes cheaper than Scott and is probably a marginally better player who may still have some upside. Any suggestion that we just let Webb go after three years of developing him and with as little as he makes isn't thinking with his head. It's pure emotion and frustration.

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Yeah, 3 years of suckage. Why not go for 4? All b/c he's "cheap"? Makes sense.

Personally, I'm done with the excuses for Webb. Wait....is that "pure frustration and emotion" or is that just expecting more from a starting LT and done with settling for less? There's a time and place to cut your losses and this is it. There's no way in hell that Cutler can take any more abuse than he has with Webb at LT. Either protect the Bears investment (Cutler) or GTFO.

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Originally Posted by soulman

I think I'll have to disagree again on both counts. For once Webb wasn't the worst OLineman on the team and I'd say overall LT and TE are in about a dead heat as far as needing an upgrade. But if I had to pick one over the other I'd say Webb did his job better in 2012 than Kellen Davis did his.

At this point in time it would also be foolish to cut Webb. He's in the last year of his rookie deal and he's comes very cheap for a guy with three years starting experience. I have no quarrel with the need to upgrade LT but assuming Carimi returns to form we probably couldn't find a better prospect for a swing tackle than Webb.

He comes cheaper than Scott and is probably a marginally better player who may still have some upside. Any suggestion that we just let Webb go after three years of developing him and with as little as he makes isn't thinking with his head. It's pure emotion and frustration.

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I really agree with Soul here. Let's not be stupid. let's see what the new staff thinks regarding this roster (on offense). We may find that there are some salvageable pieces on the oline. And it's not like we can get rid of the entire roster of OL players. Some, may be very solid backups. Webb could be one. I'm in that "wait and see" mode. Let's see how these OL guys (like Webb) grade out with the new regime.