Thread: Preparing for Free Agent Disappointment

Originally Posted by WindyCity

The issue I see is some way shape or form we need someone to play RT.

Dickerson and Michael C Wright have reported that Carimi is closer to getting cut then he is to starting for the Bears. This leaves a huge gaping hole at RT that needs to be filled. Relying on Carimi and Scott when your QB is in a contract year and you need to make a 100 million dollar decision is just way to big a risk for me.

I see that we have 2 options,

1. Sign or Draft a LT and move Webb to RT, I do not see many ways one of the LTs fall to us in the draft so signing might be the way that we go.

2. Sign or Draft a RT and leave Webb at LT, I see a number of RTs in free agency that would stabilize the position but money could be the issue.

In some way shape or form we need a starting OT to play alongside J`Marcus Webb and for the record I am absolutely fine with Webb playing LT, but he was really hurt last season by the turnstyle at RT and poor LG play.

Sorry Windy but unless there are serious long term injury issues we're not aware of that he may not be able to overcome I don't buy that one bit. Despite his struggles pass blocking he graded out reasonably high as a run blocker which was always his forte anyway. So we fix the other problem.

If he isn't permanently damaged his draft status and the guarantees in his contract virtually assure that he'll be back. For all intents and purposes he was little more than a rookie last year and one coming off a serious injury at that. Was he any worse at RT than Webb was his rookie year? No, he wasn't.

He needs to have what's broken fixed and that amounts to spending the offseason getting his lower body strength back and spending some serious time with Kromer and Myers straightening out his pass blocking technique. By the time the season was half over last year his confidence in himself was almost totally shot in the ass. You can't just throw the towel in on him yet. The kid needs to be built back up and it seems to me we have a coaching staff who can do that.

I'd love to get a LT and let Carimi and Webb duke it out for RT but I just don't see that happening. I suppose there's some small chance a kid like Johnson falls to #20 but it's doubtful. So that puts Fluker next in line and he's certainly got what you'd look for in a RT. So maybe they take him as opposed to an OG just to hedge their bets at RT with the thought that Fluker may also be able to move inside. If it comes down to him and one of the top OGs we'll have a pretty good idea of how certain they feel Carimi is to turn his game around.

But you also have to consider that if we bring back Scott as a hedge we can probably get RT prospects later on in the draft. We don't stand much chance of getting OGs with the potential to become future All Pros once you get past Warmack and Cooper.

Originally Posted by MPBears68

Makes sense, Soul. I'm bummed that Beatty was re-signed and Albert was tagged. Thought we had a shot at one of them. So what does that leave us with in terms of FA LTs? Not much. Bushrod, who's not an economical upgrade over Webb and Long, who's injured and prolly too expensive anyway. Bottom line is, no LT in FA and Webb is very likely our starter at LT this year.

I think all we are looking at right now in FA is a TE and/or an OG. Could we get Fasano + Schwartz? I say this because Cook is going to cost well more than a typical TE (which is why he wasn't tagged) and there's a distinct possibility that neither Cooper or Warmack make it to 20 with this draft being so weak on top QBs. If one of them do make it, then take him at 20 no questions asked. But I'm scheming about the possibility of it not happening.

Gotta trade down with SF in this case if possible. We can't chance Teo or Ogletree or Eifert at 20 and Emery would have a lynch mob at his HH office if he doesn't upgrade the OL in the 1st pick IMO. Trading 20 for 31 nets a third + a 5th and trading down both our 1st and 2nd nets two additional 3rds (4 picks in the first 100) approximately. Seems smart to me in this case. In this case take...

1st/31: Barrett Jones, C for the next decade
2nd/61: bpa LB
3rd/74: OT prospect
3rd/94: TE prospect
4th: WR/KR/PR
5th-6th: bpas, CB, OG, etc.

I'd rather get Cooper at 20 but it may not happen...

Unless Emery and the boys pull off some as of yet unthought of steals in FA OLine has to be the top target in the draft. Ogletree might be tempting but the offense has to be fixed now. LB can probably wait until the 2nd round or later as long as we can get Urlacher and Roach re-signed and I don't want Te'o under any circumstances. He simply isn't a fit.

That being the case the top of their board has to be Johnson, Warmack and Cooper with Fluker a more distant fourth. As long as one of those guy is on the board I'd be very hesitant to trade out of that spot and if I did it wouldn't be very far and then only if I could predict that one of my top guys would still be there. I don't care how they're ranked now interior linemen and RTs seldom go before DTs and DEs or top CBs and WRs and there are quite a few of those to be had along with 3 top LTs some LBs and a Safety. Those positions all have more impact than an OGs or a RT and IMHO they'll go first.

Multiple lower tier prospects do us little or no good. We have two picks in the top 50 players and we need to make those count as far as guys who can start this year day one or be damn fine backups ready to go later in the year or at the latest the following year. We have all kinds of second tier and PS prospects for the line and even a few at LB. We need top tier draftees in those spots not also rans. We can add more second tier guys later on and as UDFAs. If Emery and his scouts are good somewhere in there we'll find another gem or two.

Originally Posted by WindyCity

He is not upgrading over Webb, he is upgrading from the abomination that was Carimi and Scott.

Webb is starting no matter what it doesn`t matter who we sign or draft.

With Kromer running the line and the offense off of Trestman's lead RT will improve no matter which one of those guys is playing there. At this point in time I think it's safe to assume that Carimi will get a fair shot at redeeming himself and I'm not actually counting Scott until he signs a contract. There's also Corey Brandon and I'm sure there will be at least another two or three OTs around from somewhere come July.

It's beginning to sound a bit disappointing.

1. Webb is marginal, but it sounds like we're stuck with him at LT. We'd move him to RT, but we don't want to spend money on a decent LT, so we keep him at LT.

2. We're probably not going to have serious money to spend on the oline for FA's. So what does this mean? Do we roll with some of the same crap we've had? Dig out the old bag of pixie dust Tice left behind?

3. I don't think we need a RT. We need a better LT.......unless Webb is our ceiling at LT and we're fine with that. But if Carimi doesn't pan out, then we do need a RT too.

4. Garza is done, and Louis is a question mark due to the injury. OK, this means we need a center and maybe we're looking at RG too.

5. But wait, our real need is LG. So, let's see. LT, RT, RG, C, and LG. But we have no real $$ to do much in FA. And we can't get Cooper (so they say) and we may spend our #1 pick on a LB anyway.

:-(

....but I guess the good news is that Webb is touring the South in his pickup truck, and tearing up the McDonalds circuit this off-season. He'll probably balloon up to 400 pounds by training camp. At least they dropped the pot charge.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

It's beginning to sound a bit disappointing.

1. Webb is marginal, but it sounds like we're stuck with him at LT. We'd move him to RT, but we don't want to spend money on a decent LT, so we keep him at LT.

2. We're probably not going to have serious money to spend on the oline for FA's. So what does this mean? Do we roll with some of the same crap we've had? Dig out the old bag of pixie dust Tice left behind?

3. I don't think we need a RT. We need a better LT.......unless Webb is our ceiling at LT and we're fine with that. But if Carimi doesn't pan out, then we do need a RT too.

4. Garza is done, and Louis is a question mark due to the injury. OK, this means we need a center and maybe we're looking at RG too.

5. But wait, our real need is LG. So, let's see. LT, RT, RG, C, and LG. But we have no real $$ to do much in FA. And we can't get Cooper (so they say) and we may spend our #1 pick on a LB anyway.

:-(

....but I guess the good news is that Webb is touring the South in his pickup truck, and tearing up the McDonalds circuit this off-season. He'll probably balloon up to 400 pounds by training camp. At least they dropped the pot charge.

At this point I'll be happy if we just draft Barrett Jones and maybe eek out one more season with Garza at LG. Seems like some dice rolling is in order hoping Louis and Carimi will both bounce back.

Originally Posted by short faced bear

At this point I'll be happy if we just draft Barrett Jones and maybe eek out one more season with Garza at LG. Seems like some dice rolling is in order hoping Louis and Carimi will both bounce back.

Yeah. I'm just disappointed. Same old crap. Just a different year. The oline will suck. Cutler will get another concussion or two. Business as usual in Chicago.