The Bears Training Camp and Preseason Thread

[David]

ESPN is reporting that the Bears are sending the Bills a 5th round pick. If the Bills had to have sent him back to the Eagles, the Eagles would have paid the Bills a 6th rounder, so Buffalo went with the better deal.

 

I think this is a great trade for Chicago-the only concern I have for them is this is now another guy that they have to give a long-term extension to.

 

Agreed. However Im sure Angelo has already approached that possible problem before making this trade. I think Walker could excel in this system.

 

Hey National "experts" hows the crappy Bears offseason looking now? Keep doubting them

 

The national morons, I mean "experts," will keep doubting and bad mouthing the Bears as long as Grossman is quarterback and nobody else is brought in. In their eyes, hes one of the worst in the league.

 

And, on top of it, they'll go on to be all over a guy like Jon Kitna's nuts.

[David]

This team could not be anymore SOLID.

 

You can never have too many good defensive lineman.

The Bears are stacked up front.

 

If they can draft some young offensive linemen next year, they'll be a top NFC team for a while.

[Handlebar McSkullet]

what a day huh... just awesome.... awesome awesome

 

cubs doing well

 

j.a. owning the league with his diabolical intelligence.

[rawaction]

Wow. I saw the headline "Bills trade holdout Walker to the Bears for draft pick." My first thought, was "this can't be Darwin." I'm happy and surprised it is him. My guess is that Bears give him a 1-year deal, and either let him walk or they franchise him next year. I don't think he gets a long-term deal with Tommie still unsigned, and with Berrian and Grossman's pending FA on the horizon.

[Jon]

Wow. Not bad.

 

I'm watching the NFL Network Game of the Week coverage of the NFC Championship game right now and recalling what an amazing evening that was. I cannot be any more pumped for this season than I am right now.

[dougdescenzo]

Does anybody have a schedule of practice times? I've never been and plan on heading up this coming Friday for the day and was just wondering what i can expect to see.

 

go here http://www.bearstrainingcamp.com it gives a bunch of details about the whole thing

 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction although i found the actual site is http://www.bearstrainingcamp.info

[Keener98]

Does anybody have a schedule of practice times? I've never been and plan on heading up this coming Friday for the day and was just wondering what i can expect to see.

 

go here http://www.bearstrainingcamp.com it gives a bunch of details about the whole thing

 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction although i found the actual site is http://www.bearstrainingcamp.info

 

oops sorry man, but glad you found it none the less.

[Keener98]

Wow. I saw the headline "Bills trade holdout Walker to the Bears for draft pick." My first thought, was "this can't be Darwin." I'm happy and surprised it is him. My guess is that Bears give him a 1-year deal, and either let him walk or they franchise him next year. I don't think he gets a long-term deal with Tommie still unsigned, and with Berrian and Grossman's pending FA on the horizon.

 

Franchising him would make some sense. Angelo got a steal on this deal though.

[cubweiser03]

Walker, however, refused to report to Buffalo until the team renegotiated the remaining two years on his contract. He was scheduled to make $1.3 million this year and $1.4 million next season.

 

Levy added the draft pick the Bills receive will depend on Walker's playing time in Chicago this season. The Bills would've been forced to return Walker to Philadelphia in exchange for a sixth-round pick if the player had not reported by Aug. 5. Bears general manger Jerry Angelo said Sunday the deadline no longer applies.

 

Walker had no trouble getting to Bears training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. Shortly after the trade was announced, the seven-year veteran was taking a physical during the team's afternoon practice.

 

"Philly, I have no regrets. I enjoyed myself in Philadelphia," Walker said. "I'll always have those years, championship years, to remember. But I'm extremely excited to be here."

 

He said it's a whole new situation with a team he thinks is a Super Bowl contender.

 

Walker's agent, Albert Irby, said his client was eager to join the Bears and planned to negotiate a new contract with Chicago.

 

"Darwin's old deal is gone. The new deal will be talked about tomorrow," Irby said. "We'll take a one-year deal. We'll do whatever it takes. We're not going to hold out."

 

The Bills offered Walker a one-year contract, but for the same money he was scheduled to make this season. The offer, however, was immediately rejected.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2953545

 

The Bears have about $6M in cap space remaining for this year.

[Banedon]

"Darwin's old deal is gone. The new deal will be talked about tomorrow," Irby said. "We'll take a one-year deal. We'll do whatever it takes. We're not going to hold out."

 

It's a stark difference from Briggs huh?

[brinoch]

Oh baby, what a trade. It's amazing how good of a GM Angelo is.

 

This is an amazing deal. Excellent news. Stunning news, in a way. I love that when the Bears identify a position in need, they go out there and get something done. Watching Walker with Harris and Wale/Brown/Anderson will be nice.

 

If the D-Line can more consistently collapse pockets and apply pressure. Wow. The excitement is building.

[BigSlick]

"Darwin's old deal is gone. The new deal will be talked about tomorrow," Irby said. "We'll take a one-year deal. We'll do whatever it takes. We're not going to hold out."

 

It's a stark difference from Briggs huh?

 

He's not really in the position Briggs was in to hold out anyway.

[Magnetic Curses]

what a deal, a solid starting d-lineman to put next to harris. and i love his name, too.

 

however, my wife won't let me name my kid darwin.

 

bears get stronger. this team is better than last year, walker by himself >>>> scott, johnson, and boone.

[Banedon]

"Darwin's old deal is gone. The new deal will be talked about tomorrow," Irby said. "We'll take a one-year deal. We'll do whatever it takes. We're not going to hold out."

 

It's a stark difference from Briggs huh?

 

He's not really in the position Briggs was in to hold out anyway.

 

I realize it's a different situation. Briggs was franchised too...he didn't already have an existing contract. Nonetheless, it seems like Walker is willing to do what's necessary to get on the field and play immediately.

 

All that said, sooooo glad to have Briggs back.

[Butterscup1679666578]

what a deal, a solid starting d-lineman to put next to harris. and i love his name, too.

 

however, my wife won't let me name my kid darwin.

 

bears get stronger. this team is better than last year, walker by himself >>>> scott, johnson, and boone.

 

and i'd say Anthony Adams is > or = to scott and boone himself. plus add in the potential of a healthy dusty dvoracek, and this DT rotation is about as impressive as it gets.

[Magnetic Curses]

what a deal, a solid starting d-lineman to put next to harris. and i love his name, too.

 

however, my wife won't let me name my kid darwin.

 

bears get stronger. this team is better than last year, walker by himself >>>> scott, johnson, and boone.

 

and i'd say Anthony Adams is > or = to scott and boone himself. plus add in the potential of a healthy dusty dvoracek, and this DT rotation is about as impressive as it gets.

 

yeah, i meant to mention adams and dvoracek. which pretty much negates and more than makes up for the loss of the other 3.

[Banedon]

It wasn't until I was listening to Buffone and Haugh earlier on the radio that I realized our safety depth...Brown and Archuleta (assuming he doesn't play as bad as he did for Washington) and then Harris and Manning, both of whom were our starters in the SB.

[da bears]

Just saw this trade now, I like it. I went to training camp today, and I am really excited about the season. I agree with the previous statements that the Bears are gonna be better than last year. They may lose a few more games due to the schedule, but I think this team is gonna be stronger than last years.

 

GO BEARS!

[David]

Just saw this trade now, I like it. I went to training camp today, and I am really excited about the season. I agree with the previous statements that the Bears are gonna be better than last year. They may lose a few more games due to the schedule, but I think this team is gonna be stronger than last years.

 

GO BEARS!

 

Anything to report on TC?

[Keener98]

I just heard Zac Zaidman(sp) on WSCR. Hes the Bears reporter for the station, and he said yesterday was really awesome. He said all the Bears were eating lunch when news regarding the trade was announced, and he said the whole team was "giddy". He said the feel in camp this year is one hes never seen, and that all the Bears players were ecstatic about the deal, and the fact that Angelo is doing what he can to put this team over the top.

 

Also he said Olsen has been spectacular so far in camp, and Rex has looked very good.

[Soul]

I just heard Zac Zaidman(sp) on WSCR. Hes the Bears reporter for the station, and he said yesterday was really awesome. He said all the Bears were eating lunch when news regarding the trade was announced, and he said the whole team was "giddy". He said the feel in camp this year is one hes never seen, and that all the Bears players were ecstatic about the deal, and the fact that Angelo is doing what he can to put this team over the top.

 

Also he said Olsen has been spectacular so far in camp, and Rex has looked very good.

 

Olsen is amazing. He's basically a huge, tall, fast WR out there. I didn't think a guy that big could move & catch like that. If we can only get his blocking to average, he's going to be a monster no question in my mind.

 

Rex has looked very, very sharp in all the practices I've watched.

 

Hester had a few drops in practice yesterday though. Wolfe sat out his second practice, he was in just a shirt & shorts yesterday. They practiced in full pads for the first time, but the hitting was still @ less than full speed. Lovie is easing them in, which IMO is smart with a veteran team like this.

 

Our defensive depth this year is going to be just sick! 8-) How many teams can say they've got Super Bowl starters on the bench??

[Banedon]

Hester had a few drops in practice yesterday though.

 

The Trib says that Hesters drops were because of stiffness...

 

Devin Hester started full speed in Sunday's afternoon practice but dropped a couple of passes and was taken out of practice after meeting with team training staff and complaining of a little stiffness. "I just held him out," Smith said. "There's nothing wrong with Devin

[Banedon]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7024980

 

Football Outsider's QB rankings. The Bears QB's are 25th. But there's some things that confuse me about the blurb on the Bears:

 

25. Bears (2006 Rank: 27)

Lovie Smith stuck with Rex Grossman through hell and high water last year. Hell came in the form of a two-game, zero-touchdown, six-interception stretch against the Patriots and Vikings. High water came in the Super Bowl, when Grossman laid a two-interception, two-fumble ostrich egg on the biggest stage in sports.

 

Grossman is a five-year veteran who still makes basic mistakes when reading defenses. He throws a fine deep ball and will have some hot streaks, but he has awful lapses in timing and judgment. Grossman admitted that he didn't adequately prepare for the Bears' meaningless season finale. He needs to take practice and film study more seriously if he hopes to become more consistent.

 

They're ranked 25th, but in many ways the Bears have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Grossman will have to blast a hole 10 feet below rock bottom for Smith to switch horses. The other horse, Brian Griese, is an injury-prone dink-and-dunker who doesn't fit the system. Grossman could mature this off-season, but if he succumbs to bad practice and in-game habits, the Bears are doomed.

 

Calling Grossman a five-year veteran with no further qualification is just flat out dumb. Grossman is essentially in his 2nd full season and should do a much better job this year. I think this whole analysis is at best flawed and at worst flat out wrong.

[Soul]

Hester had a few drops in practice yesterday though.

 

The Trib says that Hesters drops were because of stiffness...

 

Devin Hester started full speed in Sunday's afternoon practice but dropped a couple of passes and was taken out of practice after meeting with team training staff and complaining of a little stiffness. "I just held him out," Smith said. "There's nothing wrong with Devin

 

Ahh, OK. They did take him out after the passing drills, and I didn't see him out there for the 7-on-7 or 11-on-11s.

 

Urlacher rested for the 11-on-11s too. Which really sucked, because that would have been my best chance to snap a good picture of him :(

[jersey cubs fan]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7024980

 

Football Outsider's QB rankings. The Bears QB's are 25th. But there's some things that confuse me about the blurb on the Bears:

 

25. Bears (2006 Rank: 27)

Lovie Smith stuck with Rex Grossman through hell and high water last year. Hell came in the form of a two-game, zero-touchdown, six-interception stretch against the Patriots and Vikings. High water came in the Super Bowl, when Grossman laid a two-interception, two-fumble ostrich egg on the biggest stage in sports.

 

Grossman is a five-year veteran who still makes basic mistakes when reading defenses. He throws a fine deep ball and will have some hot streaks, but he has awful lapses in timing and judgment. Grossman admitted that he didn't adequately prepare for the Bears' meaningless season finale. He needs to take practice and film study more seriously if he hopes to become more consistent.

 

They're ranked 25th, but in many ways the Bears have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Grossman will have to blast a hole 10 feet below rock bottom for Smith to switch horses. The other horse, Brian Griese, is an injury-prone dink-and-dunker who doesn't fit the system. Grossman could mature this off-season, but if he succumbs to bad practice and in-game habits, the Bears are doomed.

 

Calling Grossman a five-year veteran with no further qualification is just flat out dumb. Grossman is essentially in his 2nd full season and should do a much better job this year. I think this whole analysis is at best flawed and at worst flat out wrong.

 

Calling him a 5 year vet is misleading. But calling him a 2nd year QB is as well. Obviously the truth is in between. He's started just a season+ worth of games, but has been around the league for a while. He's probably equivalent to a 3rd year player now, a guy who saw limited action as a rookie, started every game and was hit or miss as a 2nd year guy, and now has to either sink or swim.

 

Another problem I have with this is the whole "take practice seriously" story. Rex sucked in the New Years game against GB, it was a meaningless game and Rex admitted as such afterward. Many in the media decided to say this meant Rex was out drinking and partying all week instead of practicing, and now many believe he doesn't practice or study hard. One writer went as far as saying he's more interested in the next party at the playboy mansion than the next game. Which is funny when you think that's pretty much what Matt Leinert is. It's Leinert, Romo, Roethlisberger, and a handful of others that are dating supermodels and going hollywood, while Rex is considered more or less a family man with a very low profile outside the game itself. I'm not sure why that story has had legs.