2009 Chicago Bears offseason

[hawkeyecub]

yes, peterson is great no one in history can touch him and favre is better now than he ever has been.

 

oh yeah, and everyone on the bears sucks compared to them.

 

but hey, let's talk iowa hoops!

 

I'll give you one thing, sulley. No one on here can just make up stuff and use hyperbole like you can. Add that to your unmatched skills of self-pity when it comes to your teams and unique ability to constantly whine about officiating and horrible luck in the face of any factual evidence or sound reasoning.

 

hey, attack the post not the poster!

 

now, how about some iowa hoops?

 

Nah I'd rather not. There's not much to discuss this year.

 

I'd rather discuss how Illinois football and basketball as well as the Bears have never gotten a good bounce in your lifetime. Or how they're the victims of a conspiracy by the officials every single game. It truly is fascinating.

[Sammy Sofa]

yes, peterson is great no one in history can touch him and favre is better now than he ever has been.

 

oh yeah, and everyone on the bears sucks compared to them.

 

but hey, let's talk iowa hoops!

 

I'll give you one thing, sulley. No one on here can just make up stuff and use hyperbole like you can. Add that to your unmatched skills of self-pity when it comes to your teams and unique ability to constantly whine about officiating and horrible luck in the face of any factual evidence or sound reasoning.

 

hey, attack the post not the poster!

 

now, how about some iowa hoops?

 

Nah I'd rather not. There's not much to discuss this year.

 

I'd rather discuss how Illinois football and basketball as well as the Bears have never gotten a good bounce in your lifetime. Or how they're the victims of a conspiracy by the officials every single game. It truly is fascinating.

 

If it's so boring to you then why waste your time in a Bears thread?

[David]

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/huddleup/2009/05/exabilene-christian-qb-johnny-knox-has-that-grownman-strength.html

 

Ex-Abilene Christian quarterback Billy Malone recalled the play as if it happened yesterday.

 

It occurred in a game against San Angelo last October. Entering the contest, opposing teams had played Cover-2 defense over the top of Abilene star receiver Johnny Knox. So Malone used Knox out of the slot against St. Angelo.

 

``It was the first time we played Johnny there,’’ Malone said. ``And on one play – we called it Ram – I hit him with a bubble screen toward the sideline. Every defender on the field had the angle on him, and Johnny just walks down the sideline about 45, 50 yards.’’

 

Knox set a school record with 232 yards receiving yards that day. It was no surprise to Malone, who grew accustomed to Knox’s big-play ability.

 

``Everybody talks about his speed, but what people don’t know is Johnny has such strong hands,’’ Malone said. ``He’s just got that grown man upper-body strength.

 

``I guess at the next level, they talk about if receivers can get off of press coverage or whatever. With his strength and speed, he should have no problem. He’s going to do well for the Bears.’’

 

 

I really think he has a chance to make a Colston-like surprise impact this season. It's a perfect storm in terms of his combination of abilities, the Bears' lack of established receivers, and having Jay friggin Cutler. It all comes down to how well he can learn the plays, IMO.

[Magnetic Curses]

for crying out loud, have a sense of humor.

 

everybody i think already knows how i am, it doesn't need to be broken down. my concern is that you're fighting homerism with more homerism in this thread. but saying forte is just above average because he averaged less than 4 ypc while paying no attention to the scrubs that were blocking for him, or the fact that he was going up against 8 in the box on every play borders on meatballery.

 

peterson is great, we all know it, and everyone that i know gives him his credit. nobody is really comparing peterson to forte except to say that forte had more yards from scrimmage in his rookie year. anyone with eyeballs can tell you that there's not much of a comparison. but luckily, if favre is back, there isn't going to be much of a comparison between him and cutler, either. besides his fluke season the year before last, he's been pretty average to bad over the last 4 years, almost bear-like. i wouldn't say he's so much declining as he's declined completely. the vikings would be smart to just go with rosenfels. maquoketa represent woot!

[Magnetic Curses]

yes, peterson is great no one in history can touch him and favre is better now than he ever has been.

 

oh yeah, and everyone on the bears sucks compared to them.

 

but hey, let's talk iowa hoops!

 

I'll give you one thing, sulley. No one on here can just make up stuff and use hyperbole like you can. Add that to your unmatched skills of self-pity when it comes to your teams and unique ability to constantly whine about officiating and horrible luck in the face of any factual evidence or sound reasoning.

 

hey, attack the post not the poster!

 

now, how about some iowa hoops?

 

Nah I'd rather not. There's not much to discuss this year.

 

I'd rather discuss how Illinois football and basketball as well as the Bears have never gotten a good bounce in your lifetime. Or how they're the victims of a conspiracy by the officials every single game. It truly is fascinating.

 

If it's so boring to you then why waste your time in a Bears thread?

 

if you knew as many hawkeye-viking-cub fans as i knew, you'd cut him some slack. they're like the worst breed of fan, hawkeyecub is pretty cool compared to the rest of them.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/huddleup/2009/05/michael-gaines-sees-great-opportunity-at-tight-end-fullback-with-chicago-bears.html

 

By Vaughn McClure

 

Michael Gaines has yet to step foot into Halas Hall, but the free-agent tight end seems sold on the Bears regardless.

 

"I will say this: It’s between the Jets and Chicago and right now, I’m leaning more toward Chicago," Gaines said Thursday night. "But I have to feed my family. So the best financial situation comes into play. But I’m going to go on my heart, and my competitive nature. I want to win.’’

 

``I can’t tell you how many times he's called me after that,’’ Gaines said with a laugh. "Lovie sold me on the fact that he didn’t see me as just a tight end, but as a fullback, too. When I was with the Carolina Panthers (2004-06), they moved me around. I was a fullback. I was on the line. They move me around so much and I blocked for so many different areas.’’

 

"I’m not going to lie, I was kind of shocked because of who I am,’’ he said. "I’m a blocking tight end, and you all don’t have tight end-issues in Chicago. You have (Greg) Olsen. You have (Desmond) Clark. You have a good core of tight ends there. So to get the call, I was very surprised.

 

"I get a call from the Jets, and they have no tight ends except Dustin Keller. On paper, the better opportunity is the Jets. But my long-term goal, too, is to win the Super Bowl. And when Lovie started talking about the Super Bowl and winning, he was right up my alley.’’

 

No doubt the Bears are thinking about those short-yardage situations from last season that went sour. The tight end core of Clark, Olsen and Kellen Davis is more of a pass-catching trio, and it’s unclear where Davis fits in the puzzle.

 

 

Edited because full back is censored.

[David]

Ugh, even a freaking journalist doing it. It's "SET FOOT."

 

/rant

[Banedon]

Ugh, even a freaking journalist doing it. It's "SET FOOT."

 

/rant

 

It's nice that he stepped foot in Halas Hall...it's the first step to getting untracked.

[ELCABALLO45]

The NFC North is going to be really fun this year.

[Guest]

The busiest thread on NSBB happens to be about Brett Favre? Ugh.

 

I was kinda hoping to come in here and read that the Cardinals just traded Anquan Boldin to the Bears for a bag of baseballs.

 

As awesome as the non-Bears fans in this thread are making Brett Favre out to be, I'm totally confused why we didn't just sign him as a free agent and flip the bird at Denver and their young QB.

[David]

I'm pretty excited about Marinelli, too. By all accounts, the guy is awesome at what he does. The players all seem to be big believers. You don't usually hear guys rave about a positional coach like this.

 

It reminds me a little of when we picked up Gerald Perry in terms of being something that is going sort of unnoticed but we might hear a whole lot about this season if the line plays well. We have a lot of talent on the line and it could be really nice if those players figure out how to better use their abilities.

[Soul]

Are they raving because he's getting more out of them and they genuinely like that, or is it just because they were concerned he'd crack the whip, but it turns out he's not?

 

Because as good as Marinelli's reputation is, I don't think the latter is going to work out all that well in terms of getting that improved performance that everyone is looking for.

[David]

Are they raving because he's getting more out of them and they genuinely like that, or is it just because they were concerned he'd crack the whip, but it turns out he's not?

 

Because as good as Marinelli's reputation is, I don't think the latter is going to work out all that well in terms of getting that improved performance that everyone is looking for.

 

They're raving about his techniques and his philosophies. Calling him a genius. Nothing that it would indicate that it has anything to do with him being easy on them or that he even is that.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm very skeptical of Marinelli's ingenius schemes and technique. I like that he's the line coach, he adds some NFL coaching experience to a staff that was largely all college guys notwithstanding their time with the Bears. But I don't think Marinelli is going to make much of a difference.

[Guest]

LeBron just gave his sneakers to Urlacher. Lucky bastard.

It is a sure sign he wants to be a Bull.

 

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/huddleup/2009/05/chicago-bears-linebacker-brian-urlacher-gets-a-pair-of-sneakers-from-lebron-james.html

 

Apparently Bron Bron is friends with Hester and Alex Brown too. I hope they're better recruiters than Jay-Z. :)

[David]

I'm very skeptical of Marinelli's ingenius schemes and technique. I like that he's the line coach, he adds some NFL coaching experience to a staff that was largely all college guys notwithstanding their time with the Bears. But I don't think Marinelli is going to make much of a difference.

 

 

The slightest improvements for those guys could be the key in them returning to form, though.

 

 

And a lot of people were saying the same about Gerald Perry and that the new staff wouldn't make much of an impact on established players. FF to 2008 and the whole team is walking more than ever. Granted, a few of those guys, especially Geo, were young and could've easily already had this approach going in or could have been more "mold-able", but a guy like Aramis was established and still had a pretty clear change in approach that showed itself in his stats. Edmonds credited Perry with suggesting an adjustment for him that made him suddenly not worthless for us. I tend to think it was the staff more-so than the "Fukudome's approach is rubbing off on the whole team" nonsense that was being spouted by the usual suspects in the media.

 

Anyway, just stating the obvious in that these things could go either way. He could make no appreciable impact, or he could get resurgences from guys like Tommie Harris and Mark Anderson and he could mold a guy like Gilbert into a great 3 technique.

[David]

And maybe I shouldn't treat football and baseball as analogous there, but I thought it was valid.

[Soul]

I hate to be a rotten egg, but frankly what players say about their coaches means little or nothing to me. Players rave about coaches who fail miserably all the time, then rebel against coaches who win Super Bowls.

[David]

I hate to be a rotten egg, but frankly what players say about their coaches means little or nothing to me. Players rave about coaches who fail miserably all the time, then rebel against coaches who win Super Bowls.

 

 

Marinelli's reputation goes beyond just what most of the defensive linemen on the team are saying about him right now.

 

Sapp and Rice still rave about him. And you could say the defense in Tampa had some success there for quite a while, if that's what you want to base things on.

[jersey cubs fan]

I hate to be a rotten egg, but frankly what players say about their coaches means little or nothing to me. Players rave about coaches who fail miserably all the time, then rebel against coaches who win Super Bowls.

 

 

Marinelli's reputation goes beyond just what most of the defensive linemen on the team are saying about him right now.

 

Sapp and Rice still rave about him. And you could say the defense in Tampa had some success there for quite a while, if that's what you want to base things on.

 

I have to give more of that credit to Monte Kiffin and Tony Dungy rather than Marinelli. Sure they were good, but they also signed/drafted extremely talented defensive lineman. Marinelli didn't make Warren Sapp.

[Soul]

I hate to be a rotten egg, but frankly what players say about their coaches means little or nothing to me. Players rave about coaches who fail miserably all the time, then rebel against coaches who win Super Bowls.

 

 

Marinelli's reputation goes beyond just what most of the defensive linemen on the team are saying about him right now.

 

Sapp and Rice still rave about him. And you could say the defense in Tampa had some success there for quite a while, if that's what you want to base things on.

 

I have to give more of that credit to Monte Kiffin and Tony Dungy rather than Marinelli. Sure they were good, but they also signed/drafted extremely talented defensive lineman. Marinelli didn't make Warren Sapp.

 

I'm certainly *hoping* what they are saying about Marinelli is true.

[David]

I hate to be a rotten egg, but frankly what players say about their coaches means little or nothing to me. Players rave about coaches who fail miserably all the time, then rebel against coaches who win Super Bowls.

 

 

Marinelli's reputation goes beyond just what most of the defensive linemen on the team are saying about him right now.

 

Sapp and Rice still rave about him. And you could say the defense in Tampa had some success there for quite a while, if that's what you want to base things on.

 

I have to give more of that credit to Monte Kiffin and Tony Dungy rather than Marinelli. Sure they were good, but they also signed/drafted extremely talented defensive lineman. Marinelli didn't make Warren Sapp.

 

 

I don't disagree with that at all. I'm just saying that maybe there's something to it when there are so many extremely positive reviews from linemen who have played for him. I've never heard QUITE this much raving about a positional coach beyond your run of the mill offseason fluff pieces.

 

We'll see, I guess.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm glad he's here, but I think defensive improvements will come more from having an offense on the team than any magical techniques he will teach them.

[David]

I'm glad he's here, but I think defensive improvements will come more from having an offense on the team than any magical techniques he will teach them.

 

 

That too... I'm pretty optimistic about the defense given the offense and hopefully improved play at the line.

 

If we get push out of the line again, our secondary becomes that much better and the holes become that much less obvious. Staying off the field and having leads should help make that happen.

 

If we can generate some turnovers and get awesome field position again, points shouldn't be all that hard to come by. Needless to say, I'm really excited to watch this season unfold.

[dew1679666265]

I hate to be a rotten egg, but frankly what players say about their coaches means little or nothing to me. Players rave about coaches who fail miserably all the time, then rebel against coaches who win Super Bowls.

 

 

Marinelli's reputation goes beyond just what most of the defensive linemen on the team are saying about him right now.

 

Sapp and Rice still rave about him. And you could say the defense in Tampa had some success there for quite a while, if that's what you want to base things on.

 

I have to give more of that credit to Monte Kiffin and Tony Dungy rather than Marinelli. Sure they were good, but they also signed/drafted extremely talented defensive lineman. Marinelli didn't make Warren Sapp.

 

Well-respected position coaches have a lot of say in who teams draft. I know there are multiple players the Titans have drafted because D-line coach Jim Washburn or O-line coach Mike Munchak have said they wanted a certain player and were sure they could mold said player into a star.