2009 Chicago Bears offseason

[Soul]

Angelo needs to stop with his traditional reach picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. OK, fine it worked once or twice. It's not going to work very often over the long haul. You're not going to outsmart the other 31 GMs and find a diamond in the rough in the 2nd round when you should be picking for value and there's still plenty of good value available. I'm sick of it.

 

If Jerry wants to experiment, fine. Have at it -- in the 6th and 7th. Before that, he owes it to the people who pay his salary to make solid picks.

[UK1679666180]

The Bears were 9-7 in a bad conference and .500 over the last two years, expectations of a mediocre team are right there and whether you 6-10 or 10-6, luck and who you play likely will shift a team from 10-6 to 6-10 or vice-versa and still be mediocre.

 

What they need (how I rank importance)

 

WR (It's a stretch to say Hester is a #2 WR)

DL (both DT and DE, more DE, damn you Anderson)

OL (RG and RT, depending on what happens with Williams, why use a 1st rounder on a kid with a bad back?)

S (none of them are starting safeties IMO)

HB (Forte wore down, they need a capable back for 10-15 carries a game to save forte)

QB (Grossman is gone, Haney is a 3rd stringer)

OLB (Hillenmeyer and Roach are not starting OLBs, Urlacher is one year from coming back healthier or closer to getting cut).

 

I expect them to draft defense as they always do and hope that this offense can become average, this defense isn't good anymore to win games.

 

Angelo is bad and Smith isn't good enough to make a good team great or an avg. one good.

 

I blame this one more on Angelo and Lovie is dragged down by Babich and Turner as well as being a bad in-game coach will put him in the boat of needing to be fired.

 

Lovie is at that point, IMO, where the OC and DC need to be replaced to help see whether Smith should be fired.

 

Angelo has worn out his welcome already.

[Derwood]

the Bears will never draft a franchise QB as long as Angelo has his deathly fear of high draft picks

[BDWeav71]

the Bears will never draft a franchise QB as long as Angelo has his deathly fear drafting offensive players

 

 

Fixed.

[Banedon]

Interesting thought from David Haugh in the Trib:

 

Faulty assumption: Charles Tillman is your lockdown cornerback.

 

Realistic approach: Tillman has been on the wrong side of big plays too often to go into another season counting on him to play that role. His body wore down, and his quickness isn't ideal to play man-to-man defense. Maybe this is the off-season the Bears approach Tillman about moving to free safety, which would allow them to find a cover corner opposite Corey Graham.

 

Tillman would be in the middle of a lot more plays as a safety to help create turnovers, which he has always done really well. What do you guys think?

[Keener98]

Interesting thought from David Haugh in the Trib:

 

Faulty assumption: Charles Tillman is your lockdown cornerback.

 

Realistic approach: Tillman has been on the wrong side of big plays too often to go into another season counting on him to play that role. His body wore down, and his quickness isn't ideal to play man-to-man defense. Maybe this is the off-season the Bears approach Tillman about moving to free safety, which would allow them to find a cover corner opposite Corey Graham.

 

Tillman would be in the middle of a lot more plays as a safety to help create turnovers, which he has always done really well. What do you guys think?

 

Interesting idea and one I like mainly because I think Tillman is greatly overrated as a cornerback. His cover skills just arent very good.

[jersey cubs fan]

Interesting thought from David Haugh in the Trib:

 

Faulty assumption: Charles Tillman is your lockdown cornerback.

 

Realistic approach: Tillman has been on the wrong side of big plays too often to go into another season counting on him to play that role. His body wore down, and his quickness isn't ideal to play man-to-man defense. Maybe this is the off-season the Bears approach Tillman about moving to free safety, which would allow them to find a cover corner opposite Corey Graham.

 

Tillman would be in the middle of a lot more plays as a safety to help create turnovers, which he has always done really well. What do you guys think?

 

Interesting idea and one I like mainly because I think Tillman is greatly overrated as a cornerback. His cover skills just arent very good.

 

It will be hard to find another corner, but if they can, I'd be all for it. Depends on the scheme though.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

I actually think Tillman could be an all pro safety. It just makes too much sense.(his move to FS). Which of course means it won't happen. And actually, it isn't that hard to find corners to play in this scheme.

[Derwood]

Depends on the scheme though.

 

Isn't it more or less a foregone conclusion that Lovie Smith = Cover 2?

[jersey cubs fan]

I actually think Tillman could be an all pro safety. It just makes too much sense.(his move to FS). Which of course means it won't happen. And actually, it isn't that hard to find corners to play in this scheme.

 

The Bears sure haven't done a good job finding them. It's not hard to find corners, but it will be hard to find a corner better than Tillman, which would be necessary before moving him.

[jersey cubs fan]

Depends on the scheme though.

 

Isn't it more or less a foregone conclusion that Lovie Smith = Cover 2?

 

The Bears don't always play cover 2. I'm still holding out hope that they replace the defensive staff, and that the scheme continues to evolve. Stagnation should not be an option.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

I actually think Tillman could be an all pro safety. It just makes too much sense.(his move to FS). Which of course means it won't happen. And actually, it isn't that hard to find corners to play in this scheme.

 

The Bears sure haven't done a good job finding them. It's not hard to find corners, but it will be hard to find a corner better than Tillman, which would be necessary before moving him.

Even though he has severly regressed, Nathan Vasher was a pretty solid corner for a couple of seasons there. Corey Graham looked real impressive towards the end of the this season. They haven't invested a real high pick since Tillman, but the guys they have drafted in the middle rounds haven't been too shabby given their draft position. I'll also argue that Graham was our best corner down the stretch this season.

[soapy]

Is Kevin Jones signed through next year? I was thinking he only signed a one-year deal but I can't remember. I think it's reasonable to expect a little more from him next year now that he'll have a year under his belt since the surgery.

 

I'd like to see the Bears go strong after Housh or Boldin and use the draft to address OL, DL, DB, LB (more or less in that order).

[jersey cubs fan]

Is Kevin Jones signed through next year? I was thinking he only signed a one-year deal but I can't remember. I think it's reasonable to expect a little more from him next year now that he'll have a year under his belt since the surgery.

 

One year deal, and I have big doubts he'll be any good next year.

[kujay]

Interesting thought from David Haugh in the Trib:

 

Faulty assumption: Charles Tillman is your lockdown cornerback.

 

Realistic approach: Tillman has been on the wrong side of big plays too often to go into another season counting on him to play that role. His body wore down, and his quickness isn't ideal to play man-to-man defense. Maybe this is the off-season the Bears approach Tillman about moving to free safety, which would allow them to find a cover corner opposite Corey Graham.

 

Tillman would be in the middle of a lot more plays as a safety to help create turnovers, which he has always done really well. What do you guys think?

 

Interesting idea and one I like mainly because I think Tillman is greatly overrated as a cornerback. His cover skills just arent very good.

 

Agreed. He got smoked all season long. I'm in favor of this, and I don't even think we need a so-called "lockdown" corner to replace him. Just somebody better than him.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Is Kevin Jones signed through next year? I was thinking he only signed a one-year deal but I can't remember. I think it's reasonable to expect a little more from him next year now that he'll have a year under his belt since the surgery.

 

One year deal, and I have big doubts he'll be any good next year.

 

Agreed. Running backs have a very small window of usefulness, then you have to let them go.

[BigbadB]

Sure would have been nice to have Clady drop two more places in the draft last year. That's the guy this team needed.

[Banedon]

Depends on the scheme though.

 

Isn't it more or less a foregone conclusion that Lovie Smith = Cover 2?

 

The Bears don't always play cover 2. I'm still holding out hope that they replace the defensive staff, and that the scheme continues to evolve. Stagnation should not be an option.

 

Another thing Haugh mentioned in his article was that Urlacher is slowing down, and that the Bears should either:

 

a) Get away from the Cover 2, because Urlacher is getting beat in the middle of the field. He doesn't have the speed to fill his gap on run coverage and also play pass coverage in the middle of the field.

 

b) Move Urlacher to strong side LB.

[Soul]

Depends on the scheme though.

 

Isn't it more or less a foregone conclusion that Lovie Smith = Cover 2?

 

The Bears don't always play cover 2. I'm still holding out hope that they replace the defensive staff, and that the scheme continues to evolve. Stagnation should not be an option.

 

Another thing Haugh mentioned in his article was that Urlacher is slowing down, and that the Bears should either:

 

a) Get away from the Cover 2, because Urlacher is getting beat in the middle of the field. He doesn't have the speed to fill his gap on run coverage and also play pass coverage in the middle of the field.

 

b) Move Urlacher to strong side LB.

 

But they played a ton of zone this year too. And that "mug up" look -- that's not standard cover-2, and they did that ALOT. Lots of blitzes too.

 

They were out of that base cover-2 an awful lot to say they're a "cover-2" defense. I think they should be beyond that tag for now, at least until they show they will play it more often.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Depends on the scheme though.

 

Isn't it more or less a foregone conclusion that Lovie Smith = Cover 2?

 

The Bears don't always play cover 2. I'm still holding out hope that they replace the defensive staff, and that the scheme continues to evolve. Stagnation should not be an option.

 

Another thing Haugh mentioned in his article was that Urlacher is slowing down, and that the Bears should either:

 

a) Get away from the Cover 2, because Urlacher is getting beat in the middle of the field. He doesn't have the speed to fill his gap on run coverage and also play pass coverage in the middle of the field.

 

b) Move Urlacher to strong side LB.

 

c) go back in time and not give him that stupid extension (my one problem with this management team is extending contracts, almost never a good idea for defensive players)

 

d) cut him

[Banedon]

Depends on the scheme though.

 

Isn't it more or less a foregone conclusion that Lovie Smith = Cover 2?

 

The Bears don't always play cover 2. I'm still holding out hope that they replace the defensive staff, and that the scheme continues to evolve. Stagnation should not be an option.

 

Another thing Haugh mentioned in his article was that Urlacher is slowing down, and that the Bears should either:

 

a) Get away from the Cover 2, because Urlacher is getting beat in the middle of the field. He doesn't have the speed to fill his gap on run coverage and also play pass coverage in the middle of the field.

 

b) Move Urlacher to strong side LB.

 

c) go back in time and not give him that stupid extension (my one problem with this management team is extending contracts, almost never a good idea for defensive players)

 

d) cut him

 

Cutting him would be a massive cap hit, and he's not useless, he's just not the same guy he used to be.

 

On a completely different note, ESPN is reporting that Cowher won't be taking the Jets job...but that he will probably be returning to coaching next year...

 

Cowher does plan to coach in 2010. In 2009, though, he was only willing to return if every situation was right for him. He wanted to have a two-year break from coaching to be with family and recharge.

 

If the Bears have another year of missing the playoffs, I wonder what the chances of Cowher coming here are? The article says he's not going to the Jets because he wanted to bring his own personnel director. Well if both Lovie and Angelo go bye-bye.....maybe....?

 

Probably won't happen....but I like Cowher.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Cohwer is just another chearleader.

[Banedon]

Cohwer is just another chearleader.

 

In 15 seasons under Cowher, the Steelers made 10 postseason appearances, won eight division titles, played in six AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls, winning one NFL title.

 

Cowher ended his Steelers career with an overall record of 161-99-1 (.619) including a 149-90-1 (.623) mark in the regular season.

 

That's a good cheerleader.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Dick Labaue.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Cohwer is just another chearleader.

 

In 15 seasons under Cowher, the Steelers made 10 postseason appearances, won eight division titles, played in six AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls, winning one NFL title.

 

Cowher ended his Steelers career with an overall record of 161-99-1 (.619) including a 149-90-1 (.623) mark in the regular season.

 

That's a good cheerleader.

 

Lovie has matched that pace the last four seasons, and Cowher had a three-year stretch where he averaged 7-9 at one point.

 

I don't think we need to be in such a hurry to change.