2009 Chicago Bears offseason

[cubweiser03]

Id go all Mike Ditka and give the cardinals the Bears remaining picks. The Bears would still have the comp 3rd and the comp 7s. This is like drafting Bolden at 2 and saying screw it to the 4 and 5s which arent worth that much anyways.

[RedFlash]

The Cards have an impact WR who is a three time pro bowl player in Anquan Bolden.

The Cards have a need for an impact DT on their team.

 

The Bears have a impact DT (when motivated and healthy he is) who is a three time pro bowl DT in Tommie Harris.

The Bears have a need for an impact WR on their team.

 

Both teams have at least two young prospects they like already on the team (Breaston and Doucet for the Cards, Dvorcek and Harrison for the Bears) at the same position.

 

I know this sounds crazy, and I know people will rip it apart, but what about a straight trade of Tommie Harris (who is 25 going on 26) for Bolden (a 28 yr old going on 29)? Seeing as the Bears are taking on the older player who wants an extension, maybe the teams can talk about swapping the Bears 4th rd pick (119) and a 5th rd pick (140) for the Cards 3rd round pick (95th). Or something similar.

 

I am thinking out loud. Maybe it sound stupid but hey, I've seen dumber.

[Soul]

I think the Bears' strategy is to keep their current defense intact, and improve it over last year with better coaching. Will it work? I don't know. But that seems to be the strategy.

 

Trading Tommie for Boldin would seem to break with that strategy.

[Guest]

The Cards have an impact WR who is a three time pro bowl player in Anquan Bolden.

The Cards have a need for an impact DT on their team.

 

The Bears have a impact DT (when motivated and healthy he is) who is a three time pro bowl DT in Tommie Harris.

The Bears have a need for an impact WR on their team.

 

Both teams have at least two young prospects they like already on the team (Breaston and Doucet for the Cards, Dvorcek and Harrison for the Bears) at the same position.

 

I know this sounds crazy, and I know people will rip it apart, but what about a straight trade of Tommie Harris (who is 25 going on 26) for Bolden (a 28 yr old going on 29)? Seeing as the Bears are taking on the older player who wants an extension, maybe the teams can talk about swapping the Bears 4th rd pick (119) and a 5th rd pick (140) for the Cards 3rd round pick (95th). Or something similar.

 

I am thinking out loud. Maybe it sound stupid but hey, I've seen dumber.

 

I'd do it. Just think about how much the Bears could focus their energies on defense in the draft. Not just this year, but for the next couple.

[WrigleyField 22]

Man I was a fan of this draft. Angelo gets an A from me.

 

Looking at our depth now.

QB- Cutler, Hanie, Basanez

RB- Forte, Jones, Wolfe, Peterson

FB- McKie

WR- Hester, Bennett, Iglesias, Davis, Knox

TE- Olsen, Clark, Davis

OT- Pace, Williams, Shaffer

OG- Garza, Omilaye, Beekman, Buenning

C- Kruetz

DE- Ogunleye, Brown, Anderson, Idonije, Melton

DT- Harris, Dvoracek, Harrison, Adams

DL- Gilbert

OLB- Briggs, Roach, Hillenmeyer, Freeman, Williams, LaRoque

MLB- Urlacher

CB- Tillman, Vasher, Graham, Moore, McBride

DB- Manning

FS- Bowman, Bullocks, Afalava

SS- Payne, Steltz

LS- Mannelly

K- Gould

P- Maynard

 

Thats 55, so two would be cut. One of the LBs, OL, or S likely. Perhaps a DE too. Also someone could get the "medical redshirt". Louis and Kinder would be practice squad guys.

Edited April 27, 2009 by WrigleyField 22

[Guest]

Bye bye Hunter.

[Handlebar McSkullet]

Bye bye Hunter.

 

Indeed, and I wouldnt be surprised if Louid beats out Davis for the 3rd tight end. A converted RT back to TE at 300 lbs and runs a 4.6. Wow.

[Magnetic Curses]

i know you've probably already seen it by now, but it's still cool.

 

[RedFlash]

i know you've probably already seen it by now, but it's still cool.

 

 

If Coach Rod Marinelli can get Melton and especially Gilbert to play anywhere near their potential, they will be crazy good in less then 3 years. Gilbert with some polish looks like he can be a beast on the DL for the Bears.

 

And him jumping out of the pool is still damn cool.

[RedFlash]

Brad Biggs, of The Chicago Sun-Times, reports the Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with undrafted rookie free-agents:

OG Dennis Conley (Hampton),

OG Johan Asiata (UNLV),

LB Kevin Malast (Rutgers)

RB Tyrell Fenroy (Louisiana-Lafayette). Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

[Brian]

Chicago sports is getting quite the corner on the market for guys with crazy youtube videos about their jumping skills.

[Banedon]

Chicago sports is getting quite the corner on the market for guys with crazy youtube videos about their jumping skills.

 

The article on the Trib website says Gilbert got the idea from a rumor that Adam Archuleta had done it before.

[Banedon]

Man, Don Banks of SI really seems to have it in for the Bears. They can do no right in his world....

 

I don't know what to make of this pool-jumping story that has apparently made Bears third-round pick Jarron Gilbert a bit of a YouTube sensation. The San Jose State defensive tackle made waves (sorry, couldn't resist) last summer when he was video-taped jumping out of the shallow end of a pool after being told that ex-Rams, Redskins and Bears safety Adam Archuleta had once performed the same feat.

 

OK, I get it that it means Gilbert is one very strong dude. Granted. But does it ensure that he can really jack up the Bears' pass rush? I don't think so. No more than Kyle Boller being able to throw it through the goal posts from midfield on his knees made him a great quarterback in Baltimore when he was taken in the first round out of Cal in 2003.

 

Yes, I'm sure the Bears drafted him solely because of a youtube video, and did no other scouting or research.

[Magnetic Curses]

Man, Don Banks of SI really seems to have it in for the Bears. They can do no right in his world....

 

I don't know what to make of this pool-jumping story that has apparently made Bears third-round pick Jarron Gilbert a bit of a YouTube sensation. The San Jose State defensive tackle made waves (sorry, couldn't resist) last summer when he was video-taped jumping out of the shallow end of a pool after being told that ex-Rams, Redskins and Bears safety Adam Archuleta had once performed the same feat.

 

OK, I get it that it means Gilbert is one very strong dude. Granted. But does it ensure that he can really jack up the Bears' pass rush? I don't think so. No more than Kyle Boller being able to throw it through the goal posts from midfield on his knees made him a great quarterback in Baltimore when he was taken in the first round out of Cal in 2003.

 

Yes, I'm sure the Bears drafted him solely because of a youtube video, and did no other scouting or research.

 

personally, i was more interested in his 22 tackles for loss last season. i don't think that gets enough pub.

 

but the vid is awesome.

[Soul]

I was more interested in a draft scout vid that I saw, which showed Gilbert's excellent hand work and burst off the line. This guy is super quick, a penetrator. He won't be able to clog the line, so he's exactly the kind of guy Lovie likes. His job will be to beat OGs to the gap and get into the backfield. That's what Lovie's D asks for. There are many teams he wouldn't be a good fit. He's a perfect fit for Chicago.

[jersey cubs fan]

Bye bye Hunter.

 

Indeed, and I wouldnt be surprised if Louid beats out Davis for the 3rd tight end. A converted RT back to TE at 300 lbs and runs a 4.6. Wow.

 

Clark is getting old, I wouldn't be surprised if he's the casualty at that position. But yeah, Hunter is done.

[rawaction]

Bye bye Hunter.

 

Indeed, and I wouldnt be surprised if Louid beats out Davis for the 3rd tight end. A converted RT back to TE at 300 lbs and runs a 4.6. Wow.

 

Clark is getting old, I wouldn't be surprised if he's the casualty at that position. But yeah, Hunter is done.

 

Clark better not be the casualty. He's getting old, but he can still play. Hillenmeyer on the other hand....

[Mark Priors Calves]

i like dusty dvoracek might get the axe as well.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm happy with the draft picks, ecstatic when you include Cutler as part of the draft. What a difference a month makes. It seems like some people are critical of Gilbert in direct response to that youtube video, as if that was the only thing that made him draft worthy. But this isn't a workout warrior who hasn't played well, he was a good player, regardless of the level of competition. He definitely fits the Bears mold. I'm glad they waited on WR instead of taking a guy in the 2nd just because they felt they had to have one. They brought in a lot of bodies to help improve the athleticism on defense. They may end up with only 2 guys who eventually start for them, but it helps the depth, not to mention special teams.

 

 

I've been harping on this going on 4 years now, but I'm a little disappointed how little attention they paid to the offensive line again in the draft. Yes, they spent the first month of the offseason acquiring guys, and made a big improvement from JSC to Orlando Pace. But the Chicago Bears version of Pace isn't the Pro Bowl player from STL. Williams remains a question at right tackle, the guard positions aren't nailed down by anybody, and Kreutz is at the age and cap size when many teams cut ties with a guy because he's just not worth it. The 2010 draft is probably going to have to be a line heavy draft again. Hopefully QB/RB and maybe even WR will be settled by then. But they will probably need significant offensive line help. Pace could be 1 and done in Chicago, due to health and/or deterioration. And at least 1 interior position may need to be filled by then. And they will still probably need dline bodies, a LB and DB help.

[jersey cubs fan]

Bye bye Hunter.

 

Indeed, and I wouldnt be surprised if Louid beats out Davis for the 3rd tight end. A converted RT back to TE at 300 lbs and runs a 4.6. Wow.

 

Clark is getting old, I wouldn't be surprised if he's the casualty at that position. But yeah, Hunter is done.

 

Clark better not be the casualty. He's getting old, but he can still play. Hillenmeyer on the other hand....

 

He can still play, but does he play up to his cap number, and is he considerably better than Davis and the new guy? Odds are it's between the last two to prove they are worthy of being the project the team keeps around, although it may be just as likely that the new guy is a practice team target right away.

[Magnetic Curses]

my guess is wale and hunter.

[Soul]

If Williams is a question at RT, then anyone they would have taken would have been a bigger question. Williams will be developing on the line, in the trenches next year. I don't see how the draft would have changed that dynamic.

 

I agree on Pace, but I don't think you sign Cutler and then turn over his backside to a draftee.

 

Shouldn't every draft have some OL in it anyway? I don't see how the Bears are in some extraordinarily weak OL position now. They've picked up plenty of veteran help now. They should be drafting OL every year just because of the number of bodies needed and the attrition. So I agree they need more draft focus on the OL, but I don't agree they're in a weak position for next year. Not at all, IMO.

[Soul]

The Afalava pick is intriguing to me. Here's a guy who I didn't see on the sites I usually look at for prospects. Yet he's got good size for a safety, and ran a 4.47 which is decent speed for a SS. He's known as a big hitter. Sounds pretty much exactly like what you would want.

[jersey cubs fan]

If Williams is a question at RT, then anyone they would have taken would have been a bigger question. Williams will be developing on the line, in the trenches next year. I don't see how the draft would have changed that dynamic.

 

I agree on Pace, but I don't think you sign Cutler and then turn over his backside to a draftee.

 

Shouldn't every draft have some OL in it anyway? I don't see how the Bears are in some extraordinarily weak OL position now. They've picked up plenty of veteran help now. They should be drafting OL every year just because of the number of bodies needed and the attrition. So I agree they need more draft focus on the OL, but I don't agree they're in a weak position for next year. Not at all, IMO.

 

Williams is a question due to unknown NFL ability as well as chronic back problems. But my point is that outside the first couple guys taken, NFL lineman can take a year or two to develop into starters. The Bears treatment of the line in the post-Columbo through 2007 drafts left them susceptible in the 2007/2008 seasons to a complete lack of quality depth. They had to go into overdrive starting last year to make up for that lack of depth, but you cannot sustain quality line play by signing other people's free agents. You draft a guy in the second or third this year to start in 2011. You don't want to be in the position like they were in 2008 when they had no choice but to draft a LT in the first round.

 

The Bears don't have a single established quality NFL lineman who is a near lock to start the 2010 season. Kreutz is the closest thing, but they need to prepare to replace him sooner or later. Williams might be, but he hasn't played at all, and has a bad back. The guards are either mediocre or unknown. They've improved the line for this year, but that's largely because it would have been difficult not to improve on a line that started John St. Clair at left tackle. Who knows how long Pace lasts this season, or if the Carolina backup actually does turn into a 16 game starter. The line is full of unknowns, much more than most quality teams.

 

my guess is wale and hunter.

Yeah, Wale is a dark horse to get cut, but without him, they are really thin at the end position this year.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Afalava pick is intriguing to me. Here's a guy who I didn't see on the sites I usually look at for prospects. Yet he's got good size for a safety, and ran a 4.47 which is decent speed for a SS. He's known as a big hitter. Sounds pretty much exactly like what you would want.

 

With a DUI on his record and some uneven play in college. Somebody compared him to Mike Brown, which is laughable. Mike Brown was a steady force at a big time college program, very smart and dependable. This guy is a wild card. If all goes well, he might come close to what Brown did in the NFL. But odds are he'll be lucky to be half the player Mike was for 1/3rd of the time he lasted.