Re: Bears Offseason Thread

[RedFlash]

It would be the 6th straight year the Bears opened on the road and 3rd straight on Sunday night.

 

The NFL must hate the Bears.

[Butterscup1679666578]

So Cutler gets to start the year with 4 picks right off the bat again?

[Banedon]

Watching this just makes me happy...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED1Qdp8EG6A

 

I want to see him returning kicks again.

[hawkeyecub]

Also, rumored is Steelers at New Orleans for the Thursday night opener.

 

It will either be Vikings at Saints or Steelers at Saints.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Watching this just makes me happy...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED1Qdp8EG6A

 

I want to see him returning kicks again.

 

 

now I wanna cry, god i miss that

[ConstableRabbit]

I love the Rams one where he high-steps from like... the 20.

 

 

... watching that video almost pisses me off. We took the one of the most dynamic players in the history of the NFL and turned him into a half-decent slot receiver.

[ConstableRabbit]

Stallworth released.

 

Hmm...

[UMFan83]

Stallworth released.

 

Hmm...

 

Lets get him and Plax and start our own version of the Bengals

[jersey cubs fan]

I love the Rams one where he high-steps from like... the 20.

 

 

... watching that video almost pisses me off. We took the one of the most dynamic players in the history of the NFL and turned him into a half-decent slot receiver.

 

There was just no way Hester was going to have a long career of being a dynamic kick returner. Turning him into a receiver was the right decision.

[Sammy Sofa]

I love the Rams one where he high-steps from like... the 20.

 

 

... watching that video almost pisses me off. We took the one of the most dynamic players in the history of the NFL and turned him into a half-decent slot receiver.

 

There was just no way Hester was going to have a long career of being a dynamic kick returner. Turning him into a receiver was the right decision.

 

Trading him would have been an even better decision.

[ConstableRabbit]

I love the Rams one where he high-steps from like... the 20.

 

 

... watching that video almost pisses me off. We took the one of the most dynamic players in the history of the NFL and turned him into a half-decent slot receiver.

 

There was just no way Hester was going to have a long career of being a dynamic kick returner. Turning him into a receiver was the right decision.

Who said anything about long career?

 

When you have a player who has a certain skill, milk that skill as long as you can! Instead, we tried to mold him into something he's not great at, and paid him handsomely for it.

[jersey cubs fan]

I love the Rams one where he high-steps from like... the 20.

 

 

... watching that video almost pisses me off. We took the one of the most dynamic players in the history of the NFL and turned him into a half-decent slot receiver.

 

There was just no way Hester was going to have a long career of being a dynamic kick returner. Turning him into a receiver was the right decision.

Who said anything about long career?

 

When you have a player who has a certain skill, milk that skill as long as you can! Instead, we tried to mold him into something he's not great at, and paid him handsomely for it.

 

He's a good reciever, and could be pretty close to great, which is much more valuable than a return man. The team wasn't any good then anyway, so they missed out on nothing by having him go to receiver.

[Soul]

We had to pay Hester a lot of money or someone else would have. Once you pay a guy that much money, keeping him as a kick returner is pretty hard to justify. He's not a bad receiver; he's just not top level. The problem is, Lovie keeps calling him a #1, which is ridiculous and makes it impossible for Hester to live up to expectations.

 

I was just listening to Martz this morning on the radio, and he said that his plan for Hester is to make him more of a Hakim-type receiver. That sounds like a much better plan to me than trying to force him into the same eschelon as Reggie Wayne, where he was never going to make the grade.

[davell]

I have a feeling that Olsen gets dealt this offseason. Especially since Martz wants blocking TE's more than pass catching ones.

[Tyrant]

I have a feeling that Olsen gets dealt this offseason. Especially since Martz wants blocking TE's more than pass catching ones.

 

I don't think Angelo will trade away a talented young player just because of a potential stop-gap offensive coordinator.

[jersey cubs fan]

I have a feeling that Olsen gets dealt this offseason. Especially since Martz wants blocking TE's more than pass catching ones.

 

I don't think Angelo will trade away a talented young player just because of a potential stop-gap offensive coordinator.

 

Depends on how stop-gap Angelo views Martz, in relation to his own level of job security. It's in Angelo's best interest to make the 2010 Bears as good as possible, to keep everybody employed. Martz could easily be here beyond one year, and quite frankly I'd be willing to bet he's the OC in 2011 in response to all the people who insist this is a one year deal. And of course, any deal would involved getting back serious value, which if it involves draft picks should be very enticing. Olsen hasn't come close to living up to the hype or draft status, if they have an OC they can't take advantage of him, he will be gone via free agency before they get an opportunity to actually have him produce for the team.

[Banedon]

He's a good reciever, and could be pretty close to great, which is much more valuable than a return man. The team wasn't any good then anyway, so they missed out on nothing by having him go to receiver.

 

lol...sorry Jersey, but that phrase..."could be pretty close to great" gave me a chuckle.

 

Have you seen Hester do anything "pretty close to great" as a receiver? I mean...if I'd seen a sign of it somewhere, I'd be with ya here...but so far, I've seen an average receiver at best.

 

Granted, 2006 was a freakish season that won't be repeated as far as returns goes...but I just miss being excited when Hester was on the field. I don't really feel that way anymore. That's probably something that we won't get back though.

[jersey cubs fan]

He's a good reciever, and could be pretty close to great, which is much more valuable than a return man. The team wasn't any good then anyway, so they missed out on nothing by having him go to receiver.

 

lol...sorry Jersey, but that phrase..."could be pretty close to great" gave me a chuckle.

 

Have you seen Hester do anything "pretty close to great" as a receiver? I mean...if I'd seen a sign of it somewhere, I'd be with ya here...but so far, I've seen an average receiver at best.

 

Yes, I have. I've seen the guy get open deep multiple times, and practically take over portions of games with slants. I've seen flashes of near great receiver work. He'll never be Larry Fitzgerald or one of those elite receivers, but he could easily be an very productive receiver, let alone above average, which he already clearly is.

 

He essentially did what Percy Harvin did this year, and Percy has more experience as a receiver and is in a much better situation for a receiver. Nobody just thinks Percy is average. Devin is already a perfectly acceptable number 2 reciever, which is highly valuable to any team that relies on the passing game.

[Banedon]

He essentially did what Percy Harvin did this year, and Percy has more experience as a receiver and is in a much better situation for a receiver. Nobody just thinks Percy is average. Devin is already a perfectly acceptable number 2 reciever, which is highly valuable to any team that relies on the passing game.

 

Good comparison...other than TD's, their stats are pretty close, and that's with Hester having not played for 3 games late in the season.

 

I wonder why the perception out there is that he was pretty mediocre then. I know that's what my perception has been...

 

Maybe some of our expectations were too high.

[RedFlash]

I have a feeling that Olsen gets dealt this offseason. Especially since Martz wants blocking TE's more than pass catching ones.

 

I don't think Angelo will trade away a talented young player just because of a potential stop-gap offensive coordinator.

 

Agreed. You don't take weapons away from a QB like Cutler you add weapons. Only way the Bears trade Olsen is if you can get a 2nd rd pick for Olsen. Trading away a TE like Olsen would be considered a mistake. And besides the Bears already have a blocking TE on the roster in Desmond Clark. So there is no need to trade Olsen.

[jersey cubs fan]

He essentially did what Percy Harvin did this year, and Percy has more experience as a receiver and is in a much better situation for a receiver. Nobody just thinks Percy is average. Devin is already a perfectly acceptable number 2 reciever, which is highly valuable to any team that relies on the passing game.

 

Good comparison...other than TD's, their stats are pretty close, and that's with Hester having not played for 3 games late in the season.

 

I wonder why the perception out there is that he was pretty mediocre then. I know that's what my perception has been...

 

Maybe some of our expectations were too high.

 

I think the perception comes from lofty comparisons to Steve Smith and insistence on talking of him as a #1. If the Bears had one really good WR, people would look at what Hester has done and call it what it is, nice production. Instead, he's the best they've got and he's not better than most people's best.

[jersey cubs fan]

Agreed. You don't take weapons away from a QB like Cutler you add weapons. Only way the Bears trade Olsen is if you can get a 2nd rd pick for Olsen. Trading away a TE like Olsen would be considered a mistake. And besides the Bears already have a blocking TE on the roster in Desmond Clark. So there is no need to trade Olsen.

 

As the season wore on, Cutler seemed to take Olsen away from himself, and for some reason Turner took Olsen away from Cutler on far too many red zone plays throughout the season. Olsen averaged 4 receptions per game over the first 11, including two 1 reception games early on. He averaged 5 receptions in the middle portion of the schedule. But he had just 3 receptions per game over the last 5, and that was propped up by one game against Detroit.

 

If Martz's offense is actually going to feature Olsen even less than he has been featured so far, in a career where he hasn't exactly lived up to the hype, then I'm not sure keeping him does Cutler or the offense any favors if the other option is getting a high draft pick.

[SpongeWorthy]

Hester is worse than almost every other starting #1 WR in the NFL and worse than most #2s on good passing attacks.

 

He's very substantially worse than Harvin as well.

[Banedon]

Hester is worse than almost every other starting #1 WR in the NFL and worse than most #2s on good passing attacks.

 

He's very substantially worse than Harvin as well.

 

Hester has about same number of catches and same number of yards (though 3 fewer td's) in 3 fewer games played last season. They each had one 100+ yard game, and about the same number of 75+ yard games.

 

But it looks like Martz wants him in the slot now...

 

Mike Martz envisions Devin Hester as a dominant slot receiver, a shift that could mean he will be coming out of the Bears' starting lineup.

 

"Devin Hester in that role could just be stupid good, if that makes sense to you," Martz said. "What we can do with him inside, the matchups we can get with him on third corners, safeties and linebackers would be absolutely remarkable."

 

Martz compared him to Az Hakim.

[jersey cubs fan]

Hester is worse than almost every other starting #1 WR in the NFL and worse than most #2s on good passing attacks.

 

He's very substantially worse than Harvin as well.

 

Being worse than most #1s is pointless, becuase he's not a number 1, and it doesn't even matter. For what you are saying to be true, he would have to be the 49th best WR in the game, and I don't see anyway that is possible. There are not 48 better receivers. He fits combortably in with most #2 capable receivers, and is easily in the 30-40 range of best WR, which is a valuable thing. He was 46th in yards this year, with 9 TE's on that list. He was tied for 42nd in receptions, with 11 TE and RB on that list as well. Plus, Hester missed games to injury and he played on a team with an average passing game, and no complementary playmaker to make his job easier.

 

If you can trade him for a 2nd round pick, go right ahead, but Devin Hester has handled the transition to WR well and is a perfectly acceptable option at the position.