Re: Bears Offseason Thread

[brinoch]

I haven't examined the contracts, but if they've gone ahead and guaranteed most of the money this coming upcapped year, with later years significantly less, then I don't care a bit. That would be smart cap management.

[RedFlash]

Citing a league source, Profootballtalk.com reports that the Bears and Lions have shown interest in free agent CB Lito Sheppard.

 

Sheppard hasn't been a good player since his 2006 Pro Bowl season, so the two NFC North teams appear to believe they could turn him around as as a reclamation project. Sheppard, 29, had one pick in 10 games last year.

Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports

 

Any interested in Sheppard?

[Banedon]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

[KaiserCesar]

The view from my football nerd friend is that Olsen is really a developmental player at this point and the best they'll probably get is a 4th rounder, maybe a mid 3rd if they try to trade him. He's not all too impressive according to the footballoutsiders receiving metrics at this point in his career. From watching him over a few seasons, I'd say he still has a ways to go and is a bit of a gamble for any team giving up a high pick.

[RedFlash]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

 

The only way that happens if the Bears get a 2nd rd pick in next years draft. Otherwise, giving away Olsen for a late round pick does not benefit the Bears. I rather hold onto Olsen then to give him away.

Edited March 9, 2010 by RedFlash

[kujay]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

 

The only way that happens if the Bears get a 2nd rd pick in next years draft. Otherwise, giving away Olsen late round pick does not benefit the Bears. I rather hold onto Olsen then to give him away.

 

Yeah, if all he is going to net is a 5th round pick, at best, then keep him. In that case, it's worth the chance that the team flames out, Lovie goes and thus Martz goes, and in 2011 we have a new OC, still have Cutler and still have Olsen.

[Soul]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

 

The only way that happens if the Bears get a 2nd rd pick in next years draft. Otherwise, giving away Olsen late round pick does not benefit the Bears. I rather hold onto Olsen then to give him away.

 

Yeah, if all he is going to net is a 5th round pick, at best, then keep him. In that case, it's worth the chance that the team flames out, Lovie goes and thus Martz goes, and in 2011 we have a new OC, still have Cutler and still have Olsen.

 

I tend to agree, but I don't think any of our current decision-makers would use this reasoning. They're thinking about this year -- and to hell with what a new regime could do with Olsen.

[Banedon]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

 

The only way that happens if the Bears get a 2nd rd pick in next years draft. Otherwise, giving away Olsen late round pick does not benefit the Bears. I rather hold onto Olsen then to give him away.

 

Bernstein thinks they'll have to trade him. If they aren't starting him, and he can't play special teams, they can't hold onto him, or so goes his reasoning.

[RedFlash]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

 

The only way that happens if the Bears get a 2nd rd pick in next years draft. Otherwise, giving away Olsen late round pick does not benefit the Bears. I rather hold onto Olsen then to give him away.

 

Bernstein thinks they'll have to trade him. If they aren't starting him, and he can't play special teams, they can't hold onto him, or so goes his reasoning.

 

Have to trade if fine but giving away a still promising player with upside for a garbage pick, should not be tolerable. Olsen is going to help the Bears win more games in 2010 then a 5th rd pick. Whoever is offering that deal, the Bears should tell them to call back when they are serious.

[KaiserCesar]

If Dan Bernstein is to be believed, the Bears have been shopping Olsen for the past couple of days, and the best offers they've been able to get is 5th or 6th rounders.

 

The only way that happens if the Bears get a 2nd rd pick in next years draft. Otherwise, giving away Olsen late round pick does not benefit the Bears. I rather hold onto Olsen then to give him away.

 

Bernstein thinks they'll have to trade him. If they aren't starting him, and he can't play special teams, they can't hold onto him, or so goes his reasoning.

 

Welcome to Madden 2011 where tight ends only play if they are #1 on the TE depth chart

[Butterscup1679666578]

Yeah, there's no reason you can't line Olsen up out as a WR. He's athletic enough where it can work fine.

[WrigleyField 22]

Olsen has to be at least as athletic as Ricky Proehl, who saw some level of success under Martz in St. Louis.

 

Olsen- WR. Problem solved.

[rawaction]

Putting Olsen at WR takes away a big part of what makes him successful. Speed mismatches. If Martz is such an offensive guru, he should find a way to get Olsen the ball.

[Tyrant]

Putting Olsen at WR takes away a big part of what makes him successful. Speed mismatches. If Martz is such an offensive guru, he should find a way to get Olsen the ball.

 

Possibly, but if he goes up against a defensive back, he'll have a huge size and strength advantage.

 

And I'm not sure he's that much slower than a lot of WRs. He ran a 4.51 forty-yard dash at his combine. That'd put him right in the middle of the 2010 WR class.

[David]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/08/bears-can-pull-the-plug-on-peppers-after-one-year/

 

Pretty sweet deal...

 

We mentioned earlier tonight some of the details relating to the Julius Peppers deal. We've picked up some more information about the contract, and it's now clear that if the Bears clean house after the 2010 season, it'll be easier for the new regime to bid Peppers adieu.

 

As Peter King of SI.com pointed out this afternoon, Peppers gets $20 million in 2010 (all but a $100,000 workout bonus is guaranteed). But the $22 million in guaranteed money that he's due to receive in 2011 and 2012 is guaranteed for injury only.

 

This means that the Bears can decide after the 2010 season to cut Peppers for skill reasons -- and they'll owe him nothing.

 

 

If nothing else, Peppers still has a reason to try to play hard, and the Bears did a great job of structuring the deal to allow themselves the opportunity to declare that the move was a mistake -- and to avoid more than $22 million in guaranteed compensation.

[ctcf]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/08/bears-can-pull-the-plug-on-peppers-after-one-year/

 

Pretty sweet deal...

 

We mentioned earlier tonight some of the details relating to the Julius Peppers deal. We've picked up some more information about the contract, and it's now clear that if the Bears clean house after the 2010 season, it'll be easier for the new regime to bid Peppers adieu.

 

As Peter King of SI.com pointed out this afternoon, Peppers gets $20 million in 2010 (all but a $100,000 workout bonus is guaranteed). But the $22 million in guaranteed money that he's due to receive in 2011 and 2012 is guaranteed for injury only.

 

This means that the Bears can decide after the 2010 season to cut Peppers for skill reasons -- and they'll owe him nothing.

 

 

If nothing else, Peppers still has a reason to try to play hard, and the Bears did a great job of structuring the deal to allow themselves the opportunity to declare that the move was a mistake -- and to avoid more than $22 million in guaranteed compensation.

 

Yea I'm pretty impressed with what they were able to pull off there.

[Banedon]

I curious about the definition of injury. If he gets a bad charlie horse, is that enough to guarantee the money?

[Soul]

Highly doubtful.

 

 

Basically, this means Peppers still has good reason to try. He still has motivation. That's good work by the Bears.

[Magnetic Curses]

i don't buy this whole motivation thing anyway. if peppers plays well over the next 4-5 years, he's in the hall of fame. that's reason enough. i reject that these players have nothing to play for once they get paid.

[jersey cubs fan]

i don't buy this whole motivation thing anyway. if peppers plays well over the next 4-5 years, he's in the hall of fame. that's reason enough. i reject that these players have nothing to play for once they get paid.

 

It's not nothing, but it's certainly less.

[Magnetic Curses]

i don't buy this whole motivation thing anyway. if peppers plays well over the next 4-5 years, he's in the hall of fame. that's reason enough. i reject that these players have nothing to play for once they get paid.

 

It's not nothing, but it's certainly less.

 

peppers has been ungodly rich for a long time, now.

 

if there is no motivation for team success, then it can most certainly be reasoned that he's playing for the hall.

 

sometimes players just aren't good anymore and it has nothing to do with guaranteed money.

[jersey cubs fan]

i don't buy this whole motivation thing anyway. if peppers plays well over the next 4-5 years, he's in the hall of fame. that's reason enough. i reject that these players have nothing to play for once they get paid.

 

It's not nothing, but it's certainly less.

 

peppers has been ungodly rich for a long time, now.

 

if there is no motivation for team success, then it can most certainly be reasoned that he's playing for the hall.

 

sometimes players just aren't good anymore and it has nothing to do with guaranteed money.

 

Sure, sometimes. But football is a game where max effort matters, and there's no question that some guys lose motivation as their careers go on.

[Magnetic Curses]

agreed, but i wouldn't link the eventual lack of motivation, necessarily, with contract status.

 

some people just stop caring or don't want to be crippled or whatever. most of the time, they're rich beyond imagining anyway and have been for many years. so they've really been playing without monetary motivation for a while.

[jersey cubs fan]

agreed, but i wouldn't link the eventual lack of motivation, necessarily, with contract status.

 

some people just stop caring or don't want to be crippled or whatever. most of the time, they're rich beyond imagining anyway and have been for many years. so they've really been playing without monetary motivation for a while.

 

 

Very very few players are rich beyond imagination in the first 5+ years of their career. The only guys who get FU money are taken in the top 5-10, and by the second half of the 1st you're looking at guys who aren't close to having funded their retirement. Almost all of them have significant financial reason for motivation at least until their 1st free agency contract, and many need a 2nd.

[Soul]

Not necessarily, you're right. But it is always a concern when a guy gets a massive paycheck that he might lose that little extra edge that makes him a truly special player. Some players do fine after being paid. Some seem to lose a little off the top.