Re: Bears Offseason Thread

[jersey cubs fan]

Pompei did a piece about how this might be the deepest roster in years, which is meaningless because they've been mediocre for three years. There's an article today apparently about Knox and the receivers feeling like rookies again in a new system.

 

You know, I used to like Pompei, but I think he's been pretty terrible in the last year or more. He's full of fluff, and buys into it....and then really kind of falls in love with the players on the roster.

 

He's unwilling to criticize anybody that matters. All the coaches are doing their jobs, and all the vets are capable of being pro bowlers.

[rawaction]

Pompei did a piece about how this might be the deepest roster in years, which is meaningless because they've been mediocre for three years. There's an article today apparently about Knox and the receivers feeling like rookies again in a new system.

 

Deep helps though, in case of injuries. The Bears are more prepared to play without Urlacher and Tinoisamoa than they were last year because the backups got a ton of time with them being injured. The safeties last year were a 6th round rookie (afalava), a 5th round guy w/ 1 year experience (Payne) and a guy who has been juggled his whole career (Manning). Now you have an experience vet in Chris Harris, Afalava w/ a year under his belt, a rookie with legit talent, Steltz who has more experience, and still have Manning. Not to mention Taylor as a backup RB. WRs who have a year under their belt now (Aromashodu, Knox, Bennett had 3 catches between them this time in 09). And you'll likely have Beekman and Shaffer as OL backups who have started for long stretches in their careers.

[jersey cubs fan]

Pompei did a piece about how this might be the deepest roster in years, which is meaningless because they've been mediocre for three years. There's an article today apparently about Knox and the receivers feeling like rookies again in a new system.

 

Deep helps though, in case of injuries. The Bears are more prepared to play without Urlacher and Tinoisamoa than they were last year because the backups got a ton of time with them being injured.

 

I think they are no more prepared, but are less able since they lost Williams.

[UMFan83]

Would have been deeper if we weren't cheap and didn't dump Alex Brown.

 

Being deep is good, but not when you still have a lot of mediocre starters.

[jersey cubs fan]

Depth helps, but not much without quality.

[rawaction]

Depth helps, but not much without quality.

 

I thought it was pretty obvious thats what "depth" meant in this concept. It's not like the Bears had fewer players last year. Still a 53-man roster. I think the 53-men are better on this roster than they were last year. That's better quality depth.

[jersey cubs fan]

Depth helps, but not much without quality.

 

I thought it was pretty obvious thats what "depth" meant in this concept. It's not like the Bears had fewer players last year. Still a 53-man roster. I think the 53-men are better on this roster than they were last year. That's better quality depth.

 

Right, but that just gets back to my point that "best depth in years" means very little when comparing with teams that struggled to win 8 games the past three years.

 

The Bears didn't lose 9 games last year because of a lack of depth. Maybe you can say that about the 2007 team, once they lost Briggs they started to fall apart.

[rawaction]

Pompei did a piece about how this might be the deepest roster in years, which is meaningless because they've been mediocre for three years. There's an article today apparently about Knox and the receivers feeling like rookies again in a new system.

 

Deep helps though, in case of injuries. The Bears are more prepared to play without Urlacher and Tinoisamoa than they were last year because the backups got a ton of time with them being injured.

 

I think they are no more prepared, but are less able since they lost Williams.

 

??? Williams who started 1 game for Briggs (not Urlacher or Pisa), who probably would have played if the game meant anything? I didn't say they were prepared to play without Briggs.

 

I think a team is naturally more prepared to deal with injuries the 2nd time around. Urlacher had been pretty healthy. The Bears were clearly not prepared as they threw Roach in there, who had trouble getting the defense where they needed to be, before they put Hillenmeyer in there. This year, if it happens again, they will know to put Hilly in there unless Roach makes huge strides calling the D. I don't know how you can say they aren't more prepared. And your argument that they are less able is flawed as well.

[jersey cubs fan]

??? Williams who started 1 game for Briggs (not Urlacher or Pisa), who probably would have played if the game meant anything? I didn't say they were prepared to play without Briggs.

 

I think a team is naturally more prepared to deal with injuries the 2nd time around. Urlacher had been pretty healthy. The Bears were clearly not prepared as they threw Roach in there, who had trouble getting the defense where they needed to be, before they put Hillenmeyer in there. This year, if it happens again, they will know to put Hilly in there unless Roach makes huge strides calling the D. I don't know how you can say they aren't more prepared. And your argument that they are less able is flawed as well.

 

I'm saying I think they were plenty prepared last year. They had a bunch of depth at LB, it was needed, and it worked out. I don't think it would work out any better this year if they needed it again.

[UMFan83]

I heard one of the beat reporters for the Score yesterday or the day before and he said that one person management is really high on is Chris Williams. They claimed that his improvements were the biggest personnel improvement of the offseason in terms of an individual position getting better. So we got that going for us.

 

That plus Omiyale playing LT all year instead of being moved to a position he sucked at and the OLine should at least be marginally better, depending on how much Kreutz is planning to decline.

[jersey cubs fan]

I heard one of the beat reporters for the Score yesterday or the day before and he said that one person management is really high on is Chris Williams. They claimed that his improvements were the biggest personnel improvement of the offseason in terms of an individual position getting better. So we got that going for us.

 

That plus Omiyale playing LT all year instead of being moved to a position he sucked at and the OLine should at least be marginally better, depending on how much Kreutz is planning to decline.

 

Does not compute.

[Banedon]

I don't understand how they determine someone has "improved" when they haven't played anyone. I mean it's one thing if they are coming back from an injury and are capable of doing something that they couldn't previously do I guess, but still...it seems like a pretty vague/hopeful statement.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't understand how they determine someone has "improved" when they haven't played anyone. I mean it's one thing if they are coming back from an injury and are capable of doing something that they couldn't previously do I guess, but still...it seems like a pretty vague/hopeful statement.

 

Football coaches love to talk about how guys practice. He's probably got better footwork or something.

[rawaction]

Depth helps, but not much without quality.

 

I thought it was pretty obvious thats what "depth" meant in this concept. It's not like the Bears had fewer players last year. Still a 53-man roster. I think the 53-men are better on this roster than they were last year. That's better quality depth.

 

Right, but that just gets back to my point that "best depth in years" means very little when comparing with teams that struggled to win 8 games the past three years.

 

The Bears didn't lose 9 games last year because of a lack of depth. Maybe you can say that about the 2007 team, once they lost Briggs they started to fall apart.

 

Maybe if you consider they threw an injured Kruetz out there because their only C depth was playing LG for an ineffective Omiyale. And backup CBs suh as Vasher, Moore, and Graham were ineffective backing up Tillman and Bowman who both had nagging injuries all year. There was nothing the Bears could do for the most part about the poor play they got at several positions because the backups were not good enough.

 

Of course, that may be more about the starters not being good enough than the depth. Hopefully, this year's team has both.

[SpongeWorthy]

Personally, I bought into wayyyy too many of the Cutler/offense puff pieces last season. I'm not even really reading them at this point...

 

I bet Cutler is an incredible practice player.

 

And he's usually pretty good at the noon starts. It's those damn prime time games.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/06/17/bears/index.html?eref=sihp

[Flames24Rulz]

Every beat writer does fluff pieces for every team during this time of the year. I bet there's some writers in Detroit that are conjuring up playoff predictions because of how good they look on 7 on 7 drills.

 

Have you ever really heard of a terrible OTA practice or a guy that's been abysmal during workouts? I haven't.

[SpongeWorthy]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/06/17/bears/index.html?eref=sihp

 

Des Clark is a guy I would be interested in keeping in the organization after he's done playing.

 

Anyway, balance is nice if it works. As Martz mentions in the article you can substitute passes designed to go to the backs, rather than using them as a safety valve, and get much of the same effect as handing it off. Forte caught the ball a lot but the screen game under Turner was terrible to non-existent. Taylor is great at that too.

[Magnetic Curses]

The linebackers weren't the problem last year, they were a strength and I don't think it would have been significantly better with urlacher and pisa. Although roach got reps, that was good.

[SpongeWorthy]

The linebackers weren't the problem last year, they were a strength and I don't think it would have been significantly better with urlacher and pisa. Although roach got reps, that was good.

 

I don't think they were very good in coverage.

[Banedon]

The linebackers weren't the problem last year, they were a strength and I don't think it would have been significantly better with urlacher and pisa. Although roach got reps, that was good.

 

I don't think they were very good in coverage.

 

I think that may have been more scheme than skill though. Cover 2 is all about hitting the guy after the catch.

[UMFan83]

The linebackers weren't the problem last year, they were a strength and I don't think it would have been significantly better with urlacher and pisa. Although roach got reps, that was good.

 

What were you watching? You don't think the LBs would have been better with Urlacher and Pisa in there instead of Hillenmeyer and Williams or whoever was in there? Watch the Cincinnati game again and see Benson getting to the outside because the linebackers could get there quick enough. Or see Palmer buying time because the blitz couldn't get through and find wide open guys. The LBs had a couple of decent games, but by no means were they a strength IMO.

[SpongeWorthy]

I thought they were decent but I think Briggs, Urlacher, Pisa starting with the depth developed last year could be the best linebacking corps out of all the 4-3 defenses...especially if Tommie is motivated.

 

Anyway, I was thinking about that SI article earlier and was wondering how Martz is going to incorporate wildcat stuff. He loves his gadgets. Taylor did some wildcat stuff didn't he or was that exclusively Harvin?

[Banedon]

I'd say Hester is a possible wildcat option.

[SpongeWorthy]

Athletically yeah.

 

The idea of him looking at a defensive end and making the right decision is kinda scary though.