2011 Bears Offseason thread

[Guest]

Lombardi and La Confora on the NFL Network were earlier talking about the lockout preventing teams from signing FA non-draftees. The UFL and CFL will be more appealing for guys to sign with because it's a guarantee rather than waiting for the lockout to end and teams to sign those non-draftees.

 

Sort of off topic, but Lombardi and La Canfora are a huge downgrade from Schefter. I didn't realize how big of a downgrade that actually was until I saw their coverage on NFLN.

 

They should've offered Schefter a blank check to keep him at NFLN when they had the chance.

 

To be fair, Schefter was kind of weak on NFLN. He's really stepped up his game in getting inside info since moving to ESPN.

 

 

That's not at all how I remember it. I was kind of annoyed when Schefter went to ESPN because he was awesome and I almost always opt for NFLN coverage over ESPN.

 

 

And, IIRC, for some reason he became a much worse Tweeter after joining ESPN. I forget what story he broke via Twitter that he wasn't supposed to or something.

[Cubswin11]

Lombardi and La Confora on the NFL Network were earlier talking about the lockout preventing teams from signing FA non-draftees. The UFL and CFL will be more appealing for guys to sign with because it's a guarantee rather than waiting for the lockout to end and teams to sign those non-draftees.

 

Sort of off topic, but Lombardi and La Canfora are a huge downgrade from Schefter. I didn't realize how big of a downgrade that actually was until I saw their coverage on NFLN.

 

They should've offered Schefter a blank check to keep him at NFLN when they had the chance.

 

To be fair, Schefter was kind of weak on NFLN. He's really stepped up his game in getting inside info since moving to ESPN.

 

 

That's not at all how I remember it. I was kind of annoyed when Schefter went to ESPN because he was awesome and I almost always opt for NFLN coverage over ESPN.

 

 

And, IIRC, for some reason he became a much worse Tweeter after joining ESPN. I forget what story he broke via Twitter that he wasn't supposed to or something.

Wasn't that Simmons with the Moss trade?

[Banedon]

Jay Cutler told Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times that “everything is locked and loaded” for the Bears practice soon. It will only be the offensive players.

 

“I mean, those defenders have been in the system for eight years, nine years, What are they gonna do?” Cutler said. “What am I going to tell Lach [brian Urlacher]? ‘Your drop is a little short. Sorry, buddy.’ Offensively, we have a lot of room to improve.”

 

Heh.

[jersey cubs fan]

Though there is little clarity as to when the lockout will be lifted and free agency allowed to begin, the potential market for certain free agents has been coming into focus in the time since the NFL Draft. This past week, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter assessed the market for free agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress, citing the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams as leading candidates. We've also seen reports and speculation that other teams -- such as the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns -- were possibly in the mix as well.

 

I'm for it as a reaction to the fact that they don't have a better option.

[Banedon]

Though there is little clarity as to when the lockout will be lifted and free agency allowed to begin, the potential market for certain free agents has been coming into focus in the time since the NFL Draft. This past week, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter assessed the market for free agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress, citing the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams as leading candidates. We've also seen reports and speculation that other teams -- such as the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns -- were possibly in the mix as well.

 

I'm for it as a reaction to the fact that they don't have a better option.

 

Yep....barring a change to the RFA rules in the new CBA, when there'd be names like Sidney Rice available.

[Banedon]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81fe0475/article/raiders-bears-could-be-good-destinations-for-ochocinco?module=HP_headlines

[minnesotacubsfan]

um..hell yes.

[rawaction]

Not interested in Ocho Cinco. Rather have Santana Moss honestly. Really want James Jones or Mike Sims Walker.

[Wilson A2000]

I'd go after him, but only after some of the other names fell through like Vincent Jackson and Rice. The Bears have the best shot at winning compared to the other teams in the market too. There comes a time when you can't always try to focus on landing good character guys. After the Tank Johnson fiasco, I thought Jerry and Lovie stated they wanted high character guys. But it is too difficult to build a Super Bowl winning team with that philosophy.

[minnesotacubsfan]

ochocinco isn't a law-ish liability. hes just flamboyant, and pretty damn good WR

[rawaction]

ochocinco isn't a law-ish liability. hes just flamboyant, and pretty damn good WR

 

Is he still a pretty damn good WR? I don't think so. He got outplayed by T.O. who is older and was in the offense in Cincy for the first time, as opposed to the eons Chad's been there. He wasn't very productive last year. At least not #1 WR productive. Last year was the 2nd time in the last 3 years he's underperformed what a #1 WR should do. And he's 33 now. It's not going to get better.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I would be more sold on 85 the I would be on Jones (GB) or Rice. Rice had 1 good year, with Favre as a QB. 85 has had several even if he is getting old.

[Guest]

Pass on Ochocinco when there are better options out there.

[jersey cubs fan]

I would be more sold on 85 the I would be on Jones (GB) or Rice. Rice had 1 good year, with Favre as a QB. 85 has had several even if he is getting old.

 

But those good years have been fewer and further between the more he's appeared to worry about his brand over his performance.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I would be more sold on 85 the I would be on Jones (GB) or Rice. Rice had 1 good year, with Favre as a QB. 85 has had several even if he is getting old.

 

But those good years have been fewer and further between the more he's appeared to worry about his brand over his performance.

 

true, but realistically you will likely overpay for a Sydney Rice (aka Berrian-one good year and not much else) or Jones.

 

85 may be had at a very reasonable rate, and getting jolted off the Bengals might be what he needs to refocus

[tfarks]

Holmes is definitely getting a fat contract. Wouldn't be surprised to see Edwards leaving to get his last big contract. I hope the Bears take advantage of that, since he's unrestricted and a good bet to perform as a #1.

 

I can't remember but I thought the whole TO outperformed Ochocinco was overblown because Chad garnered more of the defensive attention. I would be open to bringing him in, or someone like Plaxico, to see if they can have a resurgence.

[rawaction]

Berrian and Rice are not a comparison. Berrian's only "good" season was 71 catches for 951 yards. Rice's "good" season was truly elite with 83 catches for 1300+ yards.

 

As for 85. He's not even the best old option out there. As I said earlier, I'd be more interested in Santana Moss who's 5 years removed from his "bad" season. And has been with a shaky QB for his entire career. He put up 93 for 1100 yards with McNabb/Grossman this year. He's a year and a half younger than Ocho also.

[swordsman]

Back the hell off already.

 

Even Congressmen enjoy making fun of Jay Cutler

 

Paul Ryan, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, spoke Tuesday to The Economic Club of Chicago about his debt-reduction plan. If you'd like to know more about that, you can read the full transcript here. But if you're just here for the Jay Cutler jokes, you're my kind of person, so here those are for you:

 

"I want to thank you all for inviting me to speak. It was especially gracious of you to host me, even though I'm a Packers fan and I assume most of you are Bears fans," Ryan began.

 

"But that doesn't mean we can't work together. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, I stand ready to do whatever it takes to help you re-sign Jay Cutler(notes). I'm here to talk about the economy today -- about the need to get four quarters of strong, consistent performance. That wasn't another Jay Cutler joke, I swear. It could be, but it's not," he continued.

 

Point, Paul Ryan. For a politician, that's high quality smack talk.

[Banedon]

http://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/garrettwolfemugshot.jpg?w=169

 

Free-agent running back Garrett Wolfe, who played for the Bears the last four seasons, was arrested early Sunday in Miami Beach after he refused to pay a bill of nearly $1,600 at a local nightclub, police said.

 

It all started when Wolfe refused to pay his bill at a Miami Beach nightclub.

 

‘‘He became aggressive while being ejected by bouncers, and two off-duty officers were summoned,’’ Miami Beach Police detective Juan Sanchez said. ‘‘They gave him the opportunity to settle his bill, and he refused. He attacked one of the officers. Both officers suffered minor

injuries.’’

 

He remains in custody, on total bond of $11,500.

 

Wolfe tweeted several times Saturday, including a reference to being invited to end-of-the-world parties.

[jersey cubs fan]

That forehead looks painful

[E.J.]

Cool story about Bears rookie JT Thomas taking an 8th grade girl to her school dance:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Bears-rookie-J-T-Thomas-takes-young-lady-to-eig?urn=nfl-wp2127

 

J.T. Thomas was drafted in the sixth round by the Chicago Bears, but the lockout leaves him without much to do right now. The athletic, hard-hitting linebacker out of West Virginia University is still in Morgantown, keeping in shape and spending time with his family.

Every day, Thomas helps his 7-year-old brother Jared get home from school. Riding the same bus as Jared is an eighth-grade girl named Joslyn Levell, who happened to grow up in Chicago as a Bears fan and now lives in Morgantown. Joslyn has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair.

 

With assists from the bus driver and J.T.'s stepmother, Thomas got on the bus one day to say hello to Joslyn. They hit it off immediately. From NFL.com:

As J.T. met a Bears fan in his hometown, Joslyn explained to him that she'd had a rough week because all of the boys she asked to the dance declined. Thomas melted.

 

"I hugged her and signed a few things and we talked for awhile and she cried a bit," Thomas recounted. "I gave her a hug and told her everything would work itself out."

 

It did. J.T. asked her to the dance himself. "I was nervous that by the time I reached out, she might have had a date and would have to turn me down," he said.

Joslyn gladly accepted the invitation.

 

"After so many people turned me down, this was so big especially, because he asked me instead of me asking him," she said.

[SouthSideRyan]

His live-tweeting of it won me over enough that I won't even make a joke.

[TruffleShuffle]

must... not.... make... mark chmura... joke

 

but seriously, good guy and hopefully he is a success in the nfl. hopefully it leads her classmates being more accepting of her and her disability.

[Banedon]

Mike Martz on Earl Bennett

 

“He started [in 2009] and everybody talked about what a good player he is,” Martz said last September. “Jay [Cutler] kept saying, ‘He’s a good player, coach.’ But he was injured and didn’t get any reps and made mistakes out here. So I didn’t really have a lot to go on.”

 

“When he came back and he was ready to go, he instantly performed well,” Martz said. “He didn’t ease into it. He was good from the get-go.”

 

“We didn’t throw it to him enough,” Martz said. “That will be remedied. He will figure in a much larger role than he did last year. He came to us late. He was injured. I wasn’t really sure where he was with all the stuff. But he established himself as a guy who needs to get a lot more balls than he did.

 

“He’s extremely reliable. I know Jay feels comfortable with him in the slot doing some of those things,. But he should be able to play outside for us as well.”

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=7882

 

Is this where the Bears start trying to convince the fans that the WR corps that they have is good enough?

[UMFan83]

Someone named "J.T. Thomas" taking an 8th grader to the school dance would have been an even bigger deal to that girl in like 1997.