Bears preseason week 2; Monday August 22nd at the Giants

[Banedon]

The San Francisco 49ers recently sent an e-mail to all other teams offering second-year safety Taylor Mays in trade.

 

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that there’s talk within the locker room that the Bears made an offer for Mays — and that the 49ers rejected it.

 

Per Maiocco, Mays declined comment, and the 49ers denied that the Bears made an offer.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Well I mean, there was a lockout. Not that he couldn't have been working out on his own, but still, as a FA, you aren't going to get the training you would with a team/conditioning coach.

Psh, going to training camp with the rest of the team and coaches used to get Walter Payton out of shape. Obviously few will ever touch Walter in that regard, but grown men being paid millions should be able to get work in on their own just fine.

 

Yes they should, but they're also grown men with millions of dollars. Why work out when you can eat whatever you want and hit the clubs every night?

[Banedon]

Harvey Unga has left the team for personal reasons.

[Banedon]

Lovie on the offense....

 

On offense, Smith explains, the Bears are looking to get more production because the skill players are in their second season with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, and they’ve upgraded at receiver and running back.

 

‘‘Offensive line, I understand people want to wait and see on the offensive line,’’ Smith says. ‘‘That’s a fair statement to make right now. But we think this line will jell. We’ve added a first-round talent [Gabe Carimi] to the group, and Chris Spencer.’’

 

Unprompted, though, Smith mentions the loss of center Olin Kreutz, as well as tight end Greg Olsen. But he insists other leaders — and tight ends Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth — will step up to fill the void.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/7148743-419/lovie-smith-bears-can-be-better-than-last-year.html

[Mark Priors Calves]

Harvey Unga has left the team for personal reasons.

He misses more practice than Marcus Harrison.

[Banedon]

The Bears are making a strong effort to get a contract extension done with running back Matt Forte. It hasn’t happened and CSNChicago.com has learned that the two sides are thinking dramatically different numbers, so it in fact may not. And Angelo did not display the clear confidence that something in fact will be done sooner rather than later.

 

“We want to stay focused on the season and we also want to do the right thing by Matt,” Angelo said. “But we’ll just see how things play out.”

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/08/18/11/Forte-Bears-far-apart-in-contract-extens/landing_insider_john_moon_mullin.html?blockID=550726&feedID=626

[Butterscup1679666578]

just give him his [expletive] money

[jersey cubs fan]

just give him his [expletive] money

 

No reason not to play hard ball with him. Big money secondary contracts to RB routinely end up biting the team in the butt eventually. He's not a free agent, and he's not elite, so he shouldn't expect elite RB money.

[JonJayCutler]

just give him his [expletive] money

 

No reason not to play hard ball with him. Big money secondary contracts to RB routinely end up biting the team in the butt eventually. He's not a free agent, and he's not elite, so he shouldn't expect elite RB money.

 

Not for his running ability alone, but his receiving ability makes him pretty damn close to elite. Most people lately have been ranking him among the Top 5 current backs in the NFL.

[UMFan83]

just give him his [expletive] money

 

No reason not to play hard ball with him. Big money secondary contracts to RB routinely end up biting the team in the butt eventually. He's not a free agent, and he's not elite, so he shouldn't expect elite RB money.

 

Not for his running ability alone, but his receiving ability makes him pretty damn close to elite. Most people lately have been ranking him among the Top 5 current backs in the NFL.

 

Yeah a lot of the "advanced" FO stats had Forte on par with Adrian Peterson last year. Then again the year before he sucked. So we'll see what this year brings.

[JonJayCutler]

just give him his [expletive] money

 

No reason not to play hard ball with him. Big money secondary contracts to RB routinely end up biting the team in the butt eventually. He's not a free agent, and he's not elite, so he shouldn't expect elite RB money.

 

Not for his running ability alone, but his receiving ability makes him pretty damn close to elite. Most people lately have been ranking him among the Top 5 current backs in the NFL.

 

Yeah a lot of the "advanced" FO stats had Forte on par with Adrian Peterson last year. Then again the year before he sucked. So we'll see what this year brings.

 

Well apparently he was running on one leg in 2009 and although very few running backs are ever 100%, it's hard to ignore the fact that his YPC increased by a full yard last year running behind one of the worst offensive lines we've ever seen.

 

Regardless of how the Bears do this year, I'm expecting a huge year out of Forte. Maybe by showing up to camp in amazing shape he'll actually be able to break tackles now.

[Soul]

I just can't see dropping top dollar for a back. Too risky. Too much banging and bashing, too much wear and tear. I think it's appropriate for the Bears to take their time on this, at the very least.

[ctcf]

Random Prediction: By the end of this season, people will be crucifying Jerry Angelo for not signing a legit WR when there were tons on the market.

[Banedon]

Random Prediction: By the end of this season, people will be crucifying Jerry Angelo for not signing a legit WR when there were tons on the market.

 

If there's a crucifixion of Angelo for FA's not signed, it'll be OL.

[UMFan83]

Random Prediction: By the end of this season, people will be crucifying Jerry Angelo for not signing a legit WR when there were tons on the market.

 

Bold

[JonJayCutler]

I wish people would stop pretending like Edwards, Sims-Walker, and Floyd are these amazing receivers that the Bears missed out on.

[BigSlick]

The LT position is going to destroy them this season. I wonder if signing McKinnie or Max Starks and forcing them to live on a treadmill could have helped.

 

Webb is still too raw. If Tice makes this work this season then he's a miracle worker, indubitably.

 

I would put Carimi on the left side now and let him work through it. He did just spend the last 4 years there. And a move to RT in the NFL will be easy for him whenever it happens. Barring that, they better draft a LT in the 1st round next year.

Honestly, I'm more worried about the interior line. Theres things you can do to mitigate problems at the tackle positions, keep a Tight End in (and it seems like their mantra with the tight ends this year is basically block first) but problems inside ? You're screwed.

 

And if Chris Williams keeps getting shoved to the ground and Garza and Spencer can't handle it, pretty much kiss any hopes of even a mediocre offense goodbye.

[Banedon]

The LT position is going to destroy them this season. I wonder if signing McKinnie or Max Starks and forcing them to live on a treadmill could have helped.

 

Webb is still too raw. If Tice makes this work this season then he's a miracle worker, indubitably.

 

I would put Carimi on the left side now and let him work through it. He did just spend the last 4 years there. And a move to RT in the NFL will be easy for him whenever it happens. Barring that, they better draft a LT in the 1st round next year.

Honestly, I'm more worried about the interior line. Theres things you can do to mitigate problems at the tackle positions, keep a Tight End in (and it seems like their mantra with the tight ends this year is basically block first) but problems inside ? You're screwed.

 

And if Chris Williams keeps getting shoved to the ground and Garza and Spencer can't handle it, pretty much kiss any hopes of even a mediocre offense goodbye.

 

BTW, according to Brad Biggs, the Bears see Carimi as a RT. They don't intend to move him to LT. At all.

[tfarks]

Welp, this shall be an interesting night. I bet Webb has his intensity back.

[Guest]

just give him his [expletive] money

 

No reason not to play hard ball with him. Big money secondary contracts to RB routinely end up biting the team in the butt eventually. He's not a free agent, and he's not elite, so he shouldn't expect elite RB money.

 

 

This. If he has another year like last year, that might put him in the elite class. Pay him for it then.

 

EDIT - and even then, I'd be reluctant to give him crazy big money. Productive RB's are not *that* hard to find.

[Guest]

I wish people would stop pretending like Edwards, Sims-Walker, and Floyd are these amazing receivers that the Bears missed out on.

 

While there were definitely varying degrees of availability for the free agent receivers this year, I will say your list isn't nearly complete.......

 

Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Malcom Floyd, Steve Smith, Santana Moss, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, Steve Breaston, James Jones, Sims-Walker and others.

 

That reads more like a Pro Bowl roster than a typical free agent list. While some weren't realistic at all, I'm pretty disappointed with the Bears haul at that position this offseason. Help for Cutler needed to be the #1 priority this offseason and instead of making it the #1 priority, it was almost like it wasn't treated like a priority at any level at all.

[Banedon]

I wish people would stop pretending like Edwards, Sims-Walker, and Floyd are these amazing receivers that the Bears missed out on.

 

While there were definitely varying degrees of availability for the free agent receivers this year, I will say your list isn't nearly complete.......

 

Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Malcom Floyd, Steve Smith, Santana Moss, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, Steve Breaston, James Jones, Sims-Walker and others.

 

That reads more like a Pro Bowl roster than a typical free agent list. While some weren't realistic at all, I'm pretty disappointed with the Bears haul at that position this offseason. Help for Cutler needed to be the #1 priority this offseason and instead of making it the #1 priority, it was almost like it wasn't treated like a priority at any level at all.

 

Most of those are not "pro bowl" players anymore.

[UMFan83]

The only 4 that I have any angst about not signing from that list are Holmes, Burress, Floyd, and probably Rice.

 

Of those 4, Rice signed a huge deal that I wouldn't have been thrilled with for the Bears, Holmes almost immediately resigned with his current team, and although I wanted Burress more than most even, I can understand the Bears not wanting to pursue him after being out of the league for 2 years. Don't really have a reason why we shouldnt have gone after Floyd though.

 

The thing is, the Roy Williams signing might have been a shrewd move if we didn't have a lot of money to play with this year because there is a high upside for him, as we've seen in Detroit. But the fact that the Bears had, and still have, a crap load of money to operate with leaves us all extremely frustrated that its just sitting there unused.

[JonJayCutler]

I wish people would stop pretending like Edwards, Sims-Walker, and Floyd are these amazing receivers that the Bears missed out on.

 

While there were definitely varying degrees of availability for the free agent receivers this year, I will say your list isn't nearly complete.......

 

Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Malcom Floyd, Steve Smith, Santana Moss, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, Steve Breaston, James Jones, Sims-Walker and others.

 

That reads more like a Pro Bowl roster than a typical free agent list. While some weren't realistic at all, I'm pretty disappointed with the Bears haul at that position this offseason. Help for Cutler needed to be the #1 priority this offseason and instead of making it the #1 priority, it was almost like it wasn't treated like a priority at any level at all.

 

I'll give you Holmes and maybe Floyd but that's it. Everyone else on that list is either done, overrated, or a question mark for some other reason (Burress, Rice). Holmes was probably the least realistic to sign as well.

 

I too would have signed Floyd over Roy Williams, but we're not talking a night and day difference here. The Bears have cited more than once that a large reason for the Williams signing is the luxury of not having to teach someone a new offense. I'd say that qualifies as a legit reason with having so little time before the start of the season.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Good read

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/cbsports-football-outsiders-bears-have-reason-for-optimism-20110822,0,3920883.story