Game 1 - Indianapolis Colts @ BEARS - 12:00 PM

[rawaction]

The Colts OTs are Anthony Castonzo, a 1st round pick, but he struggled last year....and Winston Justice, who has started 1 game in 2 years and was going to be cut by the Eagles. I can unbiasedly say that I'd rather have the Bears 2 OTs than the Colts group.

 

Also, not sure how losing the 4th safety makes the Bears "thin" at DB. The starters and primary backups at both CB and S should all be healthy on Week 1. The backups (Hayden and Steltz) have started several games in their careers including several last year for both.

[ctcf]

To be fair though, Winston Justice is a fantastic name.

[Banedon]

The Colts OTs are Anthony Castonzo, a 1st round pick, but he struggled last year....and Winston Justice, who has started 1 game in 2 years and was going to be cut by the Eagles. I can unbiasedly say that I'd rather have the Bears 2 OTs than the Colts group.

 

Also, not sure how losing the 4th safety makes the Bears "thin" at DB. The starters and primary backups at both CB and S should all be healthy on Week 1. The backups (Hayden and Steltz) have started several games in their careers including several last year for both.

 

Yeah, the Bears are no more thin at DB than they've been since the days of Mike Brown.

[JonJayCutler]

I'm not really worried about CB at all. Tillman and Jennings are solid starters, Hayden has a good amount of experience and Moore is a great nickel back. McManis is obviously ST, although it sounds like he was a pretty good CB at NU. He's going to have big shoes to fill as Corey Graham was a stud on ST.

 

I am still slightly uncomfortable with our safeties. Wright and Conte will be fine if healthy, it's just such a big if, especially with Wright. Sounds like Steltz had a pretty good camp so that's good, but beyond him there isn't much. Then again, I suppose Walters can't be much worse than Meriweather was last year.

 

So no, on paper the Bears aren't really "thin" in the secondary, but when you don't have much faith in your starting safeties staying healthy, you tend to value experience more. Hopefully it will be fine though.

[rawaction]

I'm not really worried about CB at all. Tillman and Jennings are solid starters, Hayden has a good amount of experience and Moore is a great nickel back. McManis is obviously ST, although it sounds like he was a pretty good CB at NU. He's going to have big shoes to fill as Corey Graham was a stud on ST.

 

I am still slightly uncomfortable with our safeties. Wright and Conte will be fine if healthy, it's just such a big if, especially with Wright. Sounds like Steltz had a pretty good camp so that's good, but beyond him there isn't much. Then again, I suppose Walters can't be much worse than Meriweather was last year.

 

So no, on paper the Bears aren't really "thin" in the secondary, but when you don't have much faith in your starting safeties staying healthy, you tend to value experience more. Hopefully it will be fine though.

 

But the player that's missing was a rookie, who missed 2011 and last played as a CB in college. Basically, if you think the Bears are thin at S now.....you should have thought they were thin before, so losing Hardin doesn't change anything. Your 4th safety is now a guy that's been around the team for 2 camps and a full season now, instead of a guy playing S for the first time ever and football for the first time in 20 months. Obviously, Hardin is more talented, but the "lack of experience" isn't a new issue at the S position.

[Formerly Snayke]

All five Colts offensive linemen were somewhere between "puke" and "mediocre" by PFF. If the Bears defensive line can't get through that...

[JonJayCutler]

I'm not really worried about CB at all. Tillman and Jennings are solid starters, Hayden has a good amount of experience and Moore is a great nickel back. McManis is obviously ST, although it sounds like he was a pretty good CB at NU. He's going to have big shoes to fill as Corey Graham was a stud on ST.

 

I am still slightly uncomfortable with our safeties. Wright and Conte will be fine if healthy, it's just such a big if, especially with Wright. Sounds like Steltz had a pretty good camp so that's good, but beyond him there isn't much. Then again, I suppose Walters can't be much worse than Meriweather was last year.

 

So no, on paper the Bears aren't really "thin" in the secondary, but when you don't have much faith in your starting safeties staying healthy, you tend to value experience more. Hopefully it will be fine though.

 

But the player that's missing was a rookie, who missed 2011 and last played as a CB in college. Basically, if you think the Bears are thin at S now.....you should have thought they were thin before, so losing Hardin doesn't change anything. Your 4th safety is now a guy that's been around the team for 2 camps and a full season now, instead of a guy playing S for the first time ever and football for the first time in 20 months. Obviously, Hardin is more talented, but the "lack of experience" isn't a new issue at the S position.

 

My feelings about safety aren't a result of Hardin getting injured, as I hated the pick (see my post on our draft a couple days ago). Even if a lack of experience isn't a new issue at safety, the durability of this particular starting tandem could be. Wright has missed 11 games over his first two seasons, and Conte missed the last few games of last season and is hurt again this year. Or perhaps I just buy too much into the "injury-prone" theory, we'll find out. If they do get hurt, it doesn't feel particularly nice to have undrafted talent at both your 4th and 5th safety positions, something we didn't have last year. Now to be fair, I don't know much about Walters or Jeremy Jones, but I'd guess that few people do at this point.

 

All that said, I'm definitely not a fan of trading away picks for more safety depth either.

[JonJayCutler]

Looking at the schedule, we should be able to get to the bye at 4-1. Colts, Rams, and Jags should be easy wins, which means we'd just have to split the Packers and Cowboys games, which I think we can do.

[Wilson A2000]

Yeah, the Bears are no more thin at DB than they've been since the days of Mike Brown.

 

By thin I just meant bad. The talent is thin.

[Banedon]

Yeah, the Bears are no more thin at DB than they've been since the days of Mike Brown.

 

By thin I just meant bad. The talent is thin.

 

And they are still no more bad than they've been the last few years.

[Butterscup1679666578]

#Bears Brian Urlacher says knee "is never going to be the same," vows to play Sunday in opener vs. Colts

[Guest]

#Bears Brian Urlacher says knee "is never going to be the same," vows to play Sunday in opener vs. Colts

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-urlacher-says-knee-is-never-going-to-be-the-same-20120902,0,4056570.story

 

“The knee has been an issue, obviously, since last season,” Urlacher said. “Felt good going into training camp. I was excited about it. Then, I kind of aggravated my knee during training camp. Then I had surgery, a little minor surgery, and it feels good again now. That’s all that matters, I feel good going into the season.

 

“It feels much better now. I have been running around quite a bit, not with the team in practice, I have been taking it really slow like Coach (Lovie) Smith said we would. Everything they are going to let me do, I’ll do. There is going to be some restrictions on what I can do because they don’t want to overwork me too early. It’s a long season. There will be some restrictions but there won’t be restrictions in the game on Sunday.”

 

Urlacher reiterated he will be in the lineup against the Colts.

 

“I’m playing Sunday,” he said. “That’s a done deal. I think Lovie said it a month ago, Sept. 9.”

 

He doesn’t have concern the knee will flare up during practice this week. The Bears will have full practices Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and a light session Friday before a walk-through on Saturday.

 

“It’s been fine when I’ve been doing all the drills and stuff we’d be doing in practice normally,” Urlacher said. “I just don’t seem to be getting overworked. Sept. 9 I will be there dressed out in my pads and helmet and everything, ready to play football.”

 

Some have suggested Urlacher should rest during Week 1 so he can play in the Week 2 game Thursday, Sept. 13 at Green Bay on a short week.

 

“I heard that too,” he said. “I don’t see why. We have a day off Monday (Sept. 10) and our practices before that game will be quick anyway. There is not a whole lot that is going to happen. We already have our gameplan in, I think. Because we play Green Bay twice a year, we know what they’re doing, they know what we’re doing. There shouldn’t be a whole lot of gameplanning going on.

 

“If I can play, I’m gonna play. If I can’t run, I’m hurting the team if I am out there not being able to do what I am normally able to do. I wouldn’t do that, plus I am hurting myself. If it hurts, I won’t be out there. But there is no pain right now.”

[minnesotacubsfan]

at one time since the 2005 season we had Peanut, Good Vasher, and M Brown. that was easily the best defensive secondary the Bears have had since the days of Doug [expletive] Plank. we've been messing with DB's since, and the defense has yet to really miss a beat.

 

I think we'll be fine.

[minnesotacubsfan]

also, I don't worry about Brian Urlacher.

[ELCABALLO45]

I can see this game being close for a quarter or maybe even and a half. Andrew Luck comes out hot. Maybe something like 13-10 Colts at half. Cutler and the offense figure it out, Bears score 2 touchdowns and a FG to make it 27-13 Bears to start the 4th quarter, Luck throws a pick 6 late and it ends up like 37-20 Bears.

 

Cutler goes 17-28 for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Marshall grabs 7 for 122 and a touchdown.

 

Bears go 1-0.

[Banedon]

So we've gotta draft LB next year. I mean, no matter how Brian does this year...right?

[davell]

LB needs to be addressed somehow for sure. Brian Price is getting cut today for what it's worth.

[rawaction]

LB needs to be addressed somehow for sure. Brian Price is getting cut today for what it's worth.

 

Surprised they cut Price. But it was really their only choice, couldn't keep 6 DTs. Figured they'd cut Trahan or Ozougwu and then hold off on the Price decision for a week until Collins came back from suspension.

 

As for the LB position, if the Bears don't bring back Urlacher, I could see them going with Roach for a year, allowing JT Thomas (or a re-signed Geno Hayes) to play SLB, leaving LB as a late pick before going LB early in 2014. The Bears can't continue to ignore OL early, and they could use some serious "top of the draft" talent at DT (2 UDFAs, 2 FAs after the year on roster) and CB (Moore and Hayden are FAs after the year, Tillman is old).

[davell]

Even with the D aging, I really want LT to be our top priority next offseason, assuming we're still hurting there, which seems likely. If possible, I'd love to address a hole or two on D thru FA and draft D from rounds 2 and on.

[Guest]

The news on Price is that his head just isn't in the game after losing his sister in May to a car accident. That, coupled with his lackluster career so far made Okoye and his sore knee the better bet going forward.

[Theo]

I'm confused by the release of Price, I thought he looked good in the last couple preseason games, consistently getting pressure in the backfield

[Wilson A2000]

So we've gotta draft LB next year. I mean, no matter how Brian does this year...right?

 

I think they drafted LB in the first round in 2012. I wouldn't be surprised if Shea is experimented with at middle linebacker if he fails at DE this year.

[Guest]

I'm confused by the release of Price, I thought he looked good in the last couple preseason games, consistently getting pressure in the backfield

 

Yeah, I thought so too.

 

@BearReport Confused by the release of Price, after #Bears gave up 7th to get him. Felt he was one of the best DTs on the team during preseason.

[Soul]

Huh. Maybe he quietly didn't want to play, at least for awhile...

 

Not sure.

[rawaction]

I didn't really see it on the field. Price showed flashes, but it was against 2nd and 3rd stringers, and he clearly didn't look like he was ready to play 4 quarters. I wonder if Paea was healthy, if the Bears would have gambled and released (or traded) Matt Toeina. Toeina's solid, but all he'll ever be is basically just a body out there and Price, Okoye and Collins all have more upside.