jersey cubs fan

It is a concern, but they are very different cases. Cutler succeeded in Denver. Warner has had all his success in domed STL and desert/domed Arizona. He struggled in NY, and he's an old man. The Bears can screw up Cutler, there's no doubt, but there's absolutely no reason why they can't make it work. Cutler threw for 3600 yards and 27 TDs this year. He completed over 60% of his passes. Other than the INTs, he had the type of year that a QB who is at risk of getting "screwed up" doesn't have. Cutler is already beyond the point of being screwed up. He is good enough already. The question remains if he can be great with the Bears, because he has everything personally that it takes to be a top 5 QB in the league.....and that's in spite of the INTs, he just needs the help around him. Whether that's offensive coordinator, OLine or WRs. Other than the INTs is kind of a tough thing to look past. I don't think he's beyond the point of being susceptible to incompetent coaching ruining his career.

It is a concern, but they are very different cases. Cutler succeeded in Denver. Warner has had all his success in domed STL and desert/domed Arizona. He struggled in NY, and he's an old man. The Bears can screw up Cutler, there's no doubt, but there's absolutely no reason why they can't make it work.

Then why are we supposedly not trying to compare the guys to Castro? That's my point. Castro isn't some icon that cannot be referred to when describing other prospects. There's nothing wrong with comparing others to him. He shouldn't be excluded from the conversation with "we aren't trying to find the next" language.

I'd hate it if our hitting coach did that. I hope Rudy is showing Aramis the finer points of drag bunting instead. Screw that, you have to make sure you get that bunt down, square around and give yourself up, none of this hedging your bets and trying to get a hit while moving a guy over.

It's a little scary that people are now referring to Castro in this fashion, as some sort of established known quantity too good to be a fair comparison for any other prospect. What is scary about it? Castro went from a decent/good prospect in the Cub's system to a top 25 prospect in all of baseball. Even if Castro never pans out in the major league level, according to all reports his trade value is extraordinary at the moment. Hopefully, the Cub's system can effectively judge which prospects they should sell high, and which ones are worth holding on to. Normally that sort of language is used with some discretion, "nobody is trying to find the next ARod here, but Castro is a legit prospect". Nobody is trying to find the next Pujols here, etc. We absolutely should be trying to find the next Castro. He was a talented player who became a really good prospect, but that is all he is at the moment, a prospect. He's still got a lot to prove before he achieves "okay let's not get crazy here and compare guys to Castro" status.

That's what happens when you insist on making a proven NFL QB compete with a bunch of no-names. The proven NFL QB says, "thanks but no thanks" and goes on to blow up the league. Yet another one of Angelo's brilliant moves. I am not at all convinced that Warner would have resurrected his career in Chicago. He was looking like a washed up player nearing the end in NY. Chicago, which has an even worse track record of making an offense work and has worse weather. would have been worse. Warner is in the desert, playing weak divisional competition in mostly stable weather conditions with an offensive coach and loads of weapons. He would have had none of that in Chicago. His return to glory has been amazing, as is his playoff record, but he owes part of that to the decision to stay away from Chicago and go to Arizona.

That is my fear as well. Martz can stand on his own post-Lovie, but a new GM might not want him to. The other thing to consider is Angelo is signed for a few years longer than Lovie, he could conceivably return in 2011, assuming offensive improvements but continued defensive failures that lead to Lovie's dismissal. He probably should be canned as well, but that scenario could be sold to the public as "defense is Lovie's thing, it failed, Angelo got Cutler and hired a quality offensive coach and that is working, give him a chance to make it work that way with a new defensive system".

The other thing is a super bowl loss is most likely going to always be that much more disappointing, as hopes were building with each win before. The Bears got spanked against the Eagles in 2001/2002 playoffs and it wasn't that disappointing since it was a flukish team to begin with, the 2005/2006 loss to Carolina was closer but the team was similarly "flukish" or surprisingly good. The 2006/2007 SB loss to Indy was kind of close for a while but ended up as a blowout, but the loss hurt more since they were so close, it was the Super Bowl and expectations were higher given back to back good seasons and the thought that the Bears were for real instead of those earlier versions. I still think that NE loss was embarrassing enough to be classified as worse than your run-of-the-mill playoff beating. Their team was pathetic and should have been shutout in the first half if not for a gift turnover/non challenge.

I read a David Haugh article this weekend and was disappointed in his statement that what should matter most is stability, and that somehow Bates could not provide that while Martz could. His theory was apparently something about how Martz being a "known quantity" equates to stability. First off, the notion that what they need most is stability is wrong, stability has resulted in nothing but mediocrity and failure for three years, and they already have plenty of stability since the vast majority of the people in power with the Bears are still in power. This team isn't desperate for stability, they are desperate for new blood and change. I'm not a strong Martz advocate as I see him as somebody who would be pushed out the door with Lovie when the inevitable axe comes falling on all of them, and I see them having to go with another new system for Cutler. However, if they do go with Martz, it wouldn't necessarily mean they have to let him go with Lovie. Plenty of coaches have found a good deal of success in their 2nd stint after being viewed as a failure. Martz is "only" 58 and his record in STL matches up well with other 2nd chance guys like Coughlin, Belichick and Dungy. He could be sold as an experienced "name" head coach if he is Lovie's replacement, and if he is hired, I think I'd prefer he be given that chance, instead of starting over again with what would be a 28 year old Cutler. The goal with this hiring should be somebody who can be here longterm.

It's a little scary that people are now referring to Castro in this fashion, as some sort of established known quantity too good to be a fair comparison for any other prospect.

You are ignoring what I said about expectations though. And I don't get what you are referring to. The Patriots beat the Titans 17-14 in January 2004 (2003 season), and didn't qualify for the playoffs in 2004. New England was the clear-cut favorite that season, and Tennessee was a wild card team on the road, you had to think they'd lose. New England fans thought they were going to handle Baltimore yesterday, and they were humiliated, that's not just a ho-hum loss.

I don't know who I want, but I have zero faith in them finding the right guy.

Misconception alert. correct, they don't have enough money to own double-wides. They own singles. Wrong, they rent.

Sure it's different, but worse? The Eagles I'll give you, their fans pretty much all assumed they were going to get spanked on the road again one week after getting spanked and that's what happened without anything else getting in the way. But the Patriots were hosting what they perceived to be a clearly inferior team, and got blown out in about 3 minutes. The game ended before it began, and the fans all sat there for 2.5 quarters of jaw dropping futility they never imagined happening. Patriots fans thought they were very capable of going on the road and embarrassing the higher seeds, they were quite confident, and they gave up the game on 51 turnovers in the first 5 minutes of the game.

one that produces would be nice, since forte is neither you keep glossing over the fact that forte is a terrible runner. You don't learn rb, you either have it or you don't. Forte may have had it 3 years ago, but he was probably overused in college and his rookie year, and he doesn't have it now. He should be a third down back only. The bears have no money tied into rb, and can easily afford to get one with actual talent.

I was when Orton was here, and there was little downside to "ruining" him and they were desperate for WR help. Howeve, there is too much to lose with Cutler and a guy like TO around, and TO is just too far removed from his impact days to look past that concern.

I just want a guy who will make Forte feel better about himself and forget that he sucks.

Theoretically, the Nationals, and history/museum attendees. They try to portray the guy in the most appropiate hat, and I think they try and maintain a link to the history of baseball. The expos are part of that history and I could see them specifically wanting him to be an Expo to maintain/highlight that history, in addition to the fact that Montreal is probably the most appropriate hat in Dawson's case.

He's better, but he's not an everydown guy, and he's not going to be paid like one. It's not hard to be better than Forte. One person threw-out LT's name and he is not being discussed, plus, you're talking to me and I've never once mentioned him. I don't understand why you are so adamantly opposed to getting some actualy talent at RB, they don't have any on the team. They could use a great WR, but I doubt they get one, and if they don't, I don't see another body at WR offering more value than a RB that can actually run the ball. The offensive line should be the priority, I've said that for 4 years. But there is no reason why they can't spend a little money at RB. They aren't spending any right now, they aren't going to spend any money on draft picks, and they have plenty of cap space.

Really? This isn't the Yankees. It's the Jets, who are like a worse version of the Mets, and nobody ever overvalued a Met. I don't think there is any "overvaluing" a NY player in the NFL. Maybe the Patriots, with all their organization success, and possibly Indy, since they've always played with a superstar QB in a dome. But not the Jets. Jose Reyes is overvalued as a Met. Several members of the Jets defense are overvalued. Thomas Jones. Alan Faneca. Jose Reyes was pretty darn good baseball player for a couple years. How is Thomas Jones overrated? He's been surprisning durable later than many expected and a quality RB, but nobody thinks he's a star, and I can't even remember the last time I heard Alan Fanaca's name and if he's been overvalued at all in his career it would have to be atributed to his time with the Steelers. The Jets defense is good and Revis is a superstar, but other than Bart Scott, nobody mentions any other names. I really don't see how there is any overvaluing of Jets players. It's the Jets, they are a joke of a franchise. I live here and the only people they talk about are Rex Ryan, Dirty Sanchez and Revis.

Very true, and a running back that can actually run the ball is probably going to help him more than just another body at WR. You are comparing signing a #1 WR with signing a complimentary RB, the affordability of each is completely different.

Really? This isn't the Yankees. It's the Jets, who are like a worse version of the Mets, and nobody ever overvalued a Met. I don't think there is any "overvaluing" a NY player in the NFL. Maybe the Patriots, with all their organization success, and possibly Indy, since they've always played with a superstar QB in a dome. But not the Jets.

Forte is only going to make about $500k, so signing almost anybody will require paying more than him. And I see no point in signing a WR unless you are getting an elite one. The Bears have a bunch of 2nd/3rd type WR, they don't need another. If you can get a stud, go ahead, but otherwise why waste?

That could have all sorts of interesting ramifications.

Probably because Canada has had its own problems keeping franchises, as it was the move away from those smaller cities that couldn't compete that started the process of going south in the first place. A couple years ago people feared for the future of Edmonton. It's not a no-brainer.