I haven't LiveBlogged anything in an awful long time (should LiveBlogged have a space?) so I'm pretty damn excited about 12:00 pm ET on Thursday. I'll be sitting on the couch with a cold can of Coors Light (tall boy, of course) and a burrito from this terrific Mexican joint on 3rd Avenue between 26th and 27th streets. I hope you'll join me here as we officially usher in the Aaron Rodgers era.
Also wanted to fully weigh-in tonight on how happy I am with the Marty Booker signing. Look at what Cousin Larry says on DaSite:
"The Bears are basically getting the same player they signed in 2005 when Muhsin Muhammad joined the team as a free agent (and for a lot less money): A dependable 31-year-old veteran possession receiver who’s savvy, physical and an asset as a down-field blocker. Booker is definitely an upgrade over the player Muhammad was in 2007 and will be a good influence on young receivers such as Mark Bradley and Devin Hester given his professionalism and work ethic. While I applaud the signing, I think the Bears will be just as motivated to select a wide receiver in the first three rounds of the draft."
By the way, here is the link to the play-by-play of Marty Booker's best game as a Bear. You may remember it as the day Dick Jauron called FOUR KNEES THE ONE AND ONLY TIME IN NFL HISTORY in a desperate attempt to not make the postseason.
#2 Bears99 said . . .first
March 6, 2008
#3 HesterFan23 said . . .I agree with you Jeff on them adding another vet. Someone who is a teamate, and can help out the younger guys. But lets just hope that with the free agent WR's being signed JA thinks to sign another vet OL.
March 6, 2008
#4 T said . . .Yeah, we really need another OL. That is my key to the rest of Free Agency.
I'd love for us to also sign Dunn or draft Mendenhall.
March 6, 2008
#5 Bears99 said . . .Mendenhall....Please, please,please.
Yay Booker. Screw Favre
There. I feel lots better now.
March 6, 2008
#6 jeff said . . .Mendenhall would be awesome, and If JA sticks with his best player avalibe mantra and mendenhall is still up there i think he would take him
March 6, 2008
#7 Phil from SATX said . . .going to be a tough call on that 14th pick. i don't have a solid opinion yet but i think if you're considering mendy or an o-lineman, than package some picks and trade up and get the better player (mcfads, jake long)
March 6, 2008
#8 Paul said . . .Terrible column by Greg Couch in the ST today - he's doing his best imitation of Mariotti.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/couch/828456,CST-SPT-greg06.article
Premise is Angelo is either 1) obviously giving up on 2008; or 2) inept and cheap.
He bases this pretty much solely on the fact that we let Berrian go and took an old Booker, who he figures is the #2 best weapon right now behind Greg Olsen.
He admits that paying Berrian what MN did is too much, and states that teams should only overpay when the player is going to take them over the top, to win it all that year. Therefore, says he, the Bears clearly aren't playing to win it all next year.
I guess if you buy that then you must think MN thinks they have a SB chance next year. Do you really think they think that?
He says Angelo was dropping a hint when he said "just because you have the money doesn't mean you have to spend it." That comment was completely taken out of context - I know what Jerry meant. He meant just because you have enough money in the cap to technically be able to acquiesce to a player's demands doesn't mean you do it when they're completely ridiculous.
He says that by extending all the contracts of existing players, they're not spending it, just "organizing it." Greg, you don't think spending money on your own players is a good policy? Extending Alex Brown, inking Lance Briggs - you don't think that's a good idea? Or do you think that when you do that during the summer, as the Bears typically do, it doesn't count against their cap?
He says Grossman "has shown he can't handle the starting job." So therein lies the rub, if you don't believe Grossman can take you anywhere you're automatically going to assume next year's lost.
He says not signing Berrian made things harder for Benson, who won't have a speedy receiver flying down and taking defenders with him. I guess Devin Hester and Mark Bradley aren't speedy? And like Berrian was such a great help to Benson last year?
That whole thing was just asinine. Sorry to spend to much time on it, it just really irked me. On the other side of town, Haugh talks about how the best offseason move for the Bears was #4 retiring - and he's right - pointing out that it just made the NFC North much much much easier, with Kitna as the "best QB" (a point I had made but a notion which I expect Rex will put to rest for good this year). Minny is definitely better with Berrian than they were (Bobby Wade as their #1 receiver?) - but I fully expect no less than 6 wins against our division opponents next year.
Hey, Minny (who Berrian's going to put over the top) - check out how your BEST RECEIVER did last year - Wade was tied for
51 st
in the league. That was their best!
Next best - Robert Ferguson, who was tied for
120 th
Can you believe those numbers? Well they got the 26th best receiver in the league for top 4 dollars. Let's see if that puts them over the top.
Unbelievable.
March 6, 2008
with our o-line being as poor as it is, I think drafting an OL in the first is a must. Mendenhall would be tight but we have enough talent in the backfield to play well with an awesome O-Line
March 6, 2008
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.