Not surprised the Chicago media has the Bears getting walloped in 2008. But Rosenbloom at least made me laugh with his predictions. The point is there to be made: with an unsure quarterback, no running back, no number one receiver and 3/5 of an offensive line - really - how good must the defense be? What most of these reporters forget is just how bad the quarterbacking will be in this division. The Bears will be in the postseason.
Devin Hester is mulling a five-year deal from the Bears, according to PFT. Take a look at that link as it breaks down nicely the labor disaster that is approaching for the NFL. Here's hoping this deal gets done before the season starts.
Mel Kiper is still the most solid predictor of draft picks around and the Sun-Times has his most recent on their site. He has us going (1) Chris Williams (2) Brian Brohm (3) Kevin Smith (3) Jerome Simpson (4) Stan Keglar. You know what? It makes sense. Best line, "Kiper believes the Bears are on their way back to contention this season and sees the club filling its holes through the draft."
Congratulations to Steve McNair on a terrific career. McNair and Eddie George made those Jeff Fisher Titans clubs of the 90s some of the toughest around and their bodies took the brunt of it. I always wished Kevin Dyson would have gotten that extra yard and three great football men would have realized the dream of a world championship. I guess Fisher will have to wait until he replaces Lovie Smith in a few years.
#2 jeff said . . .Damn good research Jeff. Great quick hits on the nubs of the NFL news.
Hey have we signed Chad Johnson yet?
April 17, 2008
#3 mikebdot said . . .not yet. but damn it we should have by now.
April 17, 2008
#4 mikebdot said . . .Jeff: The PFT article about Hester says nothing of the sort. It's an article describing what his current contract actually is. He signed for 4 years, and then he would be a restricted free agent, and they'll offer him the high tender. I don't know why Florio doesn't think anyone won't outdo that offer, but that is his argument, thus making it, in effect, a 5 year deal.
I think he's a fool on this particular issue. Surely a team will offer him much more than the high tender and then the Bears will either match it, or let him leave (which would be possibly the single dumbest sports personnel decision ever made, assuming he is not injured in the next few years and continues to perform at a high level, even just on ST).
April 17, 2008
#5 Gin said . . .My last sentence of paragraph 1 is wrong. Florio did cover the possibility of a team giving up their picks for him and so instead we could use the franchise tag in that case. That'd be fine. Obviously, I'd prefer they sign him to a long term deal as you describe, but that isn't what PFT says.
April 17, 2008
#6 jeff said . . .Regarding that last line. Loved it, but you forgot that Bill Cowher will be our coach next year.
HopefullyApril 17, 2008
#7 mikebdot said . . .mikeb - the five year-contract thing has been reported elsewhere, especially on nfl network. the pft article is about devin hester blowing off that contract offer.
April 17, 2008
#8 Pissed Off said . . .If you say so, but the article is headlined "Hester IS stuck in a 5 year deal". And then it describes something much different. Is that the article in question? PFT has permalinks if you click on the article heading, so perhaps I'm looking at a different article.
April 17, 2008
#9 Pissed Off said . . .How about now? Did we sign #85 yet?
April 17, 2008
#10 jeff said . . .Time for a rant, maybe its unwarranted but I'm going to call it my "State of the Bears" address.
What the hell is the deal with the management of this team. Why cant we sign that premier guy thats out there. Chad Johnson is begging to be traded and we need WR help, badly. I hear Cincy still reiterates that they wont trade him but can we get some news saying that Angelo has at least made the phone call? And I'm still pissed about the offensive line lack of signings. We could have picked up at least one damn guy in free agency. Same with RB. I remember Kevin Jones being available for cheap. Shit better start falling in place here soon, before, during or shortly after the draft or this team is going to be in tough shape. You cant bank on rookies at a bunch of key positions to get you to the Super Bowl. I am so sick of the mediocre signings. Brandon Lloyd, whats the deal there...loser. Booker is OK but a weak ass attempt at winning over the fans, he's middle of the road at best. This team has been the absolute worst so far in free agency and the only way this can all work out positively is if all of our top 3 or 4 draft picks ALL pan out. How often does that happen? It doesnt, at least not the first year.
April 17, 2008
#11 mikebdot said . . .pissed off, i couldn't agree more. i dont wanna hear about his off-field shit. trade for the guy and start him. tell him if he acts like a prick, he'll get cut and get paid nothing. give up a 2 or a 3 or whatever is needed to get it done
April 17, 2008
#12 jeff said . . .jeff: Yes, jeff, tell him that. He'll sign that contract right away. Have you people gone mad?
The Bengals don't want to trade him (supposedly). If that's the case, we should make an offer, but I don't want other teams knowing we're interested. I'd much rather have them handling this on the D-L if they are even interested.
I would be thrilled if we were able to acquire him. He's a premier talent and would be a great person for Hester to learn from. Does anyone have any clue what it would take to get him, even if the Bengals WERE interested in trading him? Both for the trade, then for the contract?
April 17, 2008
#13 mikebdot said . . .they say they won't trade him. figure a deuce.
April 17, 2008
#14 craig said . . .jeff: It would have to be much more than that to make it worth their while. I would guess a 1st/3rd this year or a 2nd this year/1st next year. Or some other such multiple pick or even player deal. How much would he cost? What's his cap hit this year under his current contract?
April 17, 2008
#15 jdawg said . . .I would think that if that trade were going to happen, which I seriously doubt, it would be on draft weekend. But I don't see it happening.
And all the best to Steve McNair, who was an absolute monster for so many years. One of the toughest in recent memory...
April 17, 2008
#16 Pissed Off said . . .I'm assuming we won't sign 85 for two reasons:
1) It would cost too much, probably more than our 1st round selection;
2) He will publicly trash whatever QB starts and has a lousy game.I'm not saying these are good reasons, but given our management they are reason enough.
April 17, 2008
#17 animal said . . .You all know I love Rex and his ability and potential for this year and I'd still love to have Chad on this team. Despite the negatives or positives that Rex would get from it. And regarding acquiring him, it'd take a 2nd I bet, this year and thats it, mabye a late rounder next year too.
In the words of Jeff from like over a year ago...."get the fucking thing done Jer."
April 17, 2008
#18 jeff said . . .Chad would make Rex much better. Rex has never had good receivers really, yet basically in 06 he had the same year Eli had (statistically) this year, and went to the big show. Eli has far more tools in the shed- better RBs, Plaxico and other talented WRs.
Chad teamed with our TE studs makes Rex much better.April 17, 2008
#19 animal said . . .you never see first round picks traded for receivers
April 17, 2008
#20 jdawg said . . .no way- a second at the most
April 17, 2008
#21 shonbear said . . .I'm not saying he's worth it, I just saying I bet that's what they're asking.
April 17, 2008
#22 JOE said . . .I think animal nailed it. Chad would make Rex better, it would open things up for Hester's development, with doubles on Johnson and with a lot further use of Olsen. Bottom line is Chad is ten times better than Bernard's ball dropping/non-fighting for the ball/watch an interception in front of your face ass...
April 17, 2008
#23 shonbear said . . .I read somewhere a team had already offered the Bengals "two first-day picks" and the Bengals were turning it down so far
April 18, 2008
#24 jeff said . . .like someone said earlier, or in another blog I read. It would be nice for Bears fans to know that the management was out there at least trying to do this sort of thing. So we get turned down, at least the fans know that our guys tried. So maybe our guys are trying these kinds of things, but they aren't gaining any ground. I mean, sure I'm glad we didn't pay Berrian what Minnesota did, he didn't prove himself worht that kind of money, but did we make any real attempts to get any OT's or Michael Turner. This management and coaching staff seems too arrogant to let us fans know what they have really tried to do. It just seems like excuses, thinking they are appeasing us, when they are really flipping us off because they don't think we know what we are talking about. I could really care less about whether they look like genius's or not, I just want our team to win.
April 18, 2008
#25 jdawg said . . .i'd give them a first, let me be clear on that. i think it guarantee solidifies that position in a way that no player taken in the first round can do.
April 18, 2008
#26 mikebdot said . . .how do you complete a pass to 85 when you're looking up at the sky?
You build teams from the inside-out.
Remember how awesome Brady looked in the SB? Oh, yeah, he didn't. He was fighting for his life.
I would love 85 on the team, but not if it means a turnstyle at LT or RT.
April 18, 2008
#27 Pissed Off said . . .And by the way, for those that constantly rip CB for being an awful teammate, you haven't begun to see what an awful teammate can be. CJ would be the worst personality the Bears locker room has ever seen. Of course, he would also be the best WR talent it has ever seen too, so it might be worth it, but only if the Bengals would entertain a 2nd rounder or less. I just highly doubt they would make the deal.
And by the way, just for argument's sake, CJ has appeared in exactly one playoff game, catching 4 passes for 59 yards (granted, his QB got hurt and caused another foolish "protect the QB rule" that hasn't actually kept QBs from getting injured). And yes, the Bengals defense is fucking terrible. And they, too, have not had a decent running back there in who knows how long.
CJ is also 30 years old. At the pinnacle of his career.
This is just such a tough call. I'm not sure if I want management to pursue him or not. I guess if the price is right, no brainer, but I'm still afraid of the potential cancer in the locker-room.
April 18, 2008
#28 Pissed Off said . . .JOE, where exactly did you read that?
I dont want to give a 1st for 85 but I'd do it too. WRs are like the #1 worst 1st round picks as far as contibuting goes. Chad is proven and he certainly would give us more than any rookie could. We can get a good guy maybe like Sam Baker in the second round or we can make another draft day trade for somebody at O-line. I want multiple guys competing on that O-line but If we can get Chad....man would that be sweet. This is all speculation of course cuz I dont think any team would actually give a 1st for Chad, well mabye someone with a pick higher than #20.
April 18, 2008
#29 JOE said . . .I'm not worried about his locker room attitude. The Bengals have let Chad be who he is, he's the big shot vet in the locker room. When he was young he probably wasnt that way. If he comes here can you imagine Olin or some of those others vets letting Chad act like a tool. I d0ubt it. I have no worries that Chad would be a locker room cancer with Olin and some of the other vets in that locker room enforcing.
He has no off-field issues but I will say that I dont care what any guy does off the field anyway as long as it doesnt affect his ability to be on the field.
April 18, 2008
#30 Prefontaine said . . .Adam Schefter claims some team is offering two first-day picks for Ocho:
April 18, 2008
#31 DTB said . . .Anyone nervous about the Urlacher business?
April 18, 2008
#32 Pissed Off said . . .If Urlacher wants to comlain now that Briggs is making his money I say, tough shit. Urlacher for 85. Staight up, I'd do it today, tomorrow and probably twice on Sunday.
April 18, 2008
#33 Justin said . . ."What you've just said......"
April 18, 2008
Another possibility: The Bears trade UP to the raiders #4 pick from the 14th and give up their 2nd round and first 3rd round picks. We could then get the only franchise QB in the draft in the stud Matt Ryan. If the raiders would do this I would be 100% in favor - it may put us back THIS year since we would still have no OL but the argument would be that Rex and Orton are never ever ever going to take us anywhere. Even when we had a killer OL in 06-07, Rex still sucked...what makes all you believe Otah is going to turn this Offense into a beast...come on now?! Also, The QB class next year sucks...and after Ryan, the QB's in this draft are journeymen at best. The raiders would love to deprive the Chiefs of Ryan so this could happen - stay tuned
April 22, 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.