Apologies if you have shared this video below but I hadn’t seen it. Evan Rodriguez has been favorably compared to Aaron Hernandez. (I would imagine because of the structure/ethnicity of their names.) If the kid on this video shows up in Bourbonnais, he will be a big part of the base offense.
Drew Brees just spent a few minutes on WFAN’s Boomer & Carton radio show in New York. During that time he made it clear he believed the following: (1) the NFL’s investigation was unfair, (2) there was no evidence of a pay-to-injure program inside the Saints locker room and (3) he believes the individuals accused (especially Scott Fujita) are innocent of the charges levied against them.
I have one question. One simple question. And the answer to that question will end the discussion for me.
If Gregg Williams accepted his punishment for orchestrating a “bounty” program inside the Saints locker room, didn’t someone on the Saints have to be involved?
It may sound naive but why has Williams gone AWOL on the entire discussion? This is the man who issued the following statement in the wake of the penalties issued:
“I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the ‘pay for performance’ program while I was with the Saints,” Williams said. “It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.”
And I don’t want to hear this semantics bullshit surrounding pay for performance and pay for injury. Gregg Williams was not suspended indefinitely for rewarding a defensive end’s sacking of the quarterback with an Aspen ski trip. He was not suspended indefinitely for throwing a corner a grand after a big interception. He was suspended because he encourage his players to injure the opposition and he knows that.
Williams can end the Hargrove debate. He can end the Vilma and Fujita debate. He can even end the debate of Joe Vitt’s involvement. If these players were not involved in the program, why hasn’t Williams come out and exonerated them? If Vitt did not endorse the program, why doesn’t Williams make a statement?
The problem is this: Williams never claimed innocence. He accepted his role from the outset because he knew his guilt and his acceptance of guilt IMMEDIATELY INDICTS OTHERS IN THAT LOCKER ROOM. The defensive coordinator can not run a bounty program on his own unless he is running onto the field, tripping quarterbacks and poking wide receivers in the eyes like Moe. He can not run a bounty program on his own unless he is sneaking into the opposition’s Ramada the night before games and dropping hemlock into ice vending machine.
I don’t want to hear anything else from the players or current coaches about evidence. Boo-hoo-hoo. Your defensive coordinator admitted guilt and I hold every single individual in those defensive meetings accountable. If you want to maintain your innocence, fine. If you want to clear your name, great. Call Gregg Williams and tell him to make a statement.
No? I didn’t think so.
NFL ALL-22 TAPE IS ONLY $70
We’ve clamored for it a long time and it is now a reality. The NFL is making its All-22 (coaches) tape available to every single fan in the world – on the internet – for only $70. I have a bunch of random thoughts on this development:
ONE MORE THING ON THE BOUNTY SCANDAL…
And it’s a question. Gregg Williams admitted to his role in the bounty scandal. He has accepted, without appeal, his indefinite suspension. So if the defensive coordinator admittedly orchestrated a bounty program with the New Orleans, how are all of the Saints defenders denying involvement? Did Williams do it himself? Did he pay Joe Vitt to hurt players? Isn’t this truly the only piece of evidence Roger Goodell needs?
Also I continue to love players complaining about THINGS THEY AGREED TO IN THEIR CBA! What happened during that negotiation, exactly? They agreed to franchise tag continuation and not a single player in the NFL wants to accept the franchise tag. They granted Roger Goodell full authority on disciplinary measures and now the NFL player Twitter world is exploding with idiocy calling him a “tyrant”. I don’t get it.
TEE-SHIRTS! TEE-SHIRTS! TEE-SHIRTS!
We are entering the last phase of production. Tee-shirts will be available by the tail end of next week. We’ll then take orders for a month or so and send out the first shipment all at once. (A limited number of DBB koozies will also be available.) Stay tuned.
Special thanks to the Reverend and my buddy Brian. Both our Bears-based conversations this weekend led to me writing this column.
The Bears will enter into the 2012 season with that which they have never possesed. They will take the field on opening day with depth at the wide receiver position. Depth. At wide receiver. Who woulda thunk it?
Brandon Marshall is the stud, number one-type we’ve all clamored for since Dave Wannstedt prematurely ended the tenures of Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham in Chicago. Alshon Jeffery has the size and hands to be a perfect complement to Marshall and a serious threat in the red zone. The Bears will line up two dynamic weapons in the slot: Earl Bennett as a third-down, possession man and Devin Hester as a deep speed threat. Four men. Four unique sets of skills. All good.
Phil Emery did not stop there. Eric Weems and Devin Thomas have also been paid some money to wear navy blue and orange and both are significant special teams additions. Will they have an impact in the passing game? For the most part that is doubtful but their roster places are almost assured by their ability to impact the third phase, cherished by an organization that pays their special teams coordinator appropriately as one of the best in the game. (Dave Toub will be a head coach in the NFL inside of five years.)
Where does that leave Dane Sanzenbacher?
The Great Dane from the Ohio State University showed a propensity to get open down around the goal line and seemed to earn the respect of Cutty as the season progressed. He also struggled mightily to get separation on third downs and dropped far too many passes while standing alone near the sideline. (In fairness I only remember one of these but everything negative about 2011 seems heightened in my mind. Remember all that Sam Hurd stuff? Did that really happen?) Dane’s contributions on specials? I can’t remember one.
But there is no doubting his raw ability and one wonders if Sanzenbacher could develop into the next Ricky Proehl if given the appropriate time and the correct system. (Yes, by the way, I’m making that comparison based purely on race. Sue me.) But more to the point I don’t believe the Bears should be in the business of casting “projects” like Dane to the slag heap. His 27 catches, 276 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie pale in comparison to Proehl’s rookie stats but were impressive for an undrafted free agent rarely serving as more than the third option. (A look at Dane’s game-by-game stats for 2011 show consistency, if a lack for the spectacular, when healthy.)
There are not many question marks when it comes to the Bears roster for 2012. Most of the final slate is pretty well set while starting gigs are up for the taking. Sanzenbacher, a fan favorite, is a true question mark. Can the Bears afford to keep him on the roster without receiving significant contributions from him on specials? Can Sanzenbacher display the physicality and toughness required to be a specials standout? Or might Dane display the type of improvement in the passing game come Bourbonnais that makes him impossible to cut?
I certainly hope so. For me the potential future of of Dane Sanzenbacher is far more promising than the present of Devin Thomas.
The Bears have not retired the number of a single member of the 1985 Chicago Bears defense. Not Hall of Famer Mike Singletary. Not Hall of Famer Dan Hampton. Not Hall of Famer Richard Dent. Aside from the possibility of running out of numbers (unlikely) this is a travesty that should no longer be tolerated by the game’s most loyal fan base or most cloying media. But being that the 25th anniversary of the NFL’s greatest team has come and gone I will continue to assume that behind-the-scenes drama is precluding the McCaskey family from celebrating the achievements of these all-time greats and 50, 95 and 99 will continue to be worn by inferior performers.
Olin Kreutz never won a Super Bowl as a member of the Chicago Bears. He only made the Pro Bowl six times. He was only voted the best center in the league four times and was named to the 2000s all-decade team. He and Brian Urlacher were the beacons of light through an era of scattered sunshine. Kreutz, more than Urlacher, commanded the locker room and ran the huddle. Urlacher might have sold more jerseys but Kreutz sold the toughness. He was the aggressor. He is more Hawaiian than a Don Ho retrospective at the Pineapple Hut (made up place) but he was pure Chicago when he donned the navy and orange.
But the defining moment of Kreutz’ career came off the field. No not his breaking the face of Fred Miller at a shooting range (though that would define many a man). No, Olin Kreutz defined his career in Chicago by spurning Dave Wannstedt and the Miami Dolphins in 2002, rejecting $2 million more a year, and re-signing with the Bears. He was proud. He was loyal. And he turned down the archenemy of the Chicago Bears in a glorious and legendary gesture.
How his tenure ended in Chicago was unfortunate. The Bears realized Kreutz was no longer a very good player but offered him a contract anyway – well beyond his worth. He rejected it, went to New Orleans and barely made it through a few months before walking away. The greats never know how to walk away from the game and Kreutz was undoubtedly one of the greats.
No more time needs to elapse. The Bears should select a home game in the 2012 season and forbid #57 ever be worn again. Celebrate Olin Kreutz while many of his former teammates remain on the roster and all of his fans remain in the Soldier Field seats. Kreutz may not have been the player Singletary or Hampton or Dent were but his importance to an era of Chicago football and specifically to the Chicago Bears offense can not be understated.
How often does a center come along like Olin Kreutz? Once in a generation if we’re lucky. And we were lucky. We had him in our colors for all of his surefire Hall of Fame career. Why wait? I know I am one of many Bears fans that would appreciate the opportunity to say thank you.
I imagine it is Twitter’s fault and it probably is. But at no point in the history of professional football have OTAs received the attention they are currently receiving across the landscape of the NFL. I heard the legendary athlete Tim Hasselbeck predict the Falcons to top the Saints in the NFC South this year because the Saints would lack for Drew Brees’ leadership…at OTAs. You know what it all is? Bullshit and nonsense.
BEARS REARRANGE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT
I’m not going to get into the particulars of the moves but you can read Dan Pompei’s expansive breakdown of it all by clicking here. Here are the two most important changes:
The most significant moves were the promotions of longtime area scouts Marty Barrett and Chris Ballard. Barrett will serve as the director of college scouting and Ballard will be the director of pro scouting.
The Bears had been operating without pro and college scouting directors for more than two years.
The highly respected Barrett has been an area scout in the West region for the Bears for 15 years, having worked for Mark Hatley, Jerry Angelo and now Emery. He previously was with the Saints.
Ballard long has been considered a rising star in the Bears organization. As the Bears’ Southwest area scout, he has had considerable sway in the draft process for a number of years. He has been with the organization since 2000.
I have nothing to add other than to say this continues to the process of Phil Emery rebuilding the entirety of the Chicago Bears organization in his own image.
HESTER WEIGHS IN ON HIS RETURN LIFE…
Here are the quotes from Vaughn McClure’s piece in the Trib:
“I think every now and then, I’m going to do kickoffs,” said Hester, who still is expected to handle most punt returns. “It will depend on how the game is going.
“If I’m involved in the offense the whole first and second quarters, maybe I’ll tell them to cut back on the kickoff returns. If I’m not getting that many touches on offense, of course I’m going to want to get some more touches on kickoff returns. That’s how I see things panning out.”
I can’t say I disagree with this, to be honest. If Hester somehow becomes a focal point of the Tice offense then the Bears should absolutely move him off the kickoff return game. If he’s not then he should return every single kick possible. With the receiving corps looking deeper and more talented than at any point in Bears history, I’m almost rooting for Hester to be returning kicks.
HENRY MELTON WANTS A NEW CONTRACT?
Henry Melton is in the last year of his rookie deal and has been essentially retweeting any individual who mentions him receiving a contract extension. Really? Melton has had one, one, ONE year that can be ranked above decent. He was good last year but why not leave your contract alone until you’ve proven you can be a productive NFL player for two consecutive seasons? If only one good year of football is required for a contract extension then why don’t NFL teams only reward players with one-year deals? One-for-one. That seems fair to me. (In case you can’t sense it I am getting royally pissed off about this contract shit. The richest sports league in the universe acts like they’re a third-tier soccer program operating out of the Pacific Northwest. It’s pathetic.)
OTAs end this week and then it’s the long wait until camp opening on July 26th. Are any of you planning to be in Bourbonnais? I’ll be soliciting fan photographs and videos to post here. Drop me an email: jeff@dabearsblog.com
Webb v. Williams Will Take Center Stage in Bourbonnais
Chris Williams has been officially relocated from left guard to left tackle. So say those covering the minute-to-minute of the OTAs and so I believe. I don’t like it. I thought Chris Williams was quite possibly the most improved player on the Bears roster last year and he seemed to thrive at guard as the season progressed. But the powers that be have determined otherwise and now Williams will compete with the oft-maligned J’Marcus Webb for the starting left tackle position in Bourbonnais.
Thus the stage is set for the most public, dramatic battle of Bears training camp. I would expect Williams – with his first-round pedigree and polish – to win the battle and relegate Webb to the quite useful role of swing tackle. (His experience on both sides being an asset.) I have a feeling we’ll be tracking how many times the combination of Peppers/McClellin/Idonije beat both men at practice daily.
Enough About Devin Hester…
I can’t remember a sillier plot line heading into an off-season summer than “the Devin Hester package”. The Skunk is going to be lining up in the slot (when Earl Bennett doesn’t) and catching the occasional bomb from Jay Cutler. He is not going to be a down-for-down part of the base offense and anyone who thinks otherwise has not (1) watched him play receiver for the last five years (2) grasped the impact Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are going to have on this organization.
Tee-Shirt Announcement
After teasing the shirt on Twitter and receiving some terrific recommendations, we have gone back to the drawing board a bit and redesigned the shirt. The plan is to make the shirt available on Friday June 15th and give everyone til August 1st to place their orders. We’ll do all the shirts in one big shipment and have them sent off to you by September 1st. We’ll also have a limited number of DaBearsBlog koozies available.
There is no way to win a debate over player contracts/salaries. Such is clearly the case with Bears running back Matt Forte.
In one corner sit the diehard fans and former players who believe Forte is a great player and should be paid like like an elite running back (Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson…etc.). They do not care about the salary cap implications, shifting league strategy or possibly debilitating knee injuries. “He is great,” they say. “Pay him accordingly.”
In another corner sits Blue Collar Bob – the guy who has no patience for a football player unwilling to accept more than $8 million for a single season of NFL ball. He’s the guy using arguments like “I’d play for a nothing” and “in this economy, with so many folks out of work…”. These gents can not be defeated in debate because they ignore the most simple fact about NFL athletes: they are worth more than the rest of us because they can do things the rest of can’t do. Sure you would play for nothing and that would be an accurate evaluation of your worth on the football field.
I want Matt Forte on the Chicago Bears next season. I want Matt Forte on the Bears for two and three seasons after that. But it is becoming abundantly clear that Emery and the folks at Halas Hall have no intention on paying him what he wants. (Rumors are $20 million guaranteed.) They seem perfectly content to play hardball with Forte and force the back’s hand as the summer progresses and camp moves along. Will it work? Yes I think it will. The Bears have capable running backs on their roster and the addition of big-ticket wide receivers means you will see Forte’s ability to catch the ball significantly devalued.
But this is the last I’ll write about it until a decision is made one way or the other. Unfortunately every time I write a column understanding the organization’s financial philosophy I am painted by a myriad of ex-Bears as anti-player and anti-Forte. Neither is true. But how can we fault the Bears if they DO believe Forte’s knees an issue? Isn’t not concerning himself enough with player injuries one of those attributes that made fans loathe Jerry Angelo? How can we fault the Bears if they DON’T believe Forte is worth $20 million guaranteed? Shouldn’t we allow the new general manager to institute his vision for the ballclub? Agree with Phil Emery or don’t agree with Phil Emery, that’s up to you. But I have no interest in a GM without the gaul to implement his own agenda. Emery has that.
So here’s hoping the Double Deuce is there in Bourbonnais and adding a pivotal piece to what may be the most exciting Bears offense in many a moon. If he’s not there I will be Michael Bush’s number one fan. In the meantime I am going dark on the matter. Lights fading. Fading. Fading a bit more. Out.
I’m back. I’m not thrilled about it but I am back and returning to my daily duties.
The Bears begins OTAs tomorrow and while not much drama/news is expected to emerge over the three sessions taking place between now and the seventh of June, there are still questions to be answered when it comes to the make of this talented roster. Here are a few.
WHO IS PLAYING WHERE ALONG THE OFFENSIVE LINE?
Is Edwin Williams really a front-runner for a starting guard position? Are the Bears seriously, as per Brad Biggs’ hypothesis, considering moving Chris Williams back out to tackle? Is J’Marcus Webb in danger of losing his starting position before the team arrives in Bourbonnais in July? Is Gabe Carimi fully healthy? How Mike Tice and Lovie Smith decide to line up their boys this week may provide some clues as to how they’d love to start the season. (My vote: Webb-Chris Williams-Garza-Spencer-Carimi.)
HOW DOES THE RECEIVING CORPS SHAKE UP BEYOND BRANDON MARSHALL?
Devin Hester is not going to have a 100 catches. Brandon Marshall, if healthy, is. He is going to be Jay Cutler’s first look on just about every drop back and anyone who thinks/says otherwise is trying to sell you something. But how will the remainder of the receiving corps look? If Hester slides naturally into the slot as a speed threat where does that leave Earl Bennett? Will Alshon Jeffery spend his first season as a specialty target in the red zone or become a big-ticket, 50+ catch complement to Marshall? Is there any shot of a Johnny Knox sighting in 2012 and does Jay Cutler have any interest in his return if he were healthy enough to do so? Marshall is the sure thing. The rest are questions with potentially brilliant answers as the Bears enter the 2012 campaign with one of the most dynamic receiving corps they’ve ever had.
HOW DO THE ROOKIES FACTOR?
This is always the most interesting information to trickle down from OTAs. What kind of impression will Shea McClellin make on Rod and the defensive coaching staff? Will Brandon Hardin challenge the back of the defensive secondary in a meaningful way? Will Evan Rodriguez do his best Aaron Hernandez impression and impact the Bears base offense? Did the Bears find a steal on the draft’s final day? We won’t know the answers to these questions in OTAs but we’ll start to hear rumblings.
WHO ARE THE STARTING DEFENSIVE TACKLES?
My buddy Adam Oestmann believes the Bears are poised to give Stephen Paea a larger role in the rotation and pair the beast of an athlete beside Henry Melton to begin the 2012 season. I tend to agree with him. But how the position shakes out is surely one of the more interesting questions facing this defense.
Dearest Readers, Friends & Jerks,
DaBearsBlog will be on vacation until May 20th. I and my lady shall be venturing to Ireland for a time. (I’m assuming you’d prefer me not update this website with hurling results or preview columns for Ireland’s campaign in Euro 2012 this summer.) Should anything of note break in Bearsland I will be entrusting things to good ol’ Reverend Dave.
I will be attempting to devour my fear of heights by scaling Skellig Michael – video attached to this post. If I die whilst trying to do so I will leave it to you all to figure out how this site moves forward. It must live on!
See ya’ll in a few weeks!
-Jeff
