Former Bears tight end Desmond Clark read my column on Matt Forte’s contract situation and made clear on Twitter he disagreed. I offered him an opportunity to use this space to share his thoughts and he said yes. Without further adieu…

How the Chicago Bears Can Help Forte Save Face

The dispute between Matt Forte and Halas Hall reached its pinnacle last week with Forte’s Twitter tantrum following Phil Emery’s signing of Michael Bush. (A wonderful signing. Bush adds versatility Marion Barber did not possess.) Sean Jensen of the Sun-Times had this quote from Lovie Smith this morning:

Right now, Matt Forte the football player has a problem with our organization. It’s not about one person.

Lovie is right. Forte feels disrespected by Lovie, Phil Emery, Ted Phillips, the McCaskey family and the cute broad speaking to children in front of the Seurat painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. The solution here is simple, however. The Bears need to make it public they’re reopening discussions with Forte’s people. Invite the Double Deuce and his agent Adisa Bakari to Halas Hall. Sit them in the room. Make a deal. Since no one knows for sure what offer is currently on the table, Forte can save face by the Bears front office making it look like his vocal unhappiness ushered this deal down the aisle.

It is a cosmetic concept but Forte’s misguided tweet painted him in a corner wherein I’m not sure he can accept whatever their current offer is without losing all credibility with the media and around the league. That’s why the Bears should bring he and his agent in. I don’t believe Matt Forte is a great running back, worthy of breaking the team’s cap. I do believe they are far superior with him than without him.

Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

The NFL announced yesterday the Cowboys will face the Giants at the Meadowlands on Wednesday night, September 5th to open the 2012 season. This was a significant upset. Most expected the decision to come down to the Packers and Steelers – both visiting the Giants this year.

A few things to remember about the schedule this year. (1) The Patriots will meet the Rams in the ridiculous, annual London game. The Rams have signed a deal to host that game for the next few years. (2) Thursday night football begins the second week of the season. Because of that every team in football will have a primetime game this season. (3) NBC has taken over the Thanksgiving night game from the NFL Network. NBC won’t want to be stuck with a clunker don’t be surprised if a major division rivalry isn’t sitting in this space.  (Giants v. Eagles, Bears v. Packers, Steelers v. Ravens…etc.)

Don’t Forget DaBlog’s First Round NFL Draft Party

Where: Cortland’s Garage, Bucktown

When: Thursday night, April 26th. Starting at 6 PM.

What: For $5 you can be entered into a raffle to win a pair of lower tier tickets to a 2012 Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field. (We’ll announce which game when the schedule is released.) Once you enter the raffle there is a $25 open bar at the bar in place from the second the Colts go on the clock until the final pick of the round is made. There will also be other giveaways throughout the evening.

Hope to see you there.

I can’t quite explain it, this feeling inside me. Over the course of the last eighteen months I have found myself defending the tenure of Jerry Angelo both here and across the Twitterverse. Never did I argue Angelo was a good GM, mind you, just that his applause meter should swing nearer to mediocre than terrible. (If Cedric Benson and Marc Colombo had their success in Chicago as opposed to Cincinnati and Dallas, respectively, Angelo’s tenure would be viewed far differently.) But even I must admit I have of late experienced a deep, profound feeling inside me I have not felt in an awful long time: confidence in the general manager of the Chicago Bears.

It is not necessarily about what Phil Emery has done since a few minutes prior to the start of free agency on March 13th. I’ve written repeatedly that I believe the Brandon Marshall trade was a stroke of genius. But recent comments from Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, admitting the team was going to cut Marshall, make it even more so. Emery used a couple third round picks over two years to avoid a bidding war that – in a world where Laurent Robinson nets $32.5 million over 5 years from Jax – would have cost the Bears far more than Marshall’s current contract.

The addition of Jason Campbell proved Emery was not willing to let a very talented Bears team repeat the mistakes of yesteryear. The additions of Eric Weems and Blake Costanzo illustrated Emery’s commitment to special teams while also understanding the team was likely to lose Corey Graham on the open market. (In the past Mr. Angelo would have relied upon Dave Toub to develop another late-round selection into a Corey Graham type.)  The “controversial” contract given to Michael Bush makes the Bears one of the deeper offenses in the NFC (should Mr. Forte care to suit up). These were not headline-stealing signings but they are game-winning decisions. They are first downs, field position and roster depth.

But my feelings of confidence have also been about the decisions Emery has not made. Emery’s acquisition of Marshall enabled him to avoid the absurdly high numbers paid to unproven receiving commodities like Robinson and Pierre Garcon. His refusal to enter the Mario Williams sweepstakes shows a GM comfortable in his own skin; unafraid to disappoint a desperate fan base short term for the better good of a long term organizational plan. While rumored to the contrary Emery did not write a big check to Cortland Finnegan or Brandon Carr. $50 million for a position that is being continually devalued by an evolving NFL rule book? No thanks.

Perhaps Emery’s smartest decision has been to not jump into the public discussion of Matt Forte’s contract. While Forte, the newspapers, current players (Greg Olsen, Robert Mathis) and former players (our friend Cam Worrell and Alex Brown) have debated the Double Deuce’s worth in regard to a lucrative contract extension, Emery has stayed silent. He didn’t defend his Bush decision. He didn’t castigate Forte for making his emotions public. He didn’t reaffirm to Forte and the fans that a deal was in the works. He has stayed silent. And in that lack of noise can be perceived an air of confidence and leadership that Angelo seemed to projected as arrogance and disorganization. Emery does not panic. He does not take a reactionary approach. Fans know there’s a plan even if we never hear it said aloud.

You don’t win champions in March. Just ask the 2011 Super Bowl champion New York Giants – a team considered by most, including myself, to be the overwhelming loser of the 2011 off-season. But what Phil Emery has won is the confidence of a fan base that had lost faith in the ability of Halas Hall to build a championship roster from top to bottom. A Halas Hall that served fans a dish called Caleb Hanie. Emery has won that confidence but he should not know it will not last long if Spring strategy does not deliver Autumn and Winter wins. Not in Chicago. Not with the Bears.

Here is what Mr. Forte Tweeted today after the Bears announced their signing of terrific running back Michael Bush to a four-year contract with $7 million guaranteed:

“There’s only so many times a man that has done everything he’s been asked to do can be disrespected!” Forte tweeted. “Guess the GOOD GUYs do finish last.”

Here are my thoughts. If you follow me on Twitter, I apologize. Some of the following will be repeated.

1. I am good a guy. According to Matt Forte, good guys finish last. I will have to assume “finishing last” to Forte is cashing checks worth a total of $7.7 million over the next nine months. So apparently I am due almost $8 million this year. Nice.
2. Phil Emery’s signing of Michael Bush is not disrespectful to Matt Forte. The Bears are signing a running back to take some of Forte’s workload, to extend his career, to protect his future health. They are not signing Bush in lieu of Forte. They are signing Bush to COMPLIMENT Forte and protect themselves against a prospective hold out. It’s a wonderful move by a very impressive (at least so far) GM.
3. If NFL players hate this franchise tag so much why do they continually allow it to stand in CBA negotiations? The franchise tag allows teams that draft talented players to keep them without long-term extension by paying a hefty one-year sum – above fair market value. Holdouts on the franchise tag should be illegal. Otherwise what’s the use of having them?
4. You know what you never hear? “The Bears 2011 season imploded when Matt Forte went down.” You know why you never hear it? They still ran the ball really, really well.
5. The Bears should not trade Matt Forte. Unless a team comes to the table with a number one draft pick (they won’t) they should tell him to sign the tender or spend the season on the bench. If Forte can afford to leave $7.7 million in the McCaskey bank account, let’s see what kind of fan support he has at that point.
6. Running backs already have the shortest shelf life in the league and its a position prone to significant injuries. The reason the Bears and the Ravens (Ray Rice) are using the franchise tag for that position is because they are smart.
7. Make no mistake about it. The Bears gained significant leverage with the acquisition of Brandon Marshall. The Bears will be passing the ball quite a bit next season and Forte’s % of offense number would have declined naturally.
8. DeAngelo Williams’ contract with the Carolina Panthers was thought to have set the marketplace but teams have not allowed it to happen. Moon Mullin reported the Bears offered Forte a multi-year deal with $12 million guaranteed. He rejected it.
9. For those of you citing the Texans extending Arian Foster, I understand it. They also then released their starting right tackle and starting center for financial reasons.
10. I like Matt Forte. I think he is smart and versatile. I want him to play another half-decade with the Chicago Bears. But I think it’s tough to win in the court of public opinion when you’re using ridiculous language to describe a check for $8 million. Say you want to be with the Bears long-term. Say you believe it’s difficult to go all-in without that long-term security. But don’t, do not, never call eight million bucks “finishing last”.

Not a lot happening in Bearsland over the last few days. The team is still waiting on free agent RB Michael Bush to make a team selection and he is thought to be deciding between Chicago, Seattle and Cincinnati (who’ve just signed Benjarvus Green-Ellis). Outside of that decision the Bears seem to have focused their attention on the draft and I don’t start writing seriously about the draft until we’re a week or two out.

A lot has happened across the NFL and I am taking today to weigh-in.

• The Broncos traded Tim Tebow to the Jets – who have announced he’ll be the backup quarterback to Mark Sanchez. (1) Drew Stanton is angry with the organization because they promised they would not add another quarterback. Calm down, Drew. If a team believes they can improve a position it is incumbent upon them to do so even at the risk of hurting the emotions of crappy quarterbacks. (2) If the Jets are going to sell us on Tebow running the wildcat in New York they might want to look at the numbers. The wildcat hasn’t worked in the NFL in two years and Tebow has NEVER RUN that offense. He runs a strictly college read-option. It is an offensive system that depends on solid running backs and the threat of the pass. (3) Mark Sanchez is in trouble. This God-fearing Tebow fan morons don’t know anything about football. But they will be in the Meadowlands 8 times this year and every Sanchez interception will be met with a chorus of “Tebow!” Tebow is the circus. He brings the clowns. (4) Congrats to Modells Sporting Goods in New York. Giants Super Bowl. Linsanity. Tebow to the Jets. In one quarter. I should have bought stock.
• The NFL penalties against the Saints were tough but contrary to other columnists I don’t think you’ll see much of an impact on-field in 2012. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and quarterback Drew Brees are more-than-capable of designing and operating the team’s offense and whatever wrinkle Sean Payton might have added each week will surely still arrive from an unknown email address. Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best defensive coordinators in the game and he’ll find ways to compensate for however many players suffer suspensions on the defensive side of the ball. (In reality the Saints don’t exactly have the ’85 Bears over there. They don’t have a single player they can’t succeed without on D.) I’m picking them to win the division.
• I applaud Mario Williams for choosing the Buffalo Bills and I am happy for those fans in northern New York. The Bills are a great franchise and they’ve seen nothing but dour times since Jim Kelly left town. Mario Williams (and subsequently Mark Anderson) gives them one of the better defensive lines in the league. And their re-signing of Stevie Johnson before the start of free agency saved them millions – and I mean millions – of dollars. Great off-season for them and I’m picking them to go to the playoffs. Again.
• I actually heard this sentence: “Peyton Manning will not be successful immediately in Denver because the talent is not there currently.” Question. How many games did the 2010 Indianapolis Colts win? Answer. 10. Question. How many games did the 2011 Indianapolis Colts win without Peyton Manning? Answer. 2. Clearly Peyton is cool with not having a ton of talent around him. (Side note: the Broncos have terrific young talent at WR. You just didn’t get to see it last year because they had a QB who couldn’t throw.) I’d be shocked if the Broncos don’t repeat in the AFC West.
• I’m not buying the newly-manufactured debate between Andrew Luck and RG3 for the top pick in the draft but it’d be nice to have some drama on draft night.
• Call me crazy but I think the 2012 Miami Dolphins will enter the season significantly worse than the 2011 Miami Dolphins.

Draft Party Alert! Remember on Thursday night, April 26 at Cortland’s Garage in Bucktown. Da Blog will be hosting a can’t miss draft party. For a $5 raffle ticket you’ll be entered to win a pair of lower tier Bears tickets for a game at Soldier Field in either November or December of 2012. (I’ll choose the game once the schedule is released.) Once you’ve purchased your raffle ticket the bar is offering a $25 open bar for the duration of the first round – nearly four hours. We’ll also have other prizes and giveaways throughout the night. 
You must be present when the final pick of the round is made to win the tickets.

Here is what I believe.

I believe that if the Bears were to enter the 2012 season with just the defenders currently under contract they could compete for a championship. I believe from 1-to-11 the Bears defense is superior to both the defenses that appeared in our most recent Super Bowl. Offensively I believe the 2012 Chicago Bears are, with the additional of Brandon Marshall, the most talented group of skill players they’ve assembled in my lifetime. (Cutler-Forte-Marshall are superior to McMahon-Payton-Gault at both the quarterback and receiver spots.) And we know the specials are good, making up for the prospective loss of Corey Graham with the acquisitions of both Eric Weems and Blake Costanzo. As long as Dave Toub is in charge I won’t worry what’s happening in the kick games.

The Bears are better on March 20th 2012 than they were on November 20th 2011. On that date they were 7-3 and charging up the meaningless power rankings of the mainstream sports media. Maybe the biggest reason is that on November 21st they would have Jason Campbell and not Caleb Hanie assuming the reigns.

They do have needs, however. And when I say needs and I do not mean a lack of depth. Every team would like a fourth linebacker, a third safety, a plethora of nickel corners. But it is not the makeup of the modern NFL roster or the modern league cap to be able to stack depth across a team’s bench. When I address needs I am addressing needs when the whistle blows on game day. Starters. Immediate impact players.

#1 Defensive End

I’ve never seen it from Israel Idonije and I don’t believe Lovie Smith or Phil Emery has either. The team’s failed pursuit of Jaguars standout Jeremy Mincey proves the club is looking to improve on the edge. But premiere pass rushers cost a fortune and it is incumbent upon Emery and the scouting staff to find Julius Peppers’ compliment in April’s draft.

#2 Safety

What do we know about Chris Conte and Major Wright? We know they are talented. We know both are good when the ball’s in the air. We also know both have difficulty staying healthy. The Lovie Deuce defense can only be great – not good, but great – if there is a star-type in center field. The Bears need a Mike Brown. Badly.

There have been many arguing the Bears need an upgrade at corner. I disagree. (1) Corner, as a position, is devalued in today’s NFL. Rules being what they are I am constantly surprised to see teams drop $40 million plus on players who can barely make contact with their opposition without drawing a yellow hankie. (2) Corners are always devalued in Lovie’s system. They need to sit back, be disciplined and tackle well.

The Bears need a player capable of keeping Calvin Johnson from sprinting by him twenty yards off the line of scrimmage and also capable of bringing Adrian Peterson down after a gain of 8 instead of 80.

#3 Running Back

The Bears were never a more dynamic run game than they were with Thomas Jones carrying the load and Cedric Benson bruising up defenses as a change-of-pace. Matt Forte can cover the TJ bit. But who will get the tough yards early in the third quarter? Who will keep Forte from having to surpass 30 carries a week? It can’t be Marion Barber, kids, because I can’t afford to have my head explode.

#4 Veteran Left Tackle

He won’t necessarily take J’Marcus Webb’s job but he will challenge Webb in camp. A player like Marcus McNeill might have nothing left in the tank but I’d prefer to see the tank drained in Bourbonnais. I maintain that Webb will play far better in Mike Tice’s system than he did under the previous regime but that should not keep Emery and company from finding  a player with more than sixteen games experience on the left edge. J’Marcus could have a long career in the NFL as a flex tackle off the bench.

Phil Emery’s brilliant acquisition of Brandon Marshall will change the way offensive football is played in Chicago. More importantly it will change the way offensive football is defended by Bears opponents. Because of Marshall safeties will no longer be able to sit behind linebackers in the box to stop the run game, allowing Matt Forte space he’s never seen as a member of this franchise. Because of Marshall corners will now be afraid to employ tough tactics at the line of scrimmage, knowing he needs only a foot of space to turn 7 yards into 70. Because of Marshall opposing defensive coordinators will spend the week prior to facing this club knowing the Bears now have a three-headed monster on the offensive side of the ball for the first time in the long, proud history of the franchise.

What excites me is the return of the quick slant – in my opinion the most consistently effective play in the NFL. (For more information on the quick slant, watch the video above. It’s actually not bad once you get past the hysterical public television aspect.) Why do I love the quick slant? Bullet points, baby:

• Short-yardage. When you have a big-ticket receiver on the outside, third-and-ones no longer become a run up the middle formality. If Cutty sees a corner playing off Marshall the ball is getting outside. Marshall is not only impossible to cover, he’s also incredibly difficult to tackle.
• Goalline. How many touchdowns has Aaron Rodgers thrown for two yards or less? I don’t know the stat but I feel like I see it every week. Same rules apply here as do with the short yardage scenarios.
• Blitz Combat. There is no more effective means of combating the blitz than quick-tossing the ball to your wide receivers. Teams came at the Bears with more defenders than the Bears were prepared to block in 2011 and it resulted in far too many negative plays. (This includes false starts caused by antsy offensive tackles worrying about being overrun.) Now those teams will blitz reluctantly with the knowledge that they may only have a second or two to reach the quarterback before he puts the ball in Marshall’s hands.
• Bears Offensive Line. Pass rushers thrive in clear pass rushing situations. (Duh.) Too often in the Martz scheme the Bears would find themselves in third-and-moderate and drop Cutty deep into a pocket. This subsequently exposed the flaws in our perimeter blockers – Webb and Louis. The Marshall acquisition will mean more throws on first and second downs. It will mean forcing edge rushers to play statue, hands up football as opposed to battering ram, kill the quarterback football. It will build the line’s confidence to see passing number ascend while sack totals descend.

In 2010 it seemed every Cutler slant toss was either off a receiver’s chest or caught by a defensive back. The 2011 Bears season was ruined by a slant pattern. Johnny Knox lacked the physicality and footwork to execute the pattern effectively. He fell down. Interception. Cutler. Tackle. Thumb. Hanie. 19th pick in the draft. Knox was on the route because the Bears had no one else to run it. Roy Williams lacks the hands. Earl Bennett lacks the speed. Dane Sanzenbacher lacks a lot of things.

There is no more lacking on the outside for the Chicago Bears. Brandon Marshall is among of a handful of the most talented receivers in the sport. His arrival brings an explosiveness the Bears have not had on the outside since perhaps Willie Gault. His arrivals means the installation of the league’s most consistent weapons: the quick slant.

The Bears have addressed their backup quarterback position, adding starting-caliber player and man Jason Campbell. They have their first legitimate number one receiver in twenty years, having acquired the morally-maligned, athletically-gifted Brandon Marshall in a lopsided (to the good) trade with the Miami Dolphins. They have replenished Dave Toub’s special teams units by securing Blake Costanzo and Eric Weems – both Pro Bowl players. Now the clamoring has begun from the fans of the Twitter universe and reporters (Mully) with Lovie on Thursday’s conference call. It is time for the Bears to address the offensive line.

And when the great offensive line debate begins, attention is squarely thrust upon the broader than broad shoulders of the left tackle, big number seventy-three, J’Marcus Webb. Webb spends most of his Twitter time exalting praise upon the cuisine at Harry Caray’s while most Bears fans heap piles of trash on his Sunday performances.

I am not one of them.

J’Marcus Webb played college football at West Texas A&M (after a rookie season for Mack Brown at Texas). He was drafted in the seventh round. In his rookie season, after trying to block the equivalent of me for three years, he ended up starting at right tackle for the Chicago Bears. His offensive line coach, Mike Tice, one of the best and most respected in the business, thought enough to entrust the vaunted blindside role to him in 2011. Was he good? No. Did he looked over-matched at times? Of course. J’Marcus struggled against speed rushers to the extent he required a man attached to his hip tighter than Wyatt Earp’s six shooter as he approached the OK Corral. He also struggled mightily when required to move laterally  in Martz’ often complicated offense.

So why am I not ready to launch Webb onto the scrap heap? Two reasons:

1. Mike Tice. I don’t believe Tice is crazy. I think he’s large and loves ice cream and can probably drink me under a table and into a six-foot grave but I don’t think he’s crazy. Tice is embarking on his first stint as an offensive coordinator and clearly has designs on a future head coaching position. Why would he risk the success that could propel him into such a position on Webb? Why would he not walk into Lovie Smith’s or Phil Emery’s office every day and say, “Boys we are not going to win a championship with J’Marcus Webb as our left tackle.” He doesn’t make that walk because he believes Webb can develop into a terrific player on the outside. I’d like to see him given at least the start of a second season to show what he can do.
2. Sustained Success. If the Bears go out and sign a thirty-something left tackle and he succeeds for a year or two they will find themselves back at the positional starting gate before they know it. Webb is 23 years old. If he improves in 2012 and improves even more in 2013 the club could be looking at a good player on Cutty’s blindside for the next decade. Will he ever be Willie Roaf or Walter Jones or Anthony Munoz? No. But if you pawned the Super Bowl rings of Roaf and Jones and Munoz you would only need an additional $2.25 to hop on the blue line to O’Hare. The upside of Webb is solid left tackle play over a number of years at an affordable rate. Is a few years of struggling too steep a price to pay for that?

I am not opposed to the Bears pursuing and signing a veteran tackle. I am not even opposed to a player like Marcus McNeill starting for the Bears at left tackle in 2012. But I think fans refusing to acknowledge how steep a climb Webb has made in a short period are out of touch. I think writers who do not take into account how green Webb is are misguided. I am not saying I believe Webb will be the future of the left tackle position. I don’t know enough about evaluating offensive linemen to play that game. But Mike Tice does and he believes in Webb. Believes in him enough to risk offensive success in his first year as coordinator. And his belief just might sustain the our franchise quarterback’s protection for a decade.

Might.

I have nothing to add to the wheeling and dealing of free agency. So let’s all enjoy highlights from Brandon Marshall’s brilliant 2011 season.

So the other night Brandon Marshall and his wife and some entourage-type friends in were in a Manhattan nightclub. They drank, they danced, they did the things folks do. Like tends to be the case in Chelsea, Marshall’s wife ended up with her face being smashed by a bottle. Now a New York Post report states a woman in the bar claims Brandon Marshall slugged her in the eye. Marshall denies the claims. The NYPD and NFL will now investigate.

Brandon Marshall is the same guy post-this report he was before the report surfaced. He is a brilliant on-field talent and a questionable off-field man. That’s why a player with his numbers is attainable for a pair of third rounders spread over two years. (Even he faces a four-game suspension this season it is still a steal.) It is now on head coach Lovie Smith and quarterback Jay Cutler to make sure Marshall keeps his nose clean and provides the Bears their best wide receiver since Willie Gault.

Other thoughts:

• Bears fans will like Jason Campbell quite a bit. He’s a solid man and a wonderful leader. (I have a soft spot for all the players on the undefeated Tommy Tuberville Auburn team that was denied a chance to play for a national title.) Campbell signing for one-year means the Bears have gone from the worst backup quarterback in the NFL to quite possibly the best.
• Bears have also strengthened their special teams quickly. Blake Costanzo (49ers) and Eric Weems (Falcons) will provide Dave Toub the types of toys that tend to lead the Bears to the top of the special teams rankings.
• Bears also re-signed Tim Jennings yesterday. The combination of these three signings (and reports from Brad Biggs) means Corey Graham is not going to return to Chicago this year. A good player and a solid tenure.
• Reports this morning state CB Kelvin Hayden and G Anthony Herrera are due to visit Halas Hall in coming day or so. Hayden is a no-brainer but Herrera is interesting. Mike Tice coached him as an undrafted player in Minnesota and he would not be bringing him in to ride the pine, would he?

On to day two…