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There are currently about ten or twelve stories on the home page at PFT – the only football-related site I bother to check these days with any regularity.  A quick scan saw the headline Jay Cutler: Bears Are “Locked And Loaded” For Upcoming Workouts.  I read the story and thought, “Cool.  Jay is leading.  That’s important.”  Then I looked at the rest of the page and saw these two stories:

“God, I just wish I could get through to somebody,” Collinsworth added.  “You know how when you’re talking to your kids, and you know positively what the right thing to do is, and you also know they’re going to do something else, and there’s nothing you can do about it?  That’s how I feel now.  And, God, is it painful to watch.

“The game’s so good.  The players are making money.  The owners are making money.  The commissioner’s got some good safety initiatives going.  The networks are thrilled.  The fans are thrilled.  The game’s never been better.  It’s time to quit sugarcoating this thing and really start thinking about what the NFL really might look like at the end of the process.”

He’s referring to the possibility that the players will eventually win the antitrust lawsuit (regardless of whether the lifting of the lockout while the case proceeds is upheld on appeal), that the players won’t make significant concessions from the ensuing position of ultimate leverage, and that the league will eventually say, “Screw it.  Let’s have no rules.  Let’s be baseball.”

This is the problem the NFL faced all along with this year’s draft.  They were going to spend three days reminded fans across the country how much we love all the minutiae of the league and then leave us with a few months of conversations that begin with the phrase, “Hey, is there football yet?”  That’s where we are now.  There are no trades.  There is no free agency.  And unless there is a miraculous reversal of tides, there won’t be training camp in the middle of the summer. So in order to not be bored, we discuss silly things.  Like…

T-Shirts.
If you guys want to get yourself a ‘Da Bear Jew’ t-shirt promptly, place your orders by Tuesday May 10.  I’ve heard all the reasons why some of you can’t purchase the shirt and it’s not a worry but it is my duty to let you know how much buying one of these dopey things helps me continue producing the best possible site for you guys.

Conte Has Link to The Godfather
From Brad Biggs’ illuminating piece on Beard third-round pick Chris Conte:

Conte comes from a family accustomed to playing roles. His
grandfather Richard Conte had a career spanning four decades in show
business. He starred in “Godfather” as Don Barzini after being
considered for the title role that went to Marlon Brando. He had a prominent role in “Call Northside 777,” the 1948 film starring James Stewart
that was the first Hollywood picture shot on location in Chicago. He
was in the original “Ocean’s Eleven” and was a close friend of Frank Sinatra.

“I
guess I’m not cute enough for the business,” Conte joked. “It never
interested me. My dad (Mark) is a film editor and I’d go into his work
to see him in a dark room on the computer all day. I was like, ‘Why
would you want to do this?’ I want to be outside, being physical,
competing.”

The rest of the article depicts a kid with a lot of confidence, believing he can come in immediately and compete for a starting position.  And being that he’s probably the only true free safety on the roster (once he signs a contract), I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make an impact on the field this season.

Perhaps Duerson Will Make Impact, Perhaps Note
Researchers at Boston University have made it clear that analyzing brains like Dave Duerson’s – brains that have clearly suffered significant damage – is actually producing very little information when it comes to analyzing the impact for NFL players.  The problem doctors are facings is they’ve only been given the opportunity to analyze brains suspected of suffering from CTE and until they analyze brains considered “healthy” they will not be able to address the illness as an NFL epidemic.

This is a complicated issue, sure, but an issue the league must commit every available resource to.  If they don’t, they’ll doom these terrific athletes to lives of misery.

DaBearsBlog’s ‘Bear Jew’ t-shirt is now available for sale.  If you got a few extra bucks in your wallet, this is a great way to show your support for the site.  UPDATE: ALL ORDERS MUST BE IN BY TUESDAY IF YOU’D LIKE YOUR SHIRT SENT WITH THE FIRST SHIPMENT NEXT WEEK.

Free agency will come upon the NFL and the Chicago Bears at some point (we think) and at that point the Bears will need to address not only the expired contracts on their current roster but also their pressing positional needs.  The offseason of 2009 brought us the franchise quarterback.  The offseason of 2010 brought us one of the most dynamic defensive players in the sport.  What will the offseason of 2011 bring?

On the flipside we’ll take a look

at three positions of possible target.

WIDE RECEIVER

I started my obsessions with Sidney Rice when he was playing for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina and sat in awe of him as he made Brett Favre look young again in Minnesota.  His ability to navigate through traffic and get up in the air for a jump ball is a perfect compliment for Cutler’s style and it wouldn’t surprise me if they became the most production quarterback-receiver combination in the league.  Other options of interest: San Diego’s Malcolm Floyd has the size, Terrell Owens has at least one year left in the tank and the Jets will not be able to keep both Santonio and Braylon.  I still wonder if a low-level draft pick could reuinte Brandon Marshall with Cutler or coax AJ Smith to finally let Vincent Jackson leave town.

GUARD

The drafting of Gabe Carimi seems to mean the Bears have settled their starting tackles, with J’Marcus Webb slotting over on the left side.  (They are not going to find a good left tackle on the market if that’s not the case.)  The decision the Bears have to make is on Chris Williams.  Will the former first-round selection start at left guard or will he be dropped from the starting 11 and become the first tackle off the bench?  If the latter’s the case, the Bears may be looking to add a Ruben Brown-style presence to the middle of the offensive line.  (Would a player like Matt Light oblige a move inside?)

DEFENSIVE BACK

I found it interesting that the Bears only selected one DB, a safety, in April’s draft.  It would lead me to believe the team is comfortable with corner position heading into the 2011 season.  I wonder if the selection of Chris Conte in the third round makes them feel comfortable at the saftey position as well.  When free agency opens, a dozen teams will be clamoring for Namdi Asomugha and the Bears will not be one of them.  But will they be intrigued by the addition of a player like Antonio Cromartie if the price is right?

Questions for the fans: What will the Bears target in free agency?  What should the Bears target in free agency?

After deliberating a series of t-shirt ideas over the past month or so, Jerry Angelo went and solved the dilemma by drafting a Jewish offensive lineman.  As you know, we don’t get rich making DaBearsBlog.  These t-shirts are our pledge drive, our way of raising some money for the day-to-work entailed in the site.  

There are many who will react to the death of Osama Bin Laden with the sense of ironic detachment that has sadly penetrated the culture.  It seems not to be “cool” for anyone under forty to be genuine.  To feel real emotions.  Well that’s never been me.  Tonight I cried hearing that Bin Laden was dead.  My hands shook, my body quivered and I cried.  I felt it all again in one moment.  All the pain and sadness.  I smelt the air again and saw those bodies in the air.  

Round One: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin