Next Up For the Bears...the Offensive Line?
by Mike Mueller on Apr 28, 2010 2:30 PM CDT
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PrintThe Bears' offseason checklist is remarkably full of cross-outs:
Change the offenseGet a pass rushUpgrade the secondaryGet Jay Cutler more helpShake up the front office- Fix the offensive line
Before we can fix anything, we need to know what's broken.
A few months back, I did a comprehensive statistical breakdown of the Bears' offensive line. LINK
Some highlights and lowlights:
The Bears were 29th in the NFL in Rushing Yards with 1,492 yards; 93.2 yds/game.
The Bears only got 71 1st downs running the ball. Good for 31st in the league. The Jets had 132; the Colts 69.
The Bears gave up 35 sacks (19th) and 78 QB hits (17th).
Their Power Rank was 25th with a Power Success of 58%. The Bears were successful on only 58% of their running plays on 3rd or 4th down, with 2 yards or less to go for a 1st down or TD. That's the offensive line not getting a good push.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Bears were actually an average pass blocking team. Their 35 sacks, yielded a sack rate of 5.9%, which was good for 13th in the NFL.
However according to ProFootballFocus, the Bears' were 26th in pass blocking with a rating of -24.3. The Bears' run blocking was slightly better with a ranking of 20th, and a rating of -10.6.
Individually, Kreutz (+5.8) and Garza (+5.5) graded out well, and Williams (-18.6), Pace (-26.3), and Omiyale (-6.9) were pretty bad. If we look deeper into Williams' ratings though we see a huge improvement starting in Week 11. He earned positive ratings in 6 of his last 7 games. Frank Omiyale also saw a huge improvement from a horrible start to the season. He had positive ratings in 5 of the last 6 games including very good run blocking numbers.
ProFootballFocus recently published an article ranking teams pass protection (LINK) and ranked the Bears as the 25th best pass blocking team. Here is what they had to say:
No. 25 -- Chicago Bears The Bears were one of the teams that had only a couple of guys play well, whilst the others struggled and left their offense dead in the water. The "couple of guys" in this case were center Olin Kreutz and right guard Roberto Garza, with the rest being various shades of poor. None was worse than Orlando Pace and it was a huge mistake believing he had much left in the tank (he didn't). By the time he was benched in Week 13, the Bears were already gasping for air. Amazingly, as poor as a right tackle as Chris Williams was, he may end up being a success story if he can keep up his late-season form. Through the first 10 weeks of the season he was dreadful, giving up five sacks, eight hits and 24 hurries and throwing his hat in the ring as one of the worst pass protectors in the league. However, he did well against the Eagles in Week 11, did a reasonable job the next game (in Minnesota, of all places) and was then moved to left tackle to replace Pace, where he performed very creditably indeed.
Other players who have to step up their game are Matt Forte, who stayed in to block a league-leading 152 times but was among the top five worst pass-protecting backs last year (two sacks, a hit and 15 pressures); and Greg Olsen, who may be a decent receiver but struggles with all aspects of blocking. That has to be a huge concern considering the offense Mike Martz is expected to implement.
Well, in response to these concerns the Bears have done quite a few things to improve:
- Chris Williams will be the starting Left Tackle from day 1.
- Mike Tice was brought in to be the offensive line coach.
- Frank Omiyale was moved to Right Tackle, his original position of which he's played his entire career except for last year.
- The Bears signed Brandon Manumaleuna to be a primary run and pass blocking Tight End. He will upgrade the running and passing game.
- Chester Taylor was signed to split duties with Matt Forte.
Forte's pass protection numbers, as cited above, are pretty poor: 152 pass blocking snaps, 2 sacks, 1 hit, & 15 pressures. Chester Taylor was in for pass blocking on 57 plays and gave up 1 sack, 1 hit, and 3 pressures. Opposing defenses harassed Cutler every 8 pass plays Forte blocked in. For Chester, the ratio is every 11 plays. Not a huge difference, but it is an improvement.
Well that leaves Left Guard. Right now, it's either Lance Louis or Josh Beekman. We know what we have in Beekman, a servicable guard who can move in space; he lacks some size (6' 2", 310 lbs) to be a big time road-grater in the run game. Last season, Beekman played 6 games at Left Guard. His PFF.com rating was 0.0. Pretty much their definition of average. In 2008, he played virtually every offensive snap at Left Guard and produced some poor run blocking numbers & too many penalties; his pass blocking was good: LINK.
In Lance Louis (6' 3", 305 lbs), we have another smallish guard, but a really good athlete. Notable, high quality Left Guards to compare sizes are Logan Mankins (6'4", 307lbs), Rob Sims (6'3", 310lbs) & Ben Grubbs (6'2", 315lbs). Louis ran a 4.78sec 40, easily the best among all Guards last year or this year.
Louis was originally a TE at San Diego State, but after an ACL injury in the spring of 2006, he moved to Guard for the 2007 season (he did not play much). He then started all 12 games at Right Tackle in 2008. LINK Surprisingly, Louis made the Bears 53-man roster by beating out 5-year veteran Dan Buenning for a reserve line position. Louis showed some nice versatility and athleticism when he was given playing time last preseason. He's only played the offensive line for a couple of years. His learning curve has been very steep, yet he has ascended it nicely. He is an intriguing option for the Bears this offseason; he'll be given a lot more playing time & hopefully some great coaching. If he makes as big a leap as he made from 08 to 09, we could see nice things from Lance.
My prediction: The Bears stand pat on the offensive line. They will go to camp with Chris Williams at Left Tackle, Olin Kreutz at Center, Roberto Garza at Right Guard, Frank Omiyale at Right Tackle, Kevin Shaffer at swing tackle, and Josh Beekman & Lance Louis as the two going after the Left Guard spot. Lance Louis will win the job. That's 7 lineman. We'll keep 1 more lineman on the roster as a development tackle who will be inactive most of the season.
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IMO...
Beekman is a C not a G. He’s available to spell Kreutz or the guards as a back-up for now and eventually take over the C spot. Again, he’s an average interior lineman and even with Tice will not be great. Thank goodness Omiyale is away from the G duties, he’s just not real good staying low in the middle. He will do well at RT as he’s better in space. Louis, I get the feeling, is valuable like Beekman, a versitile back-up with average upside. IMO, having Beekman, Louis and Shaffer as the 3 back-up linemen is just fine, but the Bears need to upgrade the LG spot. Garza is above average, but he should be the lesser of the 2 Gs not the better if this offense is to have success passing or running. I’ll give Louis the benefit of the doubt, but I do not think he’s the answer at G. I would be happier with someone to develop behind, a veteran who’s got 3-5 years left in him.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO FIRE LOVIE!
Olin is going to need to be more than spelled.
I feel like he is on a very steep downward path and may not even have average ball left in him.
by Sound_Automatic on Apr 29, 2010 2:49 AM CDT up reply actions
agreed
his time has passed
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Apr 29, 2010 4:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Deuce Lutui maybe cut in ZONA
Link:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/28/latui-could-be-odd-man-out-in-arizona/
Hes better than any guard we have right now.
The signing of Faneca and the play of Wells could trigger this.
Now i feel like any guard thats cut will be talked about by us to see if we should sign him lol.
Im all up for Lutui though hopefully him and tommie can keep it civil
Now i feel like any guard thats cut will be talked about by us to see if we should sign him lol.
We should take a look at any Guard who is cut… better yet, Angelo should have already put a bug in other GMs ears to let him know ahead of time if any Guards are gonna get the axe.
Im all up for Lutui though hopefully him and tommie can keep it civil
LOL… that would make for some interesting battles.
Angelo should have already put a bug in other GMs ears to let him know ahead of time if any Guards are gonna get the axe.
Send each GM a box of Omaha Steaks and some cigars! And now give us your cast offs
+1 LMAO
I assumed this was Angelo’s strategy all along.
by Suffering from Chicago Sports on Apr 29, 2010 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions
Not to mention they signed G Rex Hadnot in March.
by boondock_saint812 on Apr 28, 2010 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions
could be a good pickup
I still think we should work out Shawn Andrews though as well
by PrincetonCubs on Apr 28, 2010 10:23 PM CDT up reply actions
I think the coaches will give Louis every opportunity to win the starting LG job.
I don’t think the coaches envision Beekman as a starting caliber LG (he out preformed Omiyale last year in camp and still lost the job).
Would love to see Deuce Lutui brought in if he’s let go by Arizona,.and have Louis compete with Garza for starting RG.
by Dominique Blanton on Apr 28, 2010 3:33 PM CDT reply actions
Great post
I’m assuming you put the numerical order of the list together as things happened and not in order of actual importance. If this was the order which the Bears really viewed their needs it would explain a lot. Anybody who reads your post should be able to see that fixing the o-line should have been job one. I don’t care what system you have in place, without an effective line you’re hosed. Several people have discussed it in recent posts regarding Angelo and his draft habits, we seem to ignore the offensive line instead of building around it. If you don’t build your team around your lineplay (both sides of the ball) you’re in trouble. In my opinion, the Bears of recent years have proven that.
By the way,
does that picture of Angelo on the top of the page make you want to slap the smile off his face? I can’t be the only one…
I was going to suggest that as an addition to the list...
7. Stop smiling like all is as it should be.
The Germans have a compound word for it – backpfeifengesicht – which roughly translates as “a face that’s crying out for a fist” (pronunciation here for non-German speakers). We should really try to get jerryangelo to be the English equivalent.
"44 years of football history and nothing to show for it. I wish I wasn’t banned at the Norseman.." - tfrabotta
***Would have. Would HAVE. ... please note***
Scouts and coaches always say
a player makes their biggest strides in their 2nd season… maybe Louis will be able to step in and do the job. Other teams can have unheralded players step up from time to time, why not the Bears?
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 28, 2010 3:58 PM CDT reply actions
In theory, you're right, the reality is
Lovie and his staff just can’t develop or improve the players they work with. I hope that Tice and Martz can turn that around but remember about a year ago when the majority of us were so optimistic about the effect Marinelli would have on our pass rush? That didn’t work out so well, which brings up a point that has been pretty much ignored, how has Marinelli escaped any serious criticism for his lack of success? I guess that so much of last year was disappointing that it just melted into the background.
It's easy to make a blanket statement about not developing players
but D.A looked like a player last year, Roach and Williams both played good when given chances, Knox came out of no where to be a solid rookie, Afalava played surprisingly well for such a late round pick, Briggs was a 4th rounder, Earl Bennett went from no catches to an ok possession receiver, Hester (while not a #1) was ok as a WR, Mark Anderson was much better than a year ago…
There have been some players the coaching staff helped along. They’ve had their share of players that didn’t work out, but that can be said of all NFL teams.
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 28, 2010 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I have to disagree with you on this
how long was DA overlooked even when he showed promise, Roach and Williams you have an argument for, Knox wouldn’t have been on the field if it weren’t for DA’s injury and probably accomplished what he did based on his own talent, Bennett was completely ignored his first year and we’ll never know if he would have been brought along if not for Cutler coming to town, Briggs was good before Lovie got here, Hester was “ok” as a receiver but went from a “great” return man to terrible, and Anderson may have been better but still not as good as he was as a rookie.
I just think they have been terrible in making players better than they were when they came into the league or to the team. We’ll have to agree to disagree about this.
I thought Bennett's issue during year one was learning the playbook?
Seems like I heard that somewhere.
So the coaching staff only gets credit for the failures and not the success?
It sounds like you give the coaching staff zero credit strictly because you dont approve of them being here..Knox was on the field this year because of the coaching staff. period. We KNOW Bennett was brought along so your argument on that is unmerited. Lovie’s 1st year was Briggs 2nd in the league and he increased his numbers across the board under Lovie so we can cross that one out 2….How about Vasher, Harris, and Berrian 2 of which went to pro Bowls under Lovie? Chris Harris turned out to be a pretty good player also…His 08 draft might turn out to be his best one as we have 4 of 6 picks currently starting and contributing
You can tell the true greatness of a team by how they respond to adversity........
You're wrong about Knox, he was not going to be active until DA hurt his quad and we may never have seen him on the field.
I’m not sure what you mean by “we KNOW Bennett was brought along”, Vasher had one good year and went steadily downhill, Harris had 2 good years and has disappeared since (I know, it’s because of his injuries…B.S. he’s been a malcontent and has pretty much been a lazy bum for the last 3 years), Berrian was average and became a game breaker after he left here and went to the Vikings BEFORE they brought in Favre, so don’t blame it on our poor QB play, Chris Harris became a better player at Carolina under John Fox than he was with us. Even Urlacher hasn’t been the player he was since Lovie came onboard. What a great developmental job he and his staff did with Grossman and Orton, too. Matt Forte had a promising rookie year and wasn’t the same player his second. I blame a lot of that on the line, but who was responsible for that? Again, that’s part of the lack of development of players when you pull other boneheaded moves that prevent the other players from being successful.
Look, if you like Lovie, more power to you, but I’m not willing to give this guy a pass because he went to a Super Bowl 4 years ago (which he lost). Missing the playoffs 3 straight years after a Super Bowl appearance with one of the youngest teams in the league (at that time) should say it all. In virtually any other city, he’d be gone just based on that alone. I also notice that the ’08 draft that has players starting is now HIS draft but I guess all the other bad drafts are Angelos???
Like I said to Lester, we’ll have to agree to disagree on Lovie’s coaching ability.
It's your opinion on the players and their said development
or lack thereof..Lovie has nothing to do with it, i disagree with your assessment of the players. The numbers dont back up your argument. A player has a good year and it has nothing to do with the coaches but they have bad years it has everything to do with the coaches? lol that’s a unique concept…..I was a fan from 85 thru 06 when the Bears didnt make it to a single Super Bowl so yeah Lovie gets a pass from me this year. We could win the Super Bowl this season and some fans still wouldn’t be happy lol
You can tell the true greatness of a team by how they respond to adversity........
I guess my point is, it's not just good years and/or bad years of players
it’s the total lack of progress of the team as a whole. The lack of ProBowl participants, the un-prepared teams going into games, the inability to adjust during games as well as game to game as the season goes on, being the artichect of DMS, poor assesment of talent (i.e.: Pace and Archuletta), poor choices on his coaching staff, terrible time management, taking a Pro Bowl quality QB and seeing him decline (and no, I’m not blaming Lovie for all of Cutler’s picks, but he was very much resposnible for enabling Cutler when he needed someone to give him some tough love and should have stepped in to force Turner to change his plans to suit Cutler’s strengths earlier in the season). It’s all of that which makes him a poor HC, in my opinion. As I said, development of players isn’t just an individual accomplishment by any single person, it’s putting them into the positions to realize success and become better than they were when they came into the league. I just don’t see it with the Lovie or the people he’s surrounded himself with. We’ll see if Tice and Martz change that cycle.
I can agree with some of what you said.
I’m distributing the blame among all the position coaches as i think they play more of a role in the development of players than the HC, I can agree with some his poor choices on bringing talent in but at the same time you have to give them credit for some of the players they drafted. We’ve had some really good guys come out the draft. I tend to place more blame on the player for not continuing to play at a high level after they’ve proven they could do it….I agree with you on DMS lol Had we just put him somewhere and left him, he would have been a beast by now imo. He should have kept Rivera and Fired Turner when they acquired Cutler imho…I see what you’re saying and we’re not that far off on our views as a whole
You can tell the true greatness of a team by how they respond to adversity........
One small part of your points here
Even Urlacher hasn’t been the player he was since Lovie came onboard
He Won DPOY for NFL, and won it for NFC in 2005, 2006 respectively, fallling short of winning it for the NFL only to Taylor, while IMO, Urlacher had the better year.
then injuries hampered him, blame the training staff for that.
Chuck Norris once met Dick Butkus and had a very odd feeling come over him. Chuck later realized it was fear
by BearNecessities on Apr 29, 2010 4:17 AM CDT up reply actions
You make some good points
but I felt that Urlacher was more effective when he had the two big bodies in front of him, keeping OL’s off of him. Lovie’s defense did away with that and, in my opinion, the nature of the scheme has contributed to some of the injuries.
I can't stand the fact that we have undersized
DT’s…that are “atheletic” yet injured. instead of a Wlliams wall type.
but for the sake of this discussion, I feel that losing them , allowed us to see just how vital Urlacher was to our defense.
but both defensive styles showed us some differences between pre/post Lovie, for sure
"That's racist."
by BearNecessities on Apr 29, 2010 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions
The REAL truth is that
The coaching staff has been nearly invisible in player development. They would be better at developing a good case of the clap than young players.
Too many times we’ve seen players leave our team only to shine like superstars elsewhere. This means either they’re piss poor at evaluating talent (which they are), or they have no idea how to coach for improvement (which they don’t), or both. I can’t recall a single success story for a young player who was brought along by this coaching staff.
The other relevant issue is injuries. Too often we say great young players with tremendous potential who get injured and are never the same. I question whether this is just really bad luck or ineptitude by the medical staff. Gaines Adams (RIP) was a monumental failure in recognition of a prior medical condition. Hidden or not, this poor kid should have had better care and me have been able to identify his condition and address it. Just one more symptom of a lack of attention to detail by the entire staff.
Finally when their arse are about to be handed to them in a box with their personal belongings, does the management finally begin to acts with some sense of urgency. Tragic.
I can scarcely wait for the new regime.
by Suffering from Chicago Sports on Apr 29, 2010 9:38 AM CDT up reply actions
I wholeheartedly agree with you here
and I’m a Lovie supporter, well, just not a Lovie hater.
the fact that players have moved on and had success speaks volumes about the inability to find meaningful roles for our players. and the injuries specifically to Mike Brown, that vanished when he went to KC… astounds me…watch Vasher have a resurgance in SD.
Gaines Adams… i see your point, but many, MANY, atheletes have enlarged hearts, it truly was one of those one in a million freak accidents…everyone missed it, or didn’t consider it a big deal, not just the Bears.
and yes, we went to the SB, and they got complacent, and replaced the successful cogs in the wheel, with crap. Rivera, and promoting Babich, Ricky Manning jr. both Harris’, either traded or injured, etc.
"That's racist."
by BearNecessities on Apr 29, 2010 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions
What Former Bears have left and had more success?
Benson? I mean getting arrested twice in less than a month is more than enough reason to cut him…Berrian? havent heard alot from him since being traded…Thomas Jones? He produced in Chicago as well as when he left so i give you that and i wasnt to happy about letting him go…But really who has left the Bears and been a Beast?
You can tell the true greatness of a team by how they respond to adversity........
Justin Gage and Bobby Wade!!!
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 30, 2010 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
LOL
I saw Bobby Wade at Best Buy when he played for the Titans. He was walking around and nobody knew who he was lol I kinda thought it was him but i was a mission to buy a game and was pissed at him for all those punt return fumbles the year before so i thought it was best to not talk to him. A Bobby Wade autograph now has to be worth what? 2-3 dollars..hate i missed out on that
You can tell the true greatness of a team by how they respond to adversity........
The thing about Louis is he's a really good athlete.
Now, 40 time isn’t everything of course, but he’s the fastest among ALL guards from 2005 through 2010. (data from CBS draft database: link)
When comparing him to all tackles only Bruce Campbell this year beats him. Joe Staley equaled his time.
That’s hundreds and hundreds of linemen. He looked really athletic in the preseason last year. Can he learn the position? the plays? the tricks? to be an effective guard? I think we’ll find out in August.
by Mike Mueller on Apr 28, 2010 4:45 PM CDT up reply actions
If he's so fast
Maybe we should’ve kept him at tight end – and brought in a regular, full-time guard, instead of trying yet another “experiment.”
Shouldn't the speed help
When pulling as the guard?
Chevelle and Three Days Grace??? Fuc*ing AWESOME!!!
To an extent, sure
But the speed at a guard spot is obviously not as important as to a TE. I’m saying keep his big, 300 lb. body on the field as a tight end, and line up another 300+ pounder at his guard spot. Now, we can play smash-mouth football!
He's well beyond experiment; he's a linemen.
He’s not a TE period. He’s a guard. A really athletic guard with very little game experience. That’s going to change very soon.
by Mike Mueller on Apr 29, 2010 8:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Are you sure...
I’d never known, the Bears seem to trade or demote or cut anyone in their second year who didn’t preform in their first.
(Asshole Sr) "If you learn one thing here, NEVER pass out in Ohio."
and making said pass rushers cry
when they cant get off the line
by Bear Lovin 21 on Apr 28, 2010 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Hmmm
That’s 7 lineman. We’ll keep 1 more lineman on the roster as a development tackle who will be inactive most of the season.
I believe we’ve kept up to 9 and 10 lineman in some previous seasons… and with Martz’s system, we’ll need more pass protection.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
At the start of the regular season:
In 2009, we kept 8. link
In 2008, we kept 8. link
In 2007, we kept 8. link
Martz might demand more, but then you’ve got to cut somewhere else on the offense.
by Mike Mueller on Apr 28, 2010 4:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I think 8 is about right again
As long as those backups are all capable of playing multiple positions 8 is all you need until an injury occurs.
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 28, 2010 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions
The roster number game adds up to 53 REALLY quick.
We kept 24 offensive players in 09, 25 in 08, & 24 in 07.
Let’s assume 25 offensive players this year to give Martz enough of what he wants.
3-QBs, we kept only 2 last year, but with the Fever draft pick, we go to 3 (or a vet TBD.)
3-RBs
1-FB ? not so sure
4-TEs seems possible instead of a FB.
6-WRs is definitely happening, maybe even 7
8-O-lineman
That’s 25. What do we lose to get to 9 linemen? No FB & only 3 TE’s? or only 5 WRs?
by Mike Mueller on Apr 28, 2010 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions
No FB
but 4 TE’s for sure and 7 WR’s
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 28, 2010 4:29 PM CDT up reply actions
I think he needs an H-back (TE/FB hybrid)
Olsen will play some of this, and Manu too.
by Mike Mueller on Apr 28, 2010 4:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Who are your 7 WR's?
Hester, DA, Knox, Bennett are locks.
Iglesias & Rashied (he’s good on ST) make 6. Who’s your 7th? Barnes? TBD veteran?
by Mike Mueller on Apr 28, 2010 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions
If I had to pick now
D.A.
Knox
Hester
Bennett
Iglesias
Barnes
Davis, Peterman or a Vet
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Davis go in a minor cost cutting move because Peterman was a good special teams player in college. Barnes fits the mold of a Martz receiver. Quicker than fast, good hands, good route runner
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 29, 2010 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions
What about Shawn Andrews?
Is there something I don’t know about other than his injuries. Why not bring him to learn under Tice and give him a shot to compete. Not only is he a former pro bowler, but he is also only 27!!!
Wow -
Latui, Sears, Andrews…
there are just a boatload of talented young guards available. If the Bears can acquire one, that o-line would be damn solid. If they can get Robert Gaithers from the Ravens with a 2nd round pick, we’d actually be beastly.
The poster formerly known as Freethefro.
But all with problems
Hence why their no longer with their teams, Latui is an underachiver for a 2nd round pick, Sears has a mental condition I think i read…either that or career threatening head trama, and Andrews supposedly has attitude and despression issues and has had 2 count um 2 back surgeries in the past 2 years…talent, yes, reliable, not at all
(Asshole Sr) "If you learn one thing here, NEVER pass out in Ohio."
#7
Draft a DL project and another DB
Check!
by TheMan1 on Apr 28, 2010 4:49 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
trade
Bears trade payne to rams
" We get off the bus running! What do you mean we are a passing team? you don't agree with how I do things? You're fired!"
- Lovie Smith-
by tfrabotta on Apr 28, 2010 4:52 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
sorry in my car
Zach zaidman for undisclosed 2011 pick. Can anyone confirm?
" We get off the bus running! What do you mean we are a passing team? you don't agree with how I do things? You're fired!"
- Lovie Smith-
by tfrabotta on Apr 28, 2010 5:00 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Brad Biggs reported it on his Twitter site. ESPN AM 1000 is reporting it as well.
by boondock_saint812 on Apr 28, 2010 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions
We’ll get a 7th round pick if he makes the Rams’ roster, according to Sean Jensen.
"44 years of football history and nothing to show for it. I wish I wasn’t banned at the Norseman.." - tfrabotta
***Would have. Would HAVE. ... please note***
That's better than nothing for just releasing him.
But, not much. Hope Payne has a great season but the Rams go 0-16.
Possible guards
I think Lutui and Justin Smiley would be our best options…well, in the event they are released or available via trade.
Lutui has signed his tender because he was hoping to get a long term deal. I don’t see Deuce wanting a backup role with the Cards signing Faneca and Hadnot this offseason.
I believe I’ve heard/read the Dolphins were trying to shop Smiley or even cut him. I would imagine Smiley iwould be available with the signing of Richie Incognito and John Jerry being drafted.
That’s just my opinion.
by boondock_saint812 on Apr 28, 2010 4:59 PM CDT reply actions
Does the Harris trade and Payne trade mean the bowling feud is over
Are they still going to be friends?
Harris and Payne... am I the only one who thinks it's funny?
They were secondary teammates in college from Tiny, Mini East West North South Louisiana fill in the blank school.
First we draft Harris. Then, we draft Payne, and trade Harris almost simultaneously. Then, we finally get Harris back, and trade Payne simultaneously. Hysterical.
Can’t imagine he crazy phone calls between these two guys.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
you're not alone.
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"Newbie, if the next two words out of your mouth aren't 'See ya' then the third word will be 'Oh my god. My crotch. You've punched me in my crotch." - Dr. Percival Ulysses Cox
by David Taylor on Apr 28, 2010 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions
what about Ciron Black?
The Bears should at least bring him in to give him a shot. He’s an undrafted player so there’s no harm in trying to see what he can to give
That's what I was thinking
Or even Tony Washington. I understand he has issues but so did Ricky Williams, Michael Vick, Donte Stallworth. They all got second and third chances. And I’m sure Plexico Burress will find a new home when he’s out of jail.
I say give Washington a shot.
by boondock_saint812 on Apr 28, 2010 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions
+1
Tony Washington would be a good fit on the Line, as would Ciron Black.
Chuck Norris once met Dick Butkus and had a very odd feeling come over him. Chuck later realized it was fear
by BearNecessities on Apr 29, 2010 4:20 AM CDT up reply actions
I like it.
Just cuz their not drafted doesn’t mean they can’t perform. Both Black and Washington have good size and at least some experience. Hold one, let me get Angelo on the phone.
by Suffering from Chicago Sports on Apr 29, 2010 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions
I came to the same conclusion as MuleTrain
I also noted that Brandon Manumaleuna’s ProFootballFocus numbers were actually worse than Olsen,Clark, and Davis. We can expect better play from the OL but nothing to brag about.
by 62bearsthe best on Apr 28, 2010 8:53 PM CDT reply actions
We're asking Manumaleuna
to be primarily a blocker not a great receiving TE. Who cares what ProFootballFocus says.
by PolishSausage.Ditka.Bears. on Apr 28, 2010 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions
thats the point
they say he graded out as a lousy blocker last year. Do you think AZ didn’t ask him to block?
by 62bearsthe best on Apr 28, 2010 11:39 PM CDT up reply actions
I thought Manumaleuna came from San Diego?
Chuck Norris once met Dick Butkus and had a very odd feeling come over him. Chuck later realized it was fear
by BearNecessities on Apr 29, 2010 5:26 AM CDT up reply actions
He was a Charger
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Apr 29, 2010 8:40 AM CDT up reply actions
yup.
and was traded to the Chargers by the Rams (who drafted him).
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"Newbie, if the next two words out of your mouth aren't 'See ya' then the third word will be 'Oh my god. My crotch. You've punched me in my crotch." - Dr. Percival Ulysses Cox
by David Taylor on Apr 29, 2010 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
His PFF grades last year were pretty bad.
His 2008 run block numbers were excellent. His pass blocking numbers both years were not so hot. He was in pass blocking on 130 plays last year, 99 the year before. He was in on run blocking 301 plays last year, 345 plays the year before. He’s primarily a run blocking TE. I guess it remains to be seen if he’ll do anything to improve the Bears’ pass blocking.
by Mike Mueller on Apr 29, 2010 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions
He's like a back-up Tackle.
He’s so frickin huge, his size alone would slow down more pass rushers than Olsen.
by Suffering from Chicago Sports on Apr 29, 2010 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions
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