2012 WCG Awards: Chicago Bears Most Improved Player of the Year

by Steven Schweickert on Feb 10, 2012 7:01 PM CST in 2012 WCG Awards

The awards don't stop. While TJ is trying to nail down the best Bear (which should be an excellent series, although I am disappointed Kuma didn't get in there), we're continuing to hand out the actual Chicago Bears' end-of-season awards. Last week we handed out the Rookie. Wednesday we handed out the Newcomer of the Year, and tonight we're going to move to the Most Improved Player of the Year - last year's Bears that might have had a down year yet rose to the occasion this season. Want more? Hit the jump to see how we voted...

Lester's Pick: DT Henry Melton - He bulked up to play DT and he had the most Bears sacks from an interior lineman since 2007. Honorable mention Lance Louis.

TJ's Pick: OG/OT Lance Louis - Still not great, but good enough to be solid at a few positions on O-Line.

Sam's Pick: OG Chris Williams - The guy went from being talked about to not. For an offensive lineman that's a good thing!

Stephen's Pick: OG Chris Williams - This season his move to the interior started to pay dividends. In a perfect Bears world, Angelo would have found us a real left tackle, but at least Mike Tice was able to help make Williams into a solid guard.

Kev's Pick: OG Chris Williams - We didn't really talk about Williams a lot this year. That's a good thing.

Kev's - I mean Pete's - Pick: OG Chris Williams - Yeah, Pete was kinda lazy.

Dane's Pick: DT Henry Melton - From 2.5 sacks in 2010 to 7 sacks in 2011.

Steven's Pick: DT Henry Melton - Melton may be a currently-one-dimensional player, but he was pretty solid in that one dimension. Needs to work on stopping the run better, but he's still young.

So with the votes tallied, Chris Williams is WCG's Most Improved Player of 2012. What do you think?

To see the rest of the posts in this series, click here.

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I can agree with that

C-Will definitely looked NFL-worthy in that LG spot (am i pushing it?)

by BOBdaBEAR on Feb 10, 2012 7:16 PM CST reply actions

Jay Cutler

"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders

It's all about THE []_[] baby!!!

~"Smile when u being attacked,laugh when they talking boutcha,wave when they hating on u and Pray when they leave u alone Somethings wrong!"~ Deion Sanders

At least FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER before you judge me fool

by suckmyditka on Feb 10, 2012 7:18 PM CST reply actions

I'm with ya SMD ..... Jay Cutler , period .

" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson

by MidWayMonster54 on Feb 10, 2012 8:14 PM CST up reply actions

That's what I said before I "followed the jump"

by Skags on Feb 13, 2012 8:17 PM CST up reply actions

Chris Williams

People thought he was our worst OL, yet when the lights came on, he may have been the tallest midget..I mean our best OL.

Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that

Follow me @EDuerrwaechter

by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Feb 10, 2012 7:37 PM CST reply actions

Nono. I think tallest midget works well.

Though I liked what I saw from Lance on the interior.

by Doshi on Feb 10, 2012 7:52 PM CST up reply actions

Lance Louis was one of the worst players in the league this year

Dude cost the Bears games down the stretch…

by YaoPau on Feb 10, 2012 7:45 PM CST reply actions

He played out of position.

As a Guard, he was at worst league-average.

by Doshi on Feb 10, 2012 7:52 PM CST up reply actions

down the stretch when Curler was hurt?

Oh yeah, that was on Lance…

When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends. | @wiltfongjr

by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Feb 10, 2012 8:36 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions

Caleb Hanie deserved to be named to the Pro Bowl this year btw...

Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that

Follow me @EDuerrwaechter

by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Feb 10, 2012 9:07 PM CST up reply actions

Let me Fix that for you....

Caleb Hanie deserved to be named to the Toilet Bowl this year btw…

by David in Maine on Feb 10, 2012 9:12 PM CST up reply actions

I was already calling the Pro Bowl that...

so that’s a little confusing. Yeah, Hanie’s play was downright terrible. No question about it, all time bad. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if he hooks on to team as a backup and ends up winning a couple games sometime in the next few years. Maybe I give Martz’s failures too much credit. But I think he hung the Tackles out to dry, too. I don’t think that’ll happen with Tice. Can PFF factor Martz?
I think with better play calling and if FA and the draft were to be wisely used to “max-out” the rest of the team. I would be ok with Carimi, Webb and Louis at Tackle. And then Garza, Spencer and the Williams’ on the inside. Of course, upgrades at any position are absolutely welcome. But I think the positives on the O-Line get overlooked sometimes. Like the youth, the athleticism, the size and the experience playing in the NFL (warranted or not.) Maybe I give Martz too much credit. But there are a lot of other positions that worry me more. Especially with Tice as the OC.

Bearsh!tt!n It ain't obscene- I'm a Bears fan that likes hittin and exclamation points.

by Bearsh!tt!n on Feb 11, 2012 1:29 AM CST up reply actions

Of course it was

The Bears lost to Tyler Palko at home because they couldn’t score 10pts. Louis gave up 5 sacks, one that put them out of field goal range, and he was beaten on back-to-back plays in the red zone that killed the Bears’ best drive of the second half. Obviously a game is never on one player… but that’s about as clear as it gets for a lineman imo.

by YaoPau on Feb 11, 2012 6:45 AM CST up reply actions

Ya, all that happened while he was at RT

Nobody is arguing that he cant play tackle, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad guard.

by Joeb'n777 on Feb 11, 2012 7:46 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

That's fair

But he played 2 games at guard this year, and was awful playing the other games at tackle. No evidence there to say he was most improved player, especially when Melton/Williams/Steltz/Davis were options.

by YaoPau on Feb 11, 2012 7:50 AM CST up reply actions

he wasn't that bad at RT early

He got worse as the year wore on for whatever reason

When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends. | @wiltfongjr

by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Feb 11, 2012 11:40 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions

I prefer Melton

Williams was a 1st round pick and a major college talent. Melton was a 4th round pick who started college a running back and ended a defensive end. Melton was successfully developed by the Bears into a starting defensive tackle. I know that it is common knowledge that the Bears are terrible at developing talent and will spin this as an example of a player developing himself but however it happen Melton came a long way from that HS senior who gained 800 yards as a running back to NFL DT who had 7 sacks last year.

. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank

by ed_brown on Feb 10, 2012 8:06 PM CST reply actions

The last guy that Lovie successfully developed

ended up on another team after it was all said and done.

I'm a ninja.

by Dane Noble on Feb 10, 2012 8:40 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

DJ Moore has become a solid nickel back

When Mike Ditka calculates pi it's decimal representation ends. | @wiltfongjr

by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Feb 10, 2012 9:42 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions

Lance Briggs?

He’s only played one season without Lovie.

by Joeb'n777 on Feb 10, 2012 9:46 PM CST up reply actions

Briggs had that skill set when he was drafted.

I'm a ninja.

by Dane Noble on Feb 11, 2012 5:19 PM CST up reply actions

Moore is coming along,

but he hasn’t reached nearly the Manning level of production yet.

I was hoping that Lovie would have been able to do something with Afalava as well, as that kid had an edge to him that was missing in our secondary at that point. Oh well.

I'm a ninja.

by Dane Noble on Feb 11, 2012 5:22 PM CST up reply actions

expected

no one is willing to give Lovie credit for actually coaching. He gets a lot of credit as a machiavellian manipulator behinds the scenes and gaining leverage against everyone in the organization through a close relationship with Virginia but actual coaching never.

. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank

by ed_brown on Feb 10, 2012 10:06 PM CST up reply actions

Lol

WILDCARD BITCHES!!! YEEEEHHHAAAAA!!!!!

by Acreman20 on Feb 10, 2012 10:11 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

I think Lovie is a good coach...

His best work seems to be when he works one-on-one with DBs.

I'm a ninja.

by Dane Noble on Feb 11, 2012 5:20 PM CST up reply actions

As a DC, I agree. As a HC, not so much.

by BigGeorgeTX on Feb 11, 2012 6:37 PM CST up reply actions

I vote Melton

Chris Williams did improve but not as much as Melton. This says it all:

39 combined sacks, hits, and hurries (third-most of all defensive tackles)

from PFF

by Joeb'n777 on Feb 10, 2012 9:41 PM CST reply actions

^^^ This!

"And furthermore, I think Carthage must be destroyed."

by TheotherDane on Feb 10, 2012 10:04 PM CST up reply actions

Nice. Didn't know that.

WILDCARD BITCHES!!! YEEEEHHHAAAAA!!!!!

by Acreman20 on Feb 10, 2012 10:12 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

I lean toward Melton too...

while I wasn’t amazed with his greatness, he showed marked improvement in his technique. He still needs to add some angry to his game and make himself a consistent performer, but he’s better than I would have expected of a converted RB.

CW does not, however, impress me very much. When you are standing in a hole the only view is up; so going from craptacular LT to mediocre LG is less of a gold star IMO. He’s solid depth, but the fact that he’s a starter on this o-line says less about his skills and more about the lacking in o-line talent.

There's a fine line between stupid...and clever!

by LostInSTL on Feb 10, 2012 10:32 PM CST reply actions

lol

At “craptacular”. I learned a new word, today…

by JimmyMack on Feb 11, 2012 4:45 AM CST up reply actions

Henry Melton, Chris Williams and Lance Louis, eh?

This would be my short yardage unit if I were OC. Melton HB, C-Will FB and Louis TE. Forte in 3 back backfield or split out wide with Bowe for some playaction bootleg. Who could stop it? How?

Bearsh!tt!n It ain't obscene- I'm a Bears fan that likes hittin and exclamation points.

by Bearsh!tt!n on Feb 11, 2012 1:50 AM CST reply actions

The Bears refusal to use Henry Melton in short yardage situations has always puzzled me.

by BigGeorgeTX on Feb 11, 2012 6:40 PM CST up reply actions

Charles Tillman

1st pro bowl appearance. And he didn’t fall down as much. Plus no one knocks on balls as hard as Peanut.

Above all; keep 'em guessing, never let them lose their sense of confusion.

by Just Dave on Feb 11, 2012 1:02 PM CST reply actions

He had a good season, no doubt

I didn’t think he was all that much better than normal, though – he’s been solid throughout his career. My understanding is that he made it to the PB this year on the basis of his great featured-game outing against Megatron – anyone who can defend him as well as Peanut did that game deserves some love from the NFL.

by Steve Ronkowski on Feb 11, 2012 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

Ball busting SOB.

But you’re probably right. However, I’m glad he got some recognition.

Above all; keep 'em guessing, never let them lose their sense of confusion.

by Just Dave on Feb 11, 2012 9:14 PM CST up reply actions

Ball busting SOB being Peanut

not you. Just so we’re clear….

Above all; keep 'em guessing, never let them lose their sense of confusion.

by Just Dave on Feb 11, 2012 9:15 PM CST up reply actions

What about Robbie Gould?

He’s always been good, but he has built up the strength of his leg and hit 6 FGs from over 59 yards, which used to be his limit, including a 57 (?) yarder for the franchise record.

by kokobear on Feb 11, 2012 5:25 PM CST reply actions