balta1701-A

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Seems like the Bears are especially active on this front compared to a normal year, am I right?

If it takes a 3rd rounder to get Steve Smith, and he's willing to come to Chicago without objections, I do that in 1/4 a second. I'd hesitate somewhat on a 2nd rounder.

Here's a fuller list, I think there's a few names others haven't said.

This would actually be an excellent year to look at a CB upgrade because it's a deep position in FA and the top teams won't be competing for the middle-of-the-pack guys since they'll all be after the #1 player.

It's not a wasted play...but it can be a wasted play if teams expect it. The original idea was that you take the QB out and now you get an extra blocker, you're playing 10 on 11 with the ballcarrier instead of 9 on 11. But, teams have figured that out, they see it coming because the QB isn't out so they tee off on the RB and ignore the decoys, since the RB isn't going to accurately toss the ball across the field. Miami got a big surge in yards when they introduced it but last year it was less effective than their normal offense.

That's the kind of thing you do if you have a lot of confidence in your coaching staff. Like if you're employing a bunch of former head coaches as moderate level coordinators.

Except when he's healthy, he gets himself open and breaks things away.

2009 wasn't that much better. The Bears have been at or near the bottom of the league in average punt length and in average punt net gain for a couple years now. In 2010 the Bears were horrid, netting 34 yards per punt, 4 yards worse than in 2009 when they were near the bottom of the league. That's the kind of thing that swings a game or two when people aren't paying attention.

With as far below the cap floor as the Bears are, they could be a dark horse for him, but I think someone will bid stupider money for him.

If the clock ever starts, here's how the alarms go.

Definitely worth noting that you don't ahve to be across the cap floor on day 1 of the new CBA, you have to get there by some point during the seaosn

Others have called him a "puppet" of certain ownership groups (I think Jerry Jones and Jerry Richardson are at the top of that list). His other stuff is really, really stupid. The gun photo is awful and I'd probably suspend him over that if it were my team. He has a right to call out his locker room, incorrectly, if he's that big of a moron.

I only have a problem with 1 word of that rant.

Well, ok, however it works, that's still a much upgraded (on paper) line from last year. It doesn't have any need of a tackle, and if you want to upgrade it, you need to find an upgrade that is obviously substantially better than one of the people in the rotation. Garza was probably the Bears best O-lineman last year, so he's hard to replace, 3 of the guys there are young and hopefully settle in this year (and you wouldn't want to replace them anyway since they are young), and then Kreutz is the captain in the center.

It's a rule and one I like and have strongly defended...but it's a rule that also changed on him midseason with he personally being the biggest culprit/reason for the change. I'll give him a pass on being angry about it.

Well, the Bears still do need something on the O-line...they need to at least bring back Kreutz. I dunno about the O-line. It's hard for me to think that this O-Line isn't hugely upgraded from last year's already. LT: Carimi (Rookie) LG: Williams (in his 2nd season at position) C: Kreutz RG: Garza RT: Webb (in his 2nd season at position) You've taken Omifail out of the LT spot and put him where he belongs; as a backup/injury replacement, where he's not a bad option, you've added Carimi, you've got an extra year under the belts of both Williams and Webb. Kreutz and Garza could take steps back, and that does worry some, but if you're going to bring in a FA, you need one who is clearly good enough to send one of them to the bench. That means the Bears only have a handful of guys who would be practical.

He's also been fined a hundred thousand dollars or so by Goodell for what he feels is normally playing the game, and then he's also had to go through being locked out by Gooddell all year and kept out of his own locker room. Frustration against him I understand. Pictures with guns, homophobia, calling out teammates I do not.

If he's available, which is now seeming possible, there's probably no other addition the Bears could make that would have a bigger positive impact on their roster. And with the Bears supposedly being under the salary floor and having a ton of cap space...that might be the best move they could make this offseason.

Link

Y'all might enjoy this look at where the NFC North will be if there is a ~$120 million cap.

James Harrison's comments are deplorable. That said, people have done worse and are still on the Bears.

Clayton Mailbag

The owners would have to give up a lot to get the players to agree to additional FA restrictions for this upcoming year. They had to endure that last season and a number of guys feel genuinely screwed because of it.

Some Bears/Free Agency related news coming out of a CBA rumor. \Link Would also clear up the status for a number of other guys, including some WR's who could interest the Bears.