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St. Clair receivers offer from Browns, negotiations underway By Brad Biggson March 17, 2009 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) The Bears' first minicamp practice begins in less than 30 minutes and the team could have an answer soon for the gaping hole they will have at right tackle. Negotiations for veteran offensive tackle John St. Clair are believed to be taking place. St. Clair remains in Cleveland where he arrived Monday for a free-agent visit with the Browns. A source close to the situation said that Cleveland has offered St. Clair a contract. We have no idea what kind of money he is looking at in Cleveland. Whether or not he is leaning one way or another is also unknown, but at this point a resolution is expected in the near future. The Bears made St. Clair, who started 16 games for them at left tackle last season, a $4.5 million, three-year contract offer on Feb. 13. St. Clair's side made a counter proposal and that is where the issue remained until he traveled to Cleveland. St. Clair met with coach Eric Mangini and general manager George Kokinis and was given a physical. It's an odd match for the Browns from the standpoint that they just signed Pork Chop Womack and Ryan Tucker, the brother of ex-Bear Rex Tucker, is expected to get the first crack at right tackle in Cleveland. St. Clair seemingly had a starting job waiting for him here without another legitimate right tackle candidate on the roster. The Bears probably didn't move off of their contract offer from five weeks ago because they were not going to start negotiating against themselves. We'll see where this thing heads now. Stay tuned.

Could this be why the Bears are sitting on their hands this offseason? LEAGUE READY FOR “WAR” Posted by Mike Florio on March 17, 2009, 10:30 a.m. As new NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith proclaims that he’ll spend every day hoping for peace but preparing for war over the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, a league source tells us that the owners are hoping for “war” — and already are prepared for it. Per the source, the owners already have been taking steps aimed at ensuring that a lockout will have minimal financial impact. For starters, and as we’ve previously pointed out, most if not all contracts for assistant coaches hired in 2009 have a two-year duration only. Come 2011, the owners can proceed with a lockout. Also, there’s a belief that many of the recent layoffs and other cost-cutting moves haven’t been made as a result of the bad economy, but as part of the preparations for a no-revenue work stoppage. (The reductions also help bolster the notion that the economic model under the current CBA doesn’t work.) Finally, we’re told that most if not all employee contracts that extend into the 2011 season or beyond include specific language reducing compensation in the event of a work stoppage. So while the union has spent the past seven months squabbling over the procedure for choosing the man who’ll potentially lead the players into battle, the owners have been sharpening the swords and hoarding cans of generic waxed beans. (If you take off the label, you can hardly tell the difference.) Plenty of league insiders believe that the owners are ready to do whatever is necessary to take back the territory that the union acquired during the last round of CBA negotiations in 2006. The perception is that, with the owners obsessing over the issue of revenue sharing, the union ate the league’s lunch on all of the important issues. Though different opinions exist as to where the blame for this outcome should rest (rightly or wrongly, former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is bearing the brunt of it), the owners are motivated to score a major victory this time around, even if it means an extended period of no football games being played. We hope it doesn’t come to that. We’re starting to wonder, however, whether it can be avoided.

Rams | Pace released Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:48:03 -0700 The St. Louis Rams have announced they have released OT Orlando Pace. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do we look at him so we have a veteren in place and maybe bring someone in thru the draft to learn under him until they are ready to take over the reigns as he probably only has a couple of years left in him anyways?

Bears | Attend TCU's Pro Day Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:52:19 -0700 Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears scout Chris Ballard attended Texas Christian's Pro Day Friday, March 6. Bears are getting ready to draft LS Judley Pudley from TCU with their 1st round pick. Please don't let Jerry out think himself again this year...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9301676...,-keep-RB-Jones here's a link

Cowboys | Safety Roy Williams released Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:43:24 -0800 Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports the Dallas Cowboys have released S Roy L. Williams after not being able to trade him. Williams confirmed his release Thursday, March 5. His release will save the team about $2 million against the salary cap. Is he worth a look? I haven't seen many Cowgirl games lately so not sure if he can still tackle since he can't horsecollar people anymore...

Dolphins | G. Wilson agrees to terms Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:16:20 -0800 Alex Marvez, of FOXSports.com, reports the Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms with free-agent S Gibril Wilson (Raiders). Terms of the deal are not yet available. One less Safety to choose from.

Jets | Coles released Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:38:48 -0800 ESPNews reports the New York Jets have released WR Laveranues Coles.

David Terrell dropped to us because he had a broken leg/foot cant remember which it was off the top of my head. So we took him knowing he was injured.

View Depth Chart Panthers | Gross agrees to terms Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:49:18 -0800 Adam Schefter, of the NFL Network, reports the Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with OT Jordan Gross on a six-year deal worth just under $60 million, according to a source. Gross will be paid $30.5 million in the first three years on the contract.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/02/fo...9_the.html#more Makes sense, if we get a good corner either thru free agency or the draft and move Tillman to FS we take care of 2 needs by only picking up one player and can focus on fixing other needs then.

What your actually saying is that you want to take a statically lesser chance at getting an impact player, proven by statical facts, then having a mathimatically proven odds advantage at finding the next gem in the draft.

How am I contradicting myself? That statement makes ZERO sense. That percentages, I know it's difficult to understand, that you would be getting an impact are higher in the upper portion of the draft then in the later parts because there are more impact type players available. How can players in the 2nd round be better then the ones in the first? The players in the 2nd round werent graded high enough by scouts to be picked in the 1st round. So you would be correct that I would disagree that the 2nd round players wouldn't be better then the 1st round players. That is just goofy.

double post

Oh I'm sorry. Rex Grossman and Michael Haynes worked out well, as did Daniel Manning. Cade McClown anyone? When people are picked in the draft, they are no longer available to be picked by other teams, therefore the talent level with which to pick from has less talent to choose from. We had this discussion a few years back and the statistical percentages of busts to nonbusts later in the draft doesn't warrant trading down. Just cuz you have more picks, doesn't change the statistical chances each time you pick of gettting an impact player.

Ya trading down so you have a more diluted talent pool to pick from makes perfect sense.

Which brings up the question is the GM listening to the coaches needs to put together a team or is he so arrogant he thinks his sh*& dont stink and what he feels must be right period. Which opens a whole nother can of worms...

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...-bear15.article He could have called in a season but he stuck it out. I like his grit.

If that is true the braintrust running the show here gave Tommie a contract making him one of the highest paid DL in the NFL and that speaks volumes...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/01/sa...lli_i.html#more Here's a link to more information about his conversation on the score this morning.

On The Score 670 Warren Sapp said Marinelle and him were going to work with Tommie Harris starting right after the Super Bowl down in Florida. Maybe they can light a fire under him.

Actually per Lovie's own words in the Sun Times we have pretty good idea how involved he was "I have been involved a little bit,'' Smith said this afternoon on a teleconference. "My involvement will be a lot more now.

BEARS HIRE HOKE TO COACH SECONDARY Posted by Aaron Wilson on January 13, 2009, 12:01 p.m. The Chicago Bears announced today that they have hired former Houston Texans assistant Jon Hoke as their new secondary coach, replacing Steve Wilks. Hoke coached the Texans’ defensive backs for the past seven seasons after a three-year stint as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach. Hoke held the title of assistant head coach during his final two years in Gainesville, Fla. He also has coached at Missouri, Kent State, Bowling Green and San Diego State The new job brings Hoke back to the Windy City where the former Ball State player played 11 games for the Bears in 1980 and posted seven tackles.

Bears | Babich to have added responsibility this season Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:12:37 -0800 Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Bob Babich will also serve as the linebackers coach this coming season. Ya because he did such a good job as the DC that they figured he had way to much time on his hands so he can teach the LB's as well.

Actually there were only 2 teams that showed any serious interest in Brees and those teams were the Saints AND Dolphins. BOTH teams had contacted him but Miami decided to go with Culpepper and Brees went, interviewed, then signed with the Saints. If the Bears had put any serious interest in him I am sure he may have listened before making his decision. http://www.contracostatimes.com/raiders/ci_10700590