dawhizz

No to Martz as well. Avoid him like the plague. I don't know why would would bring in an offensive coordinator who minimizes the only offensive threat you have (Greg Olsen). Remember, Vernon Davis did nothing in SF until Martz left. I'll take the GB guy. Which probably means it will be Martz.

With the season now officially over (as opposed to when it was essentially over two months ago), what does this team actually need to do in the offseason? It's easy to look at this team and see nothing but holes, but without their first two picks (which hurts both for draft and for trade purposes), it's hard to see how they can fix, or even patch, everything. So, let's look at this team: QB: It'll be Cutler and Hanie, but am I the only one who would kind of like to see a veteran QB on this team? At the very least, I feel like it would be nice to have someone like that on the sideline Cutler can talk to after a bad play who has actually played QB in the NFL. It's not like Hanie is going to impart much wisdom. I'm thinking someone like Jon Kitna. Not a need by any stretch, but something I wouldn't mind seeing them look into. RB: I’d love to believe that if we upgrade the O-line, Forte will be back to what he was last year, but I’m not sure I believe that. Kevin Jones and Garrett Wolfe are still under contract, and Adrian Peterson is probably gone. Would I like to have Chester Taylor or Jerious Norwood? Sure. I’m just not sure this team can afford the investment. My guess is the Bears just hope Jones and Forte stay healthy, use Wolfe more, and focus on O-line. I also wonder if McKie gets any blame for the running woes, which might lead the team to look seriously at a more established FB. WR: I have no idea. None. I’m not sure we know what we have with any of them. If it were up to me, I would keep Aromashodu, Knox, and Bennett. I would hope Iglesias is ready to contribute next year. If anyone will give you a 2nd or 3rd round pick for Hester you take it (Manning can approximate his return abilities, as we saw). You can’t get a big money WR because you have nothing to trade, but I think a guy like Malcolm Floyd from San Diego is realistic in terms of availability and fit (the big receiver we don’t really have). I’d also consider a 5th-6th round pick on a productive college player like Freddie Barnes from Bowling Green, who might be slow, but can at least get open. TE: No changes likely here, unless someone wants to trade for Clark. OL: I think Williams is a keeper at LT. Kreutz is a shell of what he used to be, but he probably needs to stay for at least another year. Other than that, no one’s spot is safe. If you want to spend, this is the place to do it, though I’m not sure there’s much out there that will actually be available. I say you draft the best available guard with your 3rd round pick (where you can still find legit, early starters) and sign a potential starter at RT (maybe former Illini Tony Pashos, who was a starter for Baltimore, but had a broken shoulder last year). Hire someone to kill Frank Omiyale. DE: I’m fine letting both Ogun and Anderson go. I assume the Bears traded a second round pick with the intent to start Gaines Adams, but he hasn’t shown much yet. Idonije and Melton are OK for depth, but you probably need at least one more rotation/starter at DE. I would go big after Aaron Kampman, who doesn’t fit the Packers new scheme and is coming off an injury, but does nothing but make plays in the backfield (as opposed to our DEs, who just do nothing). DT: You probably need another body here to go with Harris, Harrison, and (hopefully) Gilbert, though I would be OK with keeping Anthony Adams. I don’t love this group, but I’m not sure it’s high on my priority list either. LB: Pisa can come back if he’ll sign cheap. If not, resign Williams and see what he can do. Some may want to trade Urlacher, but I think we saw this year what happens to this team without him. Not a need position. CB: Cut Vasher or move him to FS. Send a search party out for DJ Moore. I actually like Bowman and Graham more than Tillman at this point, who has developed such a reputation for causing fumbles he’s forgotten how to tackle. And cover. Bring back Manning to play nickel and handle returns. This might be the quietest huge need for this team, I’m just not sure where the help comes from. S: We NEED a playmaking safety. Bullocks was an experiment that (unsurprisingly) failed. Payne would be fine if he can just fly around and hit someone. When he’s better at coverage than the other safety, we have a problem. He’s probably a bit overrated, but it might be best for the Bears to overpay for a guy like OJ Atogwe. That's just my opinion based on what I see and what I think is reasonable. What do you think?

I say we go after Jerious Norwood. I know he's hurt too often, but he's got the speed Forte doesn't have and he seems to have fallen out of favor in Atlanta.

Is it too much to hope for that Pace will be starting for the Packers? Cause that the only way this is good news for the Bears.

New deal. I like it. I like him. Smile. http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/news/story?id=4581192

If I'm Lovie, I have to think seriously about sticking Beekman at LG and Shaffer at RT. You have to change something on that line.

Brian Williams got cut by the Jaguars. If we are at all uncertain about the CB position, he's a veteran who's been a playmaker most of his career and can probably step right into the Cover 2. I'd take him over McBride. Also, Brian Brohm was released by the Packers (making those of who loved him a few years ago feel a little sheepish). I'd rather see him on the practice squad than Bazanez.

I could see Baldwin and Balough back. Probably not Kinder, since he was released even before everyone else. Maybe another WR from somewhere?

McClover's gone too. I'd be suprised if we keep 5 safeties, though we may consider Manning a CB and cut Hamilton.

According to Biggs. Hello again, AP & Wolfe (unless the Bears like a cut RB).

Does anyone really think either Rideau or Aromashodu are getting picked up by another team? I sure don't. I'm not sure it makes much difference who stays on the active roster cause the other one will be on the PS.

Sounds like Freeman stays...

Seems like maybe we should put them all in one place (both Bears cuts and other cuts that might interest the Bears). So far, Biggs is reporting Clermond, Peterson, Buenning, Hood, Jason Davis, and Raiola. Interesting to see Buenning and Hood cut loose. That probably keeps Lance Louis and Trumaine McBride in play. Also, Andrew Walter got cut from the Patriots. The Bears were interested in him when the Raiders cut him loose, so maybe the QBs end up being Cutler, Walter, and Haine.

I'd settle for Curtis Conway at this point.

Kevin Malast, LB, Rutgers http://web.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=200...d=9&vkey=13

Chase Patton, QB, Missouri http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/04/be...for_rookie.html Interesting to see how he plays.

I guess not: http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/04/an...sibility_o.html

Now that the draft is over, do the Bears make any free agent moves? Any guys on other teams at QB or WR in danger of being cut because of the additions made by their teams? I was thinking maybe Josh Johnson would be the odd man out in Tampa Bay, but it may end up being Griese. The Giants, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Browns all made a couple of early picks at WR, but it's hard to imagine the Bears wanting any of the guys who would get cut (with the possible exception of Ernest Wilford in Miami). I can't help but think with so many young WRs on this roster, and such a young offense in general, you need a strong veteran presence to help move them along. The only veteran offensive skill player at the moment is Desmond Clark, and he's not even a starter. Even with three WRs drafted, I think you need to take a long look at guys like Joe Jurevicious, Amani Toomer, Darrell Jackson, and even Marvin Harrison.

Biggest impact as a single player next year will probably be Iglesias, just because he's the most ready to step in at a position where we need help. But I wouldn't count out Marcus Freeman competing to start on the strong side. He's coming from a big-time program, the Bears already have Roach over Hillenmeyer on the depth chart, but Freeman is faster than Roach. If he picks up the system quick, I think he can press for a starting job. More than an individual player, though, I really like how the additions make the team overall better. Now you have a ton of bodies you can use along the defensive line, which is key because you have seen both Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek have trouble with injuries. Now, you have athletic bodies you can put out there deep along the line and keep everyone fresh. You can move them around, getting more pressure on the QB and making that defense worlds better. I can't say either Melton of Gilbert will have great years next year (I would expect something like Harrison's year last year for Gilbert). But the flexibility that both the additions add to the roster are really valuable and smart, in my opinion.

Nice list here: http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2009/04/200...nings-list.html

Mike Rivera, LB, Kansas http://www.kansascity.com/166/story/1163578.html Dahna Deleston, S, UConn http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/04/li...bears_to_1.html Tyrell Fenroy, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=102...p;nav=menu209_5

Kiper actually recently said on the radio that Duke was a 3-4th rounder at this point. The man knows things.

I don't see how the Bears pass on Rashad Johnson if he's still there when they pick. I know he doesn't have the prototypical size they look for, but they obviously realize they need to upgrade at safety and he can step in and help the team. Still, I have a feeling the pick might end up being Iglesias. I'd like to see something like: 3a. Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama 3b. Ramses Barden, WR, Cal-Poly 4a. Mike Wallace, WR, Miss 4b. Henry Melton, DE, Texas 5a. Jason Watkins, OT, Florida 5b. Joe Burnett, CB, Central Florida 6. John Gill, DT, Northwestern 7a. Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno St. 7b. Michael Tauiliili, LB, Duke

At the beginning of the second round, the Bears told Ohio safety Michael Mitchell to stay by his phone because they planned to draft him at No. 49. But the Raiders beat them to it, taking Mitchell two spots earlier. "When [the Bears] did that, I was like, 'I'm going to be a Chicago Bear,' " Mitchell told the Raiders media during a teleconference. "That's what I was thinking." That's what the Bears were thinking, too, until Oakland raided their second-round cupboard http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...,4716296.column Wow. Everyone was killing this pick when it was the Raiders. It will be interesting to see how he pans out.

Guys. there's no way this happens. It makes too much sense. We won't give up enough to get him. Too many teams want him more than us. Jerry would never pull the trigger on this kind of deal. Not going to happen. (Hey, that's what I was saying when Cutler was on the table. Maybe lightning can strike twice...)