AZ54

Ridiculous and I'm glad we weren't interested.

The problem is you can't make that trade until AFTER the draft because you don't know who will fall to us. Make the trade early and you're locked in to LT in Rd 1. Right now we need a LT but we could get away with waiting a round and drafting a RT so there's at least some doubt. I agree that Tait has his limitations with speed rushers but I think he also played through a pretty tough leg or ankle injury. While I'd like to move him back to RT and draft one of the top LT in Rd 1 things change dramatically for us if we don't need to do that. Suppose we steal Starks away from Pitt and put him at RT and keep Tait at LT. Now we have a lot of flexibility in the draft. We can go RB in Rd 1 (Mendenhal), QB, WR, S, and even JA's favorite Rd 1 pick DT. WR and S might not be worth our first round pick but the other 3 options could yield a very good prospect. With the talent at LT in this draft I'm not saying we should do this because as I've said already, if you can get a stud at LT then it anchors that spot for many years, if not a decade. If we're not locked into filling that spot we have a lot of flexibility in Rds 1-3

JA seems content to sit out the initial fireworks (duh at this point) and just take whichever WR is left regardless of what his strengths are. He'll take what's left, be it a bigger possession type (Booker) or the smaller faster type (ala Berrian) and then just go draft the complimentary WR. Other teams seem to have targeted a WR for their system or needs and have already gone after them and signed them. It seems most of these guys are not making multiple team visits. Maybe it's because the money is so crazy but this is the first year I can recall so many FAs making just one visit and signing. In the past almost all the agents would visit at least two teams if not three. Teams used to do the same bringing in a couple FAs at one position. It seems we're getting to that point now in FA but the first weekend players have gone really fast, even 2nd and 3rd tier players.

No trade of Harris. He's the only guy we have on the DL that commands a double team. Lose him and everyone on that line takes a step backwards.

I disagree. How many Bears players have held out and not played games because of a contract dispute? I understand your logic with all the whining players do about getting more money but in the end the only leverage they have is to not play. We just haven't seen that not even with Briggs, Vasher, and Alex Brown the two biggest malcontents last year. If they play but don't play well they lose their leverage too. I think overall the Bears are known as a team that will reward their own players for good performance and this system in general has given us decent cap room over the last few years so we can make a few moves each offseason. I just wish we'd be able to use this concept on a young OL prospect but we don't seem to be able to find those guys.

Given the option of Turner or Johnson I'm taking the WR. IMO it's easier to fill the RB spot via the draft, especially in the middle rounds. Johnson is good enough to replace Berrian but he's not good enough that he should automatically be handed the starting job over Bradley. In other words I also think Bradley is good enough to replace Berrian but his injury history puts a big question mark on him. Johnson should win that competition but I don't think it should be handed to him because he's had too many character issues in the past. On the other hand to get him to sign here we're probably going to have to give him assurance that he'll at least be our #2 WR. I think we'll end up seeing Bryant Johnson (or other FA) as our #1, Bradley and Hester splitting the #2 role. I also think we'll see Greg Olsen lined up as a WR more than last year.

Harris has spoken from day one about getting another huge contract so money is clearly all he thinks about. He has to weigh his options carefully because his injury history is not very good. While he played through tough injuries last year it's still going to be a factor in any GM's mind before he hands over a huge signing bonus. As far as the Redskins making a play for Briggs this sounds like pure BS from Rosenhaus so he can save face for him and his immature client. Making "a run" might have been nothing more than one quick phone call to see what Briggs' wanted in signing bonus. After that they probably hung up.

I'll take Anquan Boldin over Berrain any day of the week and he has way outperformed Berrian on some BAD Cardinals teams. Not taking the time to go through the rest of the italicized WRs. Also your statement that there were teams who thought he was a #1 and were willing to pay him that money is incorrect, at least based on the fact only the Vikings offered him that much. He never went anywhere else so we only know that they think of him as being worth that much. But they paid a lot for Bobby Wade last year too and he was their #1 WR. We know how that worked out. Goodbye Bernard, it was nice having you around but you're not worth that much coin.

Now that Berrian is a Viking I don't see any way Bryant Johnson signs with Buffalo without first visiting the Bears. If his agent suggests that he does he should fire him on the spot. The Bears situation clearly gives Johnson a shot at being a #1 WR. On top of that they already know the money the Bears were willing to spend on Berrian. The fact Berrian is gone should make us a bit more desperate to sign a WR. That threat alone should raise the Bills offer to Johnson. I'd be stunned if his agent doesn't at a minimum use the Bears as leverage in contract negotiations.

Glad to have him back with us. Now we have a strong LB core with decent depth for the first time in years. Briggs price is reasonable given that he's been a Pro Bowl player. While I've said he's not a great player he fits well with what we need.

Remember Briggs play against the Cardinals on Monday night football where he overran the play and the RB scored a TD? Stop them for a FG and we were in the game but Hester made amends on the next play. Even though I've said Briggs isn't a great player and pointed out some of his weaknesses I'm glad we have him back. He does make some great plays for us even if he'll miss one now and then, he knows the defense and fits in well with our scheme. Having Williams and Okwo just gives us some depth that we haven't had at LB for years and I for one have no problem with that.

We have a ton of special teams players on our roster and we'll have a few more after this draft and FA are done. I just don't see that as an overriding factor in keeping AP. But like I said a couple months ago. We'll go to camp with 4 guys competing for 3 spots. The new guy probably stays and I suspect Wolfe also stays because we invested a 3rd Rd pick in him and JA won't want to give up on him just yet. You can argue that all you want but it's what I think JA will do. That means Benson competes with AP for a job. The difference is Benson has to be good enough to compete for the #1/2 spot while AP has to be good enough to fill the #2/3 spot.

Regardless of having JWilliams and Okwo, if Briggs is gone who do we have as backups? Assume Jamaar Williams starts, that leaves us with Okwo as the lone decent (but unknown) backup LB. If we sign Demorrio Williams to a modest contract and let him compete with Jamaar Williams for the starting role on the weak side I have no problem with that. Nor should Jamaar as he has the inside edge knowing the defense for 2 years. At least you know Williams is your starting WLB heading into training camp.

3 years $12million, how many Lamborghini's does that buy? Wait, I forgot to take out child support.

Who over-rated Bryant Johnson? Guy sometimes runs poor routes, sometimes drops easy passes, and sometimes makes a catch that makes you say wow. Sounds a lot like Bernard Berrian. The difference is he's bigger than Berrian, faster than Moose, quicker than Moose in/out of cuts, and has enough speed to get deep. I also think Johnson is finally starting to mature and not just because he wants a new contract. Time will tell if I'm right on that as he was nothing but a punk his first couple years in AZ. Things like getting totally wasted the night before his first training camp began, so drunk that he couldn't even practice the next day. Refusing to work out with his QB in the offseason. Being lazy in minicamps. Don't get me wrong, he still has a ways to go to become as good as his talent would allow him to be but if he's surrounded by the right character guys he just might turn the corner. If he doesn't, at least you won't be tying up so much money that you can't get out of his deal in a few years. I think he'll at least be a good #3 WR and possibly a good #2.

I've been saying for the last year that Briggs has trouble getting off blocks, more trouble than Urlacher does yet he never gets any press about it. Briggs almost always shies away from contact with pulling guards by just diving out of the play and makes little effort to even hold his ground much less get to the ball carrier. He doesn't even fight off Fullbacks. He's at his best in space where his athleticism lets him get to the ball carrier. That doesn't mean nobody will want him but I don't think he fits any scheme. I also think with record cap space available for so many teams and the lack of day-one interest in Briggs that nobody views him as a cornerstone type player that you build a defense around. Don't worry. Rosenhaus is a good agent and if nothing else he drum up some visits for Lance even if teams are that interested in him at his asking price. He'll have to do something if nobody has Lance in for a visit this weekend.

Since Lance is getting very little attention while all the big money is tossed around this might also light a fire under him to consider our deal in a different light (i.e. the best he'll get).

Bernard Berrian is never going to go after Travaris Jackson's off-target passes so if he ends up in Minny I view it as an opportunity for our safeties to knock him on his butt. Of course first we need some safeties capable of doing that.

You only gave two options; keeping him or losing him. It's the third option: replacing him in a more cost effective manner that might make us a better team overall as it would not only replace most of his production but allow us to sign another player that would also improve the offense. If the money gets ridiculous I think there's enough options in FA at WR and in the draft to solve this problem.

Read somewhere this week that Ced had been paid 13.8 million so far.

He's a great 3rd QB, relatively cheap and with enough experience that he doesn't need reps in practice. Look at the AZ Cardinals whose 3rd QB is Anquan Boldin and tell me that a guy like Griese isn't a better option. More likely if a team is in a spot where they'll be spending a 5/6/7 rd pick on a QB to fill that 3rd spot trading that pick for Griese might make more sense. Especially if you don't have much confidence in your #2 QB.

I think in the end we'll just draft a guy to compete at RB. Adrian Peterson is on the way out unless Benson comes back poorly from his injury. In that case Ced gets cut in camp and we keep AP, new guy, and Wolfe.

After reading the Suntimes article http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2008/02/mo...offense_ag.html I started laughing at this line: RAY BUCHANAN: “Not too really burn a bridge with the Chicago Bears man, but what was it like not really being able to be yourself? I know the Moose that we’ve seen back in Carolina, but tell them what it was like actually being there with Chicago.” I would love to see what Ray says when he sees Moose has no speed and no quickness on top of the questionable hands. Just how exactly is an OC supposed to use a guy that can't run away from anyone and needs 3 steps to come out of a cut and drops a significant % of passes that hit his hands? Equipment manager comes to mind.

I totally agree. Right now with the cash available we can probably sign two good WR that will help us more than Berrian alone. Then draft one more. I think we tendered Davis as a stopgap in case everything falls apart on us but he doesn't offer much as a slot WR. I don't want him back and hope we find another option. Keep Hester and Bradley sign two FA WR, one a good second tier guy, one a third tier depth player with experience to compete with Hass. Draft another WR in the 3rd round. It's a lot of turnover at the WR spot but given what we had last year those numbers (and drops) aren't a difficult thing to replace. ON top of that I think Olsen will really shine this year and become our go to guy.

It's easy to say he may lose a step after the surgery. He might also gain a step if he actually works hard at rehab. Right now none of us know. Regardless we need help at RB.