AZ54
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Posts posted by AZ54
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IMO the future is more about discovering if our current players on the depth chart can win in this league. Losing means you get a better draft pick but it also means you have more holes to fill. Holes can also be filled by FA and that has nothing to do with losing. In fact, if you want to be more attractive to a FA it's better to be a team that they know is just a few players away from competing for the Superbowl.
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A guy plays his position with all of two games of experience and what exactly was the dropoff from the "best WILL in the league"? I'm not saying Williams played as well as Briggs but it's logical to think that with a few more games experience he won't be that far behind. I didn't see enough of a dropoff today to warrant giving Briggs the big money that we can use to fix the Oline.
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Jamar Williams was in most of the time if not the entire game while Briggs was inactive.
I didn't.
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More good news. There was one play this game that made me think Turner has improved and that was the TD play where we brought a TE in motion and he stopped in the backfield leaving a TE, FB, RB behind the QB then we play action fake and pass to Clark in the back corner of the endzone. Then it made me wonder where that play was in the first quarter when we had first and goal and went 4 and out.
It's time for a new OC.
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What's great to see is our D is returning to form. If not for DManning's mistake in the first half where he overran a play and gave up the TD they were solid. DBs, LBs all had their hands on teh ball throughout the game, just couldn't hang on and there were some decent hits.
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You can cut Moose now as far as I'm concerned. Dropping passes like that mean he has no business being our starter and for the money he's making I don't need him as a backup.
I don't care what Buffone says about the league being all about scoring points. This is just the lastest fad. Great offenses come and go (see StL). Great defenses come and go too. The Ravens and Bears have had a lot of success with their great defenses and average offense. Maybe if we had Tommie Harris on the field in the Superbowl we might have won that game. I'm content to continue with the great defense and work on building a good offense to complement them. Add in great special teams, which we have, and we're giving ourselves a great chance to beat anyone.
That's the way our team has been setup with Urlacher and Harris being our two best players. The Colts setup their offense first and defense second because of Manning. You go with what you got and right now it's the D.
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I have no problem with the trade because I felt at the time, and still do, that Payne is a better player than Harris. McGowan had shown some decent instincts inside the box as well and played better on special teams than Harris. We need that out of our 5th safety. Sometimes the dice don't roll your way even though the odds are in your favor. Now making the assumption that Arch would be better, I'm guilty of that as well.
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I said it way back at the beginning of the season that with the poor oline play it was obvious something (or somebody) had to change. The fact nobody was doing anything meant we had coaches willing to go down with their buddies (won't pull the vets) or really bad depth. After finding out the coaches let Ruben Brown play with one arm for half the season and allowed Miller to continue his record setting pace (penalties) shows it was a little of both.
I'm still pissed about the comments from Hiestand when he said the fans know nothing about Oline play. Last time I checked the job was to block the guy on the other side and it's not hard to figure out who can't do that when you watch replays on the DVR. We have game film too! It's pretty obvious his group is one of the worst in the NFL and I'm not sure what statistic he'd pull out of his backside to prove otherwise. He needs to be the first to go and he can take Metcalf with him.
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I agree with most of your suggestions:
1) Briggs, cost too high for what we'd get in return and for what we'd lose in opportunity cost. Williams made some mistakes in the last game but I still think with a bit more experience he'll be fine replacing Briggs. We have Okwo too. Better to keep Briggs money and spend elsewhere, lose a little at LB to gain a lot elsewhere like Oline.
2) No way do we trade Dez Clark. If we had an OC with both sides of his brain operating we'd be using more 2 TE sets and creating mismatches on the field. Despite Turner's shortcomings TE is the most injured position in the league and it makes sense to have two very good players at this position. We won't get much in return for Clark, maybe a 4th rd pick at best and the player we pickup to replace him won't be as good, at least not in his first year on the team.
3) Alex Brown should have been starting back in the middle of the season. He stays and Anderson competes with him to start next year. Nobody knows what Bazuin can do but regardless we need a solid 4-man crew at DE or the cover 2 concept breaksdown bigtime.
4) Miller gone makes too much sense but depending on what Ruben does in his rehab and depending on what we do in FA I'm open to resigning him. I don't think he'll cost much but with his experience having him come off the bench is better than Metcalf. CUT METCALF The position I'd most like to draft with our first round pick is LT assuming the guy is worthy. Draft him to be a starter (we have two good TEs to help block), move Tait back to RT, sign Faneca LG his experience can help the rookie at LT, keep Kreutz, let Beekman compete with Garza at RG with. Then we can either draft another OG in Rd 3 or an OT to groom to replace Tait depending on best available.
5) Kreutz is not that bad, this isn't his best year but I think he'll work hard this offseason and return to form. He's certainly not bad enough to cut or even trade as the net loss would be too much. Getting rid of him just opens another hole on the Oline.
6) Moose has to restructure if he wants to stay around. For all his faults I strongly prefer to keep Berrian as I think he'll continue to get better but if he proves too expensive we might have to move on. He's really all we've got at the position right now and losing him puts too much focus on Moose and a bunch of unproven WRs like Bradley. Hester is not going to be a full time starter at WR but he should be better next year. Like it or not we need Berrian more than he needs us. I expect Hester to be our #3 WR.
RB...I wouldn't go after Turner, too much money but we need to get some competition in camp. Benson I think is back no matter what and I think mighty mouse Wolfe is too that puts Adrian Peterson on the bubble. He's a good special teams player but just an average back IMO and we need someone to really compete for the starting job with Benson. Another option I'll throw out there is to find a FB type who can really run with the ball and can catch coming out of the backfield. This is a FB who is capable of making the first guy miss a tackle. The added versatility (If Ron Turner knows how to use it) would make the current RBs more productive, along with improved Oline play.
QB...there's no way I'm sitting pat with the same 3 QBs. I'd like Rex back to compete for the starting role, give him a 2 or 3 year deal with good incentives. Orton or Griese will be gone but unless Orton totally flops I'm leaning toward Griese so I can free up more cash. I'm most interested in getting McNabb but that might prove too costly so I expect we keep our picks and go to the draft. Since my first round pick went to LT the second Rd is where I look for my QB and I'm targeting Brennan or Ryan. I expect Brennan will be more of a late 2nd Rd pick so ideally I can trade down in Rd 2 and pick up 4th Rd pick. I like Brennan for his quick release and his accuracy and he has good mobility. Sidearm release will be a question mark but like in basketball nobody cares how you shoot if it goes in.
On Defense we need to cut RMJ to free up some cash. McBride moves into the nickel role, his quickness in covering guys makes him a good fit here. Graham needs to see the field at CB in the next two games but he's our #4 CB next year (he needs Berrian's weightlifting program).
I'm cutting Mike Brown and Arch and I'm using the cash to get Bob Sanders for SS. I think Indy will put their cap space toward Dallas Clark. Danieal Manning stays at FS for us. I think he's improving in the second half of the season in run support but I'd still like to see more INTs and pass breakups from him. Kevin Payne becomes our #3 safety and I let him compete with Manning at FS. McGowan stays #4.
That's 3 FAs signed... Berrian, Faneca, Sanders.
Cuts include Metcalf, Ruben Brown, RMJ, Mike Brown, Arch, Fred Miller, Griese. Maybe LT2 can give us an idea how much cap space but it's should be 10-15mil.
Draft Lt, QB, OG, RB, DB in that order.
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Yes and I think I'm the only one who saw Travaris Jackson stop at teh sideline and turn back toward the field just before he got mowed over by Harris and Tillman. If a QB wants the safety of running out of bounds they need to run straight out of bounds. Once the guy stops as if he's going to turn upfield or throw the ball he's fair game. I watched it several times on via the DVR and it's always the same, even as ESPN replayed it and the announcers called it a stupid foul you could still see both of his feet in bounds as he got hit. Ranks up the there with the BS call on Urlacher against the Seahawks.
IMO the entire thing about protecting the QB has gone way too far. A QB can throw but if a pass rusher reaches up for the ball as he throws and even slightly touches his head it's 15 yards.
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Flaco has windup that seems like he's in slow motion. It takes him forever to throw a pass. IMO that just kills a guy in the NFL as Oline, LB, and DBs all read the start of that windup and wreak havoc. He might end up a decent QB in the NFL but I'm not interested. This is one reason I think Colt Brennan will be a better pro, quickly read the defense and once he decides where it's going it's gone and on target. His throwing motion looks odd but the balls gets to where it needs to be on time.
Personally I think this Flacco hype from the Bears is the beginning of their QB smokescreen. It will be hard to know who, if any of these QBs they are targetting.
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Colts will be working really hard to resign either Clark or Sanders before they have to make a choice on who to franchise. I can see both waiting out the process for their own benefit. Sanders is key to their D but Clark might be just as important to their offense and in Indianapolis it's all about keeping the weapons for Peyton. In the one game I watched I wasn't that impressed with Wayne in Harrisons absence and it seems Clark was been more of the go to guy for Manning. If it comes down to it they'll ask Peyton which guy he wants to keep and if he says Clark (he will) Sanders might hit the street. YOu know Sanders agent is going to be whispering in his ear about all the cover 2 teams that would love to sign him.
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Berrian being the Bears best WR and best offensive weapon is more indicative of the sad state of the Bears WR corps than it is of his own ability. Let him go if he is seeking a big payday. He'll make the great catch once in while, and fights after he gets the ball, but he just doesn't get open consistently. Someone with his speed should be open regularly and he just isn't. Not to mention his case of the dropsies. Berrian can be replaced. For that matter, our entire receiving corps should be replaced. Moose has the heart and desire, but not the ability anymore. Davis is just meh. Bradley, while not given enough reps to be decalred a bust, has definitely done something to fall out of favor with the staff. The one bright spot we have at the position in years is Mike Hass and he can't get on the field.
Franchise?? I don't think so....I'd rather spend the money on the Oline. Receivers with Berrian's ability are a dime a dozen.
Given the fact this coaching staff can't really develop or adequately use any of our WRs why should we think that Bradley opening his mouth and asking for playing time is such a bad thing? If you sat next to Moose in the film room watching LBs run stride for stride with him, DBs always able to jump his routes, and watching him drop passes when he does get open wouldn't you think somebody else (like Bradley) deserves a shot at showing what he can do? I'll put it another way, how bad does our offense have to get before we try something different?
Lovie's failure to bench players for poor performance has been one of his biggest problems this year. In his first and second year he didn't hesitate to pull players for poor play.
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They've gotten a ton of blame from me. Keeping Ruben Brown on the field with one arm, brilliant who'd have thought of that? I know Metcalf has limitations but he's not as bad as a one-armed OG. Team after team runs right over the left side of our defense yet we never ever adjust to it. Nor do we pull Mark Anderson when he's not tackling people or sacking QBs. Let them keep running through huge holes on the right side of our D, nobody will expect that! For sure nobody will expect us to give up a record day in rushing yards to a rookie!
I agree on Hester, a 3rd grader would draw up the plays Turner uses with Hester. He's quick and he's fast ...get the ball to him on the run then see what he can do. I agree on deep routes but what about a simple drag route or anything over the middle after everyone has run off the DBs deep? Ced was misused all year long. Pull him after he's finally having success, yeah nobody will expect that! He has his own limitations but we could have and should have gotten more out of our running game. Wolfe was drafted to be our change of pace back yet we'd bring him in and run him straight up the middle. Yeah, nobody will expect that!
Lovie lost a big part of my support when he went public with his contract negotiations last summer. Since then it's been nothing but downhill for him and his coaching staff.
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IIRC Lovie hated it when the Rams drafted Kennedy. Not sure why that would change now other than the fact that Kennedy might finally have gotten himself in decent shape. However, we have the luxury (or desperation) of needing any help at all and giving him a 3 game tryout certainly beats watching him in training camp to make a decision. It also lets us keep Harris off the field which I'm more concerned about. Harris can't rush the passer very well right now so we might as well get a big guy to stop the run up the middle.
This Vikings game would be a good time to go to a 5man Dline with 2 LBs and 4 DBs.
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Brennan might be a prick but so was Jim McMahon. I watched a couple Hawaii games this year because I had my doubts about Brennan. It seems every year there's a college QB who runs the spread offense that gets a lot of hype before the draft. Most don't pan out in part because most don't have a strong arm. That's exactly the way I felt about Tommy Chang. Brennan has a much stronger arm and he's very accurate with his passes, whether a guy is on a quick slant in or at a dead stop on a hook pattern, or on a deep fly pattern. He also does a good job placing the ball away from defenders, keeping where only his guy can catch it. He seems to have good pocket presence but this is a bit up in the air since so many of his plays are quick passes. He also shows good mobility, better than any QB on our roster.
He didn't play a lot of games against first rate competition so that will be a big question mark over him but if he's there for us in the second round I think we need to consider him. Spread offense or not you don't see many guys with a completion % as high as his:
85%, 70%, 81%, 61%, 76%, 58%, 63%, 72%, 75%, 84%
For sure the numbers get inflated a bit because of screen plays but I watched his last game and his WRs were not wide open all game. On top of that many passes were beyond the LOS and Washington often had a defender right on the WR and the ball had to be placed perfectly. Late in the game he threw a perfect deep ball hitting his WR in stride.
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Bryant Johnson has his own problems with dropping passes so consider that before choosing him over Berrian. I would say Berrian has been more consistent that Johnson over the last few years and keep in mind that Johnson is the #3 WR for the Cards so he goes up against the 3rd best CB.
I'd be ok if we paid Berrian equal money to what the 10th best WR contract is today. It would give him his goal and by the time the draft picks are signed he wouldn't be a top 10 anymore. Certainly wouldn't be top 10 a year or two from now which puts his contract in the middle which is where he should be.
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Name is Frank, been hanging around in good times and bad since the Bearsshrine days. Soon to be 43 and I grew up in the west suburbs (Naperville) when it was the far-west suburbs. It's a little different these days with everything completely built up on all the old farms. After college in Iowa (Cyclones!) spent a few years in the Air Force in Texas. Now my stomping grounds are in the Phoenix area.
Best Bears experience...going to Soldier Field to watch the '85 Bears beat the Giants in the playoffs. Had seats in the corner of the endzone where all the action was. And yes, it was cold that day!
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By the way, was stumbling on the other board and just wanted to say CONGRATS!!!!!
AZ54 reporting for duty, same as always.
Anyone miss Brigg's today?
in Bearstalk
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If Briggs departs via FA don't we get a compensatory pick based on how high his salary is?