bradjock

Agreed 100%. There are two critical things anyone who is pissed about this deal needs to remember: #1 If we'd signed him 2 years ago, we all would have been THRILLED. Absolutely thrilled. He was considered an over-achiever in a horrible offense. Can you believe Washington gave a 3rd & 4th round pick AND 30 million (10 guaranteed) for him??? #2 He's signed for the minimum which means Rashied Davis will likely make more then him. Who would you rather have??? I like Rashied, he's scrappy, he's a good special teams guy, but he's short & he's not that fast. Brandon Lloyd if healthy & in shape is a legitimate deep field threat. Angelo's made 4 GREAT moves this offseason. Briggs was reasonable, while Booker & Lloyd were down-right cheap. Not over-paying for Berrian is his 4th great move.

I assume you mean Brandon Riddeau? He is still on the Bears roster: http://www.chicagobears.com/team/Roster.html We brought signed him for the last two games of the season. At the time, Zac Zaidman on the SCORE predicted that Riddeau we be on the active roster for the Bears final game ahead of Mike Hass. Mainly because Riddeau has better special team's skills. However, both guys remained inactive for the last game of the season. If Riddeau couldn't beat out Hass last training camp, why would be be able to this year? It appears we're going to let Rashied Davis go, yet we'll likely draft a WR fairly early. The Bears can carry six WR, but we really don't need to. (In 2006 we only carried 5.)

So basically you're saying we're REALLY not that far away from getting back to the Super Bowl. IMO this team is and should be CONSTANTLY trying to build for the future, while at the same time trying to win now. By resigning our top guys (minus Berrian who is overrated) and having a strong draft every year, there's no reason why we can't be contenders year in and year out.

Boers & Bernstein reported on the SCORE Thursday, that the Bears want Kevin Payne to be the special team's replacement for Ayanbadejo, or at least Payne will have the first crack at winning that job. This kind of surprising to me cause I was hoping Ayanbadejo would have first crack to take Mike Brown's job. (I like McGowan much better as a back-up.) Then I realized that Archuletta is still on the team. I hate to say this, but doesn't it appear the Bears will bring him back? Angelo was quoted as saying the rookie safety class was "anemic." The FA group is thin, and most of the top guys are no longer available. I guess there's the chance we could trade him, but who the hell would want him? We've unloaded everyone we likely don't want back except for Arch. So what are we waiting for? He ain't going to get any faster, and he looked bad on special teams.

Jones signed a 4 year deal for 14 million, with 3 million guaranteed. That's slightly more then what Thomas signed for. I've have LOVED for us to sign Jones, draft a running-back fairly early, and dump Cedric's ass.

Orton shouldn't be super pissed. We unloaded Griese to clear room for him to be our #2 QB and compete for the #1 spot. But I hope like hell he does step up and beat Rex out. Although I'm not certain exactly what else Orton can do to quicken his release and have more consistent accuracy. No. Hell no. The problem is Rex is a MUCH better passer then Kyle Orton. Much quicker release, much better accuracy. The thing is, he's terrible at "sensing the sack" and when he does he often throws it too the other team, unlike Orton, who throws it out of bounds. That and his passes get batted down 5 times a game. In training camp they'll be playing two hand touch with Rex, so it's not a real measure of what he's capable of. Then he'll play maybe 5 full quarters of pre-season football, which isn't nearly enough time. So Rex gives us the best chance to win, with his throws, and the best chance to lose, with everything else. I hope like hell we give the job to Orton. I'm tired of developing ulcers with Rex at the wheel.

Hass??? Are you kidding me? We were so umimpressed with Hass that at the end of the year we brought Brand Rideau back in. The only way Hass has a snowball's chance in hell of making the team is if he can find a way to contribute on special teams. While he has ok size for that, he's probably too damn slow to be on the #1 ST's unit in the league. Honestly, I think Bradley will end up as Booker's back-up. Bradley does not appear to have the speed he showed his rookie year before the knee injury. We want the guy across from Booker to be a Burner that can stretch the field. That's why we have to be optimistic about Lloyd While I doubt Bradley's a good fit opposite Booker, I wonder if we'll give him the "Cedric Benson treatment," throwing him out there no matter how bad he looks. I also think we want to reward guys who have been with the team. I hope you're right about Hester being the #3. The only thing Hester has proven as a WR is that he's a speed guy who's a deep threat. Hopefully Lloyd still has the speed to be a deep threat the way Berrian was. If that's the case, Hester doesn't offer much more as a WR then Lloyd will. I just hope we don't over-use Hester on offense where he gets injured or it takes away from his return game. Agreed.

Agreed. You figure it's necessary that we draft a WR, probably in round 3. After all, Bradley & Lloyd are both free agents this year, while Booker & Hester are free agents the year after that. That and at this point, we have no idea of 3 of our top 4 guys are any good.

Great post. I wonder how Berrian would have been if he'd had more WR competition with the Bears? Both of them are young speedy WR's. Berrian signs for 6 years, 42 million, with 16 guaranteed. Lloyd signs a one year deal and he'll be lucky to make a million. This is a GREAT signing IMO. Lloyd has a ton of potential and he needs to get paid.

It's honestly tough to go on weight. The NFL reports the information the team gives out. If you look at the Bear's defensive tackles, we have them all around 300 pounds. When I see them I'll think, "That guy is way over" or "That guy is way under. Ted Washington was always listed around 350 lbs, but it was speculated his weight was closer to 400. That being said, you do bring up a good point and that does have to be considered. I think it's more about Washington. When Lloyd was in San Fran his last season, he was the clear #1 receiver on a bad team. This prompted Washington to give up a #2 and #3, and pay a ton of money. Then they add him in the mix with Santana Moss (who at times is a legit #1 WR), Antwaan Randle El, and James Thrash. Later they add Reche Caldwell and Keenan McCardell. Not to mention Chris Cooley's a damn good Tight End. Did I mention Washington has sketchy QB play and they want to "run-first." How the hell was he ever supposed to be successful??? This isn't a great signing, but it's very solid.

The media has not said we've offered Bryan Johnson anything, but that doesn't mean we have it. IMO, we offered him much less then what Buffalo was willing to pay him. That'd explain why he hasn't visited Chicago as originally planned. rom what I understand with Johnson, he met with the Bills for 3-4 days straight and even met with the media. He says how bad he wants to play there, but that he's going to be talking with Washington? He has to be thinking he can score a big pay-day somewhere. Seeing how badly Oakland overpaid Javon Walker, and how much Berrian made, Johnson might be right. That & his agent is Rosenass.

The chicagosuntimes.com reported we gave Book 3.5 million for two years. That's slightly less then the 42 million Berrian signed for. I'd much rather have Berrian, but he was too damn inconsistent. For damn near 40 million less, Booker's a steal. I'd love to know what we offered Bryan Johnson. Apparently we're out of the running for him. PFT is reporting that Julius Jones might sign with Tennessee.

I've neve put to much faith in these things, but damn they seemed to hit the nail on the head. Particularly when they say, "Has had some off-the-field issues. Does he love playing the game of football? Will he work hard enough at it in the NFL?" and also, "there are some lingering concerns about his character, attitude and speed that make him a potential disappointment at the next level." Wow. I hope Angelo starts reading these things. Here's the full pre-draft evaluation from espn.com: Strengths: Is at his best running between the tackles. Has decent quickness and good initial burst. Has patience and vision. Hits the hole hard when he sees it open up. Will do a good job of planting and driving quickly in order to hit the cutback lane. Runs with good balance and body control. Runs with leverage, will lower his shoulder and does a very good job of driving his legs after initial contact. He is a powerful inside runner with enough quickness and burst to get through the hole and to bounce runs to the outside. Is a load to bring down with a head of steam in space. Has adequate speed for his size but is not a burner. He is an adequate blocker in the passing game. Shows decent awareness and has good size and power at the POA to pick up the blitz. His hands are smooth and he has developed into a reliable short-yardage receiver. A powerful back who has been a workhorse at the college level. Weaknesses: Has some burst to the second level but lacks the acceleration to run away from defenders in the open field. Lacks the natural speed to consistently turn the corner on the NFL level. Has reliable hands but isn't a matchup threat as a route runner and has some limitations in that area. No major injuries but has been nicked a lot throughout his career and also missed the '03 Holiday Bowl due to a pinched nerve in his neck. Has a lot of mileage on his legs 561 carries his last two years. Has had some off-the-field issues. Does he love playing the game of football? Will he work hard enough at it in the NFL? Overall: Benson was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round out of high school and spent two summers playing baseball in their farm system before deciding to concentrate fully on his football career. He had an excellent second-half of a season as a junior in 2003, rushing for 1,360 yards on 258 carries with 21 rushing touchdowns. Benson was expected to leave early but chose to return for his senior season in 2004. As a senior in 2004, Benson rushed for 1,764 yards and 19 touchdowns on 303 carries. Benson is a workhorse. He has size, power, quickness and enough speed to carry the load as a starting running back in the NFL. In that regard, he reminds us somewhat of Stephen Davis (Panthers). If used properly in a power running attack Benson can be a difference maker as a load-carrying NFL running back. Overall, Benson is certain to be a top-10 pick. However, there are some lingering concerns about his character, attitude and speed that make him a potential disappointment at the next level. In our opinion, Benson is the third-best NFL prospect of the top-3 backs in the 2005 draft class.

He has us taking Chris Williams and he has Mendenhall going at #15. I'd love it if we signed a guy like Max Starks, let St. Clair play left guard, and went after Mendenhall. It's not likely going to happen though. This was posted yesterday on ESPN INsider Miami remains mum on No. 1 overall pick By Mel Kiper Jr. ESPN.com (Archive) Updated: March 4, 2008 Comment Email Print A few notes from my second first-round projection for April's NFL draft: • The most notable change between my initial first-round projection and this one is that I have Virginia defensive end Chris Long going No. 1 overall to the Miami Dolphins. This is based on discussions with various NFL sources; however, Boston College QB Matt Ryan is still a distinct possibility to be the first pick. If Ryan goes No. 1 overall, then Long would go No. 2 to St. Louis, and Atlanta would take DT Glenn Dorsey with the third pick. The sources with whom I have spoken have no concerns about Dorsey's medical history. • The name you can expect to hear more leading up to the draft is Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Now that the Patriots have lost Asante Samuel to free agency, I have the Division I-AA cornerback going to New England with the seventh pick. If the Pats pass on Rodgers-Cromartie, the Saints could take him with the No. 10 pick. • Don't expect the Falcons to take Darren McFadden, because they just signed running back Michael Turner. Also, Minnesota won't be looking at a wide receiver in the first round because they've signed Bernard Berrian, so look for the Vikings to take a pass-rushing defensive end. * denotes underclassman Kiper's First-Round Projection Name Team Player School 1 Miami Dolphins Chris Long, DE Virginia 2 St. Louis Rams Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU 3 Atlanta Falcons Matt Ryan, QB Boston College 4 Oakland Raiders *Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas 5 Kansas City Chiefs Jake Long, OT Michigan 6 New York Jets *Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio St. 7 New England Patriots (from SF) Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee St. 8 Baltimore Ravens Sedrick Ellis, DT USC 9 Cincinnati Bengals *Phillip Merling, DE Clemson 10 New Orleans Saints Leodis McKelvin, CB Troy 11 Buffalo Bills *Malcolm Kelly, WR Oklahoma 12 Denver Broncos *Ryan Clady, OT Boise St. 13 Carolina Panthers *Derrick Harvey, DE Florida 14 Chicago Bears Chris Williams, OT Vanderbilt 15 Detroit Lions *Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois 16 Arizona Cardinals Keith Rivers, LB USC 17 Minnesota Vikings *Calais Campbell, DE Miami 18 Houston Texans *Jonathan Stewart, RB Oregon 19 Philadelphia Eagles Jeff Otah, OT Pittsburgh 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers *DeSean Jackson, WR California 21 Washington Redskins *Aqib Talib, CB Kansas 22 Dallas Cowboys (from CLE) *Felix Jones, RB Arkansas 23 Pittsburgh Steelers *Branden Albert, OG Virginia 24 Tennessee Titans *Jerod Mayo, LB Tennessee 25 Seattle Seahawks *Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State 26 Jacksonville Jaguars Kentwan Balmer, DT North Carolina 27 San Diego Chargers *Justin King, CB Penn State 28 Dallas Cowboys *Brandon Flowers, CB Virginia Tech 29 San Francisco 49ers (from IND) Gosder Cherilus, OT Boston College 30 Green Bay Packers Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida 31 New England Patriots Forfeited pick 32 New York Giants *Kenny Phillips, S Miami

Booker agreed to terms with the Bears damn near immediately after Jabar Gaffney agreed to terms with the Patriots. In other words, Booker was either hoping to land with NE, or he was hoping to use both teams against one another as leverage. The same thing happened with Demorrio Williams on Saturday. He was scheduled to meet with the Bears on Tuesday. The Bears resign Briggs, and within an hour he's a Chief. I find this interesting as hell for a lot of different reasons: 1. Those of us who follow the NFL "rumor-mill" constantly don't know nearly as much as we'd like to. The Chicago papers had reported the Bears seemed to have no interest in Booker. I have to think we'd been in contact for a while. 2. When did we offer Booker a contract? Was it right after we dumped Moose or after we lost Berrian? I'd like to know whether we really wanted him, or if this was an act of desperation. 3. How many other guys have the Bears made offers to that we haven't heard about??? My guess is we gave Bryan Johnson a figure, and he decided it'd be a waste of his time to visit Chicago.

What scares me about Ward is that him, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Brandon Jacobs all looked flat out great this year. Reuben Droughns looked good at times also. So either this team has the best group of running-backs ever assembled, or Derrick Ward was more the product of his system. Derrick Ward was picked #34 in the 7th round. That means he can't be much of a burner. Yes he tore up the Bears defense, but after week 3, who didn't??? I'd be extremely cautious about adding yet another mediocre running-back to the mix.

Bryan Johnson would be a much better choice, but I get the feeling he wants one helluva a lot of money. Seeing what Javon Walker & Bernard Berrian made, considering he's currently the best FA WR available. My guess is he'll get a Donte Stallworth like deal: 5 years, 25 million, 10 guaranteed. That's a helluva a lot for a guy who's best season is 740 yards & 4 TD's. you'd like a litle more production then that. As for Marion Barber, the Cowboys gave him the highest restricted tender, which means it'd cost us a 1st & a 3rd round draft pick to get him. If we need a running-back that bad, we're better off staying at #14 and drafting Mendenhall. I'd still like to see us get Julius Jones. I'm not a huge fan by any means, but he'd be an upgrade. I like Flacco as the 2nd round pick. He might be long gone by then.

This is an argument that was beat to death when he was first cut, but why the hell do we think he should produce more then Moose? Moose has outperformed him EVERY year since Booker left, and Moose signed. Booker is a veteran WR who hopefully won't have as many drops as Moose (although I doubt he'll be as good at getting in position.) I view this deal as a wash. Booker replaces Moose & should equal his production.

Agreed. Not to mention the bigger role that Greg Olsen should have with the team this year. Hell, Olsen might wind up being our #1 receiver. We still need to add another WR either through the draft or free agency. But this fills a major gap. All of us can momentarily quit freaking out for the moment.

Sorry for being redundant, but I thought that needed a !!! Here's the Brad Biggs story from the chicagosuntimes.com Bears bringing back Booker March 4, 2008 BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs@suntimes.com Three days after losing Bernard Berrian to the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears have brought back a wide receiver they always have called their own. Marty Booker agreed to a two-year contract Tuesday night. Booker, who holds the single-season franchise record with 100 receptions in 2001, chose the Bears over the New England Patriots. » Click to enlarge image Marty Booker signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears and will be leaving his post as wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. (AP) RELATED STORIES With no 'o' in Angelo, Bears can't score Blog: Updates from Inside the Bears The 10-year veteran was released by the Miami Dolphins last month and put his free-agent plans on hold while he explored a possible return to the Bears. They were more focused on working with their own free agents, but when Berrian departed for a six-year, $42 million deal with the Vikings, the Bears needed to make a move. Mark Bradley and Devin Hester were the only wide receivers under contract with a catch in the NFL. Booker visited the Patriots shortly after being let go by the Dolphins, but then interest in him quieted. The Bears got involved in the last few days. He had 50 receptions last season for 556 yards and one touchdown in a moribund Miami offense. The Dolphins cut him as Bill Parcells cleaned shop, and he was headed into the final season of a seven-year, $28 million contract the Bears gave him in 2002. He was traded to the Dolphins along with a third-round draft pick for defensive end Adewale Ogunleye at the end of the 2004 preseason

Agreed. Booker basically replaces Moose. He's consistently had less production then Moose but similar. We now need a replacement for Berrian. Although I have a bad feeling that replacement will be the combination of Devin Hester/Mark Bradley. The nice thing is that Booker has played in at least 14 games every year since he left the Bears.

Hey Slick, thanks for the breaking news but you really need to title something like that, "Bear's sign Booker!" I clicked on it thinking it was another "Why we should sign Booker" post. But you were all over that. Thanks for the quick info. It's very ironic we only let Booker go because Terry Shea hated him & we wanted Wale. Because of that we signed Moose. Carolina let Moose go because they couldn't afford him. Now both guys are back.

Yes!!! He had to be cheap as hell. The sad part is, he's automatically our #1 WR. Hopefully we'll keep after Bryan Johnson. Here's the suntimes blog report from Brad Biggs: Booker agrees to two-year deal with Bears Three days after losing Bernard Berrian to the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears have brought back a receiver they have always called their own. Marty Booker agreed to a two-year contract Tuesday night. Booker, who holds the franchise record with 100 receptions from 2001, chose the Bears over the New England Patriots. Even after trading Booker with a third-round pick to the Dolphins in 2004, general manager Jerry Angelo would refer to him as ``our Marty Booker,'' a sign of the regard he held him in. Now, he is theirs again. Check back for more details soon

None of these guys received much interest from the Bears, but the offensive pool continues to dwindle: Javon Walker close to deal with Raiders: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3277219 T.J. Duckett to Seattle: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3277080 Jabar Gaffney signs with New England: http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

A reasonable deal, sure they'd match it. But if the Bears decide we want him bad enough, wouldn't they have one helluva a time matching a deal that contained a big roster bonus??? It basically comes down to whether or not we want to pay a ton for another RT. Agreed. It is tempting as hell to think about. I laughed at everyone who brought that up, and then I started thinking about what AP did for the Vikings. Damn it'd be nice to have a game-breaking running-back. I just hope like hell we sign someone like Derrick Ward or Julius Jones. Since it won't happen in round 1, I sure as hell don't want to see us take another 2nd tier RB in round 3.