Wesson44

Looking ahead: Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich thought he would be drafted by the Bears in 2003 and apparently wouldn’t mind playing in Chicago next season. “We are in the playoff run right now, so I don’t even want to go there, but tell them to look me up,” Leftwich told the Chicago Sun-Times following the Steelers’ 35-24 playoff win over the Chargers Sunday. “I’m a fan of Lovie Smith, I’ll just say that. I thought that was where I was going to go in the beginning. I remember hoping that I would go there. I just wanted to be a part of the tradition, the history of the Bears. You’re growing up, watching games at Soldier Field on TV. I wanted to be a part of that coming out. I thought there was a chance I would go there. “I want a chance to go somewhere and play. I guess everybody wanted to see if I am healthy, and now they can see it. I’m ready to play again.” Leftwich was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the seventh overall pick in the 2003 draft. The Bears had the fourth choice, but traded down twice in the first round, ultimately drafting defensive end Michael Haynes at No. 14 and quarterback Rex Grossman at No. 22. In six seasons with the Jaguars (2003-06), Falcons (2007) and Steelers (2008), Leftwich has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 9,624 yards with 54 TDs, 38 interceptions and an 80.3 passer rating. Leftwich has appeared in just 14 games the past three seasons after playing in 15, 14 and 11 in his first three years in the league with Jacksonville. He's due to become an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 27.

Adam Schefter Will Delhomme return to Carolina next season? Posted: January 11th, 2009 | Adam Schefter | Tags: Carolina Panthers, Derek Anderson, Jake Delhomme, Michael Vick Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Tampa Bay is no longer the lone NFC South team expected to be looking for a quarterback this offseason. With his woeful performance Saturday night, Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme made Tarvaris Jackson look like Bart Starr. In fact, the five interceptions Delhomme threw Saturday night were two more than Starr threw in his entire postseason career that consisted of 213 passing attempts. With his 39.1 passer rating (which seemed more like 0.0), Delhomme now is in the conversation for the worst game ever by a quarterback in a big spot. Now the question becomes what will happen to Delhomme, especially considering that he carries a team-high $11 million salary-cap figure for next season. If the Panthers release Delhomme, they would save a whopping $6.325 million against next season’s salary cap — perhaps enough to pursue another quarterback such as Cleveland’s Derek Anderson or even Michael Vick. It will be challenging for Carolina and its fans to trust Delhomme after Saturday night’s divisional playoff loss.

For me either David Carr or Jeff Garcia. Carr has the tools but he just never had the line to go with those tools and he can throw the ball. Garcia can throw but he can also make things happen with his legs. We should have signed him before he went to Detroit.

Yes count me in on this too. IMHO Metcalf and Miller are gone and Tait is old. Has anyone heard about OG Adams we signed last yea?

Seahawks Add WR Mike Hass by Ed Thompson of ScoutNFLNetwork.com, January 7, 2009 at 9:29pm ET Mike Hass Profile Scout.com has learned that former Chicago Bears wide receiver Mike Hass signed a two-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday. Hass, who was released by the Bears at the end of August, had drawn early-season interest from both the Giants and the Seahawks. He was originally a sixth-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints back in 2006.

When i said both sides of the ball, look at some of the games were the lg and rg both block him on the same play because the other guys are one on one blocking our front four plus the back three. Yes last year he didn't play as close to the line as they did this year...were you even watching the games? Yes the bottom line is you need to play better yes I agree with that, but you can't always make sugar out of sh**. If you are getting block because of the scheme and others not playing well you are going to be an all pro nothing. The same with hester on the returns, guys are standing around watching instead of blocking somebody that's why he goes nowhere.

For a list of QB'S to pick from....is that the best you can do? LOL

How could you say it would hyrt the wildcat? Ok picture this you and your defense trying to stop Vick, Hester Forte, Olsen and Wolfe(if used right). Didn't Vick and Dunn both run for 1000 yards while in Atlanta? You can run Vick and Hester to the outside or Hike the ball to Hester have himlateral it to Vick who throws it to Olsen wide open or a WR down feild. Someone is bound on your defense to miss an assignment like Manning did against Houston trying to play the run or Tillman did against the Vikings for Berrian 99 yard TD, not to mention who can catch Vick(if he still has the same speed) when he gets into the open? I don't say Vick is the answer to our QB problems but Its worth a look to see and who are we going to get other than Warner(37, Garcia(38) collins(37) and or a rookie. Olsen was a great pick last year,but I would have picked Flacco. So who are we ging to pick at QB, Bradford, Stafford, Harrell, who?

That was easy for Briggs to do playing on the outside in which you have defenders coming at you from one side. But urlacher plays in the middle and has blockers coming from both sides of the ball. Like someone said eariler its hard to shed blockers that you d line is supossed to be holding with a double team. Also him standing at the line only give the Oline blocking assignments and if teams can block one on one with the LT,LG,C,RG,RT,TE and RB thats 7 on 7. How many times did D.Mannig get to the QB when we actually called for him to blitz? This scheme we have sucks. Look at the Giants, Philly, Dallas, Ravens and other teams that can get to the QB by the schemes they run.Its not just Urlacher truxt me!

Out of those draft picks only Sims was a true stud playes at LB. The others were products of a good system. Now Boss is gone to Denver and still sits the bench, Lehman and Dixon are average like Williams and Roach for us.

See the problem is with the Cardinals is the same with the BROWNS and will be with the PATRIOTS. you are paying your second string alot of money to do nothing but watch. Cassell will be tagged and if Brady comes back Cassell will be traded. Warner is a FA with high priced Matt waiting in the wings. Anderson has Quinn waiting and one of them has got to go.

LOL that was funny!!!

January 6, 2009 BY CAROL SLEZAK cslezak@suntimes.com Now that general manager Jerry Angelo has established quarterback as the Bears' highest priority, I'm thinking about Michael Vick. He's scheduled to be released from prison July 20, and he has made it clear he wants to resume his football career. He's an intriguing possibility for a team in search of quarterback help. I wonder if this town could forgive his crimes. Before his hidden life became public knowledge, Vick was the most exciting player in the NFL and one of its most popular players, as well. The former No. 1 overall pick is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and took the Falcons to the playoffs twice. And while he wasn't a great passer, his running ability made him a constant threat. Defenses had to respect him, and they did. Let's assume he will leave federal prison rehabilitated in every way. Let's assume he has learned the serious nature of his crimes and is repentant. Let's assume he is drug-free. Let's assume that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reinstates him. Under these circumstances, is there any reason why the Bears shouldn't be interested in him? No, we don't know what kind of shape he'll be in after nearly two years in prison. But Vick always has been a remarkable athlete, and he's only 28. Good quarterbacks are tough to develop and tough to find on the open market. The position has been a particular challenge for the Bears throughout franchise history. Not that I'm ruling Kyle Orton out of the picture, mind you. But Angelo has made his priorities clear. If nothing else, he wants to see competition at the position. Vick would do the trick. Vick needs to apologize first But I wonder if people can get past the dogfighting. Can they get past the fact that Vick tortured and killed helpless animals? His crimes seemed particularly heinous to most of us. The public outcry was enormous. Americans love dogs. Our vilification of Vick was immediate and complete. When he's released, one of the first things he must do is make a sincere public apology. To convince people that he understands the cruelty of his actions, he'll have to team up with animal-rights organizations. That's his best hope to keep the animal brigades off his back. But sports fans have a long history of forgiving. If Vick still can play, and play well, we'll forgive him, too. The Associated Press recently spoke to PETA spokesman Dan Shannon, who said PETA will reconsider its position regarding Vick if he gets ''as active fighting against dogfighting as he was participating in it. ... That will determine not just how PETA reacts, but also how the public and the NFL and individual teams react.'' Fair enough, considering Vick's crimes. Sometimes jail time isn't enough. Sometimes society demands more. When considering Vick's future, let's not pretend the NFL is filled with perfect citizens. For every all-around good guy like Mike Brown, there's another Plaxico Burress or Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson waiting to be found out. Vick deserves a chance to resume his career. There will be strings attached, of course. Morals clauses and counseling sessions and whatever else the league or a team might ask for to cover its risk. But in all likelihood, Vick will get another chance somewhere. Why not here? Let's not forget that he already has paid a huge price for his crimes. In addition to his loss of freedom, he has lost all his money. He was once the most popular athlete in Atlanta, but the Falcons have made it clear they want nothing to do with him. He was the kind of guy kids emulated. No longer. He has a lot of work ahead of him to rebuild his reputation in the community. But when it comes to the league, all that matters is whether he still can play. He deserves a chance to put his mistakes behind him. Better option than McNabb If Angelo isn't convinced that Orton is the guy, and Vick is available, is there any reason why the Bears shouldn't consider him? A lot of fans would like to see Donovan McNabb return home to Chicago, but McNabb is still the Eagles' property, and he's also 32 and pretty beat up. Matt Cassel? The Patriots reportedly will put the franchise tag on him, which would make him an expensive acquisition if they decide to make him available. If Angelo goes the free-agent route, he'll have to settle for an older player such as Kerry Collins or Jeff Garcia to fill the gap or go with a comparatively inexperienced, unaccomplished younger player such as the Bills' J.P. Losman, whose one promising season came in 2006. None of the available options is a sure thing. Not that Vick is a sure thing. There are plenty of hurdles ahead for him. But when the time comes, any team in search of a quarterback should at least give him a look.

IMHO looking at past Tampa Bay games Beunning should be starting at RG over Garza.

It might be a good thing...we have more talent for them to work with than the Lions had.

One word....MONEY!!!!!

IMHO they are not going to let ST.Clair get away. Miller won't be back

Bears seeking family plan? By Vaughn McClure | Tribune reporter 10:01 PM CST, January 6, 2009 If Joe Barry had his preference, his next family reunion would take place in Chicago. Barry's father-in-law, Rod Marinelli, has an opportunity to join the Bears staff. Barry wouldn't mind tagging along. "If I had an opportunity to work for Lovie Smith, I would cherish it," said Barry, who was fired as Detroit's defensive coordinator when Marinelli was dismissed as the Lions head coach. "I have a relationship with coach Smith. I have a relationship with [general manager] Jerry Angelo. So if that was an opportunity, it would be something I definitely would be interested in." The Bears haven't fired Bob Babich, but they've fired the three position coaches under him. 2008 Bears results The opportunity might have presented itself Tuesday. The Bears fired linebackers coach Lloyd Lee after one season, the second defensive assistant to be cut from the staff. Defensive backs coach Steven Wilks was let loose last week. Defensive line coach Brick Haley is set to take the same position at LSU. The Bears would not confirm Marinelli was offered the defensive line job, but his reputation as a defensive line specialist certainly makes him a front-runner for the position. He interviewed for the defensive coordinator job in Seattle Monday. The Bears could designate him an assistant head coach. Marinelli and Barry earned national attention after Detroit News columnist Rod Parker asked Marinelli, "On a light note, do you wish your daughter would have married a better defensive coordinator?" during a postgame press conference. Parker resigned Tuesday. Barry, a self-proclaimed Smith clone, all but volunteered his services when asked about the possibility of coaching the Bears linebackers. His Lions defense finished last in the league, yielding more than 400 yards per game. "I just want to coach," Barry said. "I love coaching. Obviously linebackers are what I coached before I became a coordinator. I want to coordinate in this league. I want to be a head coach in this league. But if I have to go back and be a linebackers coach again, I would definitely do it. That's what I am." No matter whom the Bears bring in to coach the linebackers, it would mark the fourth coach in as many seasons at the position. Lee succeeded Hardy Nickerson, who stepped down after the 2007 season. Bob Babich coached the linebackers for three seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator. Linebacker Lance Briggs figured Lee's status was in doubt. He had planned to take Lee to the Pro Bowl next month in Hawaii, but Lee unexpectedly canceled the trip Monday night. "I've always liked Lloyd Lee," Briggs said. "He was a preacher of fundamentals. He didn't miss out on any details. If there was something in the playbook we needed to know or prepare for, Lloyd made sure we knew it. He would repeat it until it was beat into our minds." Briggs won't beat himself up over the coaching changes that have taken place or may be in the works. Babich was supposed to be the one under fire, but nothing has been revealed about his status. It remains unclear where Marinelli fits into the puzzle, but his strong friendship with Smith and the glowing endorsement he received from Angelo would indicate his addition to the staff is a priority. "I don't know what's going to happen," Briggs said. "I'm a player. Players play, coaches coach."

Kurt Warner should be high on Chicago Bears' shopping list Bears would be wise to show interest in 37-year-old potential Hall of Fame QB David Haugh | On the Bears January 6, 2009 An NFL general manager who establishes finding a quarterback as his team's top off-season priority, as Jerry Angelo has for the Bears, is like an astronaut who says he is ready to soar into space. Conceptually, there can be no limits to the possibilities, or what's the use? That thought left the deepest impression when considering how the Bears viewed the first round of the NFL playoffs, a weekend that included 37-year-old free-agent-to-be Kurt Warner taking the Arizona Cardinals franchise to uncharted postseason territory. Warner looked like the guy with two league MVP trophies on his mantel in completing 19 of 32 passes for 271 yards, two TDs and one interception in Saturday's 30-24 win over Atlanta. In Arizona, he's hotter than a black asphalt driveway, and the Cardinals would be foolish to let him hit the open market. 2008 Bears results Yet as NFL.com reminded every quarterback-deficient team in the league Sunday, Warner and the Cardinals have made no progress in contract talks. Despite Warner's stated goal to retire with Arizona, various reports depict the two sides as being no closer than tourists on opposite ends of a famous canyon in the state. The Cardinals have several expensive players to re-sign this off-season and still have a young quarterback waiting in the wings: Matt Leinart, in whom they still believe and in whom they have invested millions. Wishful thinking or not, the situation bears monitoring for Angelo if even the slightest chance exists of Warner hitting the open market. There would be no shame in Kyle Orton biding time behind a potential Hall of Fame quarterback such as Warner, who might have two good years left and be relatively affordable with a contract that reflects that. Now that it appears Donovan McNabb will be going nowhere this off-season but to a bank in Philadelphia with a new contract, the Bears have to turn their most ambitious thoughts to Warner. Besides the Chicago connection with Lovie Smith, who was the Rams' defensive coordinator when Warner led the team to the 2002 Super Bowl, Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, also works in the city. The Bears missed out on an opportunity to sign Warner in 2005 when he visited Halas Hall. He wanted an assurance he could compete for the starting job, something the Bears were unwilling to give with Rex Grossman in place. As legend has it, the quarterback-cursed franchise also lost out in 1997 when Warner had to cancel a tryout with the Bears because of swelling in his right arm caused by a spider bite suffered on his honeymoon. What a tangled quarterback web the Bears have woven since then. From a marketing standpoint, Chicago would be an ideal spot for Warner to position himself for life after football, especially if he's interested in broadcasting. But from a football standpoint, Warner or any other quarterback might need a psychological exam if he chose the Bears over a Cardinals team with a Pro Bowl tandem of wide receivers. Still, money can be persuasive even to the most philanthropic of quarterbacks. So if the Cardinals allow Warner to enter free agency and a bidding war ensues in March, the Bears truly have to consider putting themselves in the middle of it. Two league developments over the weekend provided evidence for Angelo to support the contention that better quarterback play, more than anything else, can help the Bears return to the playoffs next season. Exhibit A came from the report that the Patriots intend to use a $14 million franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel, who likely will back up Tom Brady—committing $29 million (24 percent) of the salary cap to the position. Exhibit B came when Joe Flacco of the Ravens and Chad Pennington of the Dolphins—first-year starters for their teams—faced off. Given the number of teams that made the playoffs with first-year quarterbacks (three) and the success of what Angelo referred to as the "over-the-hill quarterback gang," the Bears must keep every option open to remain consistent in their thinking. Even options that might seem unattainable now. A team searching harder for a quarterback than for any other player cannot afford to ignore the most qualified one if he becomes available.

January 6, 2009 Bears release linebackers coach Lloyd Lee By: By Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 1/6/2009 6:07 PM LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears on Tuesday released linebackers coach Lloyd Lee. Lee originally joined the team in 2004 as a defensive quality control coach, a role which he filled for two seasons before becoming a defensive assistant working with linebackers in 2006 and nickel backs in 2007. This past season was Lee’s first as linebackers coach. Last Tuesday the Bears released defensive backs coach Steve Wilks after three seasons with the team. Another defensive assistant who won’t return in 2009 is line coach Brick Haley, who is pursuing an opportunity at the college level. Haley was with the Bears for two seasons.

IMHO you would have to take a look at Vick. Now I don't stand beeehind the dog fighting thing but as a fan wanting the Bears to win games he could be dangerous if we had him . There is this formation called the wildcat I'm sure you have heard of it. Now lets just stop and imagine if we had, lets say Vick, Hester and Forte & Wolfe. This would be a nightmare f other teams to try to stop. For the record Vick can or could throw the deep pass, he made his TE Pro Bowl material for years, oh and when he was throwing to White and Jenkins get this THEY COULD NOT CATCH at the time so it made Vick look worst then he was. Hell Davis, Booker,Hester, lloyd all make Orton look bad when they drop good passes. I think if we had Vick at QB Olsen would make the Pro Bowl!

well get over being pissed the Queens lost!!!

No Briggs was different....we did offer him a new contract and he didn't take it until he found out it would be the same as what other teams were trying to give him

Yes i understand all that....but we need to make some changes and I don't see why we can't cut Vasher lose like the rumor is we will and pick up that corner from Oakland. I really didn't have my hopes up for any of these guys because i know the Bears track record in FA to go get players that are medicore at best to fill need spots.

IMHO the reason the 2008 Bears didn't make the playoffs was because of coaching or the lack of it.With all the moving of players to different positions, using schemes to put the LB'S at the line, schemes to use your corners in the bail instead of jam off the line, squip kicks, playing too deep at the end of the game with 6 seconds left, going for it on fourth and one by handing off to the fullback, not using Olsen,Clark & Davis(TE) in the red zone, running Forte bewteen the tackles 80% of the time and not outside more. Not using Hester/Wolfe on the little underneath screens to get them out in space. Trying to throw deep with Orton who was either throwing the ball too deep or too short to be caught. Not putting the right players on the field that can either block,catch or tackle. And yes some of it is the players too,