nfoligno

"Hope for the best, Expect the worst". Yea, when it comes to the Bears, that is pretty much my motto. Likely why I write as I do, and thus get ripped for being negative, but that is what this team has made me believe. I pray w/ my children each night the team will prove me wrong, and "make me see the light", but w/ each day comes another validation of my negative belief. This offseason, when it comes to staffing, I am taking a glass half full look (at least for now). Babich likely belongs on the unemployment line, BUT he is no longer calling the D and is back to a job he did well enough in the past. Brick is gone (an answer to my prayers) and while Marinelli may be a PR issue in my mind (Lovie's BFF & 0-16 team), he is back to the area he did very well. Lovie, while I always felt he was over-rated as a DC, he is light years better than Babich, and his taking over finally forces a level of accountability on someone I feel has thus far escaped it. So in terms of personnel thus far, I would say we made steps in the right direction. Now, lets see if we upgrade at OL and WR, and I don't mean 2nd day draft picks.

$10m per year? It's late, and maybe i have had one too many, but that sounds up there. So you think he is going to get a 7 year, $70m deal? Hutchinson, the considered the best OG in the game, got a 7yr/$49m deal that averaged $7m per year, and that was considered a shattering deal. Last year, the Jets signed Faneca to a deal that would average $8m, but was on the short side (4 years), and again, we are talking about someone considered among the elite. I can't think of any big ticket OT signings of late, but I just can't see how Carey would average $10m per year. While you can argue OTs make more than OGs, I would argue OGs have been closing the gap. I do not think an above average OT will get a deal greater than the elite OGs. If Carey were the best available, who knows, but he is actually down the list, which is partly why I like him. OTs many/ most rank ahead of Carey who will be FAs this year include: Jordan Gross, Carolina Panthers Mark Tauscher, Green Bay Packers Marvel Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers Jahri Evans (restricted), New Orleans Saints Jason Brown (restricted), Baltimore Ravens Stacy Andrews, Cincinnati Bengals Khalif Barnes, Jacksonville Jaguars Vernon Carey, Miami Dolphins You can argue Carey should be higher than some (I would) but he is not at the top, and not nearly in the same tier as Gross, or even Tauscher for that matter. W/ so many OTs on the market this year, no way Carey gets $10m per year. If he does, then I will take a pass. I like him, but not "that" much.

That could be a possiblity, but I see us adding some players with the growing pressure coming on Lovie/JA. If we were to move forward money, maybe they will do it to help out eventually moving on w/ Urlacher and Vasher as there play seems to be diminised the most. No argument, I was just throwing out alternatives. I do think we will spend money, but I have a feeling it will be on players we have not talked about much. That always seems to be what happens. Hopefully STL looks to rebuild and lets him walk. After him, I like Phillips out of Tampa, who may be a little cheaper. Like I said, I like him too, but even if Stl is looking to rebuild, you would think they would try to keep the few good players they currently have on the roster, especially the good YOUNG players. I want him, but just don't think the odds are great he will be available. I'm not high on Simms myself, but unless we go after Warner, I think Simms can be a stop gap to backup Orton for 1 year, Or maybe even Leftwich which some have mentioned. Whats really bad about the FA QB's, I'd rather keep Grossman for another yr just to see if Orton can take another step to earn a long term contract. I am not even going to address the Grossman aspect, but of those available, Simms is simply WAY down my list. Boller, Loseman, Carr, Leftwhich and others I would take over Simms. It's hard to actually judge how Carey has done since you really don't here much about RT's in the league. All I really know is he was pretty good at the U. and he has played some LT also w/ the phins. The type of RT is personally want is the best run blocking, especially if Orton is to stay QB. As for cutting Tait, does anyone know what we'd save or lose. Maybe cutting Tait can cover resigning St. Clair. Well, Miami's OL improved this year, and Carey was part of that. I think he would be a solid addition. As for Tait, I don't know the numbers, but as I recall, we frontloaded a good bit of his deal, and as he is in the final year or two of his deal, I would think cutting him would save coin. Agree we could use that savings to sign St. Clair. I really don't think we'll do a whole lot to upgrade the interior in FA, I would like to see us draft a G in the 3rd RD like Canfield. We also have Buenning who I think we'll get more of a look this offseason. You also got to expect Beekman will keep his job next year as he was better than expected and another offseason he should really improve by just knowing were he needs to be in terms of strength. I can see JA cutting Tait, Garza, Metcalf if he brings in Carey, resigns St. Clair, and Buenning is ready to go. I just have no clue on Buenning. When it comes to him, I see a player we might have some hope for, but not one we plan around. I don't see much in FA for OG either, which is why I like the idea of re-signing St. Clair, drafting an OG and signing a legit starting RT. I here you there, but w/ only 25 million or so to work with I'm not sure if we can squeeze a FA WR in. Maybe we can work it out were we can bring in a Clayton from Tampa or A. Bryant. Or if were confident DM can play FS and we move Vasher to nickel, we can use the Atogwe money on Housh? First, I think Bryant is going to cost quite a bit after the year he had. Second, I see no reason we couldn't sign all the players you mention AND a stud WR. Cut Tait, and I bet we save closer than not to $5m. That gives us around $30m. Carey isn't going to cost a ton. Not w/ so many other OTs in front of him. If you look at the list of FA OTs, he would likely rank in the 6-10 range. St. Clair won't cost much. The only player you mention who could cost is the S, and I am not sure his year one cap hit would be that great. Point is, while we talk about a number of players, I don't think any are that big, at least in terms contracts and SB. W/ that said, while I do think we will be players in FA, I have far less confidence Angelo will be a player for a WR like TJ, and for me, none of the players we talked about would make as great of an impact as he.

What an "out there" statement. No way we get a 2nd franchise before a city like LA gets one. And as was mentioned in the article, while Daley may want another team, you can bet Bear fans would be against it. Really makes so sense. I would think, politically, this would be a negative for Daly as he would really piss off Bear fans, which is probably the majority of his votes.

Not at all. Seriously, I don't expect our staff to reveal their plans. It would be ignorant to expect them to say, "X is our #1 priority, and we intend to sign one of the top FAs at that need this year". At the same time, my thing is, if you are going to be honest about evaluating a player like Hester, why at the same time toss out BS about a unit like the OL. If Angelo truly believes our OL is fine, then he is alone. I have said this before, but is it really revealing a team secret to say our OL is not where we want it, and needs to get better?

I believe he was 27 or just turned 28. I don't think age was a factor though. I am not sure if it was system or what, but Kearse became basically a non-factor in Phily. In fact, at 32, some may argue he played better as a rotation guy for Tenn this year than he did at a younger age, as a starter, for Phily. But I am not sure we can simply point to Kearse and say that didn't work, so Peppers wouldn't. Heck, we can look at a more recent example w/ Jared Allen.

That's a good point. We have all talked about how we lined up Urlacher, but what has not been discussed much is how this will change next year. DL - Often I felt our DL was lined up too tight, which doesn't give the DEs much advantage hitting the edge. LB - Often discussed, but will the LBs do that stupid fake blitz, playing ontop of the DL, then running backward. CB - Will they continue to lineup 8-10 yards off the LOS, then funnel everything inside w/o challenge? S - Will our FS continue to lineup so deep that he has taken himself out of the picture, and we are essentially left w/ 10 guys on the field? We often played our FS as if he were simply insurance for a big play. Gotta wonder how much of what we saw Babich run will be changed by Lovie. At the same time, I will have to wonder why Lovie, if he felt changes were necessary, didn't step in sooner.

One thing I don't get is everyone thinking we won't be a big player in FA this year. We will have 25-26 mil in available cap and who do we really have on our roster that we will be putting money up on? That money will have to be spent somewhere. I expect some big moves, heres a possiblity: Yea, I have considered that too. I think we very well could be players in FA. As you mentioned, we have plenty of cap space and few (if any) players worth an extension or re-signing. One thing though. Is it not also possible we don't utilize all our cap this year if we don't see FAs we like? For example, we and others use that unlikely to reach incentives (or whatever they are called) which eats current cap space, but adds to the cap space in later years. Its why we have $25m instead of $19 this year. If we are not thrilled w/ who is out there, we can once again see this. Not saying we will, should, or that I would, but simply adding an element. As you said, we have space and few to sign, which would mean you have to use the cap space. Thus why I am throwing out there an added possibility. One more thing, and this would absolutely fall in line w/ our past deals. While we may get some FAs, it is also possible we pay fewer FAs more upfront, while making theirs deals lighers down the road. I think we did that w/ Tait and others too. Rather than shell out $15m SB (example only), we give a $5m roster bonus and $10m SB. Thus, the player is going to cost about $5m more against the cap this year, but less thereafter. Anyway, just throwing out alternative possibilities in genera. Now to the specific. OJ Atowge FS - Even though JA said Manning will get looked at again at FS and were crowded at CB with average. We could really solidify the D with finally adding a topflight FS. Atowge will get top dollar at FS if STL don't resign/tag him. Using Ken Hamlin's contract heres what to expect: I have been talking about Atowge for over a month or so. I think he makes absolute sense in so many ways. Not only does he give us our first true FS in a LONG time, but he is a veteran, and thus we would not have the learning curve or inexperience factor we would if we drafted a rookie. The problem may be, will he hit FA? I have heard/read many who do not believe StL will let him go. They will either re-sign him prior to FA or could even tag him, particularly as it doesn't cost nearly as much to tag a S as it does so many other positions. If he does hit FA though, I would be all over him. For the record, I believe we have plenty of cap space, so unless we begin to talk about adding 2 or 3 of the truly big ticket FAs, I don't see the need to break down contracts. Chris Simms QB- JA said QB will be a priortiy until they get it right. They have always been high on Simms since he was drafted. He can come in a compete with Orton and push him to improve. Looking for a similiar contract a backup QB just signed, I used Seneca Wallace. While I agree Simms may be on our radar, and agree he is a possibility, few moves would make me as sick. I followed Simms since college, and even Texan fans were not high on him. He started at Texas due to his name, not performance. Major Applewhite should have started over Simms in college. In Simms, you have Rex Grossman. Even in college, it was known that if you pressured him, he wilted. Lucky for him that on Texas, he played behind an OL that didn't allow many teams to pressure him, but that was also why he stunk against Oklahoma. They could pressure him, and it was ugly. No change since entering college. He has the name and physical tools, but not the head. Wow, where does that sound familiar. There are a slew of young QBs w/ some experience who could be added for depth and/or some competition. I just pray it isn't Simms. Vernon Carey RT - To help solidy the Oline, JA may look back to FA. Carey is a RT who right now would prefer to stay in Miami where he played college ball, but a lucrative deal and maybe some swaying from Hester and Olsen can land CHI a solid RT. Using David Stewarts contract from the Titans should be close to what it would take. Actually, Carey is exactly who I mentioned too. There are better OTs in FA, but they are going to cost a ton too. Carey could actually be even cheaper this year than you think due to how many OTs are in front of him. Either way, I see him as a solid addition. The only question is, do we cut Tait? I would, but I am not sure angelo will. There should be a player or two that we can cut that will increase our cap for a little more flexiblity with rookie pool, etc. If we add a RT, you have to believe we will cut Tait, which I think adds considerable cap space. If we add a DE, you have to believe we cut Wale, which again, adds space. Frankly, I think the FAs you mention would be relatively easy to add. In fact, I think we could do far more if we wanted. I think we will also add St. Clair. While you added Carey, we did nothing to upgrade our interior, and adding St. Clair provided depth all over the OL, as well as upgrades our LG position. The only other issue I have w/ your plan is the lack of a WR. I know you mention drafting a WR in the 2nd round, but sorry, a 2nd round WR is not all we are lacking. If we finish this offseason w/ a 2nd round Wr as our only upgrade, I think we will have blown it.

I would argue you are wrong on both points. One. I disagree we had a worse DL in '07 than '08. Wale played at a higher level, as did Harris. And while our rotations of Walker, Adams and Idonije was nothing to write home about, it was leaps and bounds better than Dusty. I know Idonije, Adams and Harrison were all part of the team, but until mid season (about a game before his injury) we were really playing Dusty a lot. In fact, Adams was not even active on game days for 1/2 the season. So I would strongly disagree that our DL this year was better than the previous. In fact, I would argue it was significantly worse. Not until later in the year, after we replaced Dusty, did our DL begin to show signs of life. Oh yea. And this is when most believe Urlacher picked him game up too. Coincidence? Two. While our DTs are one gap, compared to the two gap Washington/Traylor years, the ends are expected to be similar, even if the means are not. In the 2 gap, your wide bodies take up the space and blockers w/ pure girth. In the one gap, you don't have wide bodies, but the theory is your DTs use speed and quickness to force teams to double cover them. So even though they are not as big, they are still expected to force double teams. They didn't. I am not sure if you simply hate Urlacher, or if you believe any defense of Urlacher is an attack on the scheme you so want to defend, but come on. There is not a poster here who will not put some of the blame on Urlacher, but you seem unwilling to accept there may have been other factors. Does our replacing all position coaches and demoting our DC not indicate even Angelo and Lovie believe coaching as a partial factor in our defenses bad play. No one is going to argue Urlacher could have, and should have, done more. At the same time, I think most believe coaching and DL were contributing factors, and it blows my mind that you (w/ a coaching background) can not even see it, or will not admit it if you do. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. There can be more than one factor/reason when a player/unit/team doesn't do well, and in fact, it most often is multiple factors.

I've never understood the "move Tillman to FS" movement, except for a few years ago when we thought he sucked. Honestly, I don't know that I've ever heard talk about Vasher being moved except for the board. To me it just makes sense because Vasher's been demoted and we are desperate for a FS. Started years ago. When we drafted him, I don't recall which of our coaches said it, but he said that if Tillman didn't make it as a CB, he could be an all-pro safety. Frankly, since then, anytime he struggled, it was talked about. Maybe it was talked about most heavily on this board, but also often in the media, and I have heard the coaches make comments that lead me to believe it has at some points at least been considered by them too. I don't think Vasher could be much worse at FS then the guys we've had. If DM is our starting nickel-back, Graham is our corner, you don't think we should cut Vasher, then what should we do with him? First, let me get this out there. I think there is a very real chance Vasher is still out starting CB for game one next year. Vasher is yet another player who seemed to tank after Rivera left. In fact, this year, he seemed to let the frustrations surface when he started to essentially call out babich. As I recall, he said something about not being the one telling the corners where to line up, and not being the one telling them to play the outside and give up the inside. Anyway, call it excuses, but his play took a 180 turn after Babich took over, and I simply wonder if he isn't a player we are going to see make a turnaround. But, lets assume for the sake of this argument Vasher does not win the starting job. Are you so sure DM wins the nickel job over him too? Heck, based on Angelo's recent comments, it sure sounds like (despite what we may think) Angelo wants DM back at FS. Either way, I am not 100% (or close to it) DM beats Vasher out for the nickel job. I simply do not see the point in cutting Vasher. You are assuming Graham is our long term starter. You are assuming DM can and will play nickel. And you are assuming we will be injury free, because if you cut Vasher, we have virtually no depth, and in fact likely have to make CB a need this offseason. A year from now, maybe, but I simply don't see the logic today. I will say I agreed with moving DM to FS during the Houston game since we were depleted in the secondary. But that game proved we not only need a FS, but a back-up FS. Payne looks good, but he'll never be great. Steltz might be a stand-out on special teams. I'm assuming McGowan will be gone . . . I disagree w/ the move for that game too. DM is just not a FS, and in fact, he made the same damn mistake he made in the past. But regardless of that, I agree FS is a top need. IMHO, the problem is Angelo for years has drafted SS' to play FS. Even Steltz was labeled in most predraft stuff as an in-the-box safety, and yet we draft him to play FS. Disagree with us going after a safety. With the exception of DT, there's no other position JA has sought to fill then safety. We draft one damn near every year: Chris Harris, DM, Steltz, Payne, AND we gave up a 4th or 5th round pick to get Arch. (Was McGowan a 7th round pick or an undrafted FA?) And what do we have to show for it? Payne is mediocre at best and we have no FS. Sorry, but 2nd day picks and FAs on their last chance are not what I call addressing a position. I am not discounting 2nd day picks, but if you continually address a position w/ 2nd day picks and undrafted rookie FAs, to me, that is a loud message. I simply do not believe we have ever made S (FS or SS) a priority. IMHO, in Angelo's world, it starts up front, and the further back you go, the less important. The secondary as a whole is simply not worth as much because in our scheme, it all starts up front. The difference between Graham & McBride, is that we really like Graham's size & speed, and he would have been drafted much higher if he hadn't been injured his senior year. McBride looked better last year, but he was given a lot more opportunities since this year he was demoted. Assuming we keep DM at nickel, which should happen, we have Bowman & McBride as back-ups with room to draft one more. First, does it not seem like everyone we draft, we say (he would have been drafted higher but....). I bet every teams fans say the same thing about their players. Second, I am sorry, but are you looking at the depth chart you are writing up? McBride (coming off a downward year) and Bowman (part of one game experience) are the backups. You mention drafting another, which likely would be later, but damn. That is some very questionable depth. Tillman has been injured all year, and was hurt last year. Should we assume he doesn't get hurt next? Again, our depth chart simply look a lot better IMHO w/ Vasher than w/o. If we needed the money and couldn't afford him, that would be one thing, but w/ around $25m cap space, I don't see that as a need. As I mentioned, I could see us doing the same thing we did with RMJ: Keep him around but not give him a real chance to win his job back. Unless there's a roster bonus due, it doesn't benefit us to cut him now. Exactly. While I would rather give him a chance (all players should get a chance) the real point is our depth chart is better w/ him than w/o, and there is simply no real financial reason to cut him at this point. Yes, but after 3 years of failure??? JA is often slow to pull the plug, but after 3 years, even he usually gets it. Of course it might not be JA's call at what position he plays. Frankly, when it comes to DM and our handling of him, I just do not see enough logic to understand it. I mean, the kid has been moved around like it was nothing. How is a player supposed to develop when we move him around so much. Think about this. On offense, we avoid having a WR learn both the X and Y positions. We don't want to over-load them, and pigeon hole them at one slot. But DM was shuffled back and forth between FS, CB and nickel. Wow. It's also interesting that DM will be a free agent this year. That wouldn't mean much if he hadn't finished the season as the top kick-return man in the league. Good point. Returners are the new big thing, and he looked great in that regard. And w/ Hester stinking up the place, you have to wonder what sort of value we will place on keeping him. Man, I don't even want to think about that one.

It is true we didn't see or hear much from Graham. Sometimes that's a pretty damn good thing. I thought QB's focused their attack on Tillman, simply because the top WR's like Andre Johnson seemed to line up on the QB's right side which is where Tillman lines up. That and QB's were so damn busy throwing slant passes underneath to the TE's . . . either way it's strange that Graham didn't seem to be tested much. Wouldn't you go right at a guy who's never seen the field before this year? Like Zac Bowman, Graham's talent projected him to go much higher in the draft but he slipped due to injuries. Its not that I am trying to make Graham out to be a great cover corner, but I simply felt he showed more pure coverage skills this year than Tillman or Vasher, and disagree w/ the argument that Graham is not as good as Vasher at his best. That always bothered me about Vasher. I can't remember him EVER grabbing a coverage interception or a jump ball. EVERY interception I remember the QB threw the ball straight at him. Vasher's strength was always getting in position to make plays. If he can improve his tackling he's an ideal FS. Either way, the talk of moving Manning back to FS again is disturbing. Seriously. How can JA even say that? I am not going to totally take away credit for the picks. I don't recall them all, but do seem to remember him making some solid plays on the ball. As for Vasher to FS, I am simply not sure I see it. For one thing, I have never heard this idea mentioned outside of our board. It is something fans might think about, but I am not sure any others due, as opposed to Tillman moving to FS, which has been talked about by many. Thing is, I just don't know how well he transitions. When I watched him this year, before the injury, I did not get the sense of a player who excels playing deep off the LOS. At FS, he is 3 times deeper. Some of his skills may translate, but I just am not sure, and to be honest, I am sick of "trying" players at FS, rather than just getting a FS. I always felt Vasher's best position was nickel DB. He did very well there before winning the starting job. As a starter, I thought I was being proven wrong, but now wonder. Regardless, I still think he can be valuable to us as a nickel DB, but am not high on the idea of moving him to FS. As for DM to FS, that just baffles me. We move this kid all over the place, and he looks awful, but the one position he finally looked good at (nickel) we seem to plan on moving him away from. I just do not get it. If DM starts at FS, and especially if Payne or Steltz is at SS, I will be sick. Angelo's comments indicate we'll be extremely active in free agency, or that the Bears are feeling the economic pinch and plan on being cheap. If we plan on getting a top FS, like the guy from the Rams, would it be ok to dump Vasher then? It would be in my world. First, I am not so sure we will make the big FA splash in the secondary. I don't see CB as we have recently spent so much there, combined w/ Graham looking good. At S, the group available just isn't very good. I am on record wanting the kid out of StL, but am not sure he makes it to FA. But, if he does, and we sign him, would I then be okay dumping Vasher? Frankly, the answer is likely still no. Most fans have written off Vasher, while also putting Graham in as a starter. I have no problem w/ this idea, but would point out how most felt McBride looked good last year, only to really look average this year, if even that. Even if, and I would say it is in fact an if, Graham does play strong at CB, what depth do we have at CB? Our depth would be Bowman (who has like one game of experience), McBride (who saw his play slip this year) and likely DM, who I think few would want to see lined up at CB. W/ Tillman's injuries, and overall injuries at DB, can we really afford to cut Vasher? If we were going to save a ton of money, that would be one thing, but as his deal was so recent, I doubt the savings would be much. I think it would be far better to allow him another year to (a) redeem himself, ( provide at minimum better depth and maybe a solid nickel and © would likely be a better cap cut a year from now. As we are not in need of the money, and lack depth at CB, I just do not see the point of cutting him now. Agreed with that. Usually when JA hints at such things, for better or for worse, there's another plan in place. Although I keep thinking, "DM at FS AGAIN??? WTF???" Yea, I just don't get this, but at the same time, would it really surprise any of us? Isn't FS where Angelo has wanted DM all along?

I think everyone knows coaches often hire coaches they know and have a relationship. When it comes to Lovie, I think the problem is one of perception stemming largely due to Babich. He choose to let a DC go who he did not have a good relationship w/, but had our D in the top 5, in favor of promoting his BFF, who totally bombed at his job. So while relationship hires may be part of the norm, I think Lovie lost a lot of cred due to his move w/ Babich. Marinelli looks like a great hire, but due to his debacle w/ Babich, I think it leaves a sour taste in many fans mouths. If it were not for Babich, I don't think anyone would make an issue of their prior relationship, but due to Babich, his former ties are being made an issue, despite how good of a hire it may actually be. So the issue is one of perception, but that perception was created due to Angelo's previous move w/ Babich.

That sticks out for me as well. DM has been tried all over the secondary. He stunk it up as a FS and as a CB, but finally seemed to find his fit as our nickel. But instead of keeping him there, we seem intent on moving him back to FS. That is just sickening. Both for DM, and for any hopes of our actually looking to add a legit FS. As for Brown, I agree 100% that he could be a very solid SS for us. I was very disappointed in the play of both Payne and Steltz last year. Why could we not re-sign Brown to play SS. If we go into next year w/ Payne at SS and DM at FS, I think we will be doing our secondary a major disservice.

Two things. One, while I agree about Brown at FS, I think he play really picked up after we moved him to SS, or at least started playing him in the box, like a SS. IMHO, he was our best SS on the roster last year. I have no problem w/ the idea that he can no longer play FS, but at the same time feel he would be a solid SS on the roster. Two, I agree it may not be worth re-signing him if he is expensive, but who really believes Brown will get a big deal in FA w/ his past injuries. I think Brown is far more likely to get a short term, very low bonus deal w/ incentives. I do not think this is a deal we couldn't afford.

I have to disagree w/ this on several fronts. One. I would argue Graham was better in coverage than Vasher. Watching games, to me, QBs really focused their attack on Tillman far more than Graham. Part of that was Tillman's man seemed to always be wide open, but part of that also has to do w/ Graham simply doing a better job in coverage. If QBs are not attacking Grahams man as much, he thus getting it done in terms of coverage. Picks are not a great indicator of coverage. Two. I would agree that Vasher proved the better playmaker, but would also point out two things. One, Graham just played his first season. Maybe we can give him a chance before we write him off as not being a playmaker. Two, when Vasher was getting picks, we had a better pass rush. It is much harder to get interceptions when you have no pass rush, and QBs are not hurried into bad throws. As for the idea of cutting Vasher, I am 100% against it. Especially as Angelo's comments indicate we intend to move DM back to FS, who the hell is going to be our nickel? Has everyone forgotten how big of a hole that looked early this year, before DM stepped up? The coaches talk all the time about how the nickel is dang near a starter due to how many teams play wide open offenses. Vasher was a GREAT nickel before moving to a starting role. Even if he can't be a starter, I think he is still worth keeping on the roster for the nickel job. Not to mention that, while Graham looked good this year, he is far from proven and depth is important, especially at a position we have seen so many injuries. If we were loaded w/ depth, then maybe, but we have little depth, and thus I don't understand any ideas of cutting Vasher. He maybe expensive as a non-starter, but we are not paying Graham or McBride jack, so until we have to give them a raise, I am not sure why there is a need to cut Vasher for money.

Agreed. If Angelo pointed out that Brown once again finished the season before the team did, and went on to say he felt we needed to go in another direction. Fine. I would disagree, but understand at the same time. But to say (a) we can't afford Brown or ( having Brown would hurt DMs development, well, that is just crap. Not only that, but didn't Brown look best as a SS? How would having Brown at SS hurt DM as a FS. As for Vasher, the one thing that stood out to me was this. Much talk has been made of Angelo saying our OL was fine, and even seeming to praise the group. Some have argued what else is a GM to do, indicating a GM can't just blast his player/unit. But he seems to have no problem calling it like it is w/ Vasher, which leads me to believe he honestly believes our OL played well. That just makes me sick.

I am not looking down at the rules, but is the rule simply about helmet to helmet, or does it also discuss leading w/ your helmet? I think it has to do more w/ leading w/ your helmet than simply two helmets hitting each other. I this case, he lead w/ his pads and not helmet. The helmets hit, but it was a legal hit. You say the same hit is made all the time, but flags are thrown. You go on to act like we should throw out the rule due to the inconsistency of the rule. I would argue you see inconsistency in every rule, whether it be a PI, leg whip, hold or whatever. I have no problem w/ the rule. I agree refs need to do a better job differing a player leading w/ his helmet and one leading w/ his bad, but making helmet contact, at the same time, I do not believe that means we should throw the rule out.

Yea, some of this line of thinking has always cracked me up. I recall some years back, Hatley got ripped day and night because he said that among, other things, a pass rusher was an area we needed to upgrade. Then (I believe) SF traded ahead of us to get Andre Carter in the draft. Everyone screamed at Hatley, but it always cracked me up. Saying we needed a pass rusher then was about the most obvious and well known thing ever. I don't expect the GM to tell us his plans, but it would be nice if he didn't sound so ignorant at the same time. Does anyone in the league believe we are solid at OT or WR? So would it really be a secret to say these are areas we are looking at?

Sorry, but hearing about the $17m cap hit they will eat for tagging him, I am going to go out on a limb and say they will not get a 1st round pick. They will have to gut their team, w/o the ability to sign players to fill holes, in order to tag and keep Peppers. I think teams around the NFL will let them tag Peppers, and sit back and wait for them to cut him. Essentially, the league would call their bluff.

One, yes, I think how bad the previous position coach has a lot to do w/ it. Players like Harris and Anderson were huge prior to Brick. Wale was also playing at a much higher level. Brown hasn't changed that much to be honest. Not saying it was all Brick, but a change was seen. Two, beyond just Marinelli (and I should have said this) is also changed who calls the plays and creates the game plans. I think few would at this point defend Babich as our DC. Its one thing to have a coach that doesn't do well, or well enough, but another to have a coach who seems to absolutely destroy a unit. IMHO, that is what Brick and Babich did. I think our LB and DB coaches were fall guys, but Brick and Babich were awful. Agreed about Sapp. A couple years ago, we had Dent as an assistant DL coach. While not every great player is a great coach, I do think great players have something to offer. Players like Dent and Sapp simply learned over the years a host of moves and "tid bits" that if passed on, could truly help young players. Personally, I believe every team should have some guys like that on their coaching staffs.

Agree this is simply Peppers pressure play, but I think it is to get out rather than to get Carolinao to give him a long term deal. Carolina simply doesn't have the cap space to give him the deal other teams can, and he knows that. Yea, I was surprised at $17m too. Frankly, I am not sure Carolina even can tag him now. They are reported to be $10m under the cap. They would have to cut a lot of players, including probably Delhomme, who they have already said will not be cut, just to tag him. He will cost a lot, no question, but if you want the best player at a position, still in his prime, you are going to pay for him. Why get cheap here. Not like we are spending on QB, which eats up huge cap space for most teams. How about this. We hold a meeting w/ the big contract players on defense, and tell him we would like to sign Peppers, but want them to "chip in". I think few would argue that adding Peppers would benefit the defense as a whole, and our players individually. If they want that, shave a million off their deals. Seriously though, cut ties w/ Wale, and then Tait, and watch our cap space climb to over $30m. Now bite the bullet, stop trying to save Virginia money, and sign the best DE in the league.

While I think it is a possible Carolina does tag him to trade him, I am not sure they would get full value for him. If you can I can talk about their cap situation, you know the rest of the GMs are well aware. If they tag Peppers to trade him, I think you might see the bulk of the teams make them sweat a bit and wait them out. Think about this. This have their entire allotment of cap space tied up to a player they are planning to trade. So long as he is on the roster, they have to account for his cap hit, and thus can not make any other moves this offseason. The longer they go w/o making a deal, the longer into FA they go w/o helping their team. If they tag him to trade him, I think they are going to have to accept less than what KC got for Allen, though Peppers is better. The other side of this is if they simply tag him to keep him, regardless what he wants.

Damn. That is like the 50th time I have said Scott meaning Adams.

Absolutely. First, just to throw it out there, how did that other top 10 pick of Az we signed work out for us? When it comes to a trade, I think you are always considering a few factors. One. trade value. To be totally honest, I have no clue on his value. I do not see it being super high. Despite where he was drafted, he has done nothing to warrant much in return. 3rd? 4th? Two. Money. I don't know the details of his deal, but he is on his rookie deal, and in top 10 picks, you usually see the most painful aspect of the contract in the bonus form, which we would NOT be on the hook for. To me, this is a key. We get a player w/o the bonus issues. If we want to cut him at any time, there would be no cap consequences. Three. Ability. To be honest, I watched him in college more than pro. In college, the talent was there. No question. In the pros, I really don't know what prevented him from doing better. I have heard work ethic, which is a red flag I would risk. Just surround him w/ veterans and staff who can teach him otherwise. What I don't know is, when he has played, how he looked. Obviously not good, but was it a matter of mental, physical, or what. At the end of the day, this is a deal I would consider. Leinart would be FAR from the first player not to make it in Az, but find greater success elsewhere. W/ a lower draft pick cost, and w/o signing bonus, I would do this deal. I would have a difficult time believing any of the later round QB rookies would be better. I have a tough time believing any of the FA QBs would come w/ less red flags or a higher ceiling. Finally, I would prefer this trade anyday to the Cassel trade, as that deal would cost more in pick(s) and would require us to give him a new deal, meaning big bonus dollars.

Likely a question for later in the offseason, but hey, I'm bored:) So I am reading a couple articles on Marinelli, and I think the consensus is Marinelli will be good for the DL, and that Marinelli is a solid "teacher" who will elevate the play of the DL. So while most assume he will help the play of the DL as a whole, it got me wondering what players are most likely to see the greatest increase in their development. Tommie Harris - This one is easy. According to Marinelli, the system doesn't just revolve around the DL, but he actually said it all starts w/ the "under" DT, and that would be Harris. Harris was considered one of the elite pass rushing DTs in the game. Last year was a total disappointment, but many expect harris play to elevate. But Harris is not my pick as he had already developed into one of the games best. It would be a tremendous gain if Marinelli gets him back to that level, but I am wondering more who gets to a level previously unseen. Of the main guys, I think Wale is the least likely. I just don't think he has it anymore, and frankly, am not certain he best fits the mold. I think Wale is a guy who could be great against the run, and decent against the pass, but at this point, I am just not sure Marinelli can make Wale a pro bowler. I toss Dusty, Scott and Idonije out too. I like Idonije, but don't see him as a special player. Nice backup and situational guy. Dusty has the heart, but I just don't think the talent. Scott is a solid run defending interior guy, but his ceiling isn't high. That leaves three. Mark Anderson is a guy I have talked about in the past. He had what, 12 sacks as a rookie. I pointed out in another thread that Richard Dent praised Anderson that year for the number of moves he displayed, and talked about how you never see a rookie enter the league w/ such an expanse of moves. I have always believed Anderson's drop was due, in large part, to our changed DL and DC coaches after his rookie season. While I am NOT saying Anderson will turn into a stud starter, I do believe Anderson has a great opportunity w/ Marinelli, and could well again become a great situational pass rusher. Harrison is a kid many felt could have been a 1st round pick if it were not for some red flags. He didn't put it all together last year, but did show flashes of great talent. While I liked our defense w/ Scott, is there any question we saw more pass rush w/ Harrison. My concern w/ Harrison is how well he fits the NT role, but I do think there is a solid chance Marinelli can develop this kid into something. What that something is, I am not sure, but I do feel the ceiling here is high. This leads me to Alex Brown. I have for years ripped Brown for his wide, very wide, angles to the QB, but I have also always questioned how much was him and how much was the staff. Brown is very good in run defense. He has shown great ability in pass rush, but the only consistent thing here was the inconsistency. But in Brown, I see a DE that truly fits the cover two, and a DE I think Marinelli could really get far more out of than what we have ever seen before. Brown's highest sack total was 7, w/ 3 years finishing at 6. IMHO, w/ a truly great DL coach, Brown could elevate his total as high as double figures. It may be odd to pick one of the older guys (29) on the DL to play at a higher level than ever before seen, but that is my call. While Harris and Anderson may get back to a form previously seen, in Brown, I think there is the potential to hit levels always previously outside his reach. If we combine the better coaching w/ an upgrade at LDE (which I still think very possible for Angelo/Lovie), then I think the chance for Brown only goes up.