nfoligno

First and foremost, I think the key is his health. W/ that said, I do not see us adding him. Forgot his name already, but NE recently signed the veteran OG/OT who had been a starter for SD. While he may not be great, does anyone really think he would have been worse than Metcalf. It really feels like, at least to me, the staff are going to give the players on the roster a shot. While I am not sure Lovie is high on Metcalf, I think Angelo is. Further, while there are not many players on our depth chart who have proven themselved (OL) I think Angelo sees a lot of players he liked and who he feels have potential, and wants to give them an opportunity to step up. I have said for a long time I would love to add an OG, but at this point, I simply have the feeling Angelo would prefer to allow the players on the roster a chance to step up.

It was a fun conspiracy theory back in the day. As I recall, it went deeper than simply some players liking TJ over Benson. As the story went, TJ was represented by Rosenarce, as were numerous other players on the defense. Briggs in particular, another Rosenarce client, was pretty tight w/ TJ. Briggs, a leader on the defense, worked the locker room against Benson. And defensive players went after Benson in practices. Not saying all that is true, just how I recall the story from back in the day. Personally, I am not sure the players were specifically trying to injur Benson, but at the same time, I think it is believable the defense liked TJ and not Benson, and thus gave Benson extra pop in practice. That isn't to say they were specically trying to hurt him or ruin his career, so much as to simply hit him harder and punish him in a way. If he can take it, and even give back, Benson would have had the opportunity to gain respect. By crying about it, he lost respect, and the lightly painted target on his jersey was emboldened.

Okay, how about Mike Williams. That's just an example, but the point is, at most any position, if a player is drafted high enough, you can pretty much always count on another team giving him an opportunity. While I am sure there are examples to the contrary, I think they are far and away the exception and not the rule. Over the years, there have been MANY top 5 or top 10 busts, and if you look at the list, I think you will virtually always find another team gave that player a 2nd opportunity, and often you will find a 3rd or 4th team as well.

Not to be a pessimist, but I think it is more a matter of Urlacher realizing he has a greater chance of getting a new deal by showing up and acting the role of the good soldier. By skipping workouts and drawing a line in the sand, the team is more likely to simply play hardball. By showing up, he keeps the fan support on his side, and can put more pressure on the team to give him more money.

He performed on the field? I know he did well as a returner, but I was not under the impression he ever did anything worth speaking of as a CB. While PacMan "may" have done more on the field, is that not offset by the vastly greater level of his off-field issues?

Agreed. After reading an article mentioning his salary numbers (as you posted) I realized picking him up off waivers was little different than signing him to a one year deal. Extra year, but $ is about equal (factoring veteran minimum) and though there is the extra year, like you said, they can cut him at any time. In fact, I would say grabbing him off waivers is the better deal as they would have him cheap for two years.

If PacMan can find a suitor, I see no reason Benson can't. Pacman was traded for by Dallas, giving up (I think) a 4th round pick, and it was not even known at the time whether he would be allowed to play this year. Heck, it is still not known. Top 10 picks, not to mention top 5, always seem to be given additional chances. Benson will get a contract w/ another team, though I do agree it is most likely to be a one year deal.

No problem on the venting. Many here will attest how much of that I do. As Mad said, I too am not sure how much of a championship contender I view us entering the season. While we have talent, and are not "that" far removed from playing in the SB, I simply think there is too many questions heading into this season, and see if more of a building process, particularly on offense, than a year we truly expect to contend. I hope I am wrong, but that is what I believe. So w/ that said, maybe that indeed provides us w/ the glass half full look. I think most would agree, even w/ Benson on the roster, Forte was more likely our RB of the future. While Benson was the much higher draft day prospect, those hopes never seemed to play out. While I still think he can be a good RB in the NFL, I began to accept it likely would not be w/ the bears. Similar to TJ in AZ, sometimes a player has to leave his original team before he can shine. So the era of Forte simply begins sooner, which should at minimum, push up the timetable of his development. That is the glass half full way of looking at this.

I understand what you are saying, but what I think about is Cade McNown. When we cut Cade (a) we took a cap hit, ( we did not have a player that good to step in and © did not have a young QB developing in the wings. But few feel cutting Cade was a mistake. Benson was never a favorite in the locker room, and I think that is a big part of this. His attitude had him on thin ice, and right or wrong, the staff simply didn't feel his production was worth the attitude and mess he was creating. I agree we are not a better team on the field w/o him. At the same time, I would argue (a) we may have a better locker room, which often can in fact lead to good things and ( sometimes you simply have to make a stand. I understand a team is not best served by having all choir boys, but at the same time, I think you need players who want to be better. Benson didn't show that he was willing to learn from mistakes, and that led to his release.

One, I think the incident that actually led to Tank being released found him innocent. He did not "blow" over the legal limit. There was talk about charging him w/ drinking a driving, even though he was not over the drunk limit (some odd AZ law) but that never happened. Two, I did not believe Benson put himself in a bad situation on the boat, but do believe he did w/ this recent incident. Three, You believe that he should not have been given the Tank speech as (a) he didn't have the legal troubled history tank had and ( it has yet to be proven he did anything wrong on the boat. All that may be true, but then I would argue production and attitude come into play. While Benson didn't have the legal history, he did have a history of low production and questionable (at best) attitude. Tank had the legal troubles, but not really the attitude, and had produced on a higher level. I have said all along that if Benson had been a different player over the last three years, his recent troubles may not have led to his release. Despite not having a rap sheet, Benson was on thin ice entering the offseason. So while the history leading up to the final straw may have been different between Benson and Tank, I think each did in fact have a history.

Where will Benson go, and what will it mean. Houston - No doubt they have a need. Ahman Green is only getting older and slower. They were even desperate enough to bring in Chris Brown. Houston has upgraded their OL over the last two years. They have a pretty good QB, with a pretty good backup. And they have one of the best WRs in the game. In Houston, Benson would have a shot to fight for a starting job, and if won, could actually have a chance to do well. Denver - They have no true franchise back on the roster, and felt RB was a great enough need to add Michael Pittman. This is a team where RBs find it much easier to gain 1,000 yards, and frankly, is a good fit for Benson. One cut running style, and a passing offense good enough to keep defenses out of the box. Dallas - I have seen this mentioned, but don't see it. They just gave Barber a huge contract extension, and also drafted Felix Jones. If Benson went to Dallas, he likely would never see the field, and as he doesn't play special teams, I do not see this as even being feasable. Oakland - Another team I have heard mentioned, though maybe only as a joke. After taking McFadden and re-signing Fargas, not to mention already being over-loaded at RB, this just does not make sense. AZ - you can argue they have need. Edge has only slowed down, and they lack depth, but I feel this is a poor fit. Benson is not a strong pass blocker, and that is a need in AZ, especially as their OL is average, at best. Buffalo - We all know how much Jauron loved to add ex-bears, and this would actually make sense. They really only have one RB, and he is in more trouble than Benson. NYJ - How funny would this be? NY supposedly wanted McFadden, and is not content w/ TJ, despite the love he receives from Bear fans. But this is not a good team, and Benson would likely fail here as well. Sea - They did just sign Julius Jones, but most believe he is best as a 1-2 punch, as he was in Dallas w/ Barber. Seattle lacks quality depth, and could view Benson as a good fit along side Jones. He would not be a top tier RB in Seattle, but could be a "nice" player. Most teams are most likely to look at Benson as a backup/competition addition, but the way I see it, Houston and Denver would be his best two opportunities to do something. Most other places, he would likely be a depth chart backup, and another forgotten bust.

In terms of his being innocent, in terms of the law, sure. But I still am not sure it matters. Benson heads into this offseason already on very thin ice due to a lack of production, numerous injuries, questionable attitude, questionable ability to get along w/ teamates, and a newly added 2nd round RB the staff is high on. Since then... Benson gets into trouble on the boat. Okay, many give him the benefit of doubt and basically move on. How much talk had there been of late about his boating incident? I think the staff gave Benson the Tank speech. He was told he needed to do more than simply stay out of trouble w/ the law. He needed to avoid situations where little good can happen, whether it is an issue of perception or reality. Tank actually passed his breath test, but for the staff, he was guilty of once again putting himself in a questionable situation. He may not have broken the law, but by "toting the line" when he should have avoid the line all together, it was enough. Benson was told, IMHO, not to simply avoid crossing the line, but avoid situations that might put him near the line. Gets busted driving nearly double the speed limit through a construction zone in the wee hours of the night. Not good, but not a bid deal made of it. Then this. Benson knows he needs to avoid even the appearance or perception of wrong doing. He makes the choice to go out and party late into the night, and worse, drive. Maybe he was not drunk, and thus didn't cross the line, but he put himself in a situation where he had to tote the line, and that was over the line the bears drew in the sand. Again, maybe it isn't fair. Like you said, it is perfectly legal to go out and have fun, and if he were not drunk, also legal to drive. But he put himself in that situation, and did so before the boat. As I said, if his last 3 years were different, his last 3 weeks may too have been different.

I thought it was a mistake to trade TJ because I did not believe we got enough in return. As for this year, if AP is our starter, that is a sad testiment, IMHO. I never felt AP was as good as some fans felt, and simply do not view him as legit competition. AP is a great special teams player, but as a RB, far from special. If Forte can not beat out AP in camp, I think we are in more trouble than I already think we are.

I don't care about the tape. My brother in law is a big guy, and there have been times I knew he was trashed, but he held himself so well, few that didn't know him would realize it. He would "ace" a field test, but would never pass a breath or blood test. For me, I go back to Tank. Tank took the test, and it proved he was not over the legal limit, but IMHO, that was beside the point. He was drinking and choose to get behind the wheel of a car. That is bad enough, but when you are on a last chance, you simply should not be playing w/ fire like that. According to Benson's own attorney, he had (I believe) 3 drinks. Maybe that was not enough for him to be drunk, or over the limit, but I do think that is enough that he should not have been behind the wheel. Maybe it is all a double standard. Maybe I am just getting old. If it were 9pm, and Benson had a glass or wine or two, or a couple beers, at dinner, I might be more forgiving. But it being late at night, parying and not just at dinner, I simply view it different. Maybe Benson didn't break the law, but what he broke was the teams confidence. Whether he was in the right or wrong over the boat, I think it likely the staff said they were giving him one final chance. They likely said he needed to stear clear or trouble, or even situations that could lead to trouble. By staying out late and choosing to drive, he put himself in a situation that created an opportunity for bad things, which is what happened. Hey, life sucks, but Benson's history, which he was in control of, put himself in this situation. Not the boating incident, but the lack of production and prior poor attitude. If Benson was a model player who produced, these incidents would have been dealt w/ different, IMHO. But Benson put himself in this situation, and did too little to get himself out of it.

I know not to expect the truth. I am fine w/ that. What hacks me off is when coaches/GMs go that next step. If he simply said they were disappointed in Benson's actions, and felt he was too great of a distraction, or that he didn't live up to expectations, fine. But to go out and talk about how the team doesn't allow this or that, I thought he went too far. I hear ya on Jordan and Jones... I wouldn't mind either. How about even a longshot like a retired Corey Dillon? One, as I recall, Dillon said he would consider coming out of retirement for the right situation. Do you honestly think he would view us that way? Two, I want a player who wants to play football. Have we not have enough of a RB who doesn't have the desire? Dillon is retired, and has not shown that he truly wants to come back. Three, I simply think Dillon is done. He was a good RB, but his time has passed. Frankly, Jordan could be a solid option. He can still run the ball, and has great receiving hands. He would provide good competition, as well as depth.

Benson is a gone, and was a bust. W/ that said, I still have to comment on your quote you mention. It was one of the most tumpted up things ever. I recall it very well. It got tons of national press, but was so blown out of proportion, it isn't even funny. In the interview, Bensonw as asked which he wanted. He said he wanted the hiesman, but also went on to say he believed that if he won the heisman, it would mean a national championship for the team. The follow up question asked him to choose, under the believe he could not have both. Then he said he would choose the national title. A reporter threw out only part of the discussion, and that led to many papers picking it up, but it was a joke. If would be like someone asking Manning if he would rather the MVP or a SB victory, and his saying he wanted the MVP because he believed that if he won the MVP, it would lead to a SB win. Something like that. I am NOT trying to defend Benson at this point. IMHO, his actions are beyond that point. But I do have to tell you this quote was a big joke. Here in Texas, we knew the truth, and could not believe how quickly only a part of the quote was talked about.

I think you are confusing fans looking at the team and needs, w/ scouts who were simply looking at talent and prospects. Few (not talking about fans) questioned Benson in terms of a talent or prospect. He was rated as a top 5 pick by most every "expert" I recall reading. He was considered a "can't miss" prospect, though we all know there is no such thing. Many can't miss prospects do in fact miss. There were many fans who didn't like the pick, but that was FAR more due to TJ than simply Benson. If TJ were not on the team, I think most all fans would have liked the pick of Benson. I recall some years back when Phily took McNabb. Nearly every Phily fan at the draft roundly boo'd the pick, as they wanted Ricky Williams. That didn't mean McNabb was a bad pick, but fans wanted another player who they felt filled a greater need. Turns out, the GM made the right choice. Point is, just because fans do not like the pick, that doesn't mean the player picked is bad, just that they felt others would have been better. I think that is the case here.

Everyone is saying it was a mistake to trade TJ, if for no other reason than because Benson then did not have competition for his job. Well, by that logic, nor does Forte. Sorry, but neither Wolfe, nor AP, are legit competition for the job.

Nice story, but I don't buy it. If Benson simply wanted out, he could likely have done it w/ his mouth, rather than w/ an incident that will likely cause him to be suspended by the league, not to mention the actual legal issues he will be facing. If Benson simply wanted out, he could have (a) skipped voluntary workouts ( mouthed off at the organization. Benson was on thin ice, and if he simply wanted out, I do not think it would have been hard for him to have forced his way out. Hell, if he simply went to Angelo and told him he wanted out, I think Angelo may have let him out. There was no need for him to get into trouble w/ the law.

But do you think we would have played a #4 pick at SLB? I don't. So to me, adding him would have meant DJ at WLB, and Briggs to SLB, where I simply do not believe he would have ever developed. Sure, we can say now that the above trio would be better, but my point is, I question how much. I liked DJ, and continue to as well, but I simply question his fit for us.

I expected you to respond by saying Mike Williams would have been good for us. I know you were high on him then, and continue to be. While I agree that a player can be a bust w/ one team, but would have been good w/ another, I simply do not see that for MW. W/ MW, some of the pre-draft concerns did in fact play out. Is it possible that if he went to a better/different team, he may not have been a bust. Sure. But I would argue we were not that team. I think he needed to go a team w/ a solid track record of developing young, offensive talent. Further, he needed to go to a team w/ a solid QB and a solid #1, that would take heat off him. That was not us. So I continue to believe that if we drafted MW, he would have sucked just the same. If I were to re-visit 2005, players I think we could have drafted that would have been good. - Ware - Many talk about Merriman, but in our system, I think Ware would have proven the better choice. We like quick, speed rushers, and I think he would have been a solid fit and been added to a unit which already had talent. - Jamal Brown - While I do not think we develop OL well, he would have been an upgrade for our team. - Roddy White - Not a WR that burst onto the scene, but I do not think Atlanta does a good job developing WR talent, thus development seen there would have had a solid chance to happen here. - Frank Gore - I think his tools would have better played out in Chicago, and w/ TJ on the roster, he would have had the time to develop. Further, as his style is more similar to TJ's, it would not have meant changing the offense when you changed RBs.

I think Angelo's statement and action was more than approporaite As said, I don't have issue w/ the actions, but I do have an issue w/ Angelo's comments. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions. When individual priorities overshadow team goals, we suffer the consequences as a team. Those who fail to understand the importance of 'team' will not play for the Chicago Bears. What a crock. Sorry, but this is just BS. Was Briggs held accountable for his actions? And as for individual priorities, this team has been over-flowing w/ individual priorities placed above that of the team. I have no issue w/ Angelo's actions. They were warranted IMHO. But I just do not care for this crap. I think we all know that if Benson were a 1,300+ yard rusher, the actions would likely have been different. Does anyone think that if Urlacher is nailed for two DWIs in the span of a week, much less month, he would be fired? Just once I wish the GM would get up there and tell the truth. "If Benson were more productive, we might be more willing to deal w/ the crap, but when you factor his production against his off-field distractions, the math simply does not support our keeping Benson on the payroll. In the meantime, I'd prefer to stay away from Henry since he's only one joint away from banishment. I wouldn't mind taking a shot at Alexander who may be looking for redemption. Agreed on Henry. Not sure about Alexander. My only issue w/ Alexander is, what are his expectations. If he still believes he can be a #1 RB, then he may be less inclined to be a happy camper w/ us. Kevin Jones and Lamont Jordan, I think, would be better options. In each, you have a player who can likely provide good competition, w/ less concern over what happens if Forte does step up and win the job. If Forte won the job, I am simply not sure we can count on Alexander being a content backup. They may be his role in the NFL now, but I am less certain he knows that, at least not yet.

Sorry, been unable to spend time on the keyboard of late (nice timing). I have been among Benson's strongest advocates. While I still question the police tactics on the boat, I think Benson blew it on the recent situation. Whether he was drunk or not, whether he should have blown or not, whatever. To me, that is all beside the point. Last year, I blasted Tank. After getting into so much trouble, Tank getting caught drinking and driving (regardless how much) at the wee hours of the morning to me showed he simply had not learned his lesson. I see little difference here for Benson. I thought Benson learned his lesson. He showed up to camp in shape, and by all reports, was running like a player w/ a chip on his shoulder. While not to the level most would want, to me, even his interviews showed a level of acknowleding some of his woes were on him, and that his future was up to him. And he seemed to be taking his situation seriously. His recent arrest tells me otherwise. (a) Late night partying is not a crime, but for someone who is coming off recent troubles, you simply have to avoid putting yourself in bad situations, and he did little to avoid such ( His attorney has even said he had a couple drinks, though he maintains he was not drunk. So what. He had some drinks, and got behind the wheel. W/ the boat, Benson was not driving it, and it could be believed if he was not capable, another would. Here, he was driving, and it is pretty open/shut, at least to me. As others have said, he can afford a taxi, though I still go back to the original point, that inhis situation, partying all night may not have been his best option. It makes me sick we cut him, but I totally understand it. The boating arrest, the late night speeding, and now the DWI, are too much in too short of a time. For a player needing to avoid trouble, he did too much to put himself in situations where trouble is too likely. Once can deal w/, but the cumulitive effect here is too much to ignore. Moving forward, I tend to hope we add a veteran. Many have said it was a mistake to trade away TJ and hand Benson the job, if for no other reason than the loss of any apparant competition at the position. AP does not provide a legit competition. Nor does Wolfe. While Forte should be given every opportunity to win the starting job, he should have to win it against someone more capable than what we currently have on the roster. I don't know if that means Lamont Jordan or Kevin Jones, or whoever, but I do believe we need to add a 4th RB. I simply believe it a mistake to hand Forte the job, which is exactly what we are doing if we do not replace Benson.

I have talked about this before, but will again. DJ was my top choice as well, but in hindsight, I question how good of a pick he would have been. (1) DJ is a WLB. I think we have a pretty good one in Briggs. If you played DJ at WLB (a) would he have been as good as Briggs and ( what happens to Briggs. Would Briggs even be as good as Hunter at SLB? (2) If you played DJ at SLB, who knows how he would have panned out. As great as Urlacher is at MLB, he was pretty dang poor at SLB when he first started out. Just because a player is great at one position, does not mean he would be at any LB spot. So while I loved DJ, the emergence of Briggs puts into question how good of a pick DJ would have been. Then there is Merriman. He is a stud in SD, but in a totally different scheme. His #1 asset is rushing the passer. He is similar to Colvin. Better, but the point is, similar. I am not sure we would have utilized him in such a way so as to make him into the stud we see today. Some other players who I recall mention back then have turned out as bad, or even worse, than Benson. Pac Man, Troy Williamson and Mike Williams. Benson has turned out to be a total bust, but I am not sure many of the players considered at the time would have turned out better, and as good/great as DJ and Merriman have turned out, I question how well they would have fit w/ us.

What's everyones thoughts on our safety position right now. Per reports: - Mike Brown is looking great, and finished OTAs w/ picks in each of the last two days. Insiders say the defense simply looks so much better w/ him on the field. I think we all know this, and the only question is whether he can stay healthy. - McGowan seems to have the SS position right now. Suprisingly, reports are of his beating out Daniel Manning. His beating DM is not a shock so much as who has not be involved at SS thus far. - PFW says the team doesn't appear to know exactly what to do w/ DM. Is he is a safety or nickel DB? They say he is getting the majority of his looks now when the team moves to a 3 safety package. DM could be spending most of the season riding the pine. - Trib reported the other day that Steltz was spending most of the OTAs at FS. This is a surpise, IMHO, as he was touted as an in-the-box safety after the draft, but early reports talked of his potentially playing FS, and thus far, OTA seem to have that playing out. I know the staff talks about our safety positions being interchangable, but I simply have always disagreed. While a player like Brown can play either, I think he is the exception more than the norm. Maybe Steltz is similar to Brown, but his downfield coverage was a question in the draft, so he has a lot to prove at FS, IMHO. It will be very interesting to see whether he is getting more looks at SS in camp, or if the team truly does view him as the FS of the future. I have seen nothing about Payne, which disappoints me. I think he has plenty of talent, and was high on him last year. If Brown is healthy, I think there is no question we are far more solid at safety. The questions are (a) who will be our SS and ( what does our backfield look like if Brown does go down again. Right now, it looks like McGowan will be our starting SS. If Brown goes down, does Steltz become our starting FS. I wonder if that isn't why he is working at FS. W/ it likely expected Brown will not last at FS, maybe the idea is to work Steltz there, so he doesn't have to learn to positions, and can simply step in if Brown goes down.