tshanno

Well, he had two catches that I remember, one nullified by penalty. He also had one drop if I remember right. Sounds like an average day, I guess. Bottom line, I think you are right. I think they may have been thinking that he matched up well against those miserable defensive backs with his size. Tom S.

I love # 5. Its unbelievable how healthy this team has been. The importance can't be underestimated. Tom S.

I'm not too willing to give this "frozen like concrete" stuff much credence, either. Having said that, I doubt that Kluwe walked out on to the field alone and drew his conclusions. At face value its more likely he's saying what the other players are talking about privately. There's a conspiracy theorist buried deep inside me that wonders if this is just an attempt to get into the Bears players' heads. They won't see the field until just before the game and he might be trying to play upon their fears and distract them. I'm not saying its true, mind you. Just idle speculation. Tom S.

I'm so tired of this. Both the NFL and the NFLPA said they see no reason why the field should be an issue. That's it as far as I'm concerned. Frankly, they should have played this game in LA so the Wilfs could get a good look at their future home. Tom S.

Yeah, Green Bay was a terrible match up for New England. You have to play that team man-to-man to match up with their personnel groupings. Unlike the Bears, Green Bay is pretty good at that. Fortunately NE plays well in all phases and knows how to win. Tom S.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=262 Very slow news week. Here's hoping things pick up with the Bears Expo this weekend. The Bears * The Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey wrote and interesting column on the Rex Grossman/Kyle Orton QB competition the other day. It expresses my point of view pretty well. But maybe it doesn't. But maybe it does... * Pat Kirwan at NFL.com writes about camp battles to keep an eye on, highlight among others, the batle betwen Grossman and Orton: Then, of course, there are the head-to-head battles between veterans that should have happened years ago but finally will take place in 2008. In Chicago, Rex Grossman has been promised nothing and Kyle Orton gets his shot to overtake the former first-round pick. As Lovie Smith said recently: "We'll let it play out." The Bears probably should have done that in 2006. I'm not at all sure they're really doing it now, Pat. Ask Smith who starts if its a tie. Yeah. Its Grossman's job to lose. Case closed. Having said that, Kirwan had this interesting statement: I get the feeling in talking to Bears players that Orton has the huddle presence and the personality to win over the team. * Larry Mayer answers the question of whether Devin Hester is likely to start this year at WR: There's no doubt in my mind that Devin Hester can emerge as an elite starting receiver in the NFL this season. We're all familiar with his incredible speed and explosiveness, but what often gets overlooked is that he has tremendous hands. I know he's muffed some punts the past two seasons, but I think that's more due to a lack of concentration. Working on offense in practice, he already catches the ball like a starting receiver. He just needs more reps to improve his timing and knowledge of the defense, and I think he's going to surprise a lot of people this season. "lack of concentration" I guess that's techinically accurate. Very accurate... Mayer also says that Dusty Dvoracek participated in mini-camp. It was my understanding that he stayed on the sideline so that's good news to me. Maybe we'll finally find out what he can do this year. Elsewhere * Formwer Bear and current Redskin DC Greg Blache of newly acquired DE Erasmus James. "Where coaches go awry is when they try to take a guy and push him and make him play before he's ready. We're going to let him play when he's ready." Back-handed swipe at teh Vikings? * Green Bay Packers running back Noah Herron thwarted a break-in at his home on Friday night by slugging one of the intruders with a bed post, the Brown County Sheriff's Department reported. Honestly, if you were going to rob someone, wouldn't you at least find out who lived there? "Uh, dude, maybe we should skip this one. He plays for the Packers. There's a rich, little old widow right down the street." One Last Thought Anyone remember these words? "All that matters is I'm here with my teammates,'' Urlacher said Friday. ''That's really the only thing that matters right now." Except when its not mandatory.

Points of View, June 2, 2008 http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=261 The Bears * Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that WRs coach Darryl Drake believes the wide receivers are better this year even without Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad: "There's a lot more explosion out here right now." I want to believe... * Mike Mulligan, also of the Sun-Times has a fluff piece today on Devin Hester in which he says Hester needs to be paid. The part the stuck out to me were one or two comments from Drake like this one: "He has as good a pair of hands as anybody. And then his natural ability to run after the catch is just unbelievable. He has not dropped a ball. Not one ball in any of these practices. Not just minicamp -- all of the OTAs. I don't have to tell him anything anymore. He's telling me stuff when I am screwed up. He has taken the time to study it. He has been in my office every day since the beginning ... he's just so far ahead right now it's unbelievable." Think he likes him? Its good to hear that he knows so much. I've never been all that impressed with what's in Hester's head on the field and I've wondered if he's got enough upstairs to play WR. Its not brain surgery, I know, but its more demanding than punt returns and Hester has had his share of mental errors in that department. They probably are going to ask him to read the occasional blitz and teams are going to try to confuse him if he starts playing out there regularly. * Dusty Dvoracek (hand) was held out for the third straight day. Is this guy ever healthy? Elsewhere * Former Bear Muhsin Muhammad seems to be back in form in Carolina. "I never was a guy with some blazing speed. I never had the speed like Randy Moss or Smitty," Muhammad said. "My game is all about technique and I think that is what keeps you in the league longer when you do get up there in age. If you are a guy who is fundamentally sound, you have great technique, run great routes and you know how to go get the ball, well, that is what this game is all about – being in the right places at the right times and making the plays." I don't know about running great routes but this pretty much fits into what I always thought Muhammad was about. The Bears might miss him more than most fans think. Muhammad may have been singed in part to serve as mentor to younger Carolina receivers like Dwayne Jarrett, something he also did in Chicago. One Last Thought * Both Biggs and The Chicago Tribune's David Haugh report that Mike Brown is allot like his old self: "I guess you could say I'm surprised [to be back],"Brown said. "But I think the coaching staff and the guys that make the decisions upstairs know what type of football player I am when I'm healthy." Brown shouldn't be surprised. He should never underestimate the value of veteran leadership. And neither should Brian Urlacher if he decides to go back and sit in Arizona.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=260 The Bears * Brad Biggs of The Chicago Sun-Times blogs that Bears RB Cedric Benson has lost only four pounds between last year and this year, something he clearly doesn't believe: Slimmed down running back Cedric Benson is listed at 216 pounds, down four from last year's list. If he's 216 now, he wasn't 220 last year. Well, whatever he weighs now and whatever he weighed then, if the weight loss is all flab then its all good. * From Pro Football Weekly's Whispers Column: Injury-prone Bears WR Mark Bradley, who is recovering from early-May arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to clean up scar tissue, is telling team sources that he should be ready for the start of training camp, but word is the team isn't nearly that optimistic. * Brad Biggs also indicates today that Josh Beekman is backing up Olin Kreutz at center rather than working at guard. That backs up rumors that the Bears consider him too small to be a guard and might indicate that he's being groomed as Kreutz's heir apparent. Also of note was that John St. Clair is currently at left tackle. St. Clair is probably a place holder until Chris Williams "earns" the starting job. At that point, St. Clair is expected to get a crack at the starting left guard spot. * The Chicago Tribune'sDavid Haugh has one tidbit that was a little interesting in his column this morning: So far Orton has said all the right things, sounding confident and competent, as if he was paying attention last season when Brian Griese was showing him how to handle himself as a professional. Grossman blew off the first two scheduled interview opportunities this off-season—New Rex?—but he has learned that nothing he says will matter a lick compared with what he does. I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, for all the obliging comments he's made, Orton hasn't really said anything significant. On the other hand, when Grossman blows off the media, he's basically blowing off me. Less interaction with them means less information to the fans. I'm not comfortable with it. * Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times has a pretty good column this morning. He makes it pretty clear that he thinks Kyle Orton will win the Bears QB competition: With as many as six new starters projected on offense, the Bears will need to rely on an old familiar formula to win football games: win on special teams, play great defense and run the ball. For whatever reason, the Bears tend to get way too pass-happy when Grossman is under center, and that can lead to an avalanche of turnovers. This is, IMO, true but I think it has more to do with OC Ron Turner than with Grossman. It's probably at least partly due to the fact that Turner simply has more confidence in Grossman's ability to deliver the ball. SO I would argue that it is an indication that Grossman is favored going in, not the other way around. Also of interest was this comment from Turner: "We're looking for consistency. When you have the play down the field, make it. When you don't, then execute and run your offense. Take care of the football. Play smart and play well. Ultimately, the decision will be based on what we feel. The confidence we as coaches have in him, the guys on the offensive line, the guys in the locker room. You can tell. We'll know who it is." I'm glad Turner is confident of that because I'm certainly not. I do see differences between these two but I think you could argue their merits for years and never definitively decide which is best. They're pretty close. I will say that, like Mulligan, I think Orton might fit this description a little better. Orton might well take better care of the ball under pressure. Most important of all, it will be interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how the while thing plays out. Training camp, please come quickly. Elsewhere * Packers DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila had arthroscopic surgery Thursday and is out until training camp. He's one of several Packers on the defensive line who has been injured. Though all are expected back by training camp its not a good sign for them. Ask any Bear fan how likely it is that a team stays as healthy as the Pack did last year two years in a row. * Per PFT Minnesota LT Bryant McKinnie met with commissioner Roger Goodell last week to discuss his latest bump with the law in Miami. He is accused of bashing a night club bouncer in the head with a pole. He's a repeat offender, having been punished before for involvement in the Love Boat scandal. Minnesota will have an uphill battle to fight if they start the season with their left tackle suspended. * From Pro Football Weekly's Whispers Column: Our sources in Oakland say Raiders coaches are encouraging their defenders to go after the ball when RB Darren McFadden is carrying it in camp to test the rookie's ability to avoid fumbles. We hear McFadden needs to do a better job of locking his elbow down in order to erase some of the concerns the team has about his tendency to cough up the pigskin. Given the criticism he received for putting the ball on the ground last year, the Bears should probably be doing this with Matt Forte if they aren't already.

Points of View, May 31, 2008 http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=259 The Bears * The Chicago Tribune's David Haugh has a nice take on Brian Urlacher deciding to show up for mandatory workouts. Showing up simply represents the best negotiating ploy for Urlacher, who still will be seeking a new contract Friday when he enters Halas Hall. If he is cleared to participate fully in practice, this would give Urlacher a great opportunity to disprove any doubts about his back and surgically repaired neck. Nothing backs up Urlacher's words that he has recovered well from neck surgery and got in shape in Arizona than showing it on a practice field in Lake Forest. More importantly in my mind, it shows hes still willing to be the team leader he needs to be for the Bears. You could argue that he's as valuable in that role as he is in the MLB role. And as he ages, that role will become a bigger and bigger part of his value. * A lot of people don't like Jay Mariotti of The Chicago Sun-Times. But give credit where credit is due. This is a pretty strong column. * Vaughn McClure of The Chicago Tribune pointed out in his article that Urlacher wasn't responding to the media with one words answers. Most of the time. * Brad Biggs reports that all were present and accounted for at the mini-camp, not just Urlacher. Something is wrong when younger guys like Devin Hester start using the phrase "I've out played my contract." I'm not sure why, because he has certainly performed. But it definitely struck and odd note when I read it. Elsewhere * Here's a good blog entry from ESPN's Hashmarks blog on the rules for player negotiation and movement as the CBA contract negotiation progresses. It might be worth bookmarking. * Tampa Bay is now down to five QBs not counting Jake Plummer. The released Bruce Gradkowski. * Carolina HC John Fox is suggesting that he might actually shorten camp because of the new, effectively lower roster limits this summer. * The Jets have a QB competition going on that is interesting if for no other reason than its similar to the one the Bears have. Chad Pennington is currently slightly behind Kellen Clemons though its early. What's of interesting here is that the QBs received an voluminous evaluation on their performance in 37 categories when they showed up for off-season workouts (literally a book). Part of me admires the attention to detail. Part of me wonders if it will do any good to give them so much information. You could end up working on so many things at once that you correct nothing. But its interesting nevertheless. * Form Lions' RB Kevin Jones is using new OC Jim Colletto, who he believes was most responsible for his release, as motivation to rehabilitate his injured knee: "Before I got let go, the weeks leading up to that, I would hear him on the Internet or on the Web site saying that, 'We need a back who can make people miss. We need a back who can take it the distance,' " Jones said of Colletto. "Well, I'm on the team. I'm the starting running back. He's basically saying you don't need me, you need somebody else. So I'm going to show him that I am that back, that I can do those things." That's all good but flags went up when I got to this point: "Jones said he has visited the Patriots and Titans, and he said he has received contract offers, but that none paid him as much as he thinks he's worth.'I'm not trying to break the bank, but I'm not about to go anywhere just to go, just because there's a team out there and I haven't gotten picked up yet,' Jones said. 'I know my worth. A lot of the teams know my worth, but they figure, 'OK, you're hurt right now. We'll bring you in.' They're just going to lowball you. But that's not happening with me.'" I don't think Jones does know his worth. And if he keeps that attitude, he's not going to be showing Colletto anything because he's not going to be on a team. * Mike Sando from ESPN's Hashmarks blog tries to down play the significance of the comment but there's really no getting around the fact that the Arizona Cardinals are a cheap organization. Calvin Pace, who left to sign with the Jets, comments: Pace said it wasn't the money -- or the helicopter ride from Long Island to the team's new training complex in Florham Park during his recruiting visit -- that made him chose the Jets over the Dolphins. "It's the little things," said Pace, who spent his first five seasons in Arizona. "You don't need valet service. You just want people to show you it's all about trying to win. (The Jets) laid things out as far as yoga classes, the Pilates, training staff. Those are things I've never seen before in the NFL. "Things like lunch and breakfast before you work out. I've never had that. (In Arizona), you had to eat before you came and it was your job to eat when you left." One Final Thought * Says Broncos QB Jay Cutler, "If we go out and go 0-4, I'm going to get blamed for it whether I have diabetes or not."

I'm not real thrilled with being in the position to defend Muhammad. But I have to say in his defense that the WR corps started to perform better as a whole the instant he arrived. He had his faults but my gut feeling is that he did teach those guys some things and that he did provide a fair bit of on field leadership in a lot of ways. Tom S.

Yeah, I do. He had a terrible year last year but when he was on, he did have a talent for getting open. Nothing? As I said, I was picking a little. It was less a criticism leveled at Smith than it was an opporunity to point out something I don't think some fans recognize. Berrian hasn't really been replaced. I would agree. I think they are looking to Hester and, to a lesser extent, Llyod to step up and fill the gap. Not a very dependable solution. Truth. Point well taken. Tom S.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=258 The Bears * Larry Mayer answers an interesting question on chicagobears.com. In the "fair" camp competition between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton, how will the Bears simulate the pass rush? The question is significant because the perception is that Orton stands in against the rush better. Here's the answer: The defense blitzes and rushes the quarterback in training camp, but as you mentioned, they’re not allowed to make contact. The quarterbacks are taught to unload the ball when under pressure and find their “hot” receiver when blitzed, but there’s truly no way to replicate actual game conditions. I think that’s one reason that the preseason games will go a long way in determining whether Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton is anointed the starter. It's a fair answer but, of course, inadequate. Pre-season games actually won't go that far in alleviating this concern because defenses are typically vanilla and there aren't many blitzes. As I've said before, I believe this job is Grossman's to lose and that Orton will need to be decidedly better to beat him out. This is one more reason why he might not be able to show it even if he is. * Randy Moore of tennessee.scout.com attributes the large number of SEC players that the Bears have drafted to Lovie Smith's 2 years as a member of the University of Tennessee's football staff. I don't know that I completely buy it but its an angle I hadn't thought of. Elsewhere * Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com comments on the reported revelation that Pacman Jones has already met with commissioner Roger Goodell. He points out that the meeting probably took place before the news broke that a Las Vegas casino tried to obtain a felony warrant against Jones for failure to pay $20,000 in gambling markers. And then there is this: The other issue that continues to trouble us is whether Jones’ current story of paying $15,000 to a guy who thought Jones had ordered a hit outside the Minxx strip club in Vegas because Jones feared that the guy would come after him meshes with the version of the events that Jones shared with Goodell in 2007, when they met prior to Pacman’s one-year (and counting) suspension. I've got a feeling that Jones isn't going to see the field this year. * Former Bears punter Todd Sauerbrun went on trial yesterday for an altercation with a cab driver in Denver. He pled guilty to disturbing the peace and should get community service in a plea deal. Man, who wasn't glad to see that piece of work leave town? * Sauerbun also criticized the Broncos for releasing him after the incident: “The Broncos didn’t give me a fair shot. I don’t think they did me right. I do feel ill about it. And their new motto about character guys? The guys I’ve seen them pick up, you’re going to tell me those are good character people? I think not." Fair enough. But you don't think he stopped there, do you? He's still claiming that he didn't do it and he's going to sue the taxi driver for defamation. Apparently judges don't take too kindly to that because you aren't truly accepting responsibility for the crime. Which means the judge here might reject the plea deal. Steroids, criminal behavior and a genius to boot. Can't imagine why the Broncos released him. One Final Thought * From The Dallas Morinng News via Josh Alpert of profootballtalk.com. Apparently Tank Johnson commandeered a television camera and sent a message to Roger Goodell regarding Pacman Jones. "Roger, please let him play. From Tank. Thanks, buddy." Translation: "I need someone on the team who is worse than I am." Johnson also said that the Cowboy environment had helped him mature as a person after his lengthy run of legal trouble while with the Bears. Translation: They hired a security guy to keep me out of trouble. He thought the team’s support system, especially Jerry Jones and Calvin Hill, could have the same positive impact on Jones. Translation: They didn't just get him one guy. They actually surrounded him with security personnel. Now they can keep him happy by hiring a stripper to dance over him in between practices in the privacy of his own home. Cowboy-approved thug friends included. And he gets to keep it all and stay out of trouble for as long as he performs well on the field. See how much they care about him! Yeah, let him back in, Roger. In an environment like that, I'm sure he's maturing wonderfully.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=257 The Bears * Former Bear Roosevelt Colvin is claiming interest from the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. Michael david Smith at profootballtalk.com thinks it might be a ploy to drum up interest (and I agree). * Bob LeGere writes a nice piece on Bears new/old WR Marty Booker. On the QB "competition": "Dude, in my career I've had like almost 20 different quarterbacks (17 actually), so as far as adjusting to anybody, that's not a problem," he said. "That's the least of everything." Booker might or might noot have the savvy that Muhsin Muhammad had but its pretty evident he'll bring a more colming influence to the WR carp. * On the other hand Lovie Smith makes an unsusual comment in the same article. The Bears lost their top two receivers in the off-season when Bernard Berrian signed with the Minnesota Vikings and Muhsin Muhammad was released to loosen up the salary cap. Booker was signed to help fill the void. "Whenever you lose a playmaker it's a little unsettling," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "But getting Marty Booker back will help." I'm picking a little bit here. Muhammad, yes. But if anyone out there expects Booker to compensate at all for the loss of Berrian, a totally different type of speed player, he or she is dreaming. * Bears LB Lance Briggs continued his campaign to support Brian Urlacher in his effort to get paid. Briggs said he doesn't expect to see Urlacher at minicamp this weekend on ESPN's NFL Live. The guess here is that the Tommie Harris negotiation is part of the problem. Once that cap space is gone, maybe the team can come to a conctrete arrangement based upon what's left and Urlacher will settle down and accept the situation. A Devin Hester extension will probably have its effect as well. * Brad Biggs examines the amount of money Urlacher could lose should he decided to skip the Bears' mandatory minicamp starting Friday. It's considerably more than I thought. Elsewhere * Here's one for the "what the heck?" category. From Matt Mosely of ESPN's Hashmarks blog: One of the first things John Harbaugh did as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens was order a new calendar shoot for the team's cheerleaders. The western themes of the late 90s and the infamous Edgar Allen Poe shoot seemed dated. I won't even bother to express my surprise that the HC is dealing with cheerleader photoshoots. But that was one of the first things he did? Seriosuly? * 49ers rookie Ezra Butler, who played college ball at Nevada, recognized last month that his marijuana use kept him from being drafted. "I think [the marijuana revelation] affected me, but at the end of the day I’ve got no one to blame but myself. I’m still going to have an opportunity to make the team." Sincere words from a man who has changed his life and plans to take advantage of his opportunities from now on, right? Butler was arrested Saturday for marijuana possession. He admitted to smoking pot 40 minutes before the arrest. The 49ers waived him yesterday. One Last Thought * What's is like to live in Wisconsin? Milwaukee plans on putting up a statue of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli. 'nuff said.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=256 The Bears * Very slow news time for the NFL. So ESPN's John Clayton fills the gap by listing the top seven non-moves of the offseason. You guessed it. The Bears were near the top. 2. Bears don't improve passing offense Coming off their 2006 Super Bowl run, the Bears naturally had to stick with Rex Grossman at quarterback. But the offense dropped to 29th in the NFL last season. Since then, what the Bears did to fix things looked like a caulking job at old Soldier Field. They invested little money to improve the offense. Grossman and Kyle Orton were re-signed for backup salaries ($3 million a year), and Brian Griese was traded to Tampa Bay. Brandon Lloyd was signed for the NFL minimum and Marty Booker came in at $1.75 million a year to challenge for starting wide receiver spots. With a quarterback in transition, it's amazing Chicago selected halfback Matt Forte in the second round instead of a quarterback such as Brian Brohm or Chad Henne. I simply can't argue with the first part of this. The Bears offense was among the worst in the NFL last year and having lost and not replaced their best receiver with no change at QB and a rookie left tackle, its hard to argue they won't be as bad this year. On the other hand, I can't argue with the choices the Bears made in the first and second rounds. They needed the help and they're laying a foundation for the future (which I don't think includes Cedric Benson long term). The lack of a move at QB does rank pretty high on the list of non-moves. Yeah, the free agent class wasn't inspiring but GMs make a living identifying guys that don't appear to have anything left but do. That's what the good ones do. In addition, I still sonder if they won't look back at Josh Johnson and wonder what they were thinking when they passed on him. What is inarguable in my mind is that the QB situation is a result of poor planning. In the end, that's where Jerry Angelo's real fault lies. Elsewhere * From Pro Football Weekly's Whispers Column: "Chargers WR Kassim Osgood, who has asked to be traded because he’s unhappy with his primary role as a special-teams performer, failed to show up for the start of OTAs. But the way we hear it, it’s much ado about nothing. The Bolts have no intention of granting Osgood’s request, and Osgood has very little leverage since he’s buried on the WR depth chart." My gut feeling is that Osgood would be much better off handling this with the same class that the Bears' Brendon Ayanbadejo did. He should play out his contract, then sign with a team where he thinks he'll have a chance to start as a position player. * From Pro Football Weekly's The Way We Hear It column: So much for Dolphins coach Tony Sparano inheriting a host of talented youngsters left over from Cam Cameron’s first and only draft class. During 2007 training camp, rookie OG Drew Mormino and rookie OLB Abraham Wright were two of the most pleasant surprises, with Mormino in the mix for a starting job and Wright looking as if he’d become a solid pass-rush specialist. Although neither player ended up doing anything during the season, their futures in Miami seemed to be bright. Apparently, the Dolphins’ new regime didn’t harbor the same optimism for them, as each player has recently been cut. Not that the Fins were pleased about severing ties with Mormino. He simply didn’t pass his physical after spending ’07 on injured reserve with a separated shoulder, and his absence puts the team in a considerable bind at guard. Mormino was in line to start, and Miami was forced to scramble to find a suitable starting option opposite Justin Smiley, inking lightly regarded ex-Texans OG-C Steve McKinney to fill the void. I honestly can't say I'm surprised by this. The truth is that once Cam Cameron took Ted Ginn Jr., you kind of knew that he didn't know what he was doing in the draft room. * Titan's OC Mike Heimerdinger on reciever Mike Williams who has had a hard time keeping weight off and staying in shape, much like Cedric Benson last year: But the coordinator also thinks Williams needs to stay with the team's strength coach, Steve Watterson, all summer so he can run more than two routes in a row. "If he does that, then his weight will be down. If he stays with Steve all the time. It can't be a hit-and-miss thing, take a couple days off, then come back and do it. There has to be a consistent thing to it because he's very talented," Heimerdinger said. He can't run two routes in a row? Man, I've really got to start cutting Benson some slack. * Aaron Rogers was crying the other day when he was again asked about being injury prone, this time by Jim Rome: "The most frustrating thing is the connotation with the phrase ‘being injury prone,’” Rodgers told guest host Grant Napear, echoing what he said when he met with the media after an organized team activities practice on Wednesday. "It’s almost inferring the player is a little soft,” Rodgers said from his native California. “The injuries I’ve sustained have been pretty much bad luck. It’s frustrating. There’s high expectations when you follow a guy who started over 250 straight games at quarterback, which is unbelievable and very lucky, because you see injuries all the time that players can’t avoid, like Carson Palmer (in a 2006 playoff game against Pittsburgh)." Rogers has been hurt twice in the process of making 35 NFL pass attempts over 3 seasons. He has never started a game. Takes a lot of gall to ask a guy with a record like that about being injury prone. Looks like I need to start cutting Rex Grossman some more slack, too. * Speaking of Rogers the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei highlights the risk that the Packers are taking by going with three QBs who haven't started an NFL game between them. He also points out that opting out of the collective bargaining agreement might create problems signing the top draft picks in the draft. Teams will not be able to fully guarantee any money in the 2012 season so teams that trditionally like to get rookies signed to six year contracts (read "the Bears") will have a more difficult time. * Mike Sando at ESPN's Hashmarks blog points out that with the release of Erasmus James, the Vikings have only one remaining member of thier 2005 draft class left on the team. Every other team in the league has at least two. I'd be more cirtical but their classes since then have been better (see "Adrian Peterson"). * Think the owners aren't serious about a 17th game? You might want to get used to the idea that it might happen. The 2012 Super Bowl is being planned for both Feb. 5 and Feb. 12. One Last Thought * Saints DE Charles Grant has been indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter after a woman died as a result of a fight outside of a bar which Grant was involved in. In claiming that he won't be found guilty he went on what was at times a somewhat odd rant: "I worked 29 years to get to where I'm at; at 29 years old, that came with a lot of ups and downs. I have a lot of stuff that has been on my shoulders. Like I said before, I'm a warrior. Warriors are born. Some people, you have to turn them into that. I stand for something. . . . " Death?

Good point there. I kind of expected more of this last year. With Smith basically saying, "pound the ball, pound the ball" I figure we'll see many, many plays to TEs. Here's hoping Olsen shows he can block. That will make it all the more likely to be effective. Tom S.

It isn't just that he's been crap. IMO its also *why* he's been crap. Shows up out of shape. Isn't accountable for his mistakes. Won't put forth any great effort to do anything he wasn't asked to do at Texas (like blocking and catching the ball). If he does anything at all this year to increase his trade value I say the Bears should unload this lug before he costs them even more than he already has. Tom S.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=255 I was listening to the radio this afternoon when Lawrence Holmes on WSCR asked an interesting question. Why is it that we get so angry at Bears running back Cedric Benson but we shrug our shoulders and accept it when the Bulls' Joakim Noah gets arrested for marijuana possession? Shouldn't we be just as upset at each? Holmes' theory is that there's a double standard because the people of Chicago just don't like Benson and because he doesn't perform on the field. My gut feeling is that this is true. My gut feeling is also that it goes deeper than that. It isn't just that Benson under performs. Its why he under performs and its relation to his off field behavior that bothers fans. Benson was recently fined over $500 and got supervision for going 77 MPH in a 45 MPH construction zone. The stupidity and lack of discipline that someone must have do this in a place where working men could actually get hurt is appalling. It is actually in many ways worse than the other recent indisgression, going drinking while boating despite having been (he believes) targeted by the lake authorities and having been stopped six times in the past. Once again, common sense should tell you that in order to stay out of trouble, you either don't go or you get someone else to drive. Once again a lack of displine necessary to sacrifice and execute this plan is what did Benson in. The fact that Benson still doesn't accept that he did anything wrong even after being called out in the media by GM Jerry Angelo is a double strike against him. Should Cedric Benson be able to go out boating without being targeted by authorities? You bet. I should also be able to walk in the Austin Boulevard neighborhood on the west side, as well. But if I did, I'd probably get robbed. That would certainly be illegal and everyone would sympathize. But everyone would also know that I probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. The truth is that we deal with the world as it is, not as we would like it to be. It saddens me but that's the way of things. It's something you learn as you mature. It's something Benson has never learned because he has never matured and possibly never will. Related to this, its been pointed out to me that these should, in fact, be considered "youthful indisgressions" that have nothing to do with football. Indeed, this is the attitude that most people take towards Noah. And I'd be more likely to accept it if Benson's lack of discipline hadn't already shown up on the field in so many ways. For instance, Benson claims that he wasn't out of shape last year and that he has only lost 10 pounds in the off-season. But listening to an interview with Mike Mulligan on WSCR yesterday indicated a different story. Mulligan said that Benson was basically unrecognizable out there last week. Indeed, at least one scout has been quoted as saying that he had a bet for dinner with another scout that Benson had the work ethic to succeed as an NFL running back. He recently gave up hope and paid it off. This all tells me three things: * Benson was almost certainly out of shape last year, a direct result of his lack of discipline. * He wouldn't admit that he was out of shape and instead chose to blame the offensive line entirely for his lack of production. This points to his lack of accountability. * In order to cover for himself he probably lied about how much weight he's lost. In answer to Holmes' question, its these three faults that are among the most abhorrent to any fan. They are the difference between cutting Joakim Noah slack and coming down hard on Cedric Benson. What should the Bears do about this? I hopped on the Internet this morning to find Chicago Sun-Times' columnist Jay Mariotti once again calling for Cedric Benson's release: The reason Halas Hall is so loyal has nothing to do with common sense or a realistic hope that Benson will break through as a star. Simply, Angelo's professional ego and Lovie Smith's stubborn streak are driving the continuing snafu. If he were talking about Rex Grossman's starting job, I'd have said "Bingo". But I have to disagree on immediately releasing Benson. The good news is that he appears to be in shape this off-season. Which hopefully means he'll have a good year. But I agree with Mariotti in that he had to be pushed into it and incidents like those he's been involved with lately tell me that there isn't much hope for the long-term. So as it is, I'd say you give Benson a season to prove he can run when he's in shape and got competition. If he performs, you trade him for whatever you can get. And if he doesn't you release him and let him go to grow up on his own (or not).

I would like to do this again this year. Thanks, Tom S.

Yeah, I wondered where that came from, too. I will say that, hearing him talk, he's obviously not illiterate or anything. But judging from the content I wouldn't call him a polished anything. I've been thinking about it almost from the day he was drafted and I still haven't figured out if he's too dumb to edit what comes out of his mouth or he just doesn't care. Tom S.

This might be the funniest quote in the whole article. If Al Davis didn't believe in spying, it would only be becuase he was afraid he'd get caught. Tom S.

LOL. Tom S.

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=254 The Bears * Brad Biggs blogs that Cedric Benson has was in court yesterday but not for boating. He was in for a speeding ticket. At first I thought, “No big deal.” But hen I read that he was fined $510 and given supervision. That was some serious speeding. * Count Rashaan Salaam as one of those who isn’t buying into the idea that Cedric Benson finally gets it. “They’ve given him everything,” Salaam said. ”But they’re getting tired of him. I have the most respect for the Chicago Bears organization for sticking with this dude. They are really looking out for Cedric Benson, treating him like he’s an all-pro player. “Coming out of college, he was a polished young man, well-spoken. The way he’s acting now is mind-boggling.” Want to know what’s really mind boggling? I don’t entirely agree. For once I’m optimisitic and I’m anxious to see how Benson answers his critics. * Scout.com reports that the Bears didn’t take Rashard Mendenhall because they just plain thought Matt Forte was better. Elsewhere * Lions coach Rod Marinelli: “A bunch of guys are tight — I just feel it. That really gets tested when we hit adversity. When adversity hits, then we’ll see how strong we are. But I believe in my heart we are.” To his credit, Marinelli realizes that this is the difference between winners and losers. He’s probably worked for enough winning teams to know. But my guess is that, always the optimist, he doesn’t quite realize how hard it is for a losing organization to get over that hump. I don’t know whether the Lions are there, but I feel confident that you’d never be able to tell it in May. No one who really knows what it takes would ever say it then. * Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com blogs that he got an unsolicited call from a high level NFL executive from a team other than the Patriots. Here’s what he said about further allegations of cheating by the Patriots: “I honestly feel like the IR issue is a way bigger issue than taping signals. I always felt that was overblown because everyone was doing it in some way (i.e. with a scout in the press box, etc). However, the IR thing is huge. In terms of getting players ready to play for the future, it’s invaluable. You can stash players on the IR, protect them from waivers, and get them to practice, develop and improve. Plus it allows you to rest your veterans during practice. In terms of competitiveness, from an overall team standpoint, that’s a much bigger advantage than taping signals. The fact that the Commish wouldn’t take any further action, to me, is incredible. It’s a totally separate deal and MUCH more valuable than taping signals, in my opinion.” A couple points: The fact that taping of defensive signals is “overblown because everyone was doing it” is disturbing (though not surprising). I appreciate that the commissioner has done something about that and the league needs to remain vigilant. The IR issue shouldn’t be allowed to go away. This once again stress the importance of Spygate and re-emphasizes that the media not let it die. Again, the bet here is that the Patriots are not the only guilty party and that this is not the only way in which teams are currently cheating. The fact that “the Commish” hasn’t done anything once again re-empasizes the rumored possibility that Bill Bellichick has threatened to tell everything he knows about all teams cheating if he is punished again. * The Vikings released Erasmus James. He is the second of the Vikings two first rounders in 2005 to go (the other was Troy Williamson. Can’t decide which is worse. Picking two bad players and having to release them or picking them and sticking with them too long out of pride (see Jerry Angelo) * As I pointed out the other say, revenue sharing amongst the owners might be a major issue in the negotiations over the next CBA. Mike Florio, writing for The Sporting News: “As the expiration date for the labor agreement approaches, it’s possible that some low-revenue teams such as Buffalo or Jacksonville might start clamoring about the topic again if high-revenue teams like Dallas or Washington say they’re giving up too much, or if low-revenue teams feel they’re not getting enough.” * Here’s a heart warming one. Rich Tylski, a guard with the Jaguars, Steelers and Panthers, was placed in a pretrial intervention program after admitting in court that he abused his adopted daughter. Tylski copped to spanking the girl with a belt beyond the scope of proper discipline. The authorities were tipped off to the abuse when the girl was brought to the emergency room with a broken femur in 2006. The Tylskis said she fell down the stairs but an investigation followed and doctors found extensive bruising and six or seven healing fracturesin her hand. Tylski’s wife admitted to striking the girl and bending her fingers back. Raise your hand if you think spaying and neutering shouldn’t be allowed as a justifiable form of punishment in a court of law. One Final Thought This came from Matt Moseley of ESPN’s Hashmarks Blog. Its an excerpt from Mark Bowden’s book on the 1959 Championship game, “The Best Game Ever”. Its from chapter 2 which focuses on former NFL player Raymond Berry: “He had chosen the film of a particular game, usually one that featured a lot of passing, observing each route run by the wide receiver, timing each play and interval between plays with a stopwatch, and then in tiny, meticulous handwriting, sketching the patterns and noting the sequences. Every play, whether the receiver was thrown the ball or not, every huddle, every timeout, every stretch spent on the bench between offensive series. “He noted the time spent in each phase, routes and recovery times, and consulting his hand-written script out on the grass, acted out an entire game, whistle to whistle. Out on the playing field of his hometown in the dead of summer there was no one to observe his obsessive devotion, no teammate, no neighbor, no coach. There was no one he was trying to impress. It was pure desire. No, not just desire. The young man in gray sweats and glasses was desperate.”

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=253 The Bears * The Sun-Times’ Mike Mulligan isn’t buying into any reasons for optimism right now. With Mark Bradley out he would certainly seem to have a point. He sees little reason to have any faith in Brandon Lloyd given his history. He also points out that a lighter Cedric Benson doesn’t necessarily mean good things for a power running game. I have to say that I agree with the first but I do have some hope for Benson. I really don’t think those 10 pounds he lost are going to make that much difference in his power and he did look out of shape last year. Hey, its May. Let the optimism last while it can. * Ruben Brown has been cleared by doctors to play. There are rumors the Bears might try to resign him. * I still haven’t found anything that explains why Devin Hester isn’t participating in drills. Its probably his contract situation but I haven’t found it explicitly stated. His situation is different because he has more than one year left until free agency and, though the team would like to extend him, his situation isn’t urgent. Elsewhere * Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson thinks that all he has to do is correct the little things. You do that, buddy. Let me know when you correct the first thousand. * Like the Lions are a lot better off. OC Jim Colletto says, that when QB Drew Stanton throws a wobbly pass, “I kind of close my eyes and don’t pay attention.” Now that’s what I call coaching. * Eric Mangini has a very practical (and probably correct) attitude towards holdouts. For instance, he’s doing everything he can to keep Chris Baker up to speed with the playbook despite the fact that he’s not participating in team activities. “Anytime you encounter these, there are going to be different factors that go into it and we deal with all those factors as they come up,” Mangini said Thursday. “The important thing for me is to keep Chris up to date with what’s going on and I know that’s important to him, as well, and that’s what I’ll keep doing.” * In an item on SI.com that former NFL lineman Ross Tucker confirms the contention of former Pats employee Matt Walsh that the Patriots allowed some players on injured reserve to participate in practice. I wish we could get to the point where we’re rooting out this cheating from other teams as well. There are rumors that coach Bill Belichick warned commissioner Roger Goodell that, if Goodell were to come after Belichick or the Patriots again for cheating, Belichick would publicly blow the whistle on all of the specific cheating practices in which other teams engage. I would love that. One Final Thought Ross Tucker again from the SI.com article referenced above. “Bending rules is a fact of life in the NFL. From ballboys allowing the opposing team’s footballs to get soaked, to hotel employees scouring rooms for game plan sheets after a team heads to the stadium, there are several ways to get in on the act. Seemingly no organization, no matter how accomplished or destitute it may be, is immune from the win-at-all-costs mentality.”

There are a lot of things that aren't right with the world. You live in it as it is, not as you'd like it to be. It saddens me but that's the way it is. IMO Benson has to understand that. Tom S.

Good point. I should have mentioned it. Tom S.