This is what Pace has did in his 4th year for our starters, their are some competent backups but it is far from perfect, enjoy the good.

Burton is going to be a top 6 TE, sometimes you have to look at the system and the intent , it isn't all black and white. Sims is a good blocker but is not your pass catching TE although he can do that. He sucked last year because he wasn't used properly. 

2 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

This is what Pace has did in his 4th year for our starters, their are some competent backups but it is far from perfect, enjoy the good.

Burton is going to be a top 6 TE, sometimes you have to look at the system and the intent , it isn't all black and white. Sims is a good blocker but is not your pass catching TE although he can do that. He sucked last year because he wasn't used properly. 

 

4

Stinger, exactly, and you can't even show guys like Cohen, Daniels, Shaheen, Bullard, Kwiatkowski, and Acho. All above average players and will contribute.

Looks good in that uniform.  

7 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

Looks good in that uniform.  

Like he was born to wear it!

Still pinching myself.    We gave up a lot in draft capitol and in salary cap but we landed a known quantity.  Dude is a human wrecking ball.  There are some comparing this to us giving up so much to get Cutler but to me that is apples and oranges.  Cutler showed a lot of promise, but also came with question marks with his personality, work ethic, etc.  Mack has done nothing but produce, be dependable, work hard, play with a contagious passion.  He got shopped because Oakland (Gruden) didn't want to pay him anywhere near the kind of extension he got here. Especially after he'd paid Carr his huge contract.  He didn't force his way out of Oakland, they just didn't see fit to reward him for basically being their defense  since he got there.  He's not a malcontent, and a locker room distraction, as his former teammates comments have shown he was well liked and will be missed.  He makes an already formidable defense that much better.  He also has the luxury of having a lot more help in our defense, he was all they had in Oakland.  I'm excited to see how good our front 7 will be with him playing with Hicks, Goldman, Bullard, Trevathan, Smith/Kwait, and Floyd.  This could be the best LB group that we've had since Urlacher, Briggs, and Colvin.  It's exciting to think about.   Can't think of a better environment for Roquan to learn his craft in.  Offenses will have a hard time accounting for everyone. 

And what a difference a years makes.  We now have rookies that would of started for us last year and still will, at some point, but now we can afford to let them learn and play without just being thrown into the fire.  Before the Mack traded it was all about Smith.  Now he is kind of on the back burner when people talk about the defense.  I think our four linebackers might be the best in football very soon and  the best since Urlacher, Briggs,  and Colvin and perhaps beyond.  Add that to our front three and our young back end and I have not been this excited to see a defense since the 80's. And to know our coaching staff and front office believe they have put in place almost everything we need to start making a run gives me a big grin.  I'm about to start writing down names on message boards who have said for years we will always suck just to give them I told you so.

 

I don't mean to make too much of the Pace/New Orleans connection, but the last two teams I remember with four outstanding linebackers like this, were the 1992 Saints, and Fangio's San Francisco defense.

I need to see it on the field, and there is chemistry and Trublisky's development yet to come, but we have the most upside/potential of any Bears team since 1985.