Connorbear Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...earnt10.article Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 In the article, trying to read between the lines, I suspect they are looking around the league at options that are now or may in the near future be open to them. I got the impression they do not want to switch Tait back over after moving him this off season, that St Clair is their best option now, but if things "develop" they might bring someone else in to help solidify the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradjock Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 In the article, trying to read between the lines, I suspect they are looking around the league at options that are now or may in the near future be open to them. I got the impression they do not want to switch Tait back over after moving him this off season, that St Clair is their best option now, but if things "develop" they might bring someone else in to help solidify the situation. I'm ok with keeping him here. The only strength of our line so far has been the right side. By moving Tait you're screwing that up. That and we keep hearing how good St. Clair has looked at LT. Why switch them, especially when it appears that Williams will be back by mid-season. You mention we might be bringing someone in, do you have any idea who? We heard yesterday the Texans are no longer interested in Fred Miller. But I don't see Miller being any better then St. Clair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I'm ok with keeping him here. The only strength of our line so far has been the right side. By moving Tait you're screwing that up. That and we keep hearing how good St. Clair has looked at LT. Why switch them, especially when it appears that Williams will be back by mid-season. You mention we might be bringing someone in, do you have any idea who? We heard yesterday the Texans are no longer interested in Fred Miller. But I don't see Miller being any better then St. Clair. My guess is we are going to see a trade with another team for a guy that the other team wants to unload do to salary or a younger player on their roster taking over or we will see a player released for the same reason and we pick him up. Remember, that has happened in the past for us and paid off. Why not go back to the well again and see what happens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 My guess is we are going to see a trade with another team for a guy that the other team wants to unload do to salary or a younger player on their roster taking over or we will see a player released for the same reason and we pick him up. Remember, that has happened in the past for us and paid off. Why not go back to the well again and see what happens? Just curious. What player are you thinking of we traded for in the past who the team was trying to unload for those reasons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Agreed all around. One thing I think we have to remember is, Tait pretty much sucked at LT last year. As he is getting older, I think it not out of the question to simply assume age is sapping his quickness. He is likely fine on the right, but the left side is another story. IMHO, there would have been FAR more talk about Tait's play last year if he were not lined up next to Brown and Metcalf. Agreed that while our left side may look flat out ugly, at least we should have a right side we can rely on. If we need that 1 yard on 3rd down, we have a side we should feel confident going too. Move Tait back, and instead of one good and one bad side, we end up having two questionable sides. And I am not sure what Miller would help. Adding him only means we have to move Tait, which again, isn't a good idea. He isn't even great depth, as he is strictly a RT and nothing more. What we do need though is an OG. I would say if a LT were available, we could add that player too, but LTs are rarely available at the beginning of the offseason, much less just before the regular season begins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Just curious. What player are you thinking of we traded for in the past who the team was trying to unload for those reasons? Up until last year our OL consisting of Tait, Brown, Kreutz, Garza, & Miller played pretty darn good. Last year was a different story due to age &/or injuries. Of those 5 starters, we drafted one, Kreutz, the other 4 were all picked up fron other teams, I believe all as FAs, some because of salary cap issues, some because the team they left thought they were better off replacing them with younger players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Up until last year our OL consisting of Tait, Brown, Kreutz, Garza, & Miller played pretty darn good. Last year was a different story due to age &/or injuries. Of those 5 starters, we drafted one, Kreutz, the other 4 were all picked up fron other teams, I believe all as FAs, some because of salary cap issues, some because the team they left thought they were better off replacing them with younger players. I thought you were saying we were "trading" for players, which is why I asked. Tait was signed as a RFA. Miller and Brown were on the market due to age/salary combo. Garza was on the market, to a great extent, due to teams questioning his lack of an ACL, or whatever. Problem is, much of what we do would be considered bandaids. Brown and Miller were on the downside of their careers when we got them. Something left, yes, but how much. Moves like this can be good for a year or so, but not usually much more. Tait has been a good pickup, but he too is sliding. Several months ago, there was an article in the paper. It blew my mind, but Angelo actually said he prefers to sign OL, rather than draft them. He said they take time to develop, so he prefers to get them developed, rather than draft a kid and develop them himself. Problem w/ this is, it is harder and harder (not to mention expensive) to sign OL now unless they are on the downside of their career. So you bascially have to draft them, but to me, it just seems like Angelo views drafting/developing OL as a necessary evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I thought you were saying we were "trading" for players, which is why I asked. Tait was signed as a RFA. Miller and Brown were on the market due to age/salary combo. Garza was on the market, to a great extent, due to teams questioning his lack of an ACL, or whatever. Problem is, much of what we do would be considered bandaids. Brown and Miller were on the downside of their careers when we got them. Something left, yes, but how much. Moves like this can be good for a year or so, but not usually much more. Tait has been a good pickup, but he too is sliding. Several months ago, there was an article in the paper. It blew my mind, but Angelo actually said he prefers to sign OL, rather than draft them. He said they take time to develop, so he prefers to get them developed, rather than draft a kid and develop them himself. Problem w/ this is, it is harder and harder (not to mention expensive) to sign OL now unless they are on the downside of their career. So you bascially have to draft them, but to me, it just seems like Angelo views drafting/developing OL as a necessary evil. I would not rule out a trade. Yes, it would be a temporary fix, but I would be ok with that as long as we address the issue again in the draft next year. I personally think an NFL team should be drafting at least one OL player every year with one of their top 3 or 4 selections to keep a pipe line of youth and development at this critical area of the team flowing. Similar to the way Denver always seem to draft a RB every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrizzlyBear Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 If beekman pans out then I dont see the bears going to FA market at all. Keeping St Clair at LT will be the only way to go until Williams returns. The only thing I see is maybe going after lecharles bentley to solidify the sides of Kruetz. Interior Line play would good for while and if beekman continues to develop he could be used on either of the inside positions in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 I would not rule out a trade. Yes, it would be a temporary fix, but I would be ok with that as long as we address the issue again in the draft next year. I personally think an NFL team should be drafting at least one OL player every year with one of their top 3 or 4 selections to keep a pipe line of youth and development at this critical area of the team flowing. Similar to the way Denver always seem to draft a RB every year. Not sure if I buy a trade. Let me ask you. How good do you expect us to be? Even if we did make a trade, how good do you think we would be? I mean, we could trade a spare for a spare, but how much would that really help. If we want to do something, we have to make a significant trade, but if we did that, what would we give up? And how much do we want to give up if this is not a playoff/SB team? Agreed 100% about the draft philosophy, and I have pretty much sreamed as much for years. Every year I have wanted OL, and every year I have watched Angelo draft anything but. I swear he seems to view OL as a necessary evil in the draft. What I would like to see is him apply his philosophy of the DL to the OL. On the DL, we can be 3 or even 4 deep at a position, and he drafts another player or two regardless. We had Wale, Brown, Anderson and Bazuin, and yet regardless, he drafted another DE this year. Every year, he seems to draft one, or more, DL player, numerous of which are top 4 round picks. OL? Most years we are lucky to see a 7th rounder. Is there any wonder why our OL sucks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Not sure if I buy a trade. Let me ask you. How good do you expect us to be? Even if we did make a trade, how good do you think we would be? I mean, we could trade a spare for a spare, but how much would that really help. If we want to do something, we have to make a significant trade, but if we did that, what would we give up? And how much do we want to give up if this is not a playoff/SB team? Agreed 100% about the draft philosophy, and I have pretty much sreamed as much for years. Every year I have wanted OL, and every year I have watched Angelo draft anything but. I swear he seems to view OL as a necessary evil in the draft. What I would like to see is him apply his philosophy of the DL to the OL. On the DL, we can be 3 or even 4 deep at a position, and he drafts another player or two regardless. We had Wale, Brown, Anderson and Bazuin, and yet regardless, he drafted another DE this year. Every year, he seems to draft one, or more, DL player, numerous of which are top 4 round picks. OL? Most years we are lucky to see a 7th rounder. Is there any wonder why our OL sucks? If our OL can play well, open holes for our RBs and protect our QBs I feel we can win our division and go to the playoffs. Once you go into the post season, you never know..... I am not talking major trade. I am not saying it even has to be a trade. If a trade, a conditional pick for a player a team is planning on releasing but wants to try and get something out of the deal. More than likely, it will be a FA cut by a team in the next week or two that is brought in to add, if nothing else, depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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