Sit down, I got this. They couldn't do this right w/o me last year.


Topic question #1 - Why are Lion fans the biggest penis gnats on the face of the planet? I mean, like the Vikings and the Packers (and the entire rest of the league, for that matter) haven't done a fair enough share of beating the piss out of you too. But you gotta stay the fuck on MY dick. There's something very White Sox about the way you guys conduct your business.

"Talk amongst yaselves" (c) Linda Richmond

.

leave the White Sox outta this!!!!

Lions fans are them dudes that nut the fuck up at a fine bitch....
only to find out that the fine bitch doesn't know how to do shit.

The jealousy that Lion fans on this site have toward the Bears is VERY comparable to the jealousy that Sox fans hold toward the Cubs. It's the same animal. The teams in the division that the Lions SHOULD be jealous toward (the Crack and the Queens) don't command near the vitriol that we do. Just like Sox fans direct all their venom at the Cubs when they should be lashing out against the Twins and the Tribe.

30 games over, money

ain't nobody thinkin' bout y'all cats, LOL

And you're complaining about which page and how much space the Sox box score gets.

i just want to win a chip, doggie

i couldn't care less abt all that other shit
& the ppl who do can shampoo my crotch © melvin udall

i know our team is the red-headed stepchild in this town
personally, i revel in that shit
i accepted long ago that we're always gonna be 2nd to the cubs in some ways
but those whiny ass pussies always playing the no respect card get on my fucking nerves
who gives a shit?
just rep yr squad, don't worry abt them other doods

keep believing that all of us sit around obsessing abt the cubbies tho
if it makes u happy

& hurt is on the back of the times today btw
going yard, for the game-winner
that's wassup

>keep believing that all of us sit around obsessing abt the
>cubbies tho
>if it makes u happy

I don't have to "believe" it. I can drive down Halsted and see it happening live. You know how many Sox fans there are that can't talk baseball w/o yelling "Cubs suck" every three sentences.

the cubs can continue to balk their way out of contention and I'll be just fine.

the cubs can continue to balk their way out of contention and I'll be just fine.

I understand where ya coming from now. The Cubs are just the squad up on the North Side

They may not all let it out as often, but I guarandamntee anytime Bartman touches a foul ball or Garvey jacks a Lee Smith fastball out of right-center, some ump-beating cracker from Kokomo shows up the next day in his customized Billy Goat jersey. Cub fans aren't concerned w/ the Sox like that. You aren't gonna see a Cub showing up at the Cell in a Tito Landrum throwback or anything.

<----Okp Jawn

esi: well he wuz, but he changed his ways
isa: wuz = repressed

www.myspace.com/itsjay

>The jealousy that Lion fans on this site have toward the
>Bears is VERY comparable to the jealousy that Sox fans hold
>toward the Cubs. It's the same animal. The teams in the
>division that the Lions SHOULD be jealous toward (the Crack
>and the Queens) >


wait I'm a Viking fan...I assume the Crack = the Pack...so i guess that makes my boys the Vikes the Queens??? I'm not getting the pun here...clear it up for me...

then again it could be "The Crack"="The Vikes" due to Onterios puffing and former Viking Randy's puffing which might make some sense...

the Queens huh? so the inference is that we are pre-madonnas or something?

and hey, look if we are able to win the division you can call us whatever the hell you want ...the Queens, the Crack whatever...i don't care but i just want to know which one we are supposed to be in that analogy The Crack or the Queens...and why...then i'll leave your Bears thread in peace until the regular season kicks in...

(and dude, i mean this seriously, I felt bad for your boys when Grossman went down man. In the games he's played against the Vikes...Last year before he went down and the year before that that too...i thought the kid looked real good, confident and driven. I hate to see a guy go down again even if it is a rival team. Sure i want to beat their asses when they are healthy, but i hate to see a dude with potential never get a good chance to live up to it, so here's hoping he gets well and stays well for next year...)

alright enough of my sappyness...if you could just answer my question and i'll be on my way...

Go VIKES!

ahh nevermind...i looked down further n this post ...when it actually began to talk about footbal again...and found out which one the Vikes are supposed to be..."the Queens"...still would like to hear how we earned that title though...

I have Mushin in our league, and I'm hoping he's going to be able to get the rock some...

.

running the rock for y'all..

Right now, Jones is listed 1st string. As long as they're a 1-2 punch, I don't really thing you can go wrong. Everything Lovie does makes sense.

I'm gonna post this about 50 more times in this thread. Just to help you out, pally.

.

__________________________________________________________

http://www.myspace.com/chamilton

http://maulerkoala.blogspot.com/

Bucks Playoffs in the 05-06 season Son




"She got that new dick scent..." (c) Me

Therefore, he makes a big enough impact as far as I'm concerned.

That defense has to be better than good enough for the Bears to do anything.
__________________________________________________________

http://www.myspace.com/chamilton

http://maulerkoala.blogspot.com/

Bucks Playoffs in the 05-06 season Son




"She got that new dick scent..." (c) Me

There's no such thing as a perfect offense.

>There's no such thing as a perfect offense.

but there's a lot of offenses closer to perfect than the Chicago Bears'.

Nah.

>But you gotta stay the fuck on MY dick.

you're the one talking about us in your post

.

Here is the only LIONS post of the past few weeks.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=95621&mesg_id=95621&listing_type=search

Not a mention of the BOBS. Not one.

Now, in the NFC North post, a post dedicated to ALL teams in the division, yes, it's been noted that the BOBS indeed suck. Though even that was only after an outsider suggested the BOBS would compete for the division, a notion that in reality, is utterly hilarious.

So, now that we're in YOUR post....

Bears suck.

That better?

And if you're going to parody our name, at least keep up with the finance world close enough to know that Chase Manhattan bought out Bank One after the 2003 season and update your tired jabs and refer to us as the CMBs. m'kay?!!?

You said: "Dude, there are TWENTY of you talking about US in your post"

Show me where WE are talking about YOU in OUR post.

Said "Bears suck".

Not "Packers suck".

Not "Vikings suck".

Just us.


And this has been a habit of Lion fans in here for some time. Probably dating back to '01-'02, somewhere in there. The Central/North can't be discussed unless you throw in some Bears vitriol, which I don't understand because I can't even remember any serious landmark in the Bear/Lion rivalry in my lifetime. What, you still mad about Dave Williams running the kickoff back in OT? You mad Edinger kicked that field goal in the 2000 finale that kept you guys out of the playoffs and you've been a giant suckfest ever since? Hell, the most disrespectful thing that's ever been done between the Bears and Lions that either one of us can remember is probably when Wayne Fontes lit the cigar on MNF. That's what I don't get about you bastards. Why is this such a personal vendetta on your part? The only team I have this kind of distaste for is the Packers, because that's just the way Bears/Packers is supposed to be and it's a mutual feeling. Ask Mike, ask Hamilton, ask whoever else is from up there. They've owned the Bears for the last decade plus, and they still hate us as passionately as they did when Forrest Gregg was coaching and we made them our bitches year in, year out. The only time I think about the Vikings or Lions is obviously when we're playing them or when we're in a race against them in the standings. You don't matter to us. Go the fuck away. You're annoying.

K.

.

FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

---

-OkayBlowhards Champion-


Recently Revealed Inaugural Member - OkaySports Hall of Fame
"Back when it meant something"

---
Real Man Talk:
http://www.imageyenation.com/main

tryna steal a motherfucker's post.

and on top of that, you gonna start it by talking about some lions bullshit. go drink some drano.

you left. stay gone bitch.

I called this one. Told Hamilton this was gonna happen.

make a BEARS post.



<----Okp Jawn

esi: well he wuz, but he changed his ways
isa: wuz = repressed

www.myspace.com/itsjay

*pops cherry*

U mad, doggie?

you automatically prove that you can't debate your argument.

This oughta be good.

<----Okp Jawn

esi: well he wuz, but he changed his ways
isa: wuz = repressed

www.myspace.com/itsjay

but anyway, not getting mike williams might hurt them...i'm still optimistic, though

We already had a Mike Williams. Our Mike Williams led the league in touchdown catches last year. We needed depth at running back. We draft that possession receiver and TJ gets hurt (save it, Zeno), and Adrian Peterson is our starting tailback. I ain't tryin' to see that shit.

its all about them trying to make this power game work

Bobby Wade (who started last season), Mark Bradley, Airese Curry.


Bears got depth at wideout this year. I'm not sayin' that they're in the Raiders or Rams league at that position, but they're light years better off than starting Wade and David Terrell.

Adrian would've been cut a long time ago if he couldn't play special teams. He's not an NFL running back.

when your official team post, is about the fans of another team, none of which even care enough to look at your post to know they were mentioned.

you're lucky I clicked on the wrong joint, your kind words would have been for naught.



FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Wrong post, doggie.

gotta keep em in line LD.



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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Thanks, hypocrite.

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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

However, anytime one makes an honest assessment of anything related to the black race that YOU don't agree with, you react irrationally. If the person is of another race, you label them racist. If they're of the same race as you, you label them an embarassment to your race. You've made that more than apparent in the multiple exchanges the two of us have had in the past. You made that more than apparent in the multiple exchanges you and ABROCK have had in the recent past (yesterday, the Deion Sanders thingy, etc). You have the mightiest of all Napolean complexes and you are in sore need of about five fresh layers of skin. Now, if you have something relevant to say about FOOTBALL (other than simply saying a given team sucks and ending the post without offering an explanation as to why that might be like your Detroit brethren do), you're more than welcome to do so. If you're going to rant about the imaginary Klansman standing at the foot of your bed greeting you every morning when you wake up, take your bitch ass to general discussion where that verbal assmilk belongs you four-eyed, midget freak.

but I understand you've been undergoing a full year of therapy to remove my nuts from your throat after you decided that you knew how blacks should and shouldn't act. now, unless you really want to get run off of okp like the screaming little bitch you are for the SECOND time, you should really keep my name out your mouth.

weren't you supposed to come and kick my ass or something? I'm still waiting yo.

oh wait, I forgot, I was supposed to come and ask those black guys you hang out with who have never heard of the word coon before where to find you, THEN you were gonna kick my ass, we'll hook up later.


FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

"now, unless you really want to get run off of okp like the screaming little bitch you are for the SECOND time, you should really keep my name out your mouth."

Threatening to "run" someone off of a pop music website's message boards is a retarded thing to say EVEN FOR YOU.

That's sad.

that you left because I exposed you for the bitch you are, isn't changed by those facts, I wasn't trying to make you leave tho, that would just be petty.



FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

"now, unless you really want to get run off of okp like the screaming little bitch you are for the SECOND time, you should really keep my name out your mouth."


You just said the most retarded thing I've ever seen on this website.

AND MEANT IT!!!!!!!


THEE


MOST



RETARDED



THING



EVER



SAID HERE




That was you.



And you meant it to be taken seriously.




When your idea of "scaring" people is using your "power" as a moderator to threaten to "run" them off a pop music website, you lead an ESPECIALLY pathetic existance.


And btw, everything you just said in the last response was a lie. But that's not even important, I just want this to sink in that you typed the most retarded shit I've ever seen. If that was ME typing that......THAT really is some shit that would embarass me into never posting again.

exposing you as bitch a year ago, to me having an ok now.

maybe it's important to you tho.



FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

That a catch phrase that was popularized while I was gone?


Whatever it means, it doesn't take anything away from the fact that you just threatened to run somebody off a message board as a scare tactic. You take yourself and your position as a mod WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too fucking seriously.

it's that crazy english language all the kids are speaking nowadays.

I wasn't a mod when you logged off crying and spouting empty ass threats before, I don't see how it matters now.



FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

February 2003.

If I'm gonna literally cry over something, it ain't shit that's said on a message board by somebody who's met me once for like two seconds.

And if the you do happen to see me in the flesh again and that fistfight is something that you want bad enough, I don't see why you couldn't have just instigate the shit your damned self.


Oh yeah, it's 'cause you're literally half as tall as I am and would've gotten a mudhole stomped in your chest.



Regardless, this post is for football. If you have something to say about football (specifically about the Chicago Bears.....something other than "duh, you suck"), post it. If you're going to go on about people "holding your nuts"/"obsessing with you"/"crying and logging off and hiding"/etc, save your venom for the inbox or where this kind of crap is not only permitted but recommended....the General Discussion board.

or have you forgotten that already?

and btw, why should I have to start anything,you're the one who made the threats, it's up to you to fulfill your wildest dreams and fantasies.

the oddest part of the whole thing is, we've met, and we're practically the same height, yet you call me little all the time. "issues"


FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Wow, you're never too old to learn something new.




I guess your penis is practically six inches long, then.

FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Either that pedestal I'm always standing on is more than figurative or you been rockin' stillettos on the regular, son.

FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

This one's almost as good as your standard "fuck you, dumbass" you use on AB.

and you claim I did not come up to your chin, you're either on drugs or crazy. take your pick. oh yeah, and ab IS a fucking idiot.


but I would expect you to understand that, seeing as how you don't know what "link" means, how to count to 6, and or what the words "your post" mean. and thats just in this post.



FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Reggie Abdul-Jabbar was looking down at me.

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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Them shits you cut and pasted on your computer don't count.

funniest thing is...RJCC is like 32lbs, he a MARK AZZ NIGGA, but he my dogg tho.

>>However, anytime one makes an honest assessment of anything related to the black race that YOU don't agree with, you react irrationally. If the person is of another race, you label them racist. If they're of the same race as you, you label them an embarassment to your race.

you a damn lie. I called you a racist because you are, the latter, has never ever happened. ever. you made it up you bitch, go buttfuck your buddies basaglia and abrock.



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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

And quite the active imagination (not news, I'm just sayin').

By the way, you ever plan on saying anything constructive related to Bears football while you're here?

about your team


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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

And the operative word was CONSTRUCTIVE!!!! You're about as literate as I am mathematical (the 5'10" was referencing my exact height btw, not that a fact ever means anything important to you).

I psecifically said I was 6 inches shorter than 6'3, so reinforcing that I'm not 5'10, when I already said I'm not, is pretty dumb, but we know that you and al campanis aren't very good with words so fuckit I'll let you slide.


and this year, you'll learn who k jones (K JOOOONES) is.



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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

And you didn't specifically say you were six inches shorter than 6'3", you specifically said you weren't 6'3". That's all.

Who doesn't have a way with words?

read your own words, I know it hurts, but try.



FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Unless you've gotten that operation in the last two years.

FREE CHAI VANG!


Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

If you want to rehash the cooning post, you have YOUR own web page that's dedicated specifically TO that.

This is the Chicago Bears thread. This isn't even the right FORUM for that bullshit. If you're gonna go off topic and rant endlessly about anybody who disagrees with you is a bigot, an idiot, is obsessed with you and can't detach themselves from your privates (sure you're looking at a monitor and not a mirror?), then you shouldn't be a moderator.

and you posted about abrock.

have a good day muthafucka.



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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Sleep tight.

*

i actually think the bears have decent come out of nowhere potential this year. good defense, have finally solved the receiver problem, a potential stud runner, and a weak division. plus i liked what i saw of grossman last year before he got hurt.

these will be the last nice things i say about them this year. fuckers.

.

!sig!

That's why I always get respect from true soldiers
While half of the critics claim it every year: "Hip hop's over."
FUCK YOU, hip hop just started
It's funny how the most nostalgic cats are the ones who were never part of it - EL-P

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Certified Grade A Coon - Inspector Abrock33

http://rjcc.stumbleupon.com - what I'm looking at

Yes, I consider week sixteen a victory. Berrian made that catch and Terry McCauley was only helping our draft position by making the call he did. That's what we refer to as a win/win in my line of work.

Lurking.
Listening.

Dare ya to talk that shit.... even if it's rooted in truth.
Defamation on my team is violation.
And I reserve the right to fuck ya'll up.

Go Bears.

It was good last year without Urlacher and Brown and with the offense constantly putting the defense in bad positions.

Last year, if the offense is average, we woulda made the playoffs. I'll say the same goes for this year.

-------------------------
"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

>It was good last year without Urlacher and Brown and with the
>offense constantly putting the defense in bad positions.

The defense was a joke when Urlacher was out injured. An elite D1 program could've run roughshod over them when Hillenmeyer was starting in the middle.

we were 13th in points allowed (which counts way more than yards allowed, imo). With an offense that couldn't move the ball 10 yards, that's pretty amazing.

---------------------
"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

Wk 3 @ Queens - Onterrio "The Whizzenator" Smith 17 Carries, 94 Yds
Wk 4 vs Iggles - Brian Westbrook 23 Carries, 115 Yds
Wk 6 vs Deadskins - Clinton Portis 36 Carries, 171 Yds
Wk 11 vs Colts - Edgerrin James 23 Carries, 204 Yds, 1 TD
Wk 12 @ Cowpolk - Julius Jones 33 Carries, 150 Yds, 2 TDs
Wk 13 vs Queens - The Whizzenator 13 Carries, 79 Yds
Wk 14 vs Jags - Fred Taylor 21 Carries, 79 Yds
Wk 15 vs Texans - Dominick Davis 25 Carries, 95 Yds, 1 TD
Wk 16 @ Peons - Kevin Jones (Who?) 25 Carries, 123 Yds, 1 TD

And in week 17 the Packers didn't run the ball because the Bears secondary wasn't covering anybody (it's one thing when Favre's wizzing the ball by a corner's ear @ 200mph but when NALL'S doing the same thing....your DBs coach needs to be canned; BYE VANCE!!!).

Look at that and tell me we don't have a problem.

yards mean nothing, the measure of how good a defense is how much you can stop the other team from putting the ball in the endzone. And, like I said, we were ranked 13th with an offense that constantly put us in horrible positions. That's clear evidence that we had one of the best defenses in the leauge, and it will only get nastier

------------------------
"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

>yards mean nothing, the measure of how good a defense is how
>much you can stop the other team from putting the ball in the
>endzone.

And they couldn't do that either when Urlacher was out. You can stop fooling yourself any day now.

>And, like I said, we were ranked 13th with an
>offense that constantly put us in horrible positions. That's
>clear evidence that we had one of the best defenses in the
>leauge, and it will only get nastier

Being ranked 13th after you factor in the stats from when they were injury depleted that they absolutely have one nasty ass defense when healthy.

Do they really deserve attention like this? I think not....

*yanks everybody out of the post*

What can I say, I talented when it comes to getting a reaction out of people.

Can Hillenmeyer do enough at strong side 'backer to keep that position from being the weakness everybody fears it might be?

I'm not entirely positive about this one. He started to get exposed toward the second half of the season. If Anthony Simmons wasn't trying to overcome injury concerns, he would've BEEN a Bear. I think they might try to jump on the first cap casualty of the pre-season at that position (if there end up being any).

Can Hillenmeyer do enough at strong side 'backer to keep that position from being the weakness everybody fears it might be?

I'm not entirely positive about this one. He started to get exposed toward the second half of the season. If Anthony Simmons wasn't trying to overcome injury concerns, he would've BEEN a Bear. I think they might try to jump on the first cap casualty of the pre-season at that position (if there end up being any).

eh

Benson ran behind one of the biggest lines in college football

That's all I'm sayin'.

go fins

"Beauty is truly in the eye of the tiger" -HBMS

the fellowship:
absence, Al_Tru_Ist, BreezeBoogie, dank_reggae, Drewmathic, Ir_Cuba, LML, Lord_Vingtune, MIAthinker, Robert, Roofdogg10, Sandbox194, Supnakga, wonderl33t, xenophobia

http://dotmatrixfilmx.v

there, someone had to say it.

D'ya hear the one about Illmatic getting five mics?

http://chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9068

By Larry Mayer (ed. note - Long live the Bear Report!!!)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - With a mix of talented pass catchers, strong blockers and even a converted wide receiver, the tight end position figures to be among the most interesting areas to monitor in training camp.

Desmond Clark finished fourth on the Bears with 24 receptions for 282 yards and 1 TD last season.
Desmond Clark has started in each of the previous two seasons, but he missed the organized team activity workouts in June with an ankle injury and will be challenged by a group that's headed by Dustin Lyman.

John Gilmore is a reliable blocker whose stock could improve in coordinator Ron Turner's power running game.

The most intriguing prospect is Ron Johnson, who caught 11 passes for 126 yards and 1 touchdown in two seasons as a wide receiver with the Baltimore Ravens in 2002-03.

Gabe Reid, John Owens and Darnell Sanders also will compete for roster spots.

Bears tight ends coach Rob Boras answers questions about the position:

What do you like about Desmond Clark and what must he improve on?

He's a guy who can create some separation and he adds a nice dimension for us in the pass game. He's a veteran and his receiving skills show off at the position and carry over from when he was a wide receiver at Wake Forest. He's got a real good feel for finding the open zones and being able to make some plays with the ball. What he needs to improve on is probably just some of his blocking skills, given what we're going to ask him to do as a true prototypical tight end in our power running game. He's solid enough with those skills now for us to succeed, but that's something that all of the tight ends can improve on.

What does Dustin Lyman bring to the table?

Dustin's multidimensional. He has speed that we like and the potential to stretch the field. He's a veteran player who needs to step up a little bit in the pass game, and an area that he needs to improve in would probably be in the run-blocking phase. We don't have a 280-pound tight end, so we're going to ask these two 250-255-pounders to block some pretty stout defensive ends.


Playing in all 16 games with 10 starts last season, Dustin Lyman had 11 catches for 73 yards and 1 TD.
How likely is it that Lyman wins the starting job?

I think he'll challenge for it among the seven guys at the position, especially with Desmond not getting any reps (in the OTAs). Whether it's Dustin or Ron Johnson or whether we end up having to use two tight ends to get what we want, there will be open competition going on there.

What do you like about John Gilmore?

He's a very solid blocker. He's very trustworthy. He doesn't make many mistakes and he's a very solid performer. He's more of a traditional (blocking tight end). He's good in the short-to-intermediate pass game, but he's somebody that we can count on to be a very solid blocker at the point of attack.

Among the other tight ends in camp, who is most likely to challenge for a roster spot?

Ron Johnson is the interesting one, because is he a fifth wide receiver or a third or fourth tight end? He's the one long term who can probably be the guy that gives us the most flexibility offensively. He challenges defenses. How do they defend us? Is he a wide receiver or a tight end? How we use him and what we ask him to do, it's going to be important to give him a chance to succeed. He's going to challenge for playing time. In what role is still to be determined. But it's pretty exciting what he could offer us.

What excites you most about him?

He just seems real quarterback friendly. Going out there and watching practice, No. 11 shows up with catches. Whether he's playing in the slot, the tight end position or even out at the X' receiver for us, he's been a guy that's caught the ball. He makes plays, he's big and athletic enough to do some of the perimeter blocking for us and he's a real fast learner. He really is a guy that loves football and he's fun to coach.

How did the decision to move him to tight end come about?

It was something that coach (Lovie) Smith came to us about. With Lovie's defensive background, he thought Ron would be a guy who would be very hard for defenses to try to defend. The ultimate responsibility is going to fall on us coaches in how we use him. It's not real smart to ask him to block in our power running game. So there needs to be a specific package or skill set where we put him in a position to succeed.

What about the other three tight ends, Gabe Reid, John Owens and Darnell Sanders?

Gabe Reid's coming off a knee injury. He was a guy who a lot of people were talking about last year in training camp. With his BYU background, he's a movement-type tight end who shows up in the passing game. He's a very consistent inside receiver for us.

John Owens is a four-year veteran who has true inline blocking skills similar to a John Gilmore. That showed up this offseason, but the thing that we've been most pleased with is that he also showed up in the short-to-intermediate passing game. That's something we weren't sure he'd be able to do for us, so we've been real pleased with his development up to this point.

Darnell Sanders is another guy in the mold of a John Gilmore and John Owens. He's the biggest guy we have at the position and he might be the most athletic among himself, Gilmore and Owens. He's 265 pounds but has good athletic ability and he's probably the fastest out of those three. We have to find out how good a blocker he can be at the point of attack. Can he be a stud tight end for us and dominate in our power running game?

In general, what excites you most heading into camp?

The tight ends are going to be asked to do a lot of things in this offense. Whether it's a fullback-type assignment or a wide receiver-type assignment, we're going to be moved around. Having that flexibility and movement gives us coaches some creativity and the players get excited about it. Secondly, I'm excited about the competition. There's not a clear-cut guy that everybody's looking at, so every day have to show up and practice at their best because they're fighting (for jobs). Normally when there's that type of competition, you get the best out of everybody.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9028

By Larry Mayer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Rex Grossman returns to quarterback the Bears offense after missing the final 13 games last season with a torn right ACL sustained in a Week 3 defeat at Minnesota.
The promising 2003 first-round draft pick from Florida completed 47 of 84 passes for 607 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in three starts before getting hurt on a 6-yard TD run with 2:00 remaining in a 27-22 loss to the Vikings.

Chad Hutchinson, who signed with the Bears last Sept. 28 after Grossman went down, returns as the backup and should benefit from spending the entire offseason with the club. In five starts last year, Hutchinson completed 92 of 161 passes for 903 yards with 4 TDs and 3 interceptions.

Fourth-round pick Kyle Orton, a strong-armed passer who had a highly-productive career at Purdue, is expected to be the Bears' third-string quarterback this season.

World Bowl MVP Kurt Kittner, who played for Ron Turner when the Bears offensive coordinator was head coach at Illinois, will compete for the third spot along with free agent holdover Ryan Dinwiddie, an undersized but productive passer at Boise State who also participated in NFL Europe this past spring.

Bears quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson answers questions about the position:


During offseason workouts, Rex Grossman showed no ill effects of the knee injury that sidelined him for the final 13 games last season.
How would you assess Rex Grossman's performance in offseason practices?

First of all, he showed that he's very confident in his body. He didn't show any hesitancy with his knee, his arm is as strong and as quick as ever and his accuracy has definitely improved. If anything, he looks better now than he did a year ago.

So you didn't see any lingering effects from the knee injury at all?

Not at all. He certainly wasn't getting hit in our practices, but he wasn't uneasy in the pocket and he wasn't afraid to scramble around. He did all the misdirection drops and things like that, so I think he looks 100 percent.

How much better is he compared to a year ago?

He's a lot more confident because we don't have near the volume of offense. We're getting to repeat plays, so mentally he's sharper. Getting to run plays more than once, he's learning the subtle nuances of the plays. The receivers have a little bit more flexibility and I think that he's developed an excellent chemistry with the receivers, especially with Muhsin Muhammad.

You've been around a lot of quarterbacks as a player and coach. What type of potential does Rex have?

He can definitely be a Pro Bowl, top-five quarterback in this league. He has that kind of ability and that kind of passion for the game. He's willing to work at it. If there was any positive to him missing most of last year, it renewed that hungry that you need to go out and play, and he's not taking anything for granted.

What's being asked of him in this offense?

It's kind of a cliché, but we say run the offense. It's not necessarily managing the game. It's not being passive or conservative in any manner at all. We're going to call plays where you take shots, but if they're not there, you can check it down and first and foremost protect the football. But he's going to get his opportunities to throw the ball down the field.


In his first start last season, Chad Hutchinson passed for 3 TDs to lead the Bears to a 24-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
How well does this offense suit his strengths?

It's excellent because it gives him flexibility to change plays at the line of scrimmage. If he sees something, he can signal receivers and that flexibility suits his game because he kind of has that gunslinger mentality.

What type of numbers is Rex capable of putting up?

That's hard to say. This is my first time being around Ron Turner, but based on what he did with Erik Kramer a few years back, if we can run the football and stay healthy and based on the chemistry that he's developed with the guys out there, he can throw for 3,500 yards.

How confident are you in Chad Hutchinson's ability as a backup?

We have a lot of confidence in him. He went through a rough stretch last year, but that was due more to the offense than to his play. He's worked extremely hard this offseason and the offense that we're running right now seems to suit his style of play. None of the guys have a whole lot of experience, but we expect them to go out and perform.

Why do the Bears prefer to have Hutchinson as their backup compared to a veteran such as Jay Fiedler who made a free-agent visit during the offseason?

Compared to what was out there and what we have with Chad, we think we have an excellent athlete with a huge upside. He throws the football, he definitely works at the game and I think that given the right opportunity, he can go in and have a lot of success.

What do you like most about Kyle Orton and what must he work to improve?

He played in a passing offense in college and he has an extremely strong arm, so there's a lot of material there to work with. Some things that he does need to improve on are making quick decisions and working on his footwork while dropping back because he was in the shotgun formation a lot in college.

I mean, Craig Krenzel and Jonathan Quinn was your QB platoon last year

college teams had better depth

I bet somewhere Tommy Kramer is pissed that he isnt a QB coach.

Vikings Ship bitches.

And it wouldn't matter as long as Ted Cottrell's still your defensive coordinator, we're still guaranteed no less than a split.

you had to bring up that cottrell was still around.....hahaha

we signed all these people, but what good does it do if you have mr. magoo coaching them?

I don't know if any of it matters.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9088

Bears defensive line boasts talent, depth
By Larry Mayer
July 13, 2005



LAKE FOREST, Ill. - With a mix of veterans and promising young players, the Bears defensive line is arguably the strongest position on the team.

Adewale Ogunleye is attempting to rebound from a leg injury and produce like he did in 2003 when he led the AFC with 15 sacks for the Dolphins.
Adewale Ogunleye returns from a leg injury that hampered him most of last season to team with Alex Brown at end, while 2004 first-round pick Tommie Harris looks to build on a successful rookie campaign alongside the hard-working Ian Scott at tackle.

Reserves Michael Haynes, Alfonso Boone, Tank Johnson, Israel Idonije, Alain Kashama, Shurron Pierson, Quinn Dorsey and Darrell Campbell will be among those who challenge for playing time and roster spots in training camp.

Bears defensive line coach Don Johnson answers questions about the position:

How healthy is Adewale Ogunleye and what's the key to getting him to perform like he did in 2003 when he led the AFC with a career-high 15 sacks while playing for the Miami Dolphins?

I think he's pretty healthy at this point in time. The key is keeping him healthy and that could be a matter of how we pace him in game situations in terms of how many snaps he gets in the preseason. We want to make sure that he's 100 percent and ready to go on Sept. 11 (for the regular season opener at Washington).

What type of player can he be for the Bears?

He showed how great he can be a few years back. It's just a health issue right now, getting him back healthy where he's comfortable doing all the things that we're asking him to do.

How talented is Alex Brown and what's the key to getting him to step up his game to the next level?

He's a very talented player. I think overall it's got to be group participation. If you want to pressure the quarterback and sack the quarterback, you need four guys working at the same tempo getting up the field, condensing the pocket and being able to contain the quarterback. Alex has the potential to do that. We just need to get everybody on the same page.


Defensive tackle Tommie Harris registered 58 tackles with 3.5 sacks during a productive rookie season with the Bears in 2004.
What are your expectations for Tommie Harris?

He set a pretty good standard for himself last season as a rookie. There's a lot of potential growth from year one to year two, but there's also the sophomore jinx. So we've just got to keep him going. He's got a great motor and he's a great player. He's got great instincts. We've just got to hone those and keep him playing at that level. His intensity and work ethic are unbelievable.

Ian Scott really came out of nowhere last season to contribute. What are your impressions of him?

Ian Scott's going to bring his lunch bucket and his hard hat to work every day. He's going to outwork guys that might be better athletes and might have more potential. He's going to come in and give you an honest eight hours of work every day.

How entrenched are the four starters on the defensive line?

I don't think we'll really be set on anything until we get into the first and second week of the preseason. All these guys are being challenged. Nobody's guaranteed a starting position.

What excites you most about the line?

The depth and the talent.

Who are some of the top reserves who could challenge for playing time?

Israel Idonije is a great talent. Alain Kashama is very athletic with good speed off the edge. You've got Tank Johnson inside who could be pressing for a starting position. Alfonso Boone has turned into a very seasoned veteran with great knowledge of the game and knowledge of some of the players in the league. It's unusual to have the balance and depth that we have.

What's the biggest question or concern you'd like to see answered in camp?

The biggest thing is discerning who the four starters are going to be and then keeping the other guys motivated to keep pressing them throughout the course of the season. It's a long season and you've got to have guys who are ready to step in and not lose a beat and keep the same tempo you had no matter who the four guys are on the field.

Which young player are you most eager to see when the pads come on in training camp?

I would say Tank Johnson, just based on his ability, his quickness and his athleticism. I would like to see him put the complete package together and get on the field with it.

What's the key to success for the defensive line this season?

First and foremost, we've got to play together as a unit. And then we have to maintain our health and utilize our depth to keep the guys fresh. I think the biggest things are being able to win the fourth quarter and getting pressure on the quarterback when it counts.

<----Okp Jawn

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=JustCallMeIsa

www.myspace.com/itsjay

"May the eyes of cowards never find rest in sleep!" - Last Words of Khalid bin Al-Waleed, Sword of Allah(swt)

pretty shitty

Shit, you're telling me he'd really be that much less productive than Alex "five and a half sacks a year" Brown?

ock!

Even more than me (that's really saying something)

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9098

Healthy Urlacher returns to anchor Bears defense
By Larry Mayer
July 14, 2005



LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Perennial Pro Bowl middle linebacker Brian Urlacher returns to anchor the Bears defense after missing seven games with hamstring and lower leg injuries during a frustrating 2004 season.

During offseason workouts, Brian Urlacher showed no ill effects of the hamstring and leg injuries that sidelined him last season.
Urlacher still managed to register 105 tackles with two forced fumbles and 5½ sacks in limited action, but his absence was evident as the Bears went 0-7 when he wasn't in the lineup.

Weakside linebacker Lance Briggs built on his impressive rookie season, leading the Bears with 168 tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown for the second straight year.

Though the Bears considered other options in free agency, they're confident in Hunter Hillenmeyer's ability to play the strongside position.

Holdovers Jeremy Cain, Joe Odom and Marcus Reese will compete for backup positions with Derrick Ballard, Stephen Larsen, Rod Wilson and LaVar Woods.

Bears linebackers coach Bob Babich answers questions about the position:

Did Brian Urlacher show any lingering effects from his hamstring injury this offseason?

Brian went through everything in the spring, so I believe that his health is very good. He did a fantastic job (in offseason workouts). He's playing at a high level and he's the type of guy who really wants to be the best he can be. He's working extremely hard and we expect big things from Brian this fall.

Where do you think Brian ranks among NFL middle linebackers?

I don't know how good the other linebackers are. I just know that it would be hard for me to imagine many linebackers better than him. He's big, fast, smart and athletic. He plays extremely hard and he makes plats. I don't feel comfortable comparing him to other linebackers, but I know that he's a great football player.

How does Brian make his teammates better?

Obviously he's a playmaker and that helps the team. Secondly the "Mike" linebacker makes all the calls and the checks for the defense and he does a great job vocalizing those things. He also brings a level of enthusiasm and leadership that really helps the team.


Weakside linebacker Lance Briggs has returned an interception for a touchdown in each of his first two NFL seasons.
How talented is Lance Briggs and what must he do to reach the next level?

Lance also had a very good spring. He's working extremely hard to take care of the little things that he needs to improve to take it to the Pro Bowl level. We expect Lance to have a very big year also. Lance is not only an athletic playmaking linebacker, but he's extremely smart and he understands the defense. Very rarely does he make mistakes.

Can strongside linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer be a productive member of the defense?

Hunter has done a fantastic job for us. He's extremely intelligent. He doesn't make very many mistakes and he put himself in position to make plays in the spring. We've been very pleased with his play and we think that he definitely can play winning football for us.

How entrenched is Hunter as a starter?

He's entrenched as the starter. The backups are Marcus Reese, Stephen Larsen and Derrick Ballard. Hunter has taken over that spot. For somebody to beat him out, they'd have to do a good job.

Who do you anticipate being your top reserves this season?

We typically keep six linebackers. Joe Odom, Marcus Reese and Jeremy Cain have been in the system for a year and they've picked up things pretty well. They'll be competing with Rod Wilson, LaVar Woods, Derrick Ballard and Stephen Larsen. The guys who were backups last year are going to compete with the new guys and whoever ends up making the most plays and proves us that they can play winning football on special teams, that's going to be a big part of (determining who earns backup positions).

What excites you most as you head into training camp?

With Brian and Lance, we have two Pro Bowl-caliber linebackers. But the thing that has been impressive to me is that for the second year in the system, they've picked it up extremely well. We've been able to go on to implement the little things within the system that can take you to the next level as a defense, and that's very important to get us to where we want to go.

What one question or concern would you like to answer in camp?

The linebackers are always in there banging around and we just need to make sure we have depth and that whoever steps in if somebody goes down can play winning football.

Which one player are you most eager to see when the pads come on in camp?

I'm eager to see all the guys that we haven't seen in pads. It's a lot different being out there without the pads on, running around and looking athletic as opposed to when you put the pads on and make sure that you're physical enough to play winning football.

What are your impressions of seventh-round draft pick Rod Wilson?

For a young man who played quarterback, wide receiver, safety and linebacker in college, I think that he is an instinctive linebacker. That was something that we needed to find out and that has been a plus. And he's learned extremely well.

What about LeVar Woods?

LeVar Woods is a veteran. He's been through four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. When you're a four-year veteran, you have some advantages. You understand what it takes to play at this level and that obviously can help you.

Urlacher, however, was exposed as the wicked mechanical invention of white America and the king piece of their evil plot to take back the middle linebacker position at the beginning of the millenium. This is not news.

I think it's gonna turn out to be a stroke of genius on Chico's part to switch him to strong and Green to free safety.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9106

Brown's return buoys deep Bears secondary
By Larry Mayer
July 15, 2005



LAKE FOREST, Ill. - With the return of hard-hitting safety Mike Brown and the presence of cornerbacks Jerry Azumah, Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher, the secondary is one of the Bears' strongest areas.

Mike Brown is the Bears' active leader with 11 career interceptions.
Brown, who moves from free safety to strong safety in a swap with Mike Green, is back after missing the final 14 games of last season with a torn Achilles' tendon. The 2000 second-round pick holds the Bears career record with five defensive touchdowns.

After leading the Bears with five interceptions as a rookie in 2004, Vasher will challenge Azumah and Tillman for a starting job in training camp. Todd McMillon will try to hold off Rashied Davis and others for the fourth cornerback position.

Bobby Gray, Todd Johnson, Cameron Worrell and sixth-round pick Chris Harris will compete for backup positions at safety.

Bears defensive backs coach Perry Fewell answers questions about the position:

Has Mike Brown shown any lingering effects from his injury and what's the key to having him return to the form he displayed before getting hurt?

I do not see any lingering effects from his injury. In my opinion, he's come back with a vengeance. It's just a matter of reps and how we monitor his reps to get him to play at the level that he once played at. But the passion, burst and explosion are there. And the intensity and leadership are there too. So I'm expecting big things from him.

Mike isn't the biggest or fastest guy, but he always make plays. What's his key to success?

I guess it's the "it" factor and if we could the "it" factor we'd all be rich. But he has it. He has good knowledge of the game. He's a smart football person and those qualities help him be the best player. He maximizes his talent. No, he's not the biggest. But he makes an impact at the point of attack as well as anybody I've been around. He knows how to use all of his tools.

How will switching safety positions benefit Mike Brown and Mike Green?

Mike Brown likes the noise. He likes the rattle of helmets. He likes physical play. So it's going to benefit him because he's going to be more involved inside rather than playing deep, looking and trying to get involved. Looking at the tape from last year, it seemed like Mike Green made more plays when he was in the (free safety position) and he has nice range. He has those long limbs and can cover a lot of ground. Having him in that role is better for us at this point in time.

What are your expectations for Charles Tillman and what's the key to him returning to the form he displayed as a rookie in 2003?

Charles is going through a little bit of a metamorphosis. From a technique standpoint, we're asking him to do some things that are not really his style and I've been very pleased with some of the progress that he's made in those areas. We've talked about various movements that he needs to smooth out as far as his technique is concerned, and once he does that, then I think that you'll see confidence in his play rise and he'll play with a little bit more speed and burst.

What types of different things are you asking him to do?

Just his footwork and how he's placing his feet. They're just minor little fundamental things that we're asking him to do that he hasn't done in the past.


Fourth-round pick Nathan Vasher led the Bears with five interceptions last season as a rookie.
How talented is Nathan Vasher and how do you explain his ability to always be around the ball?

I try not to say too much to him because I don't want to screw him up. He is a very talented young man. The ball finds him. He is as good at locating the football in the air as any player I've been around. He has amazing instincts and awareness when it comes to finding the football and the sky's the limit for him. He's not the biggest guy and he's not the fastest guy, but he has it.

What are Vasher's chances of earning a starting job?

We have three starting corners and that's healthy competition. He's had an outstanding spring for us, so to say that he's not a starter would be an understatement. The competition coming down to who's going to get that (starting) nod on opening day will be key.

What are your expectations for Jerry Azumah?

Jerry has probably the best plant and drive that I've been around. He can go from Point A to Point B like "wow." We've asked him to work on his deep ball skills and if he does perfect those talents, then Jerry can have an outstanding year. Jerry is a ball hawk also. He knows how to find the ball and that's good. We're depending on him to have a big year for us to be good.

What excites you most about your position group heading into training camp?

I'd say their attitude and willingness to listen and learn. They haven't stopped listening. They come out to work every day. Coach (Vance) Bedford (Fewell's predecessor) did a nice job with this group. They play as a unit. They're a very close-knit unit and they communicate well with each other. I really like the dynamics of their personalities and how they interact with each other.

Which young player are you most eager to see when the pads come on in training camp?

Chris Harris, no doubt. I try not to get too excited about guys running around in shorts, but this guy's a rookie that has a certain maturity level about him. He doesn't get rattled. I put pressure on him and yell at him and try to see how he's going to respond and he looks you straight in the eye and he gives you the correct answers. He knows when he makes a mistake and he corrects his mistakes and he tries not to do it twice. I'm very excited about seeing if he'll respond like we think he will when the pads come on. He could help us at that safety position early.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9053

Muhammad gives Bears offense an all-pro threat
By Larry Mayer
July 7, 2005



LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Bears addressed their most pressing need by signing all-pro receiver Muhsin Muhammad Feb. 26, less than 24 hours after he was released by the Carolina Panthers.

Muhsin Muhammad appeared in one Super Bowl and two Pro Bowls during nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Muhammad, who appeared in one Super Bowl and two Pro Bowls in nine seasons with Carolina, had 93 receptions last season while leading NFL receivers with 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns, both of which would have established Bears franchise records.

Bernard Berrian and Justin Gage are expected to be the primary contenders for the No. 2 receiver job behind Muhammad. Berrian possesses tremendous speed and displayed improved pass-catching ability during offseason practices. Gage boasts size, strength and leaping ability and figures to be featured after virtually disappearing from the offense last season.

Third-year pro Bobby Wade and rookie second-round pick Mark Bradley also will compete for playing time. Others who could be in the mix include Eddie Berlin, Kareem Kelly, Carl Ford and rookie fifth-round pick Airese Currie, a speedster who's recovering from foot surgery.

Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake answers questions about the position:

After watching Muhsin Muhammad in offseason workouts, is he as good as advertised?

He's better than I expected. When I saw him on film, I thought there was no one close as far as the guys that we may have had a shot at (in free agency). But I didn't anticipate him even being as good as he is. He just does the little things so subtly. You can tell that he really has been a student of the game. He's picked up so many different things over the years and his work ethic is tremendous. You don't get to where he is unless you have that and I see it each and every day.

How much of an impact do you think he'll make this season?

He's going to make a tremendous impact, not just from his production but in what he brings to the table as far as the whole offense is concerned. When you have a guy who has the ability to do the things that we feel he has the ability to do, it has a positive effect on everybody.

How competitive is the battle for the No. 2 position?

It's very competitive right now. You've got Justin Gage and Bernard Berrian and it's kind of been going back and forth. Neither one has backed down. Justin had the first shot and Bernard hasn't backed down. In fact, he's raised his level of play. Justin has done the same, and that's what you want. You want those guys to have that competition, but you also want those guys to raise their game to a different level.


Justin Gage figures to have a big year after catching just 12 passes for 156 yards last season.
What are your impressions of Justin Gage?

He's a silent guy. He's not a guy who's going to be real flashy or jump out at you. He just does his deal. You might look and say, "Boy, he hasn't done anything," and the next thing you know he's caught several balls and made some big plays. He's probably not a guy who's going to truly stretch the field like Bernard, but he's a guy who's going to make the tough catches. He's a guy who will catch the ball in traffic and a guy who has deceptive speed. I look for him to have a great year, I really do.

What are your impressions of Bernard Berrian?

He's a guy who possesses tremendous speed. He's still working on aspects of learning how to run routes and do different things that are going to help him get open. One thing he's done and needs to continue to do is get stronger because guys pushed him around quite a bit last year. He's really working on that aspect of it because if guys know they can push you around, they're going to do it. They'll disrupt things before you get started.

Who's in contention for the other roster spots?

Bobby Wade's steady. He doesn't possess great speed, but he's where he's supposed to be and he makes plays and makes catches. There's a place for him (on the team). He's done a tremendous job. You've got Kareem Kelly, who continues to improve and was really good in the OTAs. Mark Bradley has a tremendous amount of ability and will be a guy who is going to help us a in a lot of different situations because he has the speed and athletic ability to do a lot of different things. We've been really pleased with his progress. Then you've got Eddie Berlin and Carl Ford, so you've got a real good group of guys. Naturally, there are only going to be a few guys that make it, but you want competition. You want guys who are going to get in there and fight and at the end you're going to pick the best guys who help you win.

What excites you most heading into training camp?

I'm excited about the attitude and the amount of competition. There's great camaraderie and chemistry, but the competition is what breeds success. If you don't have it, guys have a tendency to stay at one level. But the more competition you have, the more it brings out the talent level of each guy. You want guys to be competitive and guys who are able to step up their game. They've got to be able to step up their game each and every practice. If they can't do that, it shows you that it's going to be hard for a guy to step up when the lights come on. To me, our practices are like games. We're evaluating guys in practice, so they've got to understand that they've got to come to practice with their hard hats on ready to work every day.

Which young player are you most eager to see when the pads come on in training camp?

I'd say Mark Bradley. When he gets rolling, Airese Currie is another guy you'd like to see. You have a pretty good feel for the other guys because you've seen them. Those young guys are the guys you really want to see. I don't need to see (Muhammad). I need to see him on Sunday. When you've got a guy who's been in the league as long as he's been, you start limiting his reps when you're getting ready to play because he needs to get his reps on Sunday.

But beware, at Carolina he had a habit of not playing until that Contract Year. His 2 Pro Bowl season came at Contract Years. He probably the 2nd best Blocking WR in the league(behind Hines Ward). Carolina wasn't really fond of paying him that much money to be a #2 WR and he's 31.

And yall won't lay down if it gets bad. His leadership is gonna probably help the Bears more than anything else.

eventually one of the BEST 8 QB's in the NFL has to be on the bears, its just simple math, if u draft 1000 qb's..1 has to turn out good.


<----Okp Jawn

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=JustCallMeIsa

www.myspace.com/itsjay

"May the eyes of cowards never find rest in sleep!" - Last Words of Khalid bin Al-Waleed, Sword of Allah(swt)

I mean I'm a bears fan, so I'm hoping too... but on the real I like Rex. And I wasn't a huge Kyle fan in college, but I really think he was a steal in the 4th... the way his career ended really dropped his stock too far imo, and apparently he's really impressed the coaches so far.

If Rex goes down for what ever reason (hope not) it's gotta be Kyle gig.

I say no.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9159

Fifth-round pick Currie signs five-year contract
By Larry Mayer
July 20, 2005




Airese Currie was an all-ACC performer in football and track at Clemson.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Bears on Wednesday signed fifth-round draft pick Airese Currie to a five-year contract. Terms were not disclosed.
The speedy wide receiver emerged as Clemson's go-to receiver last season as a senior, catching 61 passes for 868 yards and 2 touchdowns.

"It's a sigh of relief," Currie said after inking the deal. "It was a long process, but I was patient. I just kept working on what I was doing and I knew it would come around sooner or later.

"When you sign on the dotted line, that's when you know that it's for real and you really made it. Now it's time to do what you do."

Currie was an All-American track star at Clemson, where he ran personal-best times of 6.79 in the 60, 10.27 in the 100 and 20.65 in the 200.

On the football field, the 5-10, 186-pounder was named first-team all-ACC last season after catching 14 passes of at least 20 yards and averaging 14.2 yards per reception.

Currie may have slipped in the draft due to a stress fracture in his left foot that ultimately would require surgery. He had the procedure performed in late March and was later examined by Bears doctors, who provided their stamp of approval.

Because he will be unable to practice when training camp workouts begin Sunday, Currie will open camp on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.

Currie is the fourth Bears draft pick to sign with the team following second-round receiver Mark Bradley, sixth-round safety Chris Harris and seventh-round linebacker Rod Wilson.

With the Bears due to report to training camp on Saturday, only first-round running back Cedric Benson and fourth-round quarterback Kyle Orton remain unsigned. League-wide, just 64 of 255 draft picks have signed contracts.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9168

Angelo envisions bright future for Harris
By Larry Mayer
July 21, 2005



In the first of two installments, general manager Jerry Angelo answers email questions from fans exclusively on ChicagoBears.com:

Tommie Harris compiled 58 tackles and 3.5 sacks while starting all 16 games last year.
Tommie Harris showed flashes last year of being a dominant and explosive force in the middle of the defensive line. What should Bears fans expect from this talented second-year player?

Michael McFaul
Skokie, Illinois

We should see those things and more of them. Tommie has high expectations and has set high goals for himself and we have high expectations for Tommie too. There's no reason to believe that he's not going to take another step. Not only is Tommie an exceptional athlete, but it shows up both in the running game and on third down. He has extraordinary skills, but the reason I feel so good about him is because he wants to be a great player and has shown that through his work ethic. All our fans should be excited about Tommie's future.

How is the competition for the No. 2 receiver going? Who impressed you more during offseason workouts, Bernard Berrian or Justin Gage?

Eric Plese
Poughkeepsie, New York

Bernard impressed me more than Justin. It's not that Justin didn't do well; he did. But Bernard showed his speed and big-play ability every day. He made some really nice plays throughout the OTAs. Justin really finished strong. He had a little bit of a hamstring problem and we gave him a week off, but he finished the last two weeks on a high note. That's going to be good competition. We're looking for that to be a position of strength.

How much progress are the Bears making in signing Cedric Benson and do you anticipate he'll be in training camp on time?

Peter Ross
Chicago

We're expecting him to be in camp. We've worked very hard since the week after the draft preparing to negotiate his contract. We're ready to do it; we could do it today. We're negotiating with his agent and we're trying to find that common ground. What's important to him? What's important to us? The higher the pick the more difficult it is to do given the dollars that we're talking about, but we feel very good that our offer is one that should get it done.

How do you determine whether you're going to sign a player who's released by another team during training camp? Do you try to sign every player you have graded above a certain level or do you just compare that player to who you currently have at his position?

Terry Salazar
Chicago

All the players that are on NFL rosters have been graded either by our pro personnel department or our college scouts, so we go into training camp with good knowledge on every player. Our needs determine whether we'll claim a player if he's waived or try to sign a veteran who's been released. We presently don't have any position where we have a need, but if we have an injury during camp, that can create a need. Most teams operate the same way. In some cases, there might be a player who's a little bit better than a player on your team, but you don't claim him because you've spent the offseason not only developing your players but training and teaching them within the framework of your schemes. That mental part is huge in our evaluation. When coaches go into the season, they no longer want to have to train our players. They want to prepare our players for our opponents.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Justin Wood
Sacramento, California

There are a lot of rewarding things. It starts with working with a lot of good people both in the personnel area and with our coaches. There's a lot of camaraderie in our building and coming to work is truly a pleasure given the environment. Watching a team come together is also rewarding. That's probably the pinnacle of what I do personally. Naturally, it has to manifest itself into wins. When you win games on Sunday, there's no greater feeling.

Where do you think the Bears rank in the NFL in terms of pure talent on their roster?

Phil Walsh
San Diego, California

That's a tough question. We certainly have enough talent to win. That's really how I look at it; not necessarily pitting us against one team or another. Along with having talent, the key is playing together as a team. To me, that's as important as the talent itself. We're in good shape in the personnel area. We feel real good going into camp that our players have a really good understanding of what we want, particularly on defense because we're going into the second year of our scheme. We're still developing offensively, but we feel real good about the foundation we've laid thus far and we feel we'll be able to take the next step once we get into camp.

I was thoroughly embarrassed by our run defense at times last season. We made a lot of upgrades on offense, but what's going to be different about our defense this year?

Noel Burton
Washington D.C.

The continuity of having the players in the scheme another year should be a big help. The other things that factor into us playing better defense will be a healthy Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Mike Brown. Adewale Ogunleye had no preseason here last year after the trade. Those factors alone should make us a lot better. Players like Hunter Hillenmeyer, Ian Scott and Todd Johnson-to name a few-got a lot of playing time. That should make us a better football team not only with our frontline players but with our depth as well.

How much of a role did Ron Turner play in the selection of Cedric Benson, Mark Bradley and Kyle Orton and the acquisition of linemen Fred Miller and Roberto Garza?

Michael Rucinski
Beach Park, Illinois

Our coaches see all the players that we acquire in free agency or the draft. We always want their input. We create a player profile based on what our coaches want at each position, so they have a hand in all personnel decisions. Where the coach is most important is once we get into camp. Then it's a matter of accentuating a player's strengths and determining how he best fits into the framework of the scheme to where he's going to play to the pinnacle of his talent level. That's the art of coaching.

What did you see in Rashied Davis, a cornerback in the Arena Football League, that made you sign him and do you think he can make the team?

Pete Baker
Edwardsburg, Michigan

Our pro personnel people, particularly Morocco Brown, saw him in '03 and liked him and tracked him again in '04. He played both corner and wide receiver (for the San Jose SaberCats) and was an all-star in the Arena League. I'm really impressed with his athleticism. As a receiver, I was impressed with his hands, his after-catch ability and his raw speed. An acquaintance of mine, Mike Church, was his defensive coordinator and mentioned to me that he felt that he'd be a better defensive back than receiver. Given the value of that position, we put him there and he looked real good throughout the OTA practices. We're anxious to see how he develops in camp.

A play-making tight end would do wonders for Rex Grossman's confidence. Why not make a play for one via a trade?

Marcus Meaney
Honolulu, Hawaii

That's easier said than done. That kind of special tight end-a big guy who can run fast, get downfield and make circus catches like Tony Gonzalez or Jeremy Shockey-is hard to find. And don't forget that he has to block and to block he's got to have some girth. We like our tight ends. We don't have Tony Gonzalez, but we have some pretty good tight ends. There's no tight end that we're going to be able to trade for that's going to be like (a Gonzalez or a Shockey) and I think there are 29 other teams that would echo the same thing.

Now I'm starting to believe Bryan Johnson might be hurt worse than originally thought.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9199

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - With starter Bryan Johnson (foot) and backup Jason McKie (pectoral) unable to practice when training camp kicks off Sunday, the Bears on Friday bolstered the fullback position by agreeing to terms with veteran Marc Edwards on a one-year contract.

Marc Edwards signed with the Bears Friday, one day before the team is due to report to training camp.
The deal is contingent on Edwards passing a physical examination.

The Notre Dame product has played eight NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (1997-98), Cleveland Browns (1999-2000), New England Patriots (2001-02) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-04).

While starting 77 of 124 career games played, he has rushed for 405 yards and three touchdowns on 124 carries and caught 157 passes for 1,235 yards and eight touchdowns.

Edwards started five of 13 games played last season with Jacksonville after starting all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2003. The 6-foot, 249-pounder entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick with the 49ers.

Prior to agreeing to terms with Edwards, Keith "Thump" Belton was the only healthy fullback on the Bears roster.

Johnson, who finished last season on injured reserve, will open training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. McKie, who hurt his pectoral muscle while lifting weights a few weeks ago, will open camp on the active/non-football injury list.

Johnson and McKie both count towards the 80-man training camp roster limit and will be eligible to return to practice after passing a physical.

So that makes one kid w/ wifey while married, another w/ ex-wifey while divorced and now another w/ random hosebag who has no job. Looks like B-Lak's lookin' to make a run at Derrick Thomas's all-time illegitimate children record for linebackers.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-050722bears,1,7356352.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

Another personal glitch for Urlacher
Will County woman, Bears star parties in paternity case

By John Mullin
Tribune staff reporter

July 22, 2005, 11:29 PM CDT

Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher is a party in a paternity case with a Will County woman.

Urlacher and his attorneys filed a petition June 16 "to establish a parent-child relationship" in which he states he is the natural father and that Tyna Robertson is the mother of a child born May 20. Urlacher's petition asks the court to rule on the matter of child support.

Urlacher's attorney, Donald C. Schiller of Chicago, declined comment on the case, citing agreements among all parties to maintain confidentiality.

Robertson, 33, admitted to all of Urlacher's petition points, including one declaring that both she and Urlacher, 27, are "currently employed and are capable of contributing to the support" of the child. However, in another motion filed by her former attorney, Paul R. Bjekich, Robertson stated she "has no regular income and needs support to care for her child."

Bjekich withdrew from the case July 15 as Robertson's attorney and was replaced by John L. Fay and Thomas M. Newman of Wheaton. Neither Fay nor Newman returned phone calls. The case was continued until Monday for a hearing "on support and other relief."

Urlacher's personal life has found its way into the public eye before. In 2003 he separated from his wife Laurie. He was spotted in the company of socialite and TV personality Paris Hilton, who attended a Bears game wearing a No. 54 Urlacher jersey.

Urlacher and his wife subsequently reconciled but ultimately divorced. They are believed to be working on their relationship and had a baby girl this spring.

9-7 might win this yatch

all the while steeming that he never got to bone Paris Hilton, OR the young Stacy Keenan on My Two Dad's (after she grew up, like when she was on 'step by step').

Butkas is a bitter, bitter man.

The comparisons to Butkas and Singletary stopped around mid-2002.

that Butkas still looks at Stacy Keenan and thinks, "What if?"

(for reference, here she is: http://www.sethspeaks.net/stacikeanan.jpg)

Like "why the fuck would Butkas wanna hump Mike Hammer".

and then i immediately thought of "rescue 911".

and then i thought of dick butkas shutting down everything so he could watch his boy.

shit that made me laugh

edit - and no one remembers staci keanan?

she was hot.

Hasn't really aged well, in my opinion (based on her photo on imdb.com).

ock!

At least he better not be cuttin' into my share of the disgruntled black women of Chicagoland market. This half of the state ain't big enough for both of us, and only one of us has Gator Bradley's phone number.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9224

Smith not fretting about Benson's absence
By Larry Mayer
July 23, 2005



BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - The Bears reported to training camp Saturday without unsigned first-round draft pick Cedric Benson. But the rookie running back's absence didn't dampen coach Lovie Smith's enthusiasm.

Running back Cedric Benson joined the Bears after rushing for 5,540 yards and 64 touchdowns in four seasons at Texas.
"Eventually he'll get in camp and we'll put him in and get him ready once that happens," Smith said. "But the rest of our team is here and we're excited about them."

The Bears, who haven't had a first-round selection hold out of training camp since receiver David Terrell missed 11 days in 2001, chose Benson with the fourth overall pick.

One factor working against Chicago is the fact that most first-round picks wait until the 11th hour to agree to deals and the Bears reported to camp about a week earlier than most teams because they play an extra preseason game Aug. 8 against the Miami Dolphins.

As of Saturday, none of the NFL's 32 first-round picks had agreed to terms.

Bears fourth-round pick Kyle Orton also remains unsigned. But a deal with the quarterback from Purdue could be struck as early as Saturday night.

"I expect us to get it done hopefully pretty soon with Kyle," Smith said. "Cedric will eventually be in camp. I know (general manager) Jerry (Angelo) and (director of player contracts and legal affairs) Cliff (Stein) and the guys are really working hard to get that done."

Benson is slated to compete with incumbent Thomas Jones for the starting job. A lengthy holdout no doubt will hurt the rookie's chances, but Smith didn't sound worried Saturday.

"When Cedric gets here, that's when we'll start coaching him," the coach said. "We'll be pleased when that happens. We've put in a big part of our offense, but we haven't hit any. He needs to get into football shape and he'll be able to do that.

"We're in earlier than everyone else, so eventually we'll get the guys in and we'll start coaching them then."

Reinforcements arrive: One day after agreeing to terms, veteran fullback Marc Edwards passed his physical examination Saturday and signed a one-year contract.

Edwards bolsters a position depleted by injuries to starter Bryan Johnson (foot) and backup Jason McKie (pectoral), neither of whom will be able to participate in the first practice Sunday.

Smith has previously coached against Edwards, who has played eight NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (1997-98), Cleveland Browns (1999-2000), New England Patriots (2001-02) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-04).

"I know a little bit about him and we're excited to have him be a part of the team," Smith said.

With Keith "Thump" Belton the only other healthy fullback in camp, the Bears will give third-year tight end Gabe Reid some reps at the position.

"We have some options," Smith said. "That's why you can't wait for training camp to get here and see exactly where the guys are."

Special effort: Fans who attend training camp workouts will notice that the Bears spend a lot of time on special teams drills.

"Since Day 1 we've tried to put a big emphasis on special teams," Smith said. "People say that, but you have to do it. I think you'll see from the amount of practice time that we give the players that we're into special teams and we want to be one of the best in the league at doing it."

While the Bears will have a new kicker and punt returner this season, Smith is particularly interested in seeing Jerry Azumah revert to the form he displayed in 2003 when he led the NFL in kickoff returns with a 29.0-yard average and 2 TDs.

"Jerry Azumah was a Pro Bowl player before last year," Smith said. "We have to get that back."

Rex appeal: Smith can't wait to see Rex Grossman back under center Sunday. The 2003 first-round pick returns after missing the final 13 games last season with a knee injury.

"Rex is definitely a leader," Smith said. "We like him leading our team. You can ask any of his teammates and they'll all say the same thing about him. We're excited about him taking off."

He's 6'4", 325, he makes $900,000 a year, and he's driving a Mini.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-2005bearscampphotos,1,6222912.photogallery?coll=cs-bears-headlines&index=10

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9229

Bears sign rookie QB Orton to four-year contract
By Larry Mayer
July 24, 2005



BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Just hours before conducting their first training camp practice, the Bears on Sunday signed fourth-round draft pick Kyle Orton to a four-year contract.
The Purdue quarterback was named first-team All-Big Ten last season after completing 236 of 389 passes for 3,090 yards with 31 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.


Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner is familiar with Kyle Orton from their days in the Big Ten.
With Orton in the fold, first-round running back Cedric Benson is now the Bears' only unsigned draft pick.

Orton improved in each of his three seasons as a starter at Purdue, increasing his passing yards (2,257-2,885-3,090) and TD passes (13-15-31) while decreasing his interceptions (9-7-5).

"I think I am a smart football player," Orton said after the draft, "someone who works tremendously hard to prepare myself for a game. I love watching film. I get in the film room and really just work on that side of the game. I think I'm really good at game management. I really take care of the football and I'm somebody with a big arm."

Orton is expected to be the Bears' third-string quarterback this season behind starter Rex Grossman and backup Chad Hutchinson.

First-year offensive coordinator Ron Turner, the head coach at Illinois the past eight seasons, saw Orton pass for 366 yards and four touchdowns and rush for a fifth TD in a 38-30 win over the Fighting Illini last season.

"He's a very talented young man and I'm very familiar with him," Turner said. "He sees the field extremely well and he got better and better as his career went on as far as doing that. He makes great decisions and protects the ball very well.

"He has an extremely strong arm and has good pocket presence. When I was at Illinois and we were getting ready to play him, he's a guy that we always looked at and said, 'Oh boy. What are we going to do to stop this guy?'"

Orton was the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy last season after passing for 1,367 yards with 17 TDs and no interceptions in leading the Boilermakers to a 4-0 start.

But his production declined and he sustained separate hip injuries in back-to-back defeats to Michigan and Northwestern during a four-game losing streak.

"It was just tough, the fact that I got hurt," Orton said. "We got off to a great start as a team and individually I got off to a great start also.

"To get hurt and not be able to play in the tough stretch where we lost four games in a row was obviously hard. But I thought I bounced back pretty well at the end of the season."

Orton lined up mostly in the shotgun while operating Purdue's spread offense, so playing in a conventional offense in the NFL will require an adjustment. But Turner worked Orton out before the draft and is confident that the young quarterback will be able to adapt.

"I don't think it's going to be that huge of an adjustment," Turner said. "And we're not looking for him to come in and start right now, so he's got time to develop and I think he'll be able to make that adjustment very well."

here we have a preseaon Heisman candidate, extremely lauded for 2 seasons....falls into obscurity by the end of his senior season.

better than grossman? (highschool awards and college career say no...)

a bear at the end of 4 years?

what say you?

Orton's Heisman chances went to shit because he played injured. If Rex is healthy, he becomes the quarterback that meritted a first round selection. If he isn't, Orton eventually moves into the starting lineup and becomes our man. It'll take him some time to get over his six-shooter mentality (not every pass has to be a bullet), but once he gets that down he'll be something else.

That's pretty much to be assumed, Professor.

Chicago has had so many shitty quarterbacks in the past decade that expectations have sunk this low

of course, if my team had started Henry Burris and Craig Krenzel recently I'd feel the same

lines like "once he gets that down he'll be something else"

both of them actually won the SEC East

He's currently collecting an NFL paycheck.

remember that time I touted either of those two as big-time pro quarterbacks?

me neither

Their SEC East title rings aren't putting food on their respective tables right about now, are they?

Rex's ability to complete an outroute on the far sideline more than five yards downfield, however, does put food on his.

when UT won the national championship in 1998, I was actually a little pissed because Corey Simon and Peter Warrick ended up being top 10 draft picks and have made tons of money since

in fact, it's like *they* won the title that year because they still collect NFL checks

the pain

duly noted.

*Waits patiently for Truth to come in and somehow twist this into an implication of homosexuality*

not a shabby player, but he wasn't even that great in college

like I said, it's just funny hearing you guys talk about how he's a secret weapon in training or some shit, lol

ock!

*exits*

We just think he's got a lot of potential if he can listen to his position coach.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9333

By Larry Mayer
July 27, 2005

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - After struggling in OTA workouts in June, Mark Bradley is performing in training camp like the promising young player the Bears envisioned when they selected him in the second round of the draft.
No wide receiver in camp possesses a better combination of size, strength and speed-and no one has made greater strides in the last month than Bradley.

"I wanted to come in (in June) and make a good first impression," Bradley said. "I think I pressed a little too hard, which turned into drops.

"I got a little frustrated early on, but I stayed on it, (receivers) coach (Darryl) Drake stayed on me, and I started to settle down and felt comfortable with the routes and the speed and aggressiveness of the defense. It was kind of hard for me, but it paid off in the end."

Bradley has the potential to be the Bears' best open-field runner at the wide receiver position, and now that he's catching the ball consistently, the 6-1, 200-pounder has the chance to emerge as a big-play threat.

The Oklahoma product is determined to contribute on offense and special teams as a rookie.

"I've got to come in and expect to get the ball," Bradley said, "and when it comes my way turn everything into positive plays."


Wideout Muhsin Muhammad makes a diving catch Wednesday at training camp.
Catch this: Muhsin Muhammad made another spectacular catch in Wednesday morning's practice, diving over the middle to haul in a Rex Grossman pass during a two-minute drill.

"It was an amazing catch," Grossman said. "Every day he surprises me with how good he is. He's making our other guys better. He's the leader of that receiver corps. They follow him and they watch what he does. Some of those guys are really making strides."

Peanut power: Cornerback Charles Tillman got the best of Muhammad on one play Wednesday, deflecting a Grossman pass in the end zone up in the air and then intercepting it.

With Grossman in pursuit, Tillman raced down the left sideline, not stopping until he playfully collapsed in a heap after scoring a touchdown.

"I was going to stop, but I heard (defensive backs) coach (Perry) Fewell yelling, 'score, score,'" Tillman said. "I was going to stop at about the 50, but Rex kept going and I was like, 'I can't get caught by a quarterback.' I thought that would look pretty bad if they caught that on camera."

"I just wanted to get some cardio in," Grossman joked. "It's training camp. I'm trying to get in shape and I might as well give it a shot."

Aches & pains: Linebacker Marcus Reese missed Wednesday night's practice after injuring his shoulder in the morning session when he was pancaked by 330-pound guard Steve Edwards. ... Fullback Marc Edwards (hamstring) and offensive lineman A.J. Ricker (ankle) sat out both sessions. ... Safety Jerrell Pippens returned after missing two days with turf toe.

A day at camp: Oppressive heat and torrential rain the first few days of camp gave way to cool and comfortable conditions Wednesday. "I can breathe today!" cornerback Jerry Azumah declared while stretching before practice. ... Grossman looked sharp during a red zone drill, connecting with tight end Dustin Lyman and receiver Bernard Berrian for TDs. ... At the conclusion of two-minute drills, Doug Brien made a 44-yard field goal and Nick Novak missed a 54-yard attempt. ... In Wednesday night's practice, defensive tackle Alfonso Boone stuffed running back Adrian Peterson in the backfield, safety Chris Harris knocked running back Antoineo Harris on his behind with a well-timed hit and Azumah took reps as a punt returner.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9358

Urlacher fired up about competition in camp
By Larry Mayer
July 29, 2005



BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - In an interview at training camp, Brian Urlacher discussed the intense competition at key positions, the progress the defense is making and what it's like facing an improved offense led by quarterback Rex Grossman and All-Pro receiver Muhsin Muhammad.
It seems that in this camp there are a lot of positions where players say they can't afford to take a play off because of the competition for roster spots.


Brian Urlacher keeps his eye on the ball during a training camp drill in Bourbonnais.
We have good players at every position. It's going to be tough to get a job on this team. It's good competition. Hopefully we keep that all the way through camp and keep guys healthy and keep them on the field.

Is it more intense than normal?

When I'm on the field it's always intense. I want to go out there and do the same every day, but there are a lot of guys competing, so there are going to be a lot of fights, a lot of competition going on.

How has the defense performed to this point?

We've got a long ways to go, I know that much. We're up and down just like the offense probably. We have good days and bad days, but we've got to have a lot more good days than bad.

How much does the defense focus on trying to force turnovers?

We're always trying to cause fumbles and trying to get takeaways. That's our thing. If you're not trying to cause a fumble you're not doing the right thing.

What's it like having a solid, healthy secondary behind you?

It's awesome. We have complete confidence in those guys back there. We've got the four guys up front going pretty well right now. Those guys in the back are doing a great job. We feel pretty good about it right now. We've just got to keep them on the field like I said. I'll say it every day-we've just got to keep guys on the field and we're going to be all right.

What's it like facing an offense with playmakers like Rex Grossman and Muhsin Muhammad?

They make us better, I know that much. Going against Moose, one of the best receivers in the league, our DBs have got to get better doing that every day. The young receivers are coming along with his help. They're doing a great job out there. They've made some amazing catches so far.

What are your impressions of Hunter Hillenmeyer?

He makes a lot of plays. He's kind of banged up right now with a concussion, but for the most part he does a lot of good stuff on the field. He's faster than people think he is. They say he can't run, but he can run. He talks a lot when he's out there and knows the defense really well.

Has he improved because he's played alongside you and Lance Briggs?

I wouldn't say that. We have good coaching and he got to play a lot last year and I think that helped quite a bit. The few games I did come back he moved to 'Sam' and did a great job at 'Sam' for us. He can play all three positions which is really good for us.

How much better can Briggs get?

He's pretty good right now. We can all get better, but Briggs flies around. Just like Hunter he knows the defense really well, he's always around the ball and when he hits you you're going backwards.

Was it good to get some live tackling in during the goal-line drill Thursday?

It would have been a lot better if we had done better. We got kind of got ran through by the offense, but it's the first day. We won't be like that during the season. But it's nice to just get out there and hit. It's competition and anytime you get a chance to compete you've got to do well.

Do you look forward to live tackling in practice?

Practice is fun and all, but we like to save the contact for Sundays. We get a chance to hit every once in a while in practice. We don't get a chance to take guys to the ground a lot. We got a chance to do that during goal line, but you kind of watch out because we've got to stay healthy. We want to keep guys on the field and if we get a chance to go live we're going to like that obviously, but we'll save those hits for Sundays.

Your team goals are obvious, but what are your individual goals?

Win a lot of games.

That's it?

Win a lot of games.

Defensive player of the year?

Win a lot of games. If we win a lot of games, everything will fall into place.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9452

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - In his first expanded comments about running back Cedric Benson's holdout, Bears coach Lovie Smith expressed frustration Sunday that the first-round draft pick had yet to sign with the team.
Benson, a durable and productive running back from Texas who was chosen with the fourth overall selection, has missed the first eight days of training camp.

"It's frustrating," Smith said. "It's a week in. I understand you're trying to get a contract worked out and all that good stuff. (But) we're trying to get our football team ready.

"A player we had pegged to be a big part of it isn't here. There's no way for me to sugarcoat it anymore. He needs to get into camp. Hopefully that will get done soon."

As of Sunday, only two of the top 12 picks in the draft had signed, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (No. 1 overall) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Cadillac Williams (5th).

Smith conceded that it won't be easy for Benson to make up the ground he's lost to this point.

"It's difficult, but he'll do it," said the second-year head coach. "Guys hold out. In my master plan, I didn't have him holding out this long, so it's a little different for me. But we're adjusting."

Smith has spoken to Benson, but the Bears coach is not participating in the negotiating process.

"Yes, I've had contact with him a little," Smith said. "I'll just say that. Right now, of course, agents and our front office people are really handling all of that.

"I think I'm a little bit more to Cedric than just a guy that works for the Bears. We have a relationship going and I expect him to be here soon."

Smith said that it's still possible for Benson to play in the Hall of Fame Game against the Miami Dolphins Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio, but only if the running back ends his holdout soon.

"We're not to that point (of ruling him out)," Smith said, "but we're definitely to the point of, 'Hey, Cedric, we need you in camp now.' I mean, this is a week now.

Our team is getting better, but our plans were to have him be a part of that. Right now, he's missed a week of great work. He needs to get into camp."

In other news Sunday, the Bears signed punter Gabe Lindstrom to a two-year contract and reached an injury settlement with offensive lineman Matt McGhghy.

Lindstrom was summoned to camp one day after Brad Maynard aggravated a strained right calf muscle, an injury that will sideline him for a couple of days.

Punting for the New York Giants in the 2002 preseason, Lindstrom posted a 46.6-yard gross average and a 35.7-yard net average while placing two of eight punts inside-the-20.

Lindstrom's only other pro experience came during the 2002 NFL Europe season when he punted for the Frankfort Galaxy and ranked second in the league with a 42.7-yard gross average and a 35.6-yard net average while placing 14 of 47 punts inside-the-20.

McGhghy, an undrafted free agent out of Northern Illinois, suffered a groin injury in camp.

Lovie repeated his comment this morning to Mike North that his top priority is beating the Packers. Dan and Terry (two members of the "evil Chicago Sports Media" AZ who share my opinion on Lance Armstrong and having the professor from NU on to be interviewed) believe that it's pandering to meatball fans by saying that beating the Packers is a meaningless goal to have on the way to winning a championship (as much as I hate the Pack and wanna beat the crap out of them, there's some validity to this). You make the call.

http://www.radiomat.com/register.php?action=register&station=WSCRAM

Zach Zaidman said he's in Denver seeing a specialist. I don't like the sound of it.

They say it's only a minor procedure to clean up some fragmentation and spurs in the bone area, but I get a BAD feeling about this.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-050802bearsside,1,6151431.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

Hip surgery is likely for Azumah
Defensive back may miss 3 weeks
By K.C. Johnson
Tribune staff reporter

August 2, 2005, 11:37 PM CDT


BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Jerry Azumah visited a Denver specialist Tuesday who has recommended surgery for a degenerative condition in the starting cornerback's hip.

Azumah almost certainly will undergo arthroscopic surgery and could miss as much as the next three weeks. The Bears, who open the regular season Sept. 11 at Washington, are expected to comment on the situation Wednesday.

It's the second straight Aug. 2 in which Azumah has visited a specialist. Last year, Azumah flew to Pittsburgh for tests on a neck injury that eventually required surgery and forced him to miss the first four games.

This year, soreness in Azumah's hips prompted team physician Mark Bowen to recommend the specialist after rest didn't cure the condition. Azumah, a Pro Bowl kick returner in 2003, has missed five of the last six practices.

"It's something that has been there for a while," Smith said. "There wasn't one incident that caused it to happen. He has had soreness throughout."

With Charles Tillman resting a sore leg for the latter part of Tuesday's practice, Nathan Vasher, Todd McMillon, Jerrell Pippins and Rashied Davis took snaps at cornerback.

Vasher is the projected starter if Azumah, who is entering a contract year, is sidelined for any substantial time.

Receiver Bernard Berrian, already returning punts, is likely to add kick return responsibilities in the same scenario. Davis and receivers Mark Bradley and Eddie Berlin also would receive consideration.

"Jerry's just at such a high level that you really want him back," special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. "I talked to him and he said he'd be fine for the season."

The Bears want to avoid losing Azumah for a long period, especially because depth at cornerback was a question mark entering the season. Pippens and Davis have performed well thus far in camp, though.

"We're concerned," Smith said. "Jerry is a Pro Bowl player. We need him out there as quick as we can."

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Bears cornerback Jerry Azumah is expected to be sidelined 3-4 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery Wednesday morning in Denver.
The six-year veteran had traveled to Colorado Tuesday to see a specialist for a second opinion after missing practice four out of five days with a sore hip that didn't improve with rest.

"Jerry Azumah had a successful scope done on his hip this morning," said coach Lovie Smith. "They went in and cleaned it out. That's basically all that they needed to do. We expect him to be back in three or four weeks, in plenty of time for the first game, so we're excited about that."

Azumah went through a similar experience last August when he traveled to Pittsburgh for a second opinion on a neck injury before having surgery and missing the first four regular season games.


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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

F*** the Lions, F*** the Packers, F*** the Vikings, just wanted to get that out of my system.

I want to see from the Bears this up-coming season is a good all-around, agressive, hard-nosed team with poise.

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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

I think I might bring that shit back this year.

For the love of God, I'm about sick of seeing flashbacks to the MNF game in '85. That game meant NOTHING to the Bears. NOT A DAMNED THING. Playoffs, division, home field, SEWN. LOCKED. The Fins won that game because Buddy wanted to try some experimental bullshit using Wilbur Marshall to cover a slot receiver. If the Dolphins ever took any other game as seriously as that (like oh, I don't know, say THAT YEAR'S AFC TITLE GAME WHERE YOU WERE FAVORED BY TWENTY POINTS AT HOME TO BEAT A WILD CARD PATRIOTS TEAM THAT HADN'T WON IN MIAMI IN EIGHTEEN YEARS), you might've actually gotten yourself something substantial to show off between 1973 and right now.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9552

Madden likes Bears' chances in NFC North
By Larry Mayer
August 5, 2005



BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - John Madden thinks that a football resurgence may soon take place along Chicago's lakefront.
Watching practice from the sideline Thursday night at Soldier Field, the popular ABC television analyst said that he believes the Bears will contend for the NFC North title in 2005.


Popular TV analyst John Madden will broadcast Monday night's Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and Dolphins.
"I like the Bears going into this season because of the division they're in," Madden said. "That's the first thing you always have to do is win your division and there's no dominant team. Some people say Minnesota or Green Bay, but they really aren't powers that are going to dominate."

Madden likes what he sees from a revamped Bears offense that benefits from the return of a healthy Rex Grossman and was bolstered in free agency with the addition of All-Pro receiver Muhsin Muhammad and linemen Fred Miller and Roberto Garza.

"I think you just assume that Rex Grossman is going to play and play well," Madden said. "That's big. And then you assume that Cedric Benson is going to sign and you've got a 1-2 punch there. I know Muhsin Muhammad is a great player. So you've added something to a bad offense. I like the offensive line the way it is now too.

"I think there are some good things there, but the Bears have to still be about defense. That's what Lovie Smith is and that's what the Bears have always been."

The Bears defense has the potential to dominate this season with the return of a handful of injured starters including middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and safety Mike Brown.

"They lost Urlacher in the first practice (last training camp) and then they lost Mike Brown later and that's the middle of their defense," Madden said. "All defense starts from the middle and you have to have a strength there. Having Urlacher healthy and Mike Brown behind him, those are some good things."

Madden is looking forward to broadcasting Monday night's Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and Miami Dolphins in Canton, Ohio. With the Bears slumping in recent seasons, Madden hasn't worked many of their games.


Quarterback Rex Grossman's return from injury has bolstered the Bears offense.
The former Oakland Raiders head coach jumped to Monday Night Football in 2002 after spending 20 years as an analyst with CBS and Fox.

"I love Chicago," Madden said. "I miss the Bears being good. When the Bears are good, all is well in the NFL. I really believe that. I don't say that everywhere I go.

"The most fun year I ever had in broadcasting was with the '85 Bears. You came to Chicago and everyone was a Bears fan and everything was Bears. They had great players and character and characters. That whole thing, it doesn't get any better than that.

"You could build a monument for what the NFL should be or what kind of year you'd like to have and have that '85 Bears season be the prototype.

"When you see them down, it's not as much fun. You need those Bear-Packer games to be big games. You can say you have a rivalry, but if both teams aren't good, it's not a rivalry. There has to be something pretty big on the line."

Last nighy was terrific. The best offense we have seen in 2 years. The defense is still cutting headz for a hobby (vid. Urlacher's hit on Feely that had Madden put on his concerned voice watching replays. Knocked the boy out of his shoes.) Yeh, Madden is the GOAT.

Mark Bradley looked an awful lot Curtis Conway in his prime. Hopefully he is more durable and mentally tough.

Anyway: mind your necks in '05, NFC North foes.

Up to get 200 replies before kickoff of the first pre-season game. First team thread that's ever done that here.

MF Doom
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4754528297

NO I.D.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4754367749&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

shyheim - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4754539049&rd=

I didn't think I'd say this, but so far they haven't missed a step w/o Hub. I didn't even notice his absence during the game.

http://nfl.com/gamecenter/live/NFL_20050808_CHI@MIA

It didn't take long to see what his role is gonna be b/c those 1st 2 series seemed to take alot out of TJ with the power formations. Overall its looking very good for the Bears this year....

Knowing them, I doubt his asking price and their self-imposed final offer are very far apart at all.

but it is imperative for rookies to get to camp early in the NFL in comparison to other sports b/c of the learning curve that you try to avoid them having during the season as opposed to preseason. Plus these niggas get more money as rookies than any other sport so they need to get that $hit moving which I haven't heard of any talks in the last week or so...

I feel pretty good about the game. It wasn't great, but it was good. I like what I saw for the most part. Kyle Orton could pass Hutchinson on the depth chart if he continues to play this way.
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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

I like our depth chart at QB one through three, and that's important because the Bears' 3rd string QB has started at least one game six of the last seven seasons.

I just think Orton played a better game and I think he has more overall potential than Hutchinson.
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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

Personally, I'd just prefer Rex gets these gnats off our genitalia so we don't have an issue on our hands to begin with.

What's your point?

http://org-www.chicagobears.com/gameday/

Bears: 27 Dolphins: 24
Monday, August 8, 2005, 7 p.m.



By Larry Mayer


CANTON, Ohio - Marquee players Rex Grossman, Muhsin Muhammad and Brian Urlacher provided the early highlights Monday night in the Hall of Fame Game, then watched their young teammates rally the Bears to an exciting 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Playing in his first game since sustaining a season-ending knee injury last Sept. 26 in Minnesota, Grossman set up the Bears' first touchdown by lofting a 34-yard completion to Muhammad down the right sideline to the Miami 1-yard line. Two plays later, Thomas Jones' 1-yard TD run gave the Bears a 7-0 lead with 8:14 left in the first quarter.

"I had a little bit of the butterflies," Grossman said, "but one of my goals for the game was not to get antsy in the pocket and just stay in there and make some throws and I thought I did that for the most part. I think we played pretty well."

Playing four first-quarter series, Grossman completed 5 of 12 passes for 77 yards and a 63.5 quarterback rating, Jones rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries with a long run of 25 yards and Muhammad had two receptions for 44 yards.

"I love the offense," Jones said. "I think this offense fits our personnel because we're a hard-nosed offense. We have some good receivers. Muhammad and (Bernard) Berrian both made some great catches tonight, the offensive line did a good job, (fullback) Marc Edwards did a good job and Rex made the right reads. I thought we were pretty efficient."

Late in the opening period, Urlacher knifed through the line on a blitz, sacking A.J. Feeley at the Dolphins' 4 and knocking the Miami quarterback out of the game with a bruised buttocks.

"They didn't block me," Urlacher said. "None of their offensive linemen stepped up into me, so I didn't have to slow down."

Berrian starred for the Bears early, catching three passes for 65 yards. The second-year pro sustained the early touchdown drive with a leaping 23-yard reception on third-and-19 before drawing a pass interference penalty on cornerback Sam Madison on third-and-four.

Long after the starters had exited, the Bears erased a 24-13 deficit with two touchdowns in the game's final 7:23. After having an interception returned for a touchdown, rookie third-string quarterback Kyle Orton rebounded to fuel the comeback.

The fourth-round draft pick from Purdue tossed a 43-yard TD pass to Carl Ford and a 34-yard completion to Eddie Berlin that set up Zack Abron's game-winning 4-yard TD run with 1:50 left.

Rookie second-round pick Mark Bradley led the Bears with five catches for 131 yards, eclipsing the Hall of Fame Game record of 130 set by the New Orleans Saints' Ken Burroughs in 1970.

Though they left the game with the lead, Bears starters experienced mixed results on both sides of the ball. Berrian dropped a perfect Grossman slant pass on third down and linebacker Lance Briggs allowed Frerotte to escape his grasp in the end zone and complete a 44-yard pass to receiver Chris Chambers.

"We missed some big opportunities," Grossman said. "I missed Bernard on one and we just didn't connect on a few others. (But) for the most part, our offensive line did great and we moved the ball decently. It was a good start."

The Dolphins turned a 7-0 deficit into a 10-7 lead on Olindo Mare's 33-yard field with 9:19 left in the second quarter and Frerotte's 26-yard TD pass to receiver Bryan Gilmore with :58 remaining in the half.

Playing the second and third quarters, Bears backup quarterback Chad Hutchinson completed 10 of 18 passes for 124 yards. The four-year veteran opened his second possession with completions of 20 and 22 yards to Berrian on back-to-back plays.

The Dolphins extended their lead to 17-7 as third-string quarterback Sage Rosenfels lofted a 1-yard TD pass to wide open tight end Jason Rader following a play-action fake with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Bradley showed his strength and speed, turning a short reception into a 32-yard gain. The rookie receiver shielded a defender from the ball to make the catch, then raced up the left sideline to the Miami 29.

Bradley's play set up rookie Nick Novak's 22-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 17-10 with 4:13 left in the third quarter. The Bears settled for the kick after Hutchinson's pass to Bradley was broken up by cornerback Deandre Eiland on third-and-goal from the 4.

Bradley later hauled in passes of 43 and 26 yards from Orton on back-to-back plays, setting up a Doug Brien 30-yard field goal that drew the Bears to within 17-13 with 12:30 left in the game.

The Chicago comeback was derailed momentarily when linebacker Jason Glenn intercepted an Orton pass that was thrown behind tight end Gabe Reid and returned it 26 yards for a TD.

But Orton bounced back, and the Bears eventually clinched the win when cornerback Jerrell Pippens intercepted a Brock Berlin pass in the end zone with :44 to play.

Briefly: Bears fullback Thump Belton left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. ... Subbing for the injured Brad Maynard (calf), Gabe Lindstrom averaged 47.4 yards on five punts with a long of 51 yards. ... In his return to the NFL, Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was limited to eight yards on five carries. ... Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone started in place of Ian Scott, who was in uniform but did not play because of a shoulder injury.

UP.
This.
MUTHA.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-050810bearstracks,1,7665717.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- He is still a not-ready-for-prime-time player in his coaches' opinions but rookie Mark Bradley spent some quality time Wednesday with the first string, a place where the Bears would like to see him.

Bradley's record-setting 131 receiving yards in Monday's game did not vault him into the first unit. But with Bernard Berrian out of this practice before Friday's game in St. Louis against the Rams, Bradley stepped in, alternating with Justin Gage opposite Muhsin Muhammad.

Bradley dropped two easy balls in no-coverage drills. Then he turned right around and made two touch catches, one on a throw well behind him and the next as he was stumbling after a patch of turf gave way on his cut.

During the full-team session, Bradley had one pass broken up by a hard check from Charles Tillman but then took a Chad Hutchinson pass away from double coverage by Jerrell Pippens and Joe Odom.

Pippens, whose end-zone interception saved the Miami game, was promoted to nickel back ahead of Rashied Davis, who struggled in his first NFL action.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=124475&mesg_id=124475&page=

Ditka is BARBEQUING Qasim Mitchell. Leave it up to Coach to scrutinize a 7th string left tackle during the last two minutes of a pre-season game.

Overdosing on Dewar's 12 might not be a bad way to go out tonight.

I can't fuckin believe he's gonna be out for the season.... AGAIN!!!! FUCK!!!
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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

But did Square Peg listen to me?


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

that's messed up Lovie is out his #1 QB his first 2 seasons as a head coach....

positive thing though it's early enough for y'all to make a deal...

Pull up and sip some Old Taylor w/ ya boy.

will be improved this year....that's just some hella rotten luck 2 years in a row.

But fuck him. Kyle Orton's gonna whooride and all will be well in Hog Butcher USA.

Anybody that caught his induction speech for Benny Friedman at the HOF ceremonies knows he never passes up a chance to stick it to Bears' QBs.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-050813pierson,1,7477139.column?coll=cs-home-utility

Same old story line at QB
But Bears can't afford to continue waiting on a healthy Grossman

The Bears must find another quarterback, preferably in the draft.

No, that was last year's story. Or was it two years ago? Two decades?

This is beyond unbelievable. The more it happens, the more you think it can't possibly keep happening. Yet it does, year after year, generation after generation.

What can they do about it? There's only one answer: Keep drafting them—year after year, round after round. Kyle Orton was a good idea. Matt Leinart is a better one. Never pass one up. Aaron Rodgers would look a lot better holding out right now than Cedric Benson.

When Rex Grossman comes back this time, the Bears can't be waiting for him.

Life has gone on.

That two-by-four bouncing off general manager Jerry Angelo's forehead should finally get his attention.

Grossman will come back, although three or four months in football talk are more like five or six months in real life. Whenever it is, it is assumed the Bears will have changed their business plan.

Instead of considering themselves unlucky that Grossman keeps getting hurt, they must start considering themselves lucky if he ever plays. That means they have to have somebody else in mind—not as a backup quarterback but as a No. 1 quarterback. Somebody besides Grossman.

That could be Chad Hutchinson or Orton or Leinart or Jon Kitna or Kurt Kittner or some unborn son-of-a-gun. Just so it's not Grossman. That's not to say Grossman can't still be in some future mix. But if the Bears are counting on it, like they were last year and the year before, they're missing the audible.

Right now, Jim McMahon, who never played a full 16-game season, is looking like an iron man. Come to think of it, he's in better shape now than he was when he played.

The Bears liked Hutchinson better than Kurt Warner, Jay Fiedler or Brad Johnson, but know this: Nobody inside or outside the Bears ever thought any of them was Rex Grossman.

Angelo and coach Lovie Smith argued last year that so few backups can win regularly it's hardly worth talking about, let along doing something about it.

Ask Angelo or anyone else what the Bears needed more than anything else this season and the answer was always immediate, loud and unanimous—a healthy Grossman.

Now they need a miracle.

They will hope Hutchinson becomes another Warner, the 1999 phenom who stepped in for injured Trent Green and took the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl. Rams coach Dick Vermeil promised Warner would do well, just as the Bears talk about Hutchinson. But if you recall, Vermeil was crying when he said it, and not just because he is an emotional man.

You can argue that Warner, Fiedler or Johnson would have been better than Hutchinson as a stopgap. The Bears argue rightly that at least Hutchinson has more upside. There is no chance for any of the others to be their starter in five years. The Bears need a starter, not a stopgap.

The best backup in the league might be Cincinnati's Kitna. But he's 33, Hutchinson is 28.

A glance at NFL backups reveals what Angelo and Smith and pro personnel scout Bobby DePaul already know—Hutchinson has more experience and more upside than most—Ken Dorsey, Jamie Martin, Luke McCown, Todd Bouman, Chris Weinke, Matt Schaub, Craig Nall, J.T. O'Sullivan, Drew Henson, Jesse Palmer, Tim Hasselbeck, Mike McMahon, Marques Tuiasosopo, Todd Collins, Danny Kanell, Dave Ragone, Jim Sorgi, Josh Harris, Anthony Wright, Rohan Davey.

Maybe David Garrard? Kelly Holcomb? Tommy Maddox? How about Tony Romo?

If there's a Brett Favre out there, would Ron Wolf please identify him? Favre was languishing on Atlanta's bench as a second-round draft choice known only to Wolf and Mike Holmgren.

Because of Grossman's misfortune and the history of the position in Chicago, Bears fans are often under the misconception that injuries follow quarterbacks like fall follows summer. Remember Erik Kramer? He threw 29 touchdown passes in 1995 and then broke his neck.

But three major injuries in three years is almost as unusual as Favre's 205 consecutive starts. Consider: Peyton Manning has 112 starts in 112 games, Tom Brady 62 straight starts, Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb both 73 of 80 since becoming starters, Jake Plummer 89 of 101, David Carr 43 of 48, Aaron Brooks 64 straight.

Angelo, who studies his NFL history, knows that general managers usually get to hire one coach and draft one franchise quarterback. If it doesn't work out, the next general manager gets his shot.

Jim Finks drafted McMahon (after passing up Joe Montana and trading for Mike Phipps). Jerry Vainisi and Bill Tobin drafted Jim Harbaugh. Rod Graves and Dave Wannstedt traded for Rick Mirer. Mark Hatley drafted Cade McNown.

Angelo drafted Grossman and Orton and right now he's rooting for Orton.

Yee-hah. http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9848

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - With Rex Grossman scheduled to undergo surgery on his broken left ankle Monday afternoon, the Bears on Sunday agreed to terms with quarterback Jeff Blake.

The 14-year veteran will compete for the third-string position behind starter Chad Hutchinson and backup Kyle Orton, coach Lovie Smith said Sunday.

"Right now our top two guys will be Chad and Kyle and then Jeff will work in after that," Smith said. "As we've said all along we feel real good about the guys we have here right now. We're going to bring him in as another quarterback that we'll be working with and really kind of go from there."

The Bears will be Blake's seventh team. The 6-1, 223-pounder has completed 56.3 percent of his career passes for 21,656 yards with 133 touchdowns, 99 interceptions and a 77.9 quarterback rating for the New York Jets (1992-93), Cincinnati Bengals (1994-99), New Orleans Saints (2000-01), Baltimore Ravens (2002), Arizona Cardinals (2003) and Philadelphia Eagles (2004).

Blake appeared in just three games with no starts for the Eagles last season, completing 18 of 37 passes for 126 yards with 1 TD, 1 interception and a 54.6 quarterback rating.

The 34-year-old started 13 games for the Cardinals in 2003, connecting on 208 of 367 passes for 2,247 yards with 13 TDs, 15 interceptions and a 69.6 quarterback rating.

"Jeff is a guy that's played in the league for a while," Smith said. "He was available right now and he's a good fit for where we are right now.

"We had a chance to talk with him earlier and he's been working out. But working out's one thing. Getting in football shape's another and we'll just start the process from here."

Two days after Grossman was lost for 3-4 months, Smith on Sunday reiterated his support for Hutchinson and said that Blake wouldn't be coming in to challenge for the No. 1 job.

"He's our starter," Smith said of Hutchinson. "It's as simple as that. He's our guy and we're going from there, but you need three quarterbacks. Chad isn't looking over his shoulder. He's our guy and we can't wait to see him lead us."

I'm really hoping this will kickstart the talks with Benson. We need him in camp like NOW. With the injury to Grossman, I defintely feel like Benson has the upper hand in the bargining process... which sucks for the team.
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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

>With the injury to Grossman, I
>defintely feel like Benson has the upper hand in the bargining
>process... which sucks for the team.

what's a power back like Benson gonna do now that there are 9 men in the box?

Thomas Jones is more of a weapon if the team is trailing

"Ahhh, anything I want.....he gives it to meeeeeeee
Anything I want.......he gives it, but not for free
HATEFUL
I'M SO HATEFUL
AND I'M GRATEFUL
TO BE NOWHERE"

Guess what, bruddah......

I AIN'T NEVA COMIN' BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK

just had to get that off my chest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

Most likely scenario is that when they get back to Lake Forest after Friday night's Colts game, Jerry's gonna lock himself in a room w/ Eugene Parker and not come out until the deal's done.

This is from Don Pierson, the biggest Favre-dick rider in Chicago.

The defense is awful. Ahman Green sucks. Favre is getting hurt this year, watch...

"it's over" - Killah Priest (c)

GREEN BAY -- The only thing the Packers know for sure is nobody is picking them to win the NFC North. The three-time defending division champions are getting no respect.

"I don't know what to expect from our team," quarterback Brett Favre acknowledged. "In the 14 years I've played here, this is the first year I really don't know."

Subscribe
Actually, there is another thing the Packers know for sure and have known for many years: As long as they have No. 4, they have a chance.

This has become a problem. Favre thrilled Packerland by deciding not to retire, even though his last game chilled the faithful. Right there at Lambeau Field, the Packers lost a playoff game to the Minnesota Vikings as Favre appeared to pass the torch to Daunte Culpepper as the best quarterback in the North, if not the NFC.

Now Favre is looking lean after some serious off-season training. But he arrives with a note of caution.

"I hope people don't get this false sense of security that 'Brett ... is ready now. We're unstoppable,'" he said. "Having Brett Favre still, I think, gives us an edge, but I'm human."

Indeed, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday that Favre has avascular necrosis, the hip condition that shelved Bo Jackson and could lead to hip-replacement surgery for Favre. Favre disclosed he'd hurt his hip in the East-West Shrine Game before the 1991 draft, and when former Packers general manager Ron Wolf got him from Atlanta in 1992, Wolf had to talk the team doctor into passing Favre on his physical.

This is welcome news to Bears fans, because without the chronic condition, Favre might last another 13 years.

But this is the year there may be more holes in the Packers than Favre is capable of patching.

Start with the defense. As Favre and his offense averaged 27 points per game last season, the defense gave up 24, and seven times it yielded more than 28. Against better teams, Green Bay was defenseless, giving up 45 to Indianapolis, 47 to Philadelphia and 31 three times to Minnesota. That led to hiring Jim Bates, the third defensive coordinator in three years.

Injury, youth and uncertainty abound on defense, leading Favre to observe, "Jim Bates must be pulling his hair out."

He looks around at practice and sees tackles Grady Jackson and Cletidus Hunt on the sideline nursing assorted aches and pains. Their presence is supposedly where everything starts on defense. Yet Jackson has ballooned beyond his listed 345 pounds, is on the physically unable to perform list and wants to be traded because he's unhappy with his contract, a laughable notion for a player who has started only 11 games in a year and a half in Green Bay.

At linebacker, Na'il Diggs is hurt, and the trio of Diggs, Nick Barnett and Hannibal Navies combined for only one interception, one fumble recovery and four sacks last season.

The biggest playmaker on defense, safety Darren Sharper, was let go and landed in Minnesota, where he joined the ranks of Packer doubters.

"The guys I played with last year, I love them to death, but with what they have in place there now, it's going to be tough for them to improve on where we were last year," Sharper said. "I don't know what they're doing with the secondary."

On Sunday they cut starting safety Arturo Freeman, who had accompanied Bates from Miami and was supposed to provide experience and knowledge of the system. Coach Mike Sherman and Bates decided they would rather force-feed rookies Nick Collins and Marviel Underwood and get by with veterans Earl Little and Mark Roman.

At cornerback the Packers also have second-year players Ahmad Carroll and Joey Thomas battling opposite Al Harris, with rookie Arena Football League find Mike Hawkins as the fourth corner.

The defensive juggling has overshadowed the competition for both starting guard positions, where stars Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle left in free agency. The likely replacements are newcomer Adrian Klemm and seventh-round draft pick William Whitticker.

Sherman is in the final year of his contract after losing his general manager duties to former Packers scout Ted Thompson.

"I think it's a team that will continue to get better throughout the season," Sherman said. "I think we're going to make leaps and bounds. We've been pretty successful down the stretch in December." Said Thompson: "In the offensive line, the Packers were fortunate enough to have a group of five players together for five years, which is a remarkable achievement. But that's not normal."

The Packers don't seem to care if their bandwagon has stalled.

"I think enough teams want a piece of us that we're not going to sneak up on anybody," Thompson said. "I certainly wouldn't want to be the prohibitive favorite to win the Super Bowl and everybody thinking that. But at the end of the day, you get your 16 games and get to show what you can do."

Said Favre: "From the outside looking in, I'd give the Vikings the nod too. But I'm not writing us off, because I've seen crazy things happen."

Like a quarterback starting 225 straight games with a bad hip.

That's why it shocked me when we agreed on Grossman.

Sounds like the team is taking a hardball approach. Let's hope it works.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9965

Chicago Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo issued the following statement regarding the contract negotiations with Cedric Benson:

On Thursday Bears general manager Jerry Angelo released a statement regarding the contract negotiations with Cedric Benson.
"After missing all of training camp, we want to make it abundantly clear that the Chicago Bears have made their best and final offer to Cedric Benson. No dollars are left on the bargaining table, and at this point the only contract discussions that will be entertained will be reflective of the considerable loss of value to the club created by the player's extended absence.

"We will not provide details regarding contract negotiations, however, in an effort to move forward and focus solely on preparing for a winning football season, we believe it is important for everyone to know our position on Benson's contract situation as his holdout enters Day 26 and now is the NFL's only unsigned first-round draft choice.

"The Chicago Bears have always placed a premium on having our players in camp on time, and recent history reflects our excellent track record. Our last four number one draft picks have been signed on time for the opening of training camp. Two of those picks, Rex Grossman and Tommie Harris, were also represented by Benson's agent, Eugene Parker.

"The failure to reach an agreement on a fair and reasonable contract has been a huge disappointment. We look forward to having Cedric end his holdout and join his coaches and teammates as they prepare for the upcoming season."


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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

Either they get it done then, or he's being traded for a 2nd round pick next year.

I'm hoping this hardline stance doesn't backfire on them. I don't wanna see him traded for a 2nd round pic, we should at least try for a late 1st round. This sucks.
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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

For 3 basic reasons:

- Nobody has cap room for the contract Cedric Benson is asking for. A sign-and-trade is a long shot. Makes for good conversation on message boards and sprts columns, but it probably won't happen.

- The deadline for trading draft rights has past.

- Sitting out this season and 'redrafting' is stupid. He wouldn't be drafted 4th again. If teams suspected he was a headcase before the '05 Draft with his crying baby routine, what will they think after he turns down a $30M contract?

Basically, Benson is looking at the best money he is going to see. He has already missed 1/12 of the first year of his deal. The Bears are well within their rights to start pulling dollars off. his agent would be a fool not to get him in before the start of the season.

Get his Puil-Ups (tm) wearing-ass to work.

Because if my first unit was that lethargic and had no concept of snap count and were making THAT much money, I'd have a maxi-pad stuck up my bloody dickhole too.

Ha... you said dickhole.

Colts IND TD, Marcus Pollard 14 Yd Pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt Kick) 9:05 Colts 7-0
Bears CHI FG, Paul Edinger 51 Yd FG 2:12 Colts 7-3
Second Quarter
Colts IND TD, Reggie Wayne 35 Yd Pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt Kick) 14:04 Colts 14-3
Colts IND FG, Mike Vanderjagt 34 Yd FG 10:56 Colts 17-3
Colts IND TD, Marvin Harrison 10 Yd Pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt Kick) 5:41 Colts 24-3
Colts IND FG, Mike Vanderjagt 20 Yd FG 0:59 Colts 27-3
Third Quarter
Colts IND TD, Reggie Wayne 27 Yd Pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt Kick) 8:26 Colts 34-3
Colts IND TD, Edgerrin James 11 Yd Run (Mike Vanderjagt Kick) 0:42 Colts 41-3
Fourth Quarter
Bears CHI TD, Dustin Lyman 2 Yd Pass from Craig Krenzel (Paul Edinger Kick) 1:37 Colts 41-10

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
RUSHING ATT YDS AVG LG TD
Edgerrin James 23 204 8.9 40 1
Dominic Rhodes 9 54 6.0 17 0
James Mungro 3 15 5.0 8 0
Peyton Manning 1 5 5.0 5 0
Jim Sorgi 3 -3 -1.0 -1 0

CHICAGO BEARS
RUSHING ATT YDS AVG LG TD
Thomas Jones 18 59 3.3 15 0
Adrian Peterson 4 15 3.8 13 0
Craig Krenzel 4 5 1.2 4 0
PASSING CP-AT YDS TD INT RTG
Peyton Manning 17-28 211 4 1 108.8
Sacked-Yards Lost: P. Manning 0-0.

PASSING CP-AT YDS TD INT RTG
Craig Krenzel 14-24 175 1 2 60.2
Sacked-Yards Lost: C. Krenzel 4-30.
RECEIVING NO YDS AVG LG TD
Reggie Wayne 6 106 17.7 35 2
Marvin Harrison 4 49 12.2 15 1
Dallas Clark 3 19 6.3 9 0
Marcus Pollard 2 19 9.5 14 1
Edgerrin James 1 11 11.0 11 0
Brandon Stokley 1 7 7.0 7 0

RECEIVING NO YDS AVG LG TD
Thomas Jones 4 23 5.8 8 0
David Terrell 3 76 25.3 43 0
Bobby Wade 2 6 3.0 3 0
Adrian Peterson 1 30 30.0 30 0
Bernard Berrian 1 17 17.0 17 0
Desmond Clark 1 14 14.0 14 0
Justin Gage 1 7 7.0 7 0
Dustin Lyman 1 2 2.0 2 1

All three need surgery. None are starters, but could be an issue if starters get injured.
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"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

All three were in danger of not even making the team.

second string. he was a nice backup. He's the only one that will really hurt.

"everybody gets hated on. a nigga on this board hated on me because I hated him for hatin!" -- Darryl Reeves

http://www.myspace.com/temkin2

Said he'd been laying eggs all throughout training camp. Bears are loaded at safety, both he and Worrell were expendable.

"everybody gets hated on. a nigga on this board hated on me because I hated him for hatin!" -- Darryl Reeves

http://www.myspace.com/temkin2

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10026

Jones, backups gaining yards at impressive clip

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Even though starting tailback Thomas Jones didn't play Saturday night in Indianapolis, the Bears' running game continued to thrive without unsigned first-round draft pick Cedric Benson.
Adrian Peterson (14 carries for 60 yards), Zack Abron (11-50) and Antoineo Harris (12-42) combined to rush for 152 yards and 2 TDs on 37 carries in a 24-17 preseason win over the Colts.

The Bears have topped the century mark on the ground in all three of their preseason games while increasing their total each week. They rushed for 102 yards on 24 carries in the Hall of Fame Game against the Dolphins and 131 yards on 29 attempts versus the Rams.

The Bears have outrushed their preseason opponents 385-150, an average of 128-50 per game.

Jones was rested Saturday night in Indianapolis but is expected to see extended action along with the rest of the starters Friday when the Bears host the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field in the fourth of Chicago's five preseason games.

"Thomas hasn't missed a rep all camp," said coach Lovie Smith. "We just felt that this was a perfect time to keep him out. Next week is our game plan week as far as playing our starters the majority of the game, so we wanted to put ourselves in the best position for that."

Taking advantage of a rare start, Peterson rushed for 33 yards on eight first-quarter carries before scoring on a 4-yard run that put the Bears ahead 14-0 with 12:42 left in the first half.

Harris, a 5-10, 220-pounder who played for Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner at Illinois, rushed for 17 yards on four straight carries capped by the game-winning 1-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.

Abron, a 5-8, 229-pounder who's built like a fireplug and hits like a bowling ball, picked up first downs on runs of 15 and 5 yards on the Bears' final drives to help protect the lead.

Benson's holdout, meanwhile, reached its 29th day Sunday, still with no end to the impasse in sight. On Thursday, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo issued a statement indicating that the team had made its "best and final offer" to the rookie running back.

"No dollars are left on the bargaining table," Angelo said, "and at this point the only contract discussions that will be entertained will be reflective of the considerable loss of value to the club created by the player's extended absence."

Even if Benson, the NFL's last remaining unsigned first-round pick, ends his holdout in the near future, his chances of contributing let alone playing in the Sept. 11 season opener in Washington are shrinking by the minute.

"Every day that Cedric is away it's harder to get him ready for the opener," said Smith, who's grown weary of discussing stalemate. "Each day puts him farther in the hole.

"I'm behind our organization 100 percent with the stand that we've taken with them. We're trying to put the best possible team on the field. Cedric was a part of that and he's not here, so I'm going to answer those questions the same way. He needs to be in camp and he's not here."

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=9995

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Chad Hutchinson concedes that losing Rex Grossman to a serious injury for the second straight year deflated the entire Bears locker room last Friday night in St. Louis.
But the air is officially back in the balloon and there are no leaks in sight.

"Everybody was down, myself included," Hutchinson said. "I was a big fan of Rex. When you see a guy like that come back from an injury and get injured again, it was tough.

"But I feel like we've kind of snapped out of it and we're moving on. Unfortunately, that's the way it goes. We're still going to go out and play hard and I think we've got good morale now."

Teammates have expressed their confidence and faith in Hutchinson throughout the week, predicting that the four-year veteran will excel as the team's starting quarterback.

Hutchinson's first chance to prove them right will come in Saturday night's preseason game against the Colts in Indianapolis. The 6-4, 225-pounder will direct the Bears' first team offense in a game for the first time since starting the final five contests last season.

"I'm anxious and I'm looking forward to it," said first-year offensive coordinator Ron Turner. "I'm confident. There's no doubt he's going to go out and play well."

Hutchinson appears to be ready for the opportunity. He looked sharp throughout the week in practice, throwing the ball with accuracy and authority while displaying poise under pressure.

"I felt good throwing the ball," he said. "I've done the best I could out here. I think I've been consistent and made some strides in getting better every day."

Hutchinson signed with the Bears last Sept. 28, two days after Grossman sustained a season-ending knee injury in a Week 3 loss at Minnesota.

Finally making his debut 10 weeks later, Hutchinson passed for 213 yards and 3 TDs in a 24-14 win over the Vikings, He finished the season having completed 92 of 161 passes for 903 yards with 4 TDs, 3 interceptions and a 73.6 quarterback rating.

As he assumes the starting role a year later, Hutchinson has the luxury of three preseason games to hone his skills and figures to benefit from a much stronger supporting cast.

"This is great for Chad," said receiver Bobby Wade. "He came in last year and picked us up. For him to have a whole training camp and the way he's performing this training camp, there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be a guy who's able to get the job done."

Bears players and coaches are all but guaranteeing that Grossman's injury won't cripple the offense like it did in 2004 when the unit finished last in the NFL in scoring and passing yards.

"This year is so much different than last year," Turner said. "(Hutchinson) has been in the system at least through the offseason and all through camp and he's got a real good feel for it. So when he's starting out this time he's much more prepared."

In two preseason games, Hutchinson has completed 12 of 20 passes for 138 yards. After Grossman broke his left ankle against the Rams, Hutchinson entered the contest in the middle of a drive and connected on 2 of 2 passes for 14 yards in leading the Bears to their only touchdown of the game.

"Chad has done a nice job," Turner said. "He got rid of the ball quickly and threw very accurately. So I don't think the offense has taken much of a step back."

While the Bears had two backup quarterbacks who failed to jump-start the offense last season in Jonathan Quinn and Craig Krenzel, they just may have two who are capable of reviving the unit this year in Hutchinson and rookie fourth-round pick Kyle Orton.

The 6-4, 223-pounder from Purdue has performed exceptionally well in two preseason appearances. He rallied the Bears to a 27-24 win over Miami by directing two late touchdown drives in the Hall of Fame Game and put Nick Novak in position to kick field goals on back-to-back possessions in the second half of last Friday night's 17-13 loss to the Rams.

"He's just got that quality about him," Turner said. "He's very poised and very confident. It's not a confidence that's an annoying confidence but it's a great self-confidence that he has in himself and a belief.

"It's hard for somebody that young to have that poise, but he does. He comes in and throws an interception for a touchdown (against Miami) and he bounces back from that and the next game throws another interception and nothing fazes him. He just stays in the pocket. He's a tough kid and has got a lot of talent."

Veteran Jeff Blake, the favorite to earn the third-string position after joining the Bears Sunday, is still familiarizing himself with the offense and may not play against the Colts.

"We have our first- and second-string quarterbacks that we're going to give the majority of the reps to," said coach Lovie Smith, "and then from there we'll see how the game goes and decide who else plays."

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10035

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Bears defense has high expectations this season, and judging by the unit's dominant performance Saturday night in Indianapolis, no goal appears to be unrealistic.

Facing the NFL's most explosive offense, the Bears generated consistent pressure on reigning NFL MVP Peyton Manning and limited Pro Bowl running back Edgerrin James to four yards on six carries while forcing and recovering two James fumbles.

"We want to be the best defense in the league," said end Alex Brown. "There's no secret about it. That's what we're trying to do and I believe we're headed in the right direction.

"We've just got to keep rolling and keep correcting mistakes that we see and just keep critiquing each other and make sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing. I believe we'll get there because we have a good if not great player at every position."

The Bears manhandled the Colts from the outset of Saturday night's game. On Indianapolis' first possession, Adewale Ogunleye and Tommie Harris stopped James for no gain on the first play and Brian Urlacher forced an incompletion by drilling tight end Dallas Clark.

The Colts then followed with three straight false start penalties, the final two by left tackle Tarik Glenn, who seemingly was too eager to get in position to keep Brown away from Manning.

"They were a little scared, which is a compliment to guys like Alex, Ian (Scott) and Tommie," Ogunleye said. "I'm sure they've been watching film and they know that we get off the ball pretty well. For them to be jumping offside at home tells you that's something's going on."

On Indianapolis' second possession, Briggs and Nathan Vasher teamed up to drop James for a loss of four while Harris and Brown pressured Manning into a second-down incompletion.

Later in the first quarter, Mike Brown and Michael Haynes tackled running back J.T. Wall for a four-yard loss on a third-and-one pass play, forcing an Indianapolis punt.

The Bears then closed the period by producing two takeaways on three plays. First, Ogunleye stripped James from behind and Charles Tillman recovered the loose ball. Harris followed by forcing a James fumble that Urlacher recovered.

"You can't get too excited about the preseason, but you've got to call a spade a spade," Ogunleye said. "We played well. Hats off to everybody, especially the defensive line. We were able to get after Peyton real good."

"We did what we needed to do," Urlacher added. "We got off the field. We had a couple three-and-outs and a couple takeaways. We're getting better and better every week. That's what you've got to do in the preseason."

The defense was so aggressive that Bears players nearly knocked teammates out of the game on two occasions. Knifing into the backfield on a running play, Mike Green torpedoed Alex Brown in the legs. Mike Brown later drilled Tillman while trying to hit Clark on an 8-yard reception.

In three preseason games, the Bears' starting defense has permitted just 10 points on 15 possessions. The only TD came Saturday on Manning's 25-yard pass to running back Dominic Rhodes. The score was set up by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty against Urlacher on a third-and-19 incompletion that resulted in a first down.

In the Hall of Fame Game against Miami, Chicago's No. 1 defense permitted three first downs while forcing four straight punts before yielding a field goal on its final drive.

On four possessions versus the Rams, the starters forced three punts and produced a turnover on a Tillman interception.

The Bears didn't sack Manning Saturday night, but their defensive line pressured him into several incompletions, a development that caught some observers off guard.

"It wasn't a surprise," Urlacher said. "I know our front four can go. They do it every week as far as I'm concerned. They're always in the backfield. It's nice when you play cover two and cover three all day and you don't have to blitz. It takes a lot of pressure off the guys on the back end."

if the offense can't get going?

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"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

but i don't think he'll be as good a quarterback

i'm praying i'm wrong

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"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

They're in a WEAK division.

they tried to hand him the starting job in Dallas and he couldn't beat out Quincy Carter.

Despite the fact that he's a black QB and I'm required by law to hate him, of course...

...He did go 10-6 and get them into the playoffs. And Parcells cut him a year later in favor of Vinny Testaverde B.C. Tuna's just finnicky about QBs, he could've actually made a mistake.

>Despite the fact that he's a black QB and I'm required by law
>to hate him, of course...

I know, that's why i didn't even mention Jeff Blake...

>...He did go 10-6 and get them into the playoffs. And
>Parcells cut him a year later in favor of Vinny Testaverde
>B.C. Tuna's just finnicky about QBs, he could've actually
>made a mistake.

You know I was rooting for Q but he did have some issues at times.

But other than that Minnesota game last year Hutchinson has looked lost every time he's stepped on the field.

I'ma get that darkie.

he's been getting #3 qb reps until recently

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"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

but is suspect he is because he's had more reps with the first team, and he's more experienced.

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"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

but from what i've seen, he's not a "just don't lose the game" type quarterback

----------------------
"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

How many of those do you see talked about on draft day?


I think there are "just don't lose the game" type gameplans (and they worked 14 straight weeks last year for the Steelers and their rookie QB), but no "just don't lose the game" type QBs.

there are quarterbacks that fit that type of game plan better than others, i.e. quaterbacks that don't turn the ball over by taking risks.

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"What shall we do with the negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us...if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall - Frederick Douglass

.

Hopefully it's a good sign that he went in and talked with them. But the Sun Times reported yesterday that there's word going around that he put the house he bought out here on the market.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10138

Bears, Benson hold impromptu meeting Thursday
By Larry Mayer
August 25, 2005



LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Unsigned first-round pick Cedric Benson showed up at Halas Hall with advisor Brian Peters around noon Thursday for an impromptu meeting with general manager Jerry Angelo.

Benson wanted to speak to Angelo in person. The meeting was cordial but no negotiations took place. Benson's agent, Eugene Parker, knew about the gathering but was not present.

Benson, whose contract holdout entered its 33rd day Thursday, is the NFL's only unsigned first-round draft pick. He spent only about 30 minutes at Halas Hall Thursday and did not meet with team president and CEO Ted Phillips, coach Lovie Smith or contract negotiator Cliff Stein.

Last week, general manager Jerry Angelo issued a statement indicating that the Bears had made their "best and final offer" to Benson, the fourth overall pick in the draft.

Thursday's visit marked the first time that Benson was involved in a meeting during his holdout.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I watched a baby get raped once... that still wasn't 1/8 as horrible as this post" - desus

Read the updated guidelines: http://www.okayplayer.com/guidelines.html

start the kid

orton's a MUCH better quarterback
anyone with eyes can see that, it's not even close

when i watch that guy play i feel like we have NO chance of winning w/ him under center

as far as i'm concerned it became open competition when rex went down
& i think orton has more than proven his case

he should start against CLE on thursday

Even I think that has a nice ring to it.

I gotta ride for my Purdue QBs. Drew Brees came around eventually, and I think Orton has more physical tools than Brees. Coming from a Spread Offense with normally a shotgun formation, Kyle just needs to get used to snaping from behind center all the time and a less complicated playbook.
But for real at ths point, forget about Chad. I can say with confidence that I think the Bears will be better with Kyle Orton than they would with Chad. They offense may still suck, but Chad Hutchinson will never be the future of the Bears, Kyle Orton might. So let Kyle take his lumps. At least we see some potential in Kyle, so its gonna provide the Bears with some hope.

that's a perfect name for him

http://www.suntimes.com/output/mulligan/cst-spt-mully271.html


Please release him, let Chad go ... now!
August 27, 2005

BY MIKE MULLIGAN STAFF REPORTER

The Chad Hutchinson era didn't last two preseason games. Benched at halftime of Friday's 16-12 victory against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field, the alleged quarterback may as well be released today.

What is the point of keeping the guy around? Not only is he a living reminder of last year's failure, he's not a legitimate NFL starter. Heck, he probably isn't among the top 100 quarterbacks in the league. In other words, he simply doesn't belong in the NFL.

Ask yourself one question about Hutchinson: If he were released right now, would any other NFL team sign him?

Not based on Friday's results, they wouldn't. The man who claimed "I'm back'' earlier in the week after a miserable quarter and a half against Indianapolis won't ever arrive. Is that a harsh assessment? Absolutely. Is it right? You bet.

The sad fact is that the Bears don't have a lot of positive options at quarterback these days. The best one is starting rookie fourth-round pick Kyle Orton, who injected energy and enthusiasm into the team, the crowd and the season with his third-quarter performance. But throwing him to the Lions (or the Redskins on Sept. 11 for that matter), might be a recipe for disaster. Rookies tend to get beaten up in the NFL, especially by excellent defenses such as Washington's.

A better option might be to go with veteran Jeff Blake, assuming he still has enough athletic ability to defend himself. That allows you to fall back onto Orton later in the season.

Playing a rookie is risky

Don't get me wrong, Orton looks the part. But going with a rookie is a commitment that demands staying with a rookie. If a guy might be the franchise player of the future you put him in and stick with him through the painful growth process that young quarterbacks endure. Bad decision, costly interceptions, mental errors -- all are the hallmarks of inexperienced players.

Orton's impressive performance against Buffalo, especially coming as it did after Hutchinson's misery, made you think the kid might have a chance this year. And indeed, there are some reasons to believe he can become the next Ben Roethlisberger, who starred as a rookie for Pittsburgh last season. Like the Steelers, the Bears are built on excellent defense and a solid running game.

Even if the Bears don't turn to Orton, there is clearly no point in keeping Hutchinson on the roster beyond this night. A team of psychiatrists would be needed to work through his issues, let alone a roomful of coaches who would be better suited getting the rookie ready to play.

From bad to the worst

Hutchinson knew he had to show improvement in this game and he simply couldn't have been worse. He completed nearly as many passes to the opposition (two) than he did his own team (three). He took three sacks for a loss of 24 yards (or nine yards less than 33 passed for) and had one interception returned for a touchdown and another returned to the Bears' 3. That play led to a field goal.

Hutchinson somehow pulled off the remarkable feat of producing a 0.00 quarterback rating. It was a gloriously awful performance. You'd feel a lot better about the guy if you thought it was on purpose.

He went three-and-out on his first two possessions and topped that misery with an interception into the left flat that Nate Clements caught in stride and returned 31 yards for a touchdown. The Bears responded with their lone scoring drive in the first half when Thomas Jones broke a 40-yard run on third-and-one and the team settled for a 28-yard field goal.

If there was a series that symbolized Hutchinson's game, season and Bears career, it was his final one of the half. He completed a 21-yard pass to Bobby Wade and proceeded to be sacked twice, taking the Bears from first-and-10 from the 47 to third-and-29 at the 28. Jones ran 16 yards against a prevent defense on third down.

In fact, Hutchinson's terrible performance was a boon for the running back, who had a 10-yard run on a third-and-30 earlier in the game. Those two plays, coupled with the 40-yard run, explain how Jones managed 94 yards on 14 carries.

"We haven't seen improvement,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith told WBBM radio during the halftime break. "We'll look at different combinations and start from there.''

Enter Orton, who went three-and-out on his first series -- nearly hooking up with Muhsin Muhammad at one point, but then caught fire while leading the Bears on a 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive capped by a two-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Clark.

"I got into a little rhythm and got some confidence after that first completion,'' Orton said on the television broadcast. "I was hoping to get a couple of series with the first team. Coming in after halftime gave me a chance to organize my thoughts. I felt like starting a game.''

Orton's numbers don't lie

It's a feeling Orton will no doubt get used to in the future, perhaps the near future. His performance didn't last the entire third quarter, but he finished 7-of-11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and a 113.4 quarterback rating that was the best put up by any signal-caller in any game this preseason.

With Hutchinson under center you began to feel like it didn't matter if the Bears ever signed first-round pick Cedric Benson. They weren't going to win with or without him. When Orton took over, the future started to look promising.

You knew the Bears suffered bad luck when Rex Grossman went down. What wasn't clear until Friday night is that they lost two guys that day because playing Hutchinson has exposed a fraud. The only move to make is to flat-out cut the guy.

place!!!

He wasn't that good in college, then took FIVE years off to play baseball. Jerry Jones and the Cowgirls threw a ton of money at him and tried to make him their starter and he sucked ass. Except for one game he sucked last year when he started for the Bears. Why is he getting all these opportunities? Because he's tall and white?

I honestly just think he's one of those guys who thinks too much instead of simply reacting. I heard some writer a couple weeks ago say "I think Chad's a pretty smart guy......off the field".

that's all you need to know about how important that is.

His kid, however, sounds like he could very easily be a nuclear physicist or something.

the players simply don't want to play for hutch...the shit reminds me of 'any given sunday' when the linemen were missing blocks on purpose to punish beamen...but of course, the similarities end in the talent protrayed by beamen & hutch's (lack of) talent & the fact that beamen was on some fucktheteam shit...

but i ain't saying that gage & moose & nem was dropping those passes & the linemen were missing those blocks on purpose, but i feel their heart ain't into it when hutchinson is throwing the rock

so yeah, the players feel that orton will get the job done...especially when ogunleye went over & hugged orton after the touchdown

Chad just panicked. The heat was on and he couldn't respond. There are a shitload of guys who have all the physical skills but just can't perform when something is expected of them. Example: I saw Henry Burris as the Packers' 3rd string QB in a 2001 pre-season game. The kid looked like he had the stuff. I was giddy like a hooker on half-off Tuesday when I heard the Bears signed him off their practice squad. Kid could scramble, had arm strength. I even put him on my franchise on Madden 2002 (even though he was ranked like 57 overall) and won a title w/ him. From the first snap of his first preseason game as a Bear, when he knew people were starting to whisper about him being a sleeper prospect, he wet the bed. He wet it every time he saw action that season. He is now in Canada where nothing special is demanded of him and where he knows he can be at least halfway decent.

LiquidDope please do us the honor...


-------------
Orton named Bears starting QB; Hutchinson plummets
Pasquarelli
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Rookie quarterback Kyle Orton, whose inconsistent performance last season at Purdue dropped him into the fourth round of the draft, will be the Chicago Bears starter for the regular-season opener, the team announced on Sunday.

The elevation of Orton to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart was not totally unexpected following a poor performance by starter Chad Hutchinson in Friday night's preseason game. Hutchinson registered a 0.0 passer rating in the game and, for the preseason, his rating is an anemic 23.1.

On the flip side, Orton has generally performed well in preseason, albeit against backup players from the opposition defenses he has faced. The former Purdue star, who was just the seventh quarterback chosen in this year's draft and the 106th prospect taken overall, has completed 27 of 42 passes for 409 yards, with two touchdown passes and a pair of interceptions, for a passer rating of 92.3.

Chicago veterans were largely complimentary of Orton following Friday's game. Said center Olin Kreutz: "You think about that 'it,' and whatever that is, he's got it."

The Bears lost their projected starter, former first-round draft choice Rex Grossman, two weeks ago to a broken ankle that could sideline him the entire 2005 season. Grossman was able to start only three games in 2004 before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

In a major shakeup on the depth chart, Hutchinson plummeted off the depth chart Sunday, with veteran Jeff Blake, signed after the injury to Grossman, moving into the No. 2 slot. Kurt Kittner is No. 3 in the playing rotation.

"I'm not scared at all about being a rookie quarterback," Orton said Sunday. "I think I'm where I need to be. ... I have a lot of improvement I can make. Now I've got to quicken that process."

Orton, 22, entered the 2004 college season considered as one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy, started the year strong, then saw his play deteriorate after the first four games of the year. In 44 appearances at Purdue, including 35 starts, Orton completed 786 of 1,336 passes for 9,337 yards, with 63 touchdown passes and 28 interceptions. For his career, he averaged 219.39 yards per game in total offense.

Regarded as a bit of a steal in the fourth round, Orton signed a four-year, $1.84 million contract that included a $458,000 signing bonus.

WHOO...............























...............RIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And I thank you very much.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=133044&mesg_id=133044&page=

Brendon Ayanbadejo

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10232

Bears acquire Pro Bowl alternate from Dolphins
By Larry Mayer
August 29, 2005

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Making a trade for the second straight day, the Bears on Monday dealt tight end John Owens to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, a Pro Bowl alternate on special teams last season.

The trade is contingent on both players passing their physicals.

Ayanbadejo led Miami in special teams tackles with 19 in 2003 and 23 in 2004 while playing in all 16 games each season. After playing primarily on special teams in 2003, the 6-1, 228-pounder started two games at linebacker last season and totaled 20 tackles and one interception.

Ayanbadejo signed with Miami as a free agent in 2003 after originally entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 1999. The UCLA product was waived by Atlanta on Aug. 23, 1999 and played for three teams in the Canadian Football League from 2000-02.

Owens played in two games with the Bears last season after he was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions last Oct. 24. The 6-3, 255-pounder appeared in 22 games for Detroit after joining the Lions as a fifth-round draft pick in 2002.

On Sunday, the Bears traded defensive end Alain Kashama to the Seattle Seahawks for a conditional draft pick.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/insideTheBears.jsp?id=10239

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Having experienced their own contract holdouts, John Tait and Adewale Ogunleye can relate to Cedric Benson's situation and insist that he'll be welcomed back with open arms by teammates.
Benson arrived at Halas Hall Monday morning after agreeing to a five-year contract on Sunday, ending a 36-day holdout that was the longest by a rookie in team history.

Tait, the Bears' veteran left tackle, held out for 47 days as a rookie first-round draft pick with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1999, not signing until three days before the start of the regular season.

"I don't think there's one guy in this room that's resentful," Tait said as he glanced around the locker room. "It happens. It's his private business that he took care of and now he's kind of in our world with the players and coaches and he doesn't have to worry about the front office.

"We're looking forward to the season. We're glad he's here and it's time to get to work."

Ogunleye, a fifth-year defensive end, held out of training camp last summer with the Miami Dolphins seeking a long-term deal that he didn't secure until being traded to the Bears in exchange for receiver Marty Booker.

"It's not the same (situation), but I understand what he had to do," Ogunleye said. "It's a business. People have to understand this game is business first. That's how it's operated and everything else is second. From the front office down to the players, everybody's got to handle their business first and then we get to the game on Sunday."

Tait feared the worst after ending his holdout in Kansas City, but he was pleasantly surprised with the reception he received upon rejoining his teammates.

"I was really surprised because there are a lot of people who try to scare you into thinking it's going to be horrible and the guys are going to hate you and stuff like that," he said. "But it's not even close to being like that.

"I think you're surprised how welcoming everybody is. All the horror stories that you hear-people saying how your teammates are going to resent you for it-that's really not the case, and I really don't see it being the case here with Cedric."

Benson no doubt will have to carry veterans' shoulder pads off the practice field and make a food run or two, but there doesn't appear to be any animosity from his teammates.

"He's part of the team," Ogunleye said. "He's going to be one of the 53 guys, so we've got to bring him in and treat him as we would treat any other player. He's one of our teammates. He's going to be a part of this effort to push for the playoffs and the Super Bowl, so we're going to need him."

Tait, who started three games and played in nine others as a rookie, said the greatest challenge Benson likely will face is getting back into football shape after such a long layoff.

"I hadn't practiced for a long time, so I really needed to work hard on the practice field and get back into it and get in shape," Tait said. "I'm sure he's going to have that same type of adjustment period where he hasn't been in pads for a long time.

"It just takes time as far as being in pads. There are really no drills or running sprints that you can do to simulate being in a game situation where you're coming on and off the field for a 12-play drive, then a three-and-out and things like that."

.

back to baseball.

How the fuck do you play for a team five years and nobody can STILL figure out what the hell it is you do well?

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10265

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Quarterback Chad Hutchinson and tight end Dustin Lyman were among 10 players trimmed from the active roster Tuesday as the Bears reached the NFL's mandatory 65-man limit.

The Bears had high hopes for Hutchinson after he showed promise late last season, but the four-year veteran was waived after two dismal preseason starts in place of the injured Rex Grossman.

"It was very disappointing in that we felt he made some strides last year and we were playing on the good things," said general manager Jerry Angelo. "There were a lot of things that didn't work out well on the offense last year and to say it was strictly the quarterback would be unfair to any of them.

"But he just didn't progress the way we thought he would. That's the short of it. I know he's just as disappointed as what we are."

Hutchinson vowed to rebound after a performance that included two interceptions, three sacks and one fumble in the first quarter and a half in his first preseason start Aug. 20 in Indianapolis.

But he actually regressed last Friday night against Buffalo, completing just 3 of 14 passes for 33 yards with three sacks, one fumble, two interceptions that were returned for a touchdown and to the Bears' 3-yard line and an embarrassing 0.0 quarterback rating.

Hutchinson signed with the Bears last Sept. 28, two days after Grossman had sustained a season-ending knee injury, and waited 10 weeks to step on the field.

In his first start, Hutchinson passed for 213 yards and 3 TDs in leading the Bears to a 24-14 win over the Vikings at Soldier Field. But Hutchinson threw just one more TD pass in four season-ending losses for an offense that averaged less than 10 points during that span.

On Monday, the Bears anointed rookie Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback. Veteran Jeff Blake is the backup with Kurt Kittner currently penciled in as the third-stringer.

Lyman, meanwhile, was also cut after failing to perform up to expectations with the No. 1 offense. With Desmond Clark sidelined due to an ankle injury, Lyman opened training camp as the starter but was outplayed at the position.

"We thought other guys performed better and really we kind of went from there," said coach Lovie Smith. "Once Desmond Clark came back, it was obvious he was our best guy and the other (tight ends) that we have here right now had performed better."

The Bears, who traded John Owens to Miami on Sunday, now have five tight ends on their roster in Clark, John Gilmore, Gabe Reid, Darnell Sanders and Ron Johnson.

A converted college linebacker, Lyman joined the Bears as a third-round draft pick from Wake Forest in 2000. He appeared in 55 career games with 21 starts, catching 37 passes for 278 yards and 3 TDs while compiling 32 special teams tackles.

Also waived on Tuesday were defensive end Quinn Dorsey, defensive tackle Antonio Garay, offensive lineman Bo Lacy and safety Marvin Ward.

Fullback Bryan Johnson (foot) and cornerback Alfonso Marshall (knee) were placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which prohibits them from playing in the first five games of the season.

Linebacker Marcus Reese and safety Cameron Worrell were placed on injured reserve with dislocated shoulders, making their ineligible to play this season.

With 10 NFL Europe exemptions, the Bears actually have 75 players on their active roster and must reach the mandatory 53-man roster by 5 p.m. Saturday.

Preview of tonight's game.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10317

Backups Blake, Kittner step into QB spotlight
By Larry Mayer
September 1, 2005

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Rookie Kyle Orton will make his starting debut in tonight's preseason finale against the Browns, but he isn't the only Bears quarterback who hopes to take advantage of a new opportunity.

With good performances, veteran Jeff Blake can cement his job as the backup and Kurt Kittner can dissuade the organization from seeking a third-stringer on the waiver wire after NFL teams make their final roster cuts on Saturday.

Blake, a 14-year NFL veteran, joined the Bears Aug. 14, two days after Rex Grossman was sidelined for 3-4 months with a broken left ankle in a preseason loss in St. Louis.

The 34-year-old has completed 56.3 percent of his career passes for 21,656 yards with 133 touchdowns, 99 interceptions and a 77.9 quarterback rating for the Jets (199-93), Bengals (1994-99), Saints (2000-01), Ravens (2002), Cardinals (2003) and Eagles (2004).

"Jeff is getting more comfortable each day," said coach Lovie Smith. "Jeff has played a lot of football, thrown a lot of passes. The terminology changes from team to team, but not much more than that.

"We're talking a lot about Kyle, but I'm excited about what Jeff will be able to do for us too. We will play Jeff quite a bit in this game. He will get the majority of the reps for this game. He hasn't gotten as many reps as Kyle, so this is an important week for him."

After failing to connect on his only pass Aug. 20 in Indianapolis, Blake completed 2 of 5 passes for 28 yards in last Friday's win over the Bills.

Unemployed only a few weeks ago, the 6-1, 223-pounder feels fortunate to be the Bears' No. 2 quarterback and plans on making the most of the situation.

"I'm glad that the organization gave me this opportunity because they could have brought somebody else in," Blake said. "They could have brought a number of guys in that are out there, but they decided to bring me in. I just appreciate the opportunity."

Kittner feels the same way. After being cut by five NFL teams in seven months and spending last season out of football, he has a chance to land a roster spot with the Bears.

The Schaumburg native, who played for Ron Turner when the Bears offensive coordinator was head coach at Illinois, was named MVP of the World Bowl this past spring, leading the Amsterdam Admirals to the NFL Europe championship.

"You just need to go in and keep working and don't ever quit," Kittner said of pursuing his dream to play in the NFL.

"Wait your turn and if you get another opportunity, make the most of it because to be truthful they don't come around very often."

Finishing kick: Despite making only a brief appearance tonight, the Bears' first-team defense hopes to build on its success while preparing for the Sept. 11 opener in Washington.

The starters have permitted just one touchdown on 25 possessions this preseason for a defense that ranks No. 1 in the NFL against the run, yielding an average of 57 yards per game.

"We just want to continue our success that we've had and play well," said safety Mike Brown. "I don't know how much playing time we're going to get, but we just want to end on a good note and enter the season feeling good about ourselves and ready to roll."

Too close to call: The closest competition for a starting job entering tonight's season finale is at right guard, where Terrence Metcalf is trying to hold off Roberto Garza. Both are expected to play with the first team tonight as they did last Friday against Buffalo.

Cain is able: With long-snapper Patrick Mannelly nursing a calf injury, linebacker Jeremy Cain is expected to snap on punts for the second straight game. The second-year pro handled eight snaps against Buffalo without incident and hopes to improve his chances of earning a job.

"It's definitely a great opportunity," said Cain, a long-snapper in high school and for all four seasons at Massachusetts. "Any way to make the 53-man roster, I'm all for it."

Gabe again: With Brad Maynard also still bothered by a calf injury, Gabe Lindstrom is expected to handle the punting chores tonight against Cleveland. Lindstrom is averaging 42.8 yards on 20 punts this preseason with two touchbacks and five punts inside-the-20.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10367

McMillon, 12 others cut as Bears reduce roster to 58
By Larry Mayer
September 2, 2005

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Cornerback Todd McMillon and tight ends Ron Johnson and Darnell Sanders were among 13 players cut by the Bears Friday as they moved closer to reaching the NFL's mandatory 53-man roster limit.

Others released included quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie, running backs Antoineo Harris and Zack Abron, guard/center A.J. Ricker, defensive ends Greg White and Shurron Pierson, linebackers LeVar Woods and Derrick Ballard, cornerback Leroy Smith and punter Gabe Lindstrom.

The Bears also placed receiver Eddie Berlin (groin) and rookie linebacker Rod Wilson (knee) on injured reserve, making them ineligible to play this season.

Fullback Jason McKie (pectoral muscle) and rookie wide receiver Airese Currie (foot) were put on the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning they'll miss at least the first five games of the season.

The Bears must cut four more players before 5 p.m. Saturday. That will leave them with 54, but they have a roster exemption for recently-signed running back Cedric Benson that expires either on Sept. 12 or earlier if he were to play in the Sept. 11 opener in Washington.

McMillon appeared in 48 games primarily on special teams and as a reserve cornerback in five seasons with the Bears. He registered 32 tackles on defense and 50 stops on special teams, improving in the latter category each season from 0 to 7 to 10 to 12 to 21 last year.

The 5-11, 185-pounder apparently lost out at cornerback to Rashied Davis and Jerrell Pippens, though one of the two promising young prospects still could be released on Sunday.

Davis seems like a more logical choice to stay. He may have cemented a spot in Thursday's preseason loss to the Browns with a 34-yard punt return, four tackles and one pass breakup.

When asked after the game if he felt he had earned a job, Davis said: "I don't know. I just go out there and try to play hard and whatever happens happens. It's in God's hands right now.

"I don't know what's in the coaches' minds. I can't really tell you exactly. I just try to go out there and play hard every time and try to minimize my mistakes."

On his punt return against the Browns, Davis retreated to his own 10-yard line, scooped the ball up off the ground and eluded four would-be tacklers before dashing down the sideline. He fumbled at the end of the play, but teammate Bobby Wade recovered.

"It's just instinct when I get the ball in my hands," said Davis, an Arena Football League star with the San Jose SaberCats the past four seasons. "I know that I have to do something.

"Arena has kind of helped me in punt returns because in Arena you have to turn around to catch the ball (off the netting) and when you turn around you have to read your blocks. Everything happens so fast, so you have to be able to make something out of nothing sometimes."

Davis (13.5-yard average) and Bobby Wade (11.9-yard average including a 54-yard TD) both excelled on punt returns in the preseason, but the Bears have not yet determined the winner of that job.

Johnson (6 catches for 57 yards) and Sanders (6-56) were released after tying for the team lead in receptions among tight ends in the preseason. Their departure apparently indicates that Gabe Reid has secured the third spot at the position behind Desmond Clark and John Gilmore.

Reid, though, wasn't ready to celebrate on Friday.

"I still don't know what's going to happen," said Reid, who spent the afternoon bagging shoes donated by teammates to send to his native Samoa.

"But if things do work out here, for a guy like me I know you can be here one week and not here the next week. So what I've got to do is just make sure that I prove myself every single day of the week to show them that I want to be here and that I belong here."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10394

Bears claim two corners, cut Edwards, Pippens
By Larry Mayer
September 4, 2005

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Bears on Sunday claimed cornerbacks Daven Holly (49ers) and Chris Thompson (Jaguars) off waivers and released offensive lineman Steve Edwards and cornerback Jerrell Pippens.
Holly, a speedster who's been clocked at 4.37 in the 40-yard dash, was selected in the sixth round of this year's draft by San Francisco (215th overall).

The 5-10, 186-pounder played wide receiver before moving to cornerback midway through his sophomore season at the University of Cincinnati in 2002.

A two-year starter for the Bearcats, Holly registered 45 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups and one blocked extra point attempt last season as a senior.

Thompson, a 6-foot, 187-pounder from Nicholls State, was chosen in the fifth round of the 2004 draft by Jacksonville (150th overall).

Edwards departs after appearing in 31 games with 23 starts the past two seasons. The 6-5, 330-pounder started all 16 games at left guard in 2003, switching to the position from tackle after Rex Tucker was lost for the season with a leg injury in the preseason finale.

Last year Edwards started two games at left guard and six at right guard including the final five contests after Ruben Brown was lost for the season with a neck injury.

Edwards originally joined the Bears on Oct. 9, 2002 when he was claimed off the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. The Chicago native made his NFL debut in the season finale after not playing in the previous 10 games.

Pippens entered the NFL in 2004 as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers. The 6-2, 190-pounder played in seven games for San Diego before being released. He joined the Bears late last season and appeared in the final two contests on special teams.

The Bears also stocked their practice squad Sunday with five players they had released in recent days: Linebacker Jeremy Cain, defensive tackle Antonio Garay, offensive lineman Anthony Oakley, offensive tackle Rob Droege and fullback Thump Belton.

Also signed to the Bears' practice squad were cornerback Roderick Babers and defensive tackle Jason Jefferson. Babers played in seven games with the Lions the past two seasons and spent parts of training camp this summer with the Buccaneers and Broncos.

Jefferson, a Chicago native who attended Leo High School, was cut by the Saints after being selected by New Orleans in the sixth round of this year's draft.

The Bears still have one spot left to fill on their eight-man practice squad.

Also on Sunday the Bears terminated the contract of wide receiver Eddie Berlin, who had been placed on injured reserve on Friday.

They have to beat the Lions next week. And I'm not just saying that because we have a giant wad of Lion dopes here who's Bears hate surpasses the combined amount of their Packer and Vikings hate seemingly for no good reason and beating the Lions would probably mean we wouldn't hear from ELee, rj, & company for at least the next six months. You can't have a team this young (and not just young, but young in all the most vital positions, starting rookie QB, rookie RB and WR who will both probably be starting by the end of October themselves), go 0-2, and expect to have a realistic shot of making the playoffs. Not even in this pathetic division (this might just be football's version of the NL West; the Crackers are finally done, the Queens haven't bought enough talent to overcome the fact that they're coached by a giant meathead, meatball dumbass, and the Lions aren't a threat to anything serious as long as Joey Harrington is the same ole' mediocre Princess Joey I've been watching for three years coming into this one like I saw him today). If they lose next week, the words "Bears" and "playoffs" can't be used in the same sentence at least until the beginning of the 2006 free agent signing period.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bears/cst-spt-bear14.html

Bears release Colombo

September 14, 2005

BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter

One front-office member said several times during the last few seasons that if the Bears had 53 players with Marc Colombo's determination, they never would lose.

That's how hard he worked, but Colombo's battle back from a gruesome left knee injury suffered as a rookie in 2002 ended Tuesday -- at least with the Bears. They placed him on waivers and signed veteran offensive lineman John St. Clair to take his spot.

Colombo, the first first-round pick made by general manager Jerry Angelo, was a promising prospect as a rookie with a nasty demeanor and a love for the game. But he dislocated his knee in his fifth start, and nerve damage made his recovery long, painful and ultimately unsuccessful in the eyes of the club.

The Bears predicted that he would be back for training camp in 2003, but he missed the entire season. He remained on the physically unable to perform list until Week 10 last year. When he got back on the field, he was not the same player as the injury robbed him of strength and flexibility. At 6-8, Colombo needed to bend to get leverage. Orders came from the front office to play him at the end of the season, and he started the final two games but did not perform well.

Colombo was relegated to No. 2 at right tackle during camp this summer, and with the Bears keeping only eight linemen on the roster, they needed a more versatile player. St. Clair, who blocked for Bears running back Thomas Jones at Virginia, can play all five positions, though he is viewed mostly as a tackle and said he is most comfortable there. He started 16 games at right tackle for the Miami Dolphins last season but was waived Sept. 7.

Originally a third-round pick by the St. Louis Rams, St. Clair has started 30 of the 46 games he has appeared in. The Bears signed him to a one-year contract for the minimum salary benefit after persuading him not to rejoin the Rams, who lost ex-Bear Rex Tucker to a right leg injury Sunday.

"I had a good experience in St.Louis,'' St. Clair said. "I just wanted to go with a different team. It's a good situation here, a good team. I know coach Smith, and he was always great. Coming here to play for him is a win-win situation.

"I was very surprised what happened in Miami, but this is a fresh start.''

--------------------------------------
"Why good God man, what's happening to your woman? They're making her a drug addict. They're making her a prostitute. They're making her a lesbian...because you and I won't stand up and be men." - Malcolm X

...tis a pitiful pitiful thing. The big ass paragraph at the end is muddled and hard to read for a reason.

----
Nothing Offensive About the Bears

By David Fleming
ESPN Page 2

All they needed was a field goal. All the Chicago Bears had to do to beat the lowly Washington Redskins in Week 1 was kick a field goal on one of their final three possessions. Instead what they got was a Kyle Orton pick, a Kyle Orton sack and a Kyle Orton fumble.

And like many of you, I sat there and wondered, how did they get here? How did the Bears -- with nine months to prepare, with hundreds of players available, with thousands of man hours, millions of dollars and (presumably) a competent, full-time personnel staff at their disposal -- find themselves banking their entire season on an unproven 22-year-old rookie QB? How did an actual professional football franchise that finished dead last in nearly every passing category in 2004 find itself counting on a QB whose only redeeming quality (so far) is that he named his dog Elaine, after the "Seinfeld" character?

How does a team go through 27 changes at quarterback during its last 92 games and end up with this?

It's simple, really.

So simple, in fact, that I can sum up the Bears' QB Carousel from Hell in one sentence.

Now, you might want to start in 1993 when Jim Harbaugh begat Peter Tom Willis (honest) who begat Erik Kramer-Steve Walsh-Dave Krieg-Rick Mirer and Steve Stenstrom (that's a real dude, I swear), but for a franchise as horribly troubled as the Bears, to me it only seems appropriate that the Bears QB Carousel from Hell begins with journeyman Jim Miller, who by the end of the 1999 season appeared to have found a home in Chicago, that is until he was suspended for the final four games after testing positive for a banned substance he inadvertently ingested from an over-the-counter supplement (of course, happens to everyone's quarterback, right?) -- thus ending his attempt to become the only Bears QB other than Sid Luckman (in, oh, 1943) to break the century mark in QB rating; now, if memory, Google, the Bears' media guide and the collective brainpower of my football fanatic friends from Chicago serves me correctly, that season Miller beat out someone named Moses Moreno and then replaced the ineffective No. 1 pick Cade McNown who, himself, had been filling in for the injured Shane Matthews; which didn't really make sense in the first place since the Bears passed over some guy named Daunte Culpepper (whatever happened to that guy?) to take McNown (not to be confused with McNabb, McNair, McMahon, McCown-Luke, McCown-Josh or McDonald, Ronald) -- who ended up being very offensive in his own way (he got nailed for parking in handicapped spaces at UCLA), just never on the actual playing field, which, of course, didn't stop then-coach Dick Jauron from having him lead the 2000 team to a 1-8 start until, mercifully, Miller was reinserted for two games at which time he blew out his Achilles tendon and had to be replaced by Matthews, who was dumped, again, for McNown, who went 14 for 40 for 133 yards, one TD and one pick in the final two games of the season (and pretty much his NFL career) after which things finally began to calm down behind center in Chicago in 2001 when the Carousel from Hell went a little something like this: Matthews in then Matthews hurt, Miller in for Matthews then Miller hurt, Matthews in, props to Matthews, whose legendary noodle-arm did muster one sweet Hail Mary against Cleveland, then Matthews out, Miller in for the playoffs, Miller knocked silly by Philly, Matthews in, playoff hopes over-and-out, causing the 2002 Bears team to do what any cutting-edge NFL brain trust does when in need of a talent infusion at quarterback: look to Rhode Island and Calgary -- meaning, former RI QB Ken Mastrole who was cut in favor of former CFL'er Henry Burris, which was a big mistake because Mastrole went on to play for the Firecats in Arena2 which, frankly, sounds like a made-up league, while Burris went 0 for 1 as a Bears starter with a passer rating of 28.4, by far the worst rating of the eight players -- Miller, Chris Chandler, Cory Sauter, Marty Booker, Leon Johnson, Brad Maynard and Brian Urlacher (39.9 passer rating after missing on one pass) -- who filled in for the chronically banged-up Miller during a 4-12 season that so thoroughly discombobulated the Chicago front office it reasoned that after Jake Plummer turned down huge coin to become a Bear, the answer for 2003 was former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart and his run-first-pass-worst style, which might have worked had he not been, sadly, sidelined by an (un) injury thus subjecting fans to the QB known as Chandelier whose play was so gross, man, the Bears had no choice, man, but to insert 2003 first-round pick Rex Grossman who, after becoming the first Bears rookie QB in 22 years to win his pro debut, started the last three games of the Jauron era and the first three games of the Smith era only to blow out his left wheel diving for a TD in Week 3 of 2004, something that, of course, the Bears were totally prepared for -- right? -- because seamlessly in stepped Jonathan Quinn, from the Cradle of Quarterbacks known as Middle Tennessee State, to throw for a net 34 yards in Week 5 and 49 more in Week 6 before being replaced by Craig Krenzel, who cranked things up a notch, exploding for 69 yards in Week 7, which is enough to make the QB Ring of Honor in a place like Chicago, until he was re-re-re-replaced by Quinn and then by Jerry Jones reject Chad Hutchinson who, luckily, was there to lead the team to dead last in nearly every major statistical passing category and a QB nadir of such incalculable depth that the team actually signed Jeff George, a guy disliked more in locker rooms than impetigo, who, thankfully, wasn't invited back to 2005 camp, which left room for the kind of quarterback who embodies the Bears QB Carousel from Hell: Kurt Kittner (cut by five teams in seven months last season); and recent No. 1 QB Hutchinson (3-11 as an NFL starter), who was cut along with -- I swear -- someone named Ryan Dinwiddie, whom the Bears still preferred, presumably, over other available 2004 free-agent QBs such as Kurt Warner, Jay Fiedler, Brad Johnson, Jeff Garcia, Drew Bledsoe, Kelly Holcomb and Lance Covington (no, that's a made-up name, I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention) who had all signed with other teams long before Grossman broke his ankle in the preseason; leaving only Jeff Blake (because, obviously Steve DeBerg did not return their calls) and bringing us (directly, simply, effortlessly ... finally) back to Orton who -- God love 'em -- even in light of what this week's opponent, Detroit, did to Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre in the 2005 season opener, still thinks he could be the one to end the Bears' QB Carousel from Hell, saying, "I know the recent history, so I know the city and all the fans want a talented quarterback who is going to go out there and play well and win a lot of football games. Hopefully, I am that guy -- I think I will be"; to which I respond, after taking a much-needed deep breath:

Well, sure, Kyle, that's what the 30 guys before you said too.

Certainly beats the pants off that other Chicagoan currently manning Page 2.

As reported on Zach Zaidman's (the cheetoh-headed loon) Bears report this afternoon on the Score, the Bears will be wearing their road white jerseys during a home game this Sunday for the first time since the 1940s.

This is not cool, not one iota.

We are not the Cowboys, we do not wear white jerseys at home.


To the brass at Halas Hall, trying to look hip for the kids today, I have one simple piece of advice for you:

DON'T

FUCK

WITH THE UNIFORM!!!!!!!!!

"Hey, let's switch back to white shoes.....Now let's switch back to black shoes.....Nah, let's go back to white shoes again. Fuck that, black shoes......And let's wear our blue and orange zebraforms from the Red Grange era.....Now let's go all navy before an important Monday night game against the Crackers......Let's put on these orange pushup joints for Thanksgiving.....Nah, let's wear our road uniforms at home, that'll go over well."

The Chicago Bears are not the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Tampa Bay Bucs, the Miami Dolphins, etc. The Bears have a very basic uniforms scheme dating back 60+ years. The same uniform they were wearing when football was first seen on television is basically the same uniform they're wearing today.

Is it dated? Might be. Is it uncool? Could be.


I DON'T FUCKING CARE, KEEP IT THE WAY IT BELONGS!!!!!! I don't want the Bears to be hip, I don't want the Bears to be cutting edge. I want the Bears to wear the unis their always supposed to and I want them to win like they've been doing for 85 years. Is that too much to fucking ask?!!?

http://ba-bears.epiccycle.com/abmc.aspx?b=254&z=6



History of the Chicago Bears Uniform

The Chicago Bears, originally called the Decatur Staleys when founded in 1920, wore blue jerseys with tan colored vertical striping in their inaugural season. The vertical stripes were actually stripes of leather sewn onto the uniform to help the ball carrier secure the ball.

In 1935 the Bears introduced an orange jersey with black arm stripes and black helmet and by 1958 were wearing the familiar navy blue with burnt orange. The Bears unique "rounded" number style on the uniforms and numbers on the sides of the sleeves of the jerseys date back to the 1950's.

The Bears trademark 'C' logo appeared on helmets in 1962 and its use continues through present day although the mark has changed from white to orange and the shape has changed slightly. After 11 years, the white 'C' logo is colored orange with white trim in 1973 and still has the same look today.

The initials GSH were added to the left sleeve in 1984 in honor of the late 'Papa Bear' George S. Halas, who passed away Oct. 31, 1983. The uniform has had a very consistent look from the 1970's with the exception of blue pants with the white jersey introduced in 1984 as a "road" uniform. On Oct. 7, 2002 on a Monday Night Football game against Green Bay, the Bears wore their traditional "home" blue jerseys with the blue pants for the first time.

The Bears' uniform history is as varied and interesting as the history of the team itself. The team's classic look is steeped in tradition, but there have been quite a few deviations from the norm along the way.


AND THEY SHOULD KEEP IT THAT FUCKING WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=10755

Harris supplants Green as starting free safety
By Larry Mayer
September 14, 2005

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Checking a bulletin board Wednesday morning at Halas Hall, Chris Harris thought he was being punished when he noticed that his name had been dropped from the Bears' No. 1 special teams units.
But Harris' anxiety soon turned into joy when coach Lovie Smith informed the rookie sixth-round pick that he had supplanted veteran Mike Green as the team's starting free safety.

"I was relieved," Harris said. "I had a big smile on my face."

Green struggled in last Sunday's opener in Washington, drawing a pass interference penalty that nullified a Nathan Vasher interception and failing to tackle receiver Santana Moss on a 52-yard pass play.

But Smith said the personnel decision has more to do with giving a promising young playmaker like Harris more chances to contribute in the secondary.

"Mike Green has done a lot for us around here," Smith said. "He's been a good player for us. (But) we have a young player in Chris that we think can be a pretty good player.

"We haven't had a chance to really see him in this type of environment, so we want to see exactly what he has in game situations. Chris has got good size. He's a smart player, he's aggressive and he has good ball skills."

Harris is a smart, physical player who was a four-year starter at Louisiana-Monroe. Last season he had 96 tackles and tied for tops in the nation with seven interceptions.

After playing about 10 snaps in the second half against the Redskins, Harris is ready for his latest challenge.

"This is a huge opportunity for me, coming in as a sixth-round draft pick from a small school," said the 6-foot, 205-pounder. "I can try to put my school on the map a little bit. I know my family and all my friends are going to be excited for me when they find out."

Harris becomes the Bears' only rookie starter on defense, but the 23-year-old has displayed poise and leadership well beyond his years since his first practice as a professional.

"What impressed me early on was how quick he picked up the defense," said strong safety Mike Brown. "He was real vocal right away. Right away when he came in he was telling people where they needed to be. To see that, especially from a rookie-telling veterans where they need to be-was pretty impressive."

Harris hopes to emerge as a consistent contributor and feels that keeping his emotions in check will be his greatest challenge, especially on Sunday when he makes his first NFL start against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.

"I've just got to show (coaches) that I'm actually ready," Harris said. "I don't feel I'm too young. Of course mistakes come being a rookie, but I've just got to show that I'm poised and that I can get the job done and make some plays. That's what they want to see.

"The biggest thing is that I'm going to have to be calm and cool. If you get too excited you tend not to play as well. I have to stay even-keeled all the way through."

Green, who started all 16 games at strong safety in 2004 before flip-flopping positions with Brown during the offseason, didn't hide his disappoint when discussing the demotion.

"I don't think I deserved it," said the soft-spoken sixth-year pro. "I'm upset because I'm a competitor. I want to win at everything I do.

"I feel like by me not being in there, it's letting my team down, letting myself down, letting everybody down. But that's the way this game is. I know in my heart that I'll bounce back and be back out there."

Despite being dropped from the starting lineup, Green will still be asked to contribute.

"Mike will still be a valuable part of our team," Smith said. "This week his role will be geared more toward special teams. He and Chris will really kind of exchange responsibilities.

"Chris had a great game on special teams last week. Once we see a guy making plays in one (area), we'll try to get him more (playing time)."

Safety Todd Johnson, who replaced Green in the second half in Washington, will continue in the same role, subbing in for a cornerback in short yardage and other running situations.

In promoting Harris, Smith continues to show that he's willing to rely on rookies. Last season Vasher and Tommie Harris emerged on defense and this year Kyle Orton, Cedric Benson and Mark Bradley are being counted on to contribute at the offensive skill positions.

"It's important to play the best player, period," Smith said. "No more than that. Early in the year sometimes you have to work through a few things to find out exactly who the best player is, but I've never had a problem playing younger players. You would like to have your best players be veterans, but it doesn't always work out that way."

could we go 8-8 and win this division?


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"Why good God man, what's happening to your woman? They're making her a drug addict. They're making her a prostitute. They're making her a lesbian...because you and I won't stand up and be men." - Malcolm X

This post is 330+ deep at Game 2.

I got a question.

Who is this kicker that we got? I saw the Lion's returner field a kickoff in the end-zone, and I thought, "Hmmm...It's been awhile." Is he any good? Will the field goal kicking game be alright this year?

After this past Sunday, this young team simply cannot be expected to compete....even in THIS sorry assed division....if they don't turn it around and beat Cleveland. Now they got two weeks to prepare for it, and if they do win, they then have the Queens at home and if they go 3-2 by that point, they can pretty much write their own ticket. But all that's a pipe dream if they don't get it done against the Browns. I wonder how the kid's gonna react his first time facing a 3-4.

Let's make it last this time.

Our offense is so terrible. But, sure, I'll play optimist for a week or two. Cuz the Cards title hopes are looking bleak.

Charles Rogers is suspended, Kevin Johnson's out for the year w/ a ruptured achilles' tendon, Roy Williams missed yesterday's game w/ a quad injury which means they could be starting their FIFTH WR on the depth chart next week (Scott Vines, if you're keeping score)......They might have to put in a call to Eric Hipple so he could "whooride" again or whatever.

Grades:

Offense: C- They've played pretty bad at times, but they haven't completely thrown a lot of games away, they've had some big plays/drives when it counted, and overall, they've actually played better than I expected.

Defense: B+ The only Problem I've had is some of the big plays. Other than that, the amount of points allowed looking at the position we're put in by the offense is amazing.

Special Teams: C. Has done a decent job of getting us field position at some key times, but the Doug Brien experience lowers this Grade.

Awards:

MVP: Thomas Jones. Nuff said

Offensive POY: Jones again.

Defensive POY: Urlacher: Six sacks, 89 tackles.

Most Improved: Hunter Hillenmeyer. We did everything we could to find a LB to replace him, but he's done a good job.

Biggest Offseason Acquisition: Moose. Kyle Orton owes him a handjob, no homo.

Rookie of the Year: Orton, the fact that he hasn't completely collapsed is great news.

Biggest Overall Surprise: Offensive Line After a shaky start, they've really played well. The pass blocking could still use some work, but the run blocking has been excellent.


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"Logic is a tool of the White oppressor class that is invoked to stifle the creative mentation of the Black man" - Dr. Kamau Kambon