Da Bear Necessities

Bears sign 1st round pick Shea McClellin to 4-year deal

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:26:00 +0000

The Chicago Bears and defensive end Shea McClellin agreed to terms on a four-year contract on Friday. The Bears used their first round pick (the 19th overall selection) to draft the Boise State product.

McClellin is expected to be the starting left defensive end opposite of Julius Peppers in 2012. Many thought he was best-suited to be a 3-4 outside linebacker, but the Bears are very confident that he can be a successful hand-on-the-ground, 4-3 defensive end.

McClellin's biggest strength is without question his ability to get to the quarterback, and finding such a player was without question the Bears' biggest need heading into the draft. The 6'3", 260-pounder had 20.5 sacks in 49 games at Boise State, and keep in mind that their defense wasn't even on the field frequently with how dominant their offense was.

McClellin ran an impressive 4.63 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and is exceptionally quick off the edge. He has great football instincts, and is a very high-motor guy that Rod Marinelli should absolutely love working with.

The Bears now have five of their six draft picks signed, with third-round pick Brandon Hardin (safety) the only player yet to sign.

H/T: ChicagoBears.Com

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VIDEO: Jay Cutler throws Brandon Marshall passes at Bears workouts

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:44:00 +0000

The Bears were able to work out with coaches on the field for the first time this offseason on Wednesday at Halas Hall, and ChicagoBears.Com got some video of the session, which included Jay Cutler connecting with Brandon Marshall on passes for the first time as Bears, and Jason Campbell throwing passes for the first time as a Bear:

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Note to paparazzi: Do not interrupt Jay Cutler while he walks his dog

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:16:00 +0000

But apparently you didn't listen, paparazzi:

Awesome. Earl Bennett would surely love those shoes too.

H/T: ChiCity Sports

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Alshon Jeffery signs 4-year deal with Bears, becomes 1st member of 2012 NFL Draft class to sign with a team

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Alshon Jeffery, a 6'3", 216-pound wide receiver out of South Carolina, signed a four-year deal with the Bears on Wednesday. In doing so, he became the first member of the 2012 NFL Draft class to sign with a team. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Bears traded up five spots in the second round to draft Jeffery with the No. 45 pick (while also giving up a fifth round pick). The move was highly approved by Bears fans, as the receiver's potential is immense, and he gives Jay Cutler another big target to throw to. He's expected to be the starting "Z" receiver opposite Brandon Marshall immediately.

Jeffery came into the 2011 college football season as a projected first round pick. Heck, I personally thought he and Justin Blackmon were neck and neck for the top NFL wide receiver prospect entering the season. But Jeffery's production declined last season in comparison to the previous year, thanks to issues such as weight gain, and South Carolina's disastrous quarterback situation.

Jeffery's currently in great shape, and he, as well as the Bears, sound confident in his ability to maintain a playing weight in the 215-220-pound area. And you'd think that with being the first player of the entire NFL draft class to sign, he's not messing around.

Source: ChicagoBears.Com

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Da Bear Necessities' 2012 Chicago Bears Draft Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:54:00 +0000

While he's certainly made his mark in free agency (and with the trade for Brandon Marshall) in his first offseason as the Chicago Bears' general manager, the main reason Phil Emery was hired was to do something Jerry Angelo hadn't done much in recent years: find impact players in the NFL Draft.

There's no question that the Bears are a legitimate Super Bowl threat for the upcoming season, but there's also no question that the team is getting up there in age, and quality young talent is needed if they want to stay successful a couple years from now, and beyond. This is especially the case on the defensive side of the ball.

Brian Urlacher turns 34 in May.

Lance Briggs turns 32 in November.

Julius Peppers is 32.

Charles Tillman is 31.

Those are the core players of the Bears' defense, and time is running out on their careers, at least at the highly productive level we're used to seeing from them. And what's concerning is that there doesn't appear to be a young replacement lined up for any of those guys yet. Maybe a Geno Hayes or Corey Wootton improve enough to be such players, but nobody's betting on it at the moment.

And while you want to add depth and potential successors to those players, you're also trying to win a Super Bowl this season. This is a team ready to win now, and if a couple of players from this draft can make a positive impact immediately, perhaps that's what puts the Bears over the top this season. Emery's looking to find impact players for the future, but he's also looking to find players that can fill immediate needs, which could give the Bears a better chance to win a Super Bowl this season.

So, when looking at what the Bears should target in the draft, what position on defense could greatly help their chances to win a Super Bowl this season, but also address the need for talented youth at the position a few years from now? Defensive end, particularly one that's a dynamic pass-rusher.

It's crucial to be able to rush the passer in a division that includes Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. Look at what the New York Giants' superb pass rush did to Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. And luckily for the Bears, this draft class is loaded with solid prospects at the position.

When the Bears select at the first round's 19th pick, defensive ends that could be available include Quinton Coples, Chandler Jones, Whitney Mercilus, Shea McClellin, and Nick Perry. Many intriguing defensive end prospects will likely be available in the second round as well, such as Andre Branch, and Bruce Irvin, a pass-rushing menace and combine freak.

However, there's other positions that could warrant a first round selection for the Bears, such as defensive tackle, and wide receiver. If defensive tackle Michael Brockers or wide receiver Michael Floyd fell to #19, it would presumably be hard for Emery to pass up either player.

Whatever the case, Emery should be in a good position to get one of the seven players the Bears are reportedly considering selecting at #19, and may even be able to find one of those players by trading down, an option I'd welcome in a draft where the top 15-60 prospects or so seem very comparable.

Let's look at where the Bears stand at each position as we head into the draft, and what round would be a good spot to draft that position, if at all:

Offense

Quarterback

With Jay Cutler, Jason Campbell, Josh McCown, and Nathan Enderle already under contract, the Bears are in as good of shape as any team in the NFL at the quarterback position. Cutler is still just 29 (turns that age on Sunday) and under contract through 2013 (and expect the Bears to sign him to another extension). Campbell may be the best backup quarterback in the NFL, and McCown is a capable third quarterback. Enderle didn't show much in camp, preseason, and practices last year, but the Bears may give him another year to show he's worth keeping around.

Draft round target: None.

Running Back/Fullback

Even if Matt Forte were to hold out, or the Bears were to unexpectedly trade him tonight/this weekend, they still have Michael Bush and Kahlil Bell at running back. Bush would be starting for some teams in the league, and Bell's shown to be a very capable backup.

At fullback, Tyler Clutts was an impressive blocker last year and I doubt the Bears are really looking for an upgrade here right now.

Draft round target: None.

Wide Receiver

The Bears finally have a true #1 receiver in Brandon Marshall, but there's still some major question marks at this position. Will Johnny Knox be able to play at all in 2012, and if so, will he be 100%? Will Devin Thomas (who was highly regarded as a receiver out of Michigan State) and Eric Weems be solid contributors on offense, or will they simply be special teamers? Will Devin Hester continue to develop at receiver and be able to be the vertical threat the Bears need if Johnny Knox is unable to play? I'm leaning towards the pessimistic side in regards to all of those things.

Draft round target: 1-4.

If Michael Floyd falls to 19, I'm taking him. Having both Marshall and Floyd in the red zone would be a nightmare for defenses, especially with weapons such as Forte, Bush, Earl Bennett, and Kellen Davis already in place. Jay Cutler would be one happy man.

Having said that, it's unlikely Floyd falls that far. Kendall Wright and Stephen Hill are each worth consideration in the first round, but the Bears would probably find one of the defensive ends to be a better way to spend their first round pick in this scenario. Although I will say that I'm higher on Wright for the Bears more than most seem to be, as I think he'd be a great complement to Brandon Marshall with his explosiveness, ability to get open, and ability to stretch the field, something that would be a welcome addition with Knox's season in doubt.

Like defensive end, this is a very deep draft at the wide receiver position. Prospects such as Alshon Jeffery, Brian Quick, Rueben Randle, and Chris Givens may be around when the Bears select in the second round. And there should even be quality wide receiver prospects in the third and fourth rounds.

Tight End

I'm a fan of Kellen Davis and it's not his fault Mike Martz hates tight ends. Davis, who turns 27 in October, is a great red zone target at 6'7", 267 pounds. He only caught 18 passes last year (again, thanks to Martz), but five of those were for touchdowns. Mike Tice wisely plans to utilize Davis more, and I think we'll see some great things out of the tight end this year.

But outside of Davis, there's not a very good pass-catching tight end on the roster (it appears). Finding a guy like Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Vernon Davis, or Jermichael Finley sure would be nice, but of course every other team is trying to find such tight ends these days too.

Draft round target: 2-7.

While every team wants to find a tight end like the players I mentioned, the tight end class this year is very weak. Coby Fleener could be selected at the bottom of the first round, but he's a bad blocker and will probably be drafted earlier than he should be due to teams wanting to find that next stud pass-catching tight end. Dwayne Allen is a solid all-around tight end, and could be around when the Bears pick in round two. Still, they may find other positions of need to be better to address that early. A late-round tight end with impressive measurables is a good bet here.

Tackle

There's no doubt that the Bears need to improve greatly at left tackle. They still seem to believe J'Marcus Webb can be that guy, but so far the results have not been impressive, and the position is too crucial to let subpar play continue for long. It's unlikely, but possible that the Bears consider moving Chris Williams back to tackle from guard, but since he's been solid at guard, the Bears will probably just leave him in position to succeed. 2011 first round pick Gabe Carimi will return from injury to play right tackle, and we can assume/hope the Bears are set there for a while.

Draft round target: 2-7.

If the Bears had the #3 overall pick, they would take USC left tackle Matt Kalil and not think twice about it. A franchise left tackle is the biggest need on this team, but you're unlikely to find that guy at #19. There's a few other tackles that could be taken in the first round, but none of them project to be left tackles. But, perhaps the Bears feel differently about that. But look for the to Bears wait until at least the second round to address tackle, and it's even possible they don't draft a tackle at all if they're not very high on any prospects at each scheduled pick.

Guard

With Chris Williams, Chris Spencer, Chilo Rachal, and Lance Louis already on the roster, they're in very good shape here depth-wise.

Draft round target: None.

There's far bigger needs on this team, which would surprise many that seem to think the Bears have the worst offensive line in history.

Center

Roberto Garza is 33, so a replacement will soon be needed here. The Bears will probably wait another year or two to address that issue though.

Draft round target: None.

A sixth or seventh round pick is possible, especially if the player offers versatility, but the Bears will likely focus on their current needs over the center position.

Defense

Defensive End

Julius Peppers is still playing at a ridiculous level, but is 32. Israel Idonije is a solid defensive end, but he'll also be 32 this year, and only had five sacks in 2011. Corey Wootton was drafted in the fourth round by the Bears in 2010, but he hasn't seen the field much in his time with the Bears.

Draft round target: 1-3. (Already explained why)

Defensive Tackle

Amobi Okoye and Anthony Adams are no longer on the team, so depth at defensive tackle is a major concern. Henry Melton showed some great things in 2012, especially with his ability to get at the quarterback (7 sacks) but is still raw at the position. Matt Toeaina is solid against the run, and the Bears used a second round pick last year to draft Stephen Paea. The Bears even kept Paea inactive for five games last season, so clearly they aren't sold on him yet.

Draft round target: 1-4.

Brad Biggs reported today that the Bears had in Fletcher Cox for a private workout, but Cox could go as early as #6 overall. There's no way he'd last until #19, so the Bears would have to trade up. And while the three-technique defensive tackle would be a perfect fit for a Bears defense desperately looking for defensive line help, I don't see Emery trading picks away given the Bears' needs.

Michael Brockers could be available at #19, and if that's the case, it would be difficult for the Bears to not make the pick. But, I think that this position will be addressed in the second or third round.

Linebacker

As I said, Briggs and Urlacher are up there in age and the Bears need to begin thinking about their replacements. But again, this team is trying to win now. Nick Roach and Geno Hayes are fine options at strong side linebacker, and the Bears don't use that position in passing situations anyway. Is it worth using an early-round pick on a guy that is rarely going to see the field this year, when you're trying to win a Super Bowl this year?

Draft round target: 3-6.

Find a linebacker with impressive measurables/instincts that will be able to learn behind two Pro Bowlers for a couple years, and ideally can contribute on special teams immediately. The Bears could live with ignoring the position in this year's draft, but if they do so, you're looking at a top draft need next year.

Safety

I feel that this position isn't getting enough talk. Chris Conte was very impressive in his rookie year and he seems very worthy of a starting job, but has Major Wright showed enough yet to be confident about him going in as the starter? Craig Steltz is a solid football player, but lacks the speed coveted in a cover-2, especially when looking at the receivers on the Lions and Packers.

Draft round target: 2-7.

Cornerback

A few weeks ago, this seemed like a major need. Then Emery went out and signed veterans Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite in free agency. Right now, these cornerbacks are on the roster: Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, D.J. Moore, Hayden, and Wilhite. But, the Bears could definitely use some youth at the position, and they'll likely want some competition for Hayden and Wilhite in camp.

Draft round target: 4-7.

Kicker/Punter

Absolutely fine here.

Draft round target: None.

You can follow me on Twitter for much more on the draft, and all things Bears: @DaBearNecess.

Bears boost LB depth with signing of Geno Hayes

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Yesterday Phil Emery added depth to the offensive line with the signing of guard Chilo Rachal, and today, the Bears' first-year general manager boosted the linebacker depth with the signing of linebacker Geno Hayes to a one-year deal.

The Bears brought in Hayes, as well as linebackers Rocky McIntosh, Zac Diles, Bryan Kehl, and Gerris Wilkinson for a workout this week at Halas Hall. So clearly the Bears felt Hayes was the best fit of that group.

Hayes, 24, spent the last four seasons as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and started a total of 42 games over that time. A Florida State product, Hayes was drafted by the Bucs in the sixth round of the 2008 draft.

The 6'1", 226-pound outside linebacker had 64 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception last season. In 2009, he had a career-high 98 tackles, and in 2010, he had a career-high four sacks, as well as a pick-six.

Hayes figures to compete with Nick Roach for the starting strongside linebacker job, but most likely will serve as a backup. Whatever the case, the Bears desperately needed depth at the linebacker position, and at worst, Hayes would provide a quality backup to Roach/Lance Briggs/Brian Urlacher.

The rest of the linebackers on the team are Blake Costanzo (special teams ace), Dom DeCicco (former undrafted free agent), J.T. Thomas (Bears' sixth-rounder who missed the entire '11 season), Jabara Williams (former seventh-rounder), and Patrick Trahan (former undrafted free agent). Hayes is really the only backup you'd feel very comfortable with playing out of that group.

And looking long-term, this could turn out to be an impactful signing (even though he's currently on just a one-year contract). Urlacher is 33 and Briggs is 31, so the Bears really need to begin bringing in some youth at the position. Hayes is a nice start to that, but the Bears may still look to address the position in the draft next week.

Still, this move gives Emery some more flexibility heading into the draft, just like the Rachal signing did.

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Your 2012 Chicago Bears schedule, & my reaction

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:59:00 +0000

Week 1: vs. Colts (Sunday, September 9, 1 PM ET; CBS)

Week 2: at Packers (Thursday, September 13, 8:20 PM ET; NFL Network)

Week 3: vs. Rams (Sunday, September 23, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Week 4: at Cowboys (Monday, October 1, 8:30 PM ET'; ESPN)

Week 5: at Jaguars (Sunday, October 7, 4:05 PM ET; Fox)

Week 6: BYE WEEK

Week 7: vs. Lions (Monday, October 22, 8:30 PM ET; ESPN)

Week 8: vs. Panthers (Sunday, October 28, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Week 9: at Titans (Sunday, November 4, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Week 10: vs Texans (Sunday, November 11, 8:20 PM ET; NBC)

Week 11: at 49ers (Monday, November 19, 8:30 PM ET; ESPN)

Week 12: vs Vikings (Sunday, November 25, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Week 13: vs Seahawks (Sunday, December 2, 1:00 PM ET: Fox)

Week 14: at Vikings (Sunday, December 9, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Week 15: vs Packers (Sunday, December 16, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Week 16: at Cardinals (Sunday, December 23, 4:15 PM ET; Fox)

Week 17: at Lions (Sunday, December 30, 1:00 PM ET; Fox)

Now, after seeing the schedule, let's break down some notable things about it:

Five primetime games. Three of them are on Monday night (at Cowboys, vs Lions, at 49ers), one of them is on Sunday night (vs Texans), and one of them is on Thursday night (at Packers).

Playing a Thursday night game in Green Bay in the second week of the year is not a game I'm happy about, as that's a game you'd like to get a whole week of rest, practice, and film study for. It's also just asking so much of your team to play on a short week after the first week of the season.

I do like that the Lions and Texans games, which as we stand now are two of the three most difficult home games, are primetime games. It's very difficult to go into Chicago and win a primetime game, especially for a warm-weather Texans team in November. Additionally, the Bears will have a full week to rest and gameplan for the Lions, as it's following the bye week.

The schedule is very balanced. There's really no stretch (again, as we stand now, and of course at least a few teams will do better than we think) that should scare Bears fans on paper. Both Packers games are in between games that the Bears will be favored in (three of which heavy favorites).

Probably the two most difficult stretches would be week 7-11, and week 15-17. And when it comes to the week 15-17 games, so much can be different then for each team than it appears on paper now (injuries, teams disappointing, playoff positioning already secured up, etc).

Open against Andrew Luck (we assume) and the Colts. The NFL's worst team in 2011 will be at least a bit improved with Luck at quarterback, but a veteran defense should give a rookie quarterback hell in his first game, especially at home. The Bears will be 10+ point favorites in this game and losing it to start the season would be pretty inexcusable. Of course, Luck is a pretty special talent (and mind), so maybe he'll just be great from the start... but it's unlikely, especially with a subpar supporting cast.

Prediction: 11-5.

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Lance Briggs' contract extension comments summarized: Jerry Angelo sucks, Phil Emery rules

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:21:00 +0000

After being unhappy for years about his contract situation while Jerry Angelo was the Bears' general manager, Lance Briggs signed a contract extension today in Phil Emery's first offseason as general manager. And Briggs made it clear that it was much easier to negotiate with Emery in charge:

"I'm grateful. I'm just very appreciative right now that the work has been recognized and that it (the deal) got handled as fast as it did. This is by far the least amount of time I've ever had (in talks) with the Bears," Briggs said.

Briggs also said that he knows he will retire a Bear:

"My dream is to retire as a Bear and I know that I will retire a Bear," he said. "I'm just excited right now. I'm so juiced that everything happened fast and I can focus on preparing for a championship."

The 7-time Pro Bowl linebacker is confident Bears will eventually reach a contract extension with Brian Urlacher as well:

"The Bears will do right by him," Briggs said. "He's coming off a great year. Hopefully we can play til we're 49 years old, if that's possible."

Good stuff all around.

Source: CBS Sports' Gene Chamberlain

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Bears agree to 1-year extension with Lance Briggs

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:03:00 +0000

The Bears and weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs agreed on a one-year extension on Wednesday. The seven-time Pro Bowler's contract with the Bears now runs through 2014.

In September, Briggs requested a trade after being unhappy the Bears hadn't given him a raise. There's no details yet on the money involved with this extension, but we can obviously assume that the money offered pleased Briggs, and he ultimately agreed to extend his deal with the team for another season. We can also assume that there will now be no more threats of holdouts from Briggs.

The hard-hitting linebacker will be 32 in November, but is still playing at a very high level.

In 2011, he had a team-high 147 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and one interception. The three-time All-Pro had 100+ tackles in seven of the last eight seasons, and has been remarkably durable, missing only four out of 144 games in his nine-year career.

General manager Phil Emery had this to say about the Briggs extension:

“We’re very excited for Lance and for the Bears. Lance has been a very valuable and productive member of our team; seven straight Pro Bowls is quite a record of success. This is a very positive step for our team in our efforts to win championships.”

Source: ChicagoBears.Com

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Bears sign ANOTHER cornerback in Jonathan Wilhite

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:35:00 +0000

Minutes after I got done writing about the Bears signing cornerback Kelvin Hayden to a one-year deal, they signed another cornerback, Jonathan Wilhite, to a one-year deal.

Wilhite, 28, played 15 games for the Denver Broncos in 2011, starting two of those games. He had one interception, two pass deflections, 28 tackles, and two sacks. He also was a contributor on special teams, something that the Bears of course value greatly.

The 5'11", 195-pounder also played in 39 games (13 starts) with the New England Patriots from 2008-2011, after being a fourth round selection by them in the 2008 draft. As a Patriot, he had three interceptions.

Cornerback depth was a major concern for the Bears coming into today, but they now have five capable cornerbacks on the roster in Peanut Tillman, Tim Jennings, D.J. Moore, Kelvin Hayden, and Jonathan Wilhite. All five of them started games at cornerback in 2011, so all of a sudden Phil Emery (who by the way is doing an incredible job in his first offseason as a general manager) has to feel very good about the position as he heads into the draft.

Still, as I said in the last post, the Bears need to develop a young, soon-to-be starter at the position with all of these players aside from Moore (who is best suited for the nickel back role) being 28+.

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Bears add needed cornerback depth with signing of Kelvin Hayden

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:44:00 +0000

The Bears made a move to bolster their cornerback depth today by signing free agent Kelvin Hayden to a one-year contract.

Hayden, 6'0", 195 cornerback, had two interceptions in eight games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2011. The seven-year veteran was a starting cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts from 2007-2010, and intercepted nine passes over those seasons, while deflecting 35 passes in that time as well. He's returned three interceptions for touchdowns.

Of course, he returned another pass for a touchdown in postseason play that Bears fans remember all too well- a pick-six on a Rex Grossman pass in Super Bowl XLI. Yes, he's that guy. He's also from Chicago, and played college football at the University of Illinois.

The Bears have been very interested in getting the cover-2-familiar Hayden for a few years. In fact, in 2009, he was their top free agent target, but he chose to re-sign with the Colts. He visited the Bears last season, but was just coming off neck surgery, and the Bears ultimately chose to pass on him.

But, finally, he's a Bear, and he adds depth to a position that greatly needed it after Zackary Bowman Corey Graham found new homes in free agency.

Peanut Tillman is locked into one starting cornerback spot, and Tim Jennings, who re-signed with the Bears a few weeks ago, will likely return as the starter opposite Tillman. Still, Hayden can provide competition (even if it's unrealistic that he'd get the job) for the second starting cornerback spot, and that would be a nice thing for motivational reasons after Jennings' play slipped late in 2011.

Even with this move, the Bears will surely look to add another cornerback in the draft. They greatly need to get younger at the position with Tillman being 31, Jennings turning 29 in December, Hayden turning 29 in July, and D.J. Moore unlikely to ever play more than nickel back due to his size.

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Bears open the 2012 preseason against Peyton Manning & the Denver Broncos

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:30:00 +0000

The NFL's 2012 preseason matchups were announced today, with exact details of the games' dates/times/television broadcasts still to come.

What we do know, is that the Bears will host the Denver Broncos sometime between August 9 - August 12, and the Washington Redskins sometime between August 16 -August 19. They will then go on the road to face the New York Giants on August 24 for a nationally televised game, and finish up the preseason August 30 at the Cleveland Browns.

So, to summarize:

Bears vs. Broncos (August 9- August 12, probably nationally televised because of Peyton Manning)

Bears vs. Redskins (August 16- August 19)

Bears vs. Giants (August 24, nationally televised for sure)

Bears vs. Browns (August 30)

Really, it's hard to imagine a more exciting preseason (well, as exciting as preseason can get, anyway) scenario for Bears fans.

The first game will be Peyton Manning's first game in a Broncos uniform, so that one will of course have plenty of attention from across the country. It will also feature the first game of former Broncos teammates Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall playing together in Bears uniforms. Oh, and it also features Caleb Hanie's return to Chicago!

The second game against the Redskins will feature the exciting Robert Griffin III, assuming that the Colts select Andrew Luck with the first overall pick. And in more former Bears quarterbacks returning to Chicago news, Rex Grossman is on the Redskins.

The third game will be on national television, at the defending champion New York Giants. And the third game is usually the one that is played the most like a real NFL game, with the starters playing into the second half. So, this will be a fun game featuring two of the NFC's better teams on paper.

And the fourth game against the Browns, with it being the 9th year in a row these teams will have faced each other to close out the preseason. So that's interesting... I guess.

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Bears re-sign cornerback Tim Jennings to 2-year deal

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:35:00 +0000

NFL free agency begins today at 4 PM ET, and the Bears just prevented one of their own free agents from reaching the market.

The Bears and cornerback Tim Jennings have agreed to terms on a two-year contract. It's unknown at the moment the amount of money Jennings will be paid, but it's unlikely to be anything substantial.

The 28-year-old (29 in December) Jennings signed with the Bears prior to the 2010 season, after spending his first four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts (second round pick in 2006). He became a surprise starter in that season for the Bears, and in total, started 28 games over the last two seasons. He played in all 32 games over the two seasons.

In 2011, Jennings intercepted two passes, deflected 10 passes, forced one fumble, recovered one fumble, had four stuffs, and 77 tackles.

The outstanding website Pro Football Focus had this to say about Jennings on Twitter:

Tim Jennings was one of just 2 starting CBs not to allow a TD. Perfect fit for Bears cover 2

The 5'8", 185-pounder won't wow you, but he's fundamentally solid, physical, and a very good tackler for the cornerback position, something the Bears look for in their defense much more than most teams do.

The Bears will go into camp expecting Jennings to again be the starting cornerback opposite Peanut Tillman, and you can now count them out of the running for free agent cornerbacks like Cortland Finnegan. With that in mind, and with he Bears going for a "cheaper" starting option at cornerback, I fully expect them to target one of the top pass-rushing defensive ends on the market, such as Mario Williams, Jeremy Mincey, and Kamerion Wimbley (assumed he's released by the Raiders).

Stay tuned.

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Bears release DT Anthony Adams & OL Frank Omiyale

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:39:00 +0000

Veteran defensive tackle Anthony Adams said on Sunday that the Bears told him he would be released, and today that became official. What was not known was that offensive lineman Frank Omiyale would also be released, which also happened today.

Adams has had a fine nine-year (four with the 49ers, last five with the Bears) NFL career as a 4-3 defensive tackle. He's particularly been a very good run-stopper, and was one of the more vocal, respected players on the Bears; the quintessential "locker room leader".

But the writing's been on the wall for Adams. His play declined in 2011, and he was inactive for five games down the stretch. At 32 (when the season starts), his skills are not going to suddenly improve.

Additionally, the Bears already have Henry Melton(just 25 and had seven sacks in '11), Matt Toeaina (27 and improving), and Stephen Paea (Bears' second round pick in '11) at defensive tackle. They also hope to re-sign Amobi Okoye (turns just 25 in June and had four sacks in '11), and the upcoming draft is absolutely loaded with quality defensive tackle prospects. The Bears are always looking to get better at defensive tackle since the position is crucial to the success of their cover-2 defense (look what Tommie Harris did for the defense in their NFC Champion season), and opens up space for Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs to roam.

So, since Adams was likely going to be far down on the Bears' 2012 depth chart, is not getting any younger, and opens up the Bears approximately $2 million in cap space, the release makes a ton of sense.

As for Omiyale, well, he was arguably the worst player on the entire roster (it was probably Caleb Hanie, but Omiyale was close). While he offered versatility by being able to play both tackle and guard as a Bear, he did neither particularly well (especially at tackle in '11).

The 29-year-old signed with the Bears in free agency in 2009 after being a career backup for the Carolina Panthers. He ended up starting 31 games between guard and tackle in his three seasons with the Bears.

The Omiyale cut saves the Bears $1.35 in cap space.

Here's what Phil Emery had to say about making his first cuts as the Bears' general manager:

"Cuts are never easy, but are a part of the evaluation process. We appreciate all that Anthony and Frank gave the Bears organization both on and off the field during their time in Chicago. We wish them the best moving forward."

Sources: Chicago Tribune; ESPN Chicago

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Johnny Knox's Agent: Knox On Schedule For July Return

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Johnny Knox's agent, Marc Lillibridge, said today that Knox is on schedule to be fully recovered from his back injury by July:

"His rehab has been going great," agent Marc Lillibridge told the Sun-Times. "He's on the schedule that he planned to be back by early to mid July. He feels good."

Lillibridge said Knox hasn't had any setbacks yet and that his quality of life is "as good as it could be" now.

Lillibridge added that his client has been thankful for the support of the Bears medical staff.

"The team has been phenomenal with Johnny's rehab," Lillibridge said. "He couldn't ask for a better staff."

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Agents are always overly optimistic about their clients, but let's hope Lillibridge is right here. If Knox could even play in a single preseason game, that should be considered a near miracle after how gruesome the injury looked.

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Lovie at the Combine: "Matt (Forte) is going to play his football for the Chicago Bears", Cutler & Urlacher are healthy, & more

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:48:00 +0000

The usually quiet Chicago Bears head coach, Lovie Smith, had a lot to say about the Bears today at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis (player workouts begin there Saturday).

Certainly, the topic Lovie addressed that will generate the most response from both the media and fans was in regards to free-agent running back Matt Forte's future with the Bears:

“The team hasn’t changed its approach to Matt Forte at all,” Smith said. “I think we’re on record of how important Matt is to our organization, just him in the community for what he and Danielle do -- I’m talking about his wife -- just what they mean to us and just him as a football player. Matt’s going to play his football for the Chicago Bears. So you start with that. In time hopefully he can get an agreement in place that suits Matt and we feel comfortable with. I think it’s just a matter of time; that will happen eventually.”

Source: Chicago Tribune

Very nice. It's still considered likely that the Bears slap the franchise tag (estimated to be at $7.7 million) on Forte for the 2012 season, but it sure appears that eventually, the two sides will come to agreement on a long-term deal.

Now, as for other important Bears topics that Lovie talked about...

Jay Cutler (fractured thumb; missed the final six games) and Brian Urlacher (sprained his MCL in the final game) are healthy. Lovie even said that Urlacher (who turns 34 in May) is "in perfect health" (ESPN Chicago). No surprises here, but it's still nice to hear.

While Cutler and Urlacher are fine, wide receiver Johnny Knox still has a long way to go in his recovery from back surgery, after suffering a spinal fracture (that was so nasty it looked like it could be even career-threatening) against the Seahawks in week 15. Lovie had this to say about Knox's recovery:

''I'm just counting on him to get better each day and we'll see how it all plays out. There's a long road to recovery. We have time. So we'll just see how it plays out. Johnny's ready to go. Of course, he's one of our guys. And I'm hoping that he'll be OK.''

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Knox's status for at least the season-opener seems to be very much up in the air, and wide receiver was arguably the Bears' biggest need this offseason, even with a healthy Knox. If I'm Phil Emery, I'm going into the offseason with the thought that Knox will not be healthy this season, and place even more urgency on upgrading the position. I'd put a primary focus on adding a wide reciver like Mike Wallace, Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe, or Marques Colston in free agency, and additionally sign a wide receiver from the second-tier of free agent choices (Mario Manningham, Robert Meachem, etc.) as well, or draft a wide receiver that appears as though they could be a legitimate contributor to the Bears this season. Because right now, Earl Bennett is the only Bears wide receiver that can really be counted on.

One other need the Bears clearly have is at backup quarterback. Caleb Hanie of course failed miserably when he had to start following the Cutler thumb fracture. Josh McCown then replaced Hanie, and did an okay job... I guess. But he'll be 33 in July, was out of football for two years before joining the Bears in 2011, and his career numbers are hardly impressive (37 TD /44 INT, 58% completion, and 71.2 QB Rating). If he's kept as the #3 quarterback, fine, but the Bears could find a much better #2 option in free agency.

Here's what Lovie said about the backup quarterback situation, according to the Sun-Times:

''We thought we had a better plan at the quarterback position. I knew how valuable Jay was to us. That won't change. But we do need to get ourselves in a better position at that backup quarterback position.

''We have a lot of options out there. I think this is an attractive place for a quarterback. We're going to look at all people. And I'm talking Caleb, Josh and free-agent quarterbacks out there. I just feel like we'll be able to strengthen that position more than we were this past year.''

So, the Bears apparently realize, as they should, that the #2 quarterback spot needs to be upgraded.

We'll have much more on developmentCombine, s regarding the Bears at the Combine, and throughout the offseason, so stay tuned. Also, you can follow us on Twitter (@DaBearNecess) and Facebook.

Bears Sign Earl Bennett To 4-Year Extension Worth $18 Million

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Earl Bennett's emerged as clearly the Bears' best all-around wide receiver this year, and today they rewarded the 24-year-old with a four-year contract extension worth $18 million. The contract includes $9 million guaranteed, and will keep him in a Bears uniform through 2015.

Bennett was going to be a free agent in the offseason, so this was a big move for Jerry Angelo and the Bears to take care of. Bennett's improved constantly in his four-year career, and this deal could look like a bargain down the road. At worst, the Bears are going to have a reliable guy that Jay Cutler feels extremely comfortable throwing to for a while, especially on third down.

Still, this move shouldn't be viewed as the Bears feeling they have the "#1 wide receiver" they've been trying to find. Bennett's the best receiver currently on the roster, but the Bears still need to find a big, physical wide receiver that can provide a nice target for Cutler, particularly in the red zone. While many people doubt how much Angelo cares about the position, I really do think the Bears will try hard(finally) to acquire a "#1" via free agency or the draft(where there are plenty of intriguing prospects... I have visions of Justin Blackmon dancing in my head, but he'd surely take trading up in the draft to acquire).

So, with Bennett extended, this is now the list of Bears players that have contracts expiring: Matt Forte, Corey Graham, Caleb Hanie, Israel Idonije, Tim Jennings, Brandon Meriweather, Amobi Okoye.

While Forte's of course getting the most talk of that group, he's the last player I'm worried about the Bears taking care of. They can still slap the Franchise Tag on him the next two years if a contract extension is not worked out(and I still like the chances of that happening in the offseason). He's going nowhere anytime soon.

But I think they'll try to bring back pretty much everybody else on that list, with the exception of Williams(and maybe Meriweather).

Graham is a special teams stud(he should've made the Pro Bowl last season and very well may this season) that has played tremendously at nickelback in D.J. Moore's absence. The 26-year-old has interceptions in each of the last three games.

Hanie is full of talent across the board, and he's shown glimpses of that in his time as a Bear(like in the second half on Sunday). He should only improve as he seasons his game and improves his decision-making at quarterback. There's no reason for the Bears to give up on him now with how much they've worked to develop him, after signing him as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State(I went to school with him there actually).

Idonije is a starting defensive end and offers versatility; he's played plenty of defensive tackle as a Bear and has been a key special teams contributor as well. However, he's 31, and the Bears may be reluctant to sign him to an extension of much length.

Jennings is a starting cornerback that has played very well in his two seasons as a Bear. He's a terrific tackler at the position, something the Bears value out of cornerbacks as much as any team in the league. He's not very big, and he doesn't get many interceptions(just two in 27 games as a Bear), but he's fundamentally sound and fits the Bears' Tampa-2 system well. He's unlikely to find another team on the market that will be as interested in his services as much as the Bears are. And the Bears are thin at this position anyway.

Lastly, I think the Bears are very impressed with what Okoye has done lately, and he's still just 24. He has four sacks on the season, which is a terrific number from a defensive tackle. That's especially the case when he's been a backup all season. However, the Bears also have young defensive tackles that they're high on in Henry Melton and Stephen Paea, and veterans Anthony Adams and Matt Toeaina are at the position as well. If Okoye thinks he can start somewhere else and/or get paid more, he may understandably land with another team in free agency.

So, expect the Bears to try to lock up at least a few more players in the coming months.

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Bears Place Gabe Carimi On Injured Reserve

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Terrible news to report: Bears rookie right tackle(and first round pick), Gabe Carimi, has been place on Injured Reserve, thus ending his season.

Carimi has been out since injuring his knee in week two, and suffered a setback recently in practice with it. He then had arthroscopic surgery on the knee last Friday, and indications were that he would be out at least a few more weeks.

Well, today the Bears finally decided that it wasn't worth Carimi using up a roster spot, and placed him on Injured Reserve.

Here's more on the decision from Jerry Angelo:

“Given where we are at in the season and the time already missed, this is the best move for Gabe and for our team,” said general manager Jerry Angelo.

“It became tough for us to hold a roster spot given our numbers on the offensive line with Chris going down last week. Both guys played well while on the field. They will continue to rehab and will be ready to go next season. We feel very good about their futures. We also feel good about how the line continues to progress under Mike Tice.”

My hope was that Carimi would be able to go in a few weeks, and that the Bears could slide Lance Louis back to guard, as the team just had to place guard Chris Williams on Injured Reserve in the last few days. Hopefully Edwin Williams proves capable of handling the left guard position.

To take Carimi's roster spot, the team promoted offensive tackle Levi Horn to the active roster from the practice squad. They did the same thing yesterday with guard Ricky Henry as well.

H/T: ChicagoBears.Com

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Bears Place Chris Williams On Injured Reserve; Edwin Williams To Start At Left Guard

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:03:00 +0000

The Bears got a huge, dominating win yesterday over the Lions at Soldier Field, to improve their record to 6-3, and greatly help their chances of getting an NFC Wild Card spot. If the season ended today, they'd get the first Wild Card spot(#5 seed), ahead of the Detroit Lions(same record, but Bears better record within conference).

However, after the game, they got some very bad news. Left guard Chris Williams, the Bears' first round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, dislocated his wrist in last night's game. He will need surgery on the wrist and is out for the season. It's a major blow to the offensive line, as Williams was really have a good season and improving each week. Additionally, it was nice to see him finally settling in well at a position after struggling as a tackle, the position the Bears drafted him to play.

Replacing Williams as the starting left guard will be another Williams, Edwin. Edwin looked alright in replacement of Chris during last night's game, but it's very much unknown if he'll be able to handle the position well as a starter for the rest of the season.

If Gabe Carimi were healthy, the Bears would likely put Lance Louis(who has been terrific at right tackle) at guard, and start Carimi at right tackle, rather than start Edwin. But, Carimi underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Friday, and it's unclear if he'll even be able to return to the Bears this season. Regardless, the Bears will surely wait it out, and hope that he can return, rather than placing him on injured reserve.

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The Super Link Shuffle: Bears-Eagles Gameday

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Here we are... under four hours away from kickoff in Philadelphia for Bears-Eagles, which is an absolutely huge game for the NFC playoff picture. Here's some links to get you ready for the game...

Bears Seek Signature Win On Road Vs. Eagles (Midway Illustrated)
Bears Have Questions To Answer Tonight In Philadelphia (Da Bears Blog)
Optimist Vs. Pessimist Views Of Bears-Eagles (Windy City Gridiron)
Pregame Quotes & Notes (Bears Gab)
Bears-Eagles Matchups & Prediction (ESPN Chicago)
4 Downs: Bears Have Won 4 Of 5 Under Lovie After Open Week (Chicago Tribune)
Bears-Eagles: 3 Things To Watch (National Football Post)
The Return Of Earl Bennett: What It Means For The Bears (Chicago Bears Huddle)
Why It's Do Or Die Time For Henry Melton (Chicago Football Talk)
Roy Williams Finally Up To Speed (Daily Herald)
5 Questions With An Eagles Blogger From Inside The Iggles (Bear Goggles On)
Bears Safeties Expect To Be Busy Tonight (Chicago Sun-Times)
How Cutler Deals With Critics (Grizzly Detail)

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Bears Claim Linebacker Jabara Williams Off Waivers

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:30:00 +0000

The Bears claimed linebacker Jabara Williams off waivers today from the Rams, and he will take the roster spot left by safety Chris Harris, after Harris was released today.

Williams, who is 6'2", 238 pounds, was a seventh round pick by the Rams in the 2011 NFL Draft, and played in two games for them this year. The rookie becomes the sixth linebacker on the Bears' roster, and is expected to be a contributor on special teams. It also sounds like he could be a nice find as a Tampa-two weak side linebacker for the future with his skill set.

In college at Stephen F. Austin, Williams had 411 tackles, seven sacks, and four interceptions. He was a two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year.

H/T: ChicagoBears.Com

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Bears Release Chris Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:52:00 +0000

After playing poorly against the Lions in week five, the Bears made veteran safety Chris Harris inactive for their week six game against the Vikings. Angry about this, Harris requested a trade, but Jerry Angelo was unable to find any takers for Harris' services before last Tuesday's trade deadline.

And last week's game against the Buccaneers, the Bears made safety Major Wright a late scratch due to a hip injury, after he was listed as "Probable" to play. The Bears chose to not just make Harris active for this game, but even started him. This gave him a chance to at least show that he deserves to be active weekly, if not starting. And again, he played poorly. He was burned badly for a passing touchdown, and looked very slow in coverage all day.

Well today, the Bears decided to finally move on, as Harris was released. The Bears feel more comfortable with rookie safety Chris Conte(who had an incredible interception against the Buccaneers and overall, looked great over the last two weeks), and second-year safety Wright. They want to be more athletic at the position, and to get their "future" going at safety now with Conte and Wright. Additionally, Harris is not a contributor on special teams, so if he's not going to start, there's more value found in backups that can at least help out on special teams.

Here's some of what Lovie Smith had to say today about Harris' release:

"We'll talk about Chris. Chris Harris helped us win a lot of football games around here. One of the guys.

"But, it is a business, and for us, it's about production. We felt like we had some other options that we felt pretty good about, at the safety position. Had a chance to talk to Chris this morning.

"That's never any fun, when you have to go a different direction again, from one of the guys who's been around here for a while. But we did.

"We're excited about the safeties we do have here. You don't make a move like that, unless you feel good about it, and we do."

Chris Conte we moved him into the starting lineup a couple of weeks ago, we've been very pleased with what we've gotten from him -- as a tackler, just a guy in the middle of the field with a lot of range, we drafted him to some day be our safety. That time is now. The same thing with Major Wright. Major is a good tackler. He's a good player. These aren't veteran players, but they'll get better each rep. We feel like we can play winning football with them. Brandon Meriweather, moving into the third safety slot also. Craig Steltz, Anthony Walters. We still have five safeties on our roster. No team has six safeties on their roster. This is the right thing to do and we'll see how it turns out.

Source: Sean Jensen(Chicago Sun-Times)

The Bears worked out six free agents at Halas Hall yesterday, including safeties Tom Nelson and Darcel McBath. As you can see in the above excerpt, Lovie pointed out that the Bears "still have five safeties", and "no team has six safeties on their roster", so they may elect to fill out the roster with a player at another position.

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Video: Bears Play Some Cricket Before Practice In London

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:50:00 +0000

The Bears and Buccaneers have made the trip across the pond to London for the annual NFL game at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

And today, the Bears had practice at the Surrey County Cricket Club. Before practice, some of the players gave a cricket a try.

Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times took a few videos to prove that:

Jay Cutler Vs. Brian Urlacher

Lance Briggs Vs. Brian Urlacher

Peanut Tillman Vs. Brian Urlacher

You could always tell Jay Cutler played a lot of baseball growing up(he was an honorable mention All-State shortstop in Indiana by the way) by the way he throws a football. And you can tell that even more by those nice left-handed hacks he took against Urlacher.

But Peanut... those are Sally swings. Come on man.

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Chris Harris Requests A Trade

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Yesterday when I wrote about Chris Harris being inactive, I suggested that it could be because the Bears intend to trade him before tomorrow's trade deadline(and go read that post if you want to see why I thought he could be dealt).

Well, today he's only enhanced the chances he's traded, by REQUESTING a trade:

Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris has formally requested to be traded after being benched for Sunday's 39-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Albert Elias, Harris' agent, tweeted Monday that the Bears have granted him permission to explore a deal for his client in advance of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

On his Facebook page, Harris wrote: "Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do for the sake of yourself and your family."

Source: Chicago Tribune

Now, were the Bears trying to trade him anyway? We may never know, but again, that's what I suggested could be going on. And if they were, it may have been better for Harris' reputation to stay quiet and let things work out. Of course he could've been completely unaware on what their intentions for him were. Lots of questions here.

But, will the Bears find any takers for Harris? That remains to be seen. I think for a 6th or 7th round pick, there's a good chance there's a team out there that would take a chance on him.

The issue is that he's of course a free agent, and there's only 11 weeks remaining in the season. And you have to remember that it's unlikely he comes right in and is a big factor for a team. It would probably take him at least a couple of weeks to get used to the system and/or move ahead of somebody on the depth chart. So then we're talking about two months at most that he'd be much of a factor for a team this season, and with that in mind, would anybody want to give up a draft pick for him?

Additionally, he's been a great fit in the Bears' Tampa-2 system, but he's certainly not a very good fit for the schemes of many teams. Everybody saw him get burned last Monday night and his coverage skills are very much in question these days.

Anyway, we'll know by tomorrow if he's still a Bear. And even if he is, that doesn't mean he's going to play a game for the Bears again. So, things could get awkward.

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Video: Jay Cutler Takes Out Jared Allen With Block

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Clapp) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:28:00 +0000

Yes, this was only a one-yard run from Matt Forte, but it would've been even less had Jay Cutler not taken Jared Allen out with a terrific block:

You have to love seeing that from your quarterback.

H/T: ChiCitySports

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