Inside the Bears

INDIANAPOLIS—Coach Lovie Smith said earlier in the day that he hoped veteran Mike Brown would have a role this coming season, and general manager Jerry Angelo backed that up.

Brown, who turned 30 earlier this month, has missed 43 of the last 64 regular-season games with injuries. He tore the ACL in his left knee in the season opener at San Diego, and is entering the final year of his contract.

Continue reading "Combine: Angelo wants Mike Brown back" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s interesting to consider what the extension of Alex Brown and commitment of $5 million up front to him means for fellow defensive end Dan Bazuin.

The second-round draft pick never got going last season as an ankle injury in rookie minicamp eventually led to him being placed on injured reserve and then surgery. Bazuin is fully recovered, but he was supposed to be the man to replace Brown. Remember, general manager Jerry Angelo was working to trade Brown heading into the draft last April and there looked to be a deal with Seattle.

Continue reading "Where does Bazuin stand after Brown extension?" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 05:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (31) | TrackBacks (0)

A week before the Super Bowl, Alex Brown had an inkling something might happen with the Bears in his favor.

But he said he was serious about the disappointment in his contract and the fact that he lost his starting job at about this time last year to Mark Anderson. If something wasn’t worked out, he was going to show the team how upset he was by skipping the offseason workout program and in turn having to write a big check back to the team for failing to participate.

It won’t come to that, not after the veteran defensive end signs a two-year extension worth up to $15.5 million today when he arrives from Puerto Rico.

Continue reading "Brown never envisioned happy ending like this" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 01:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tommie Harris took about a month to make it official as he bowed out of the Pro Bowl on Thursday because of his left knee that was troublesome almost all season.

He will be replaced on he NFC roster by Arizona’s Darnell Dockett, who had a career year for the Cardinals with 75 tackles and nine sacks.

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Posted by Brad Biggs at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Lovie Smith will not be conducting job interviews as the Senior Bowl next week.

Not for a linebackers coach, anyway.

The team moved quickly to fill the vacancy created last week by the resignation of Hardy Nickerson, promoting defensive assistant Lloyd Lee into the position.

Continue reading "Bears fill LB position with Lee" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 02:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

There will be some turnover on coach Lovie Smith’s staff afterall.

The Sun-Times learned Tuesday linebackers coach Hardy Nickerson will not return to the Bears for the 2008 season, leaving after one season of working under Smith, who was his position coach for a stretch during the prime of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A player said Nickerson resigned.

Continue reading "LB coach Nickerson resigns" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

How good of a season is Chris Harris having with the Carolina Panthers?

The ex-Bears safety just got credit for a forced fumble on Monday for a hit on Houston tight end Owen Daniels in Week 2.

Talk about a jarring shot. Turns out the league had credited Harris with the force all along even though Carolina coaches had given it to fellow safety Deke Cooper.

Harris leads the league with eight forced fumbles, a Panthers’ record, and needs one more to tie the league mark for a single season. He’s also tops among safeties in the league in tackles.

Continue reading "Ex-Bear Harris on hit parade" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Reports of an agreement on a longterm contract extension for Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs generated quite a stir Monday evening, more than anyone saw at Halas Hall earlier in the day.

Always entertaining and often on-the-money Web site profootballtalk.com reported Briggs had come to an agreement with the Bears before correcting itself an hour later. Briggs’ agent Drew Rosenhaus was involved all day in the funeral of Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins’ safety who was his client. The Bears spent the day picking up the pieces from a come-from-ahead loss to the New York Giants that effectively ended their playoff hopes.

Continue reading "Briggs' deal much to do about nothing" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bears' flagship radio partner WBBM kicked off its coverage of today's game by announcing that strong safety Adam Archuleta has been benched.

Continue reading "Archuleta sent to the bench" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

As reported first here in this space on Tuesday, the Bears signed rookie linebacker Nick Roach to the 53-man roster today.

Roach was signed off the practice squad of the San Diego Chargers as cornerback Ade Jimoh was finally placed on injured reserve with a fractured collarbone.

That wasn't the only move the team made. Safety Brandon Sharp was signed to fill out the practice squad. Sharp, an undrafted free agent from Louisville, spent time with tthe Tennessee Titans. The Jacksonville, Fla., native made 25 starts at Louisville.

Continue reading "Bears make Roach move official" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sun-Times has confirmed an earlier report that Nick Roach will become a Bear after he passes a physical. The team is expected to make an announcement later today or Wednesday.

The former Northwestern product was flying here from San Diego this afternoon after agreeing to sign a multi-year contract. He will take the place of cornerback Ade Jimoh on the 53-man roster, and could be contributing on special teams soon.

Continue reading "LB Roach to sign after he passes physical" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LB Rod Wilson put a scare into the Bears at the end of Wednesday's practice when he went down with a neck injury at Halas Hall. No word yet on how serious the injury is. Check back for news later.

Continue reading "LB Rod Wilson injured in practice" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 03:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jon Kitna was wrong, indeed.

The Detroit Lions quarterback lashed out at Alex Brown earlier this week accusing the Bears defensive end of a big twist on his facemask during last Sunday's game at Soldier Field. Brown told the Sun-Times he had no business in such activity.

Continue reading "Anderson fined five large" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Provided his balky left knee is healed up, ex-Bear Ian Scott is free to sign with another team now.

Scott had knee problems when he was with the Bears, undergoing arthroscopic surgery in August 2006, and lingering issues kept him from ever competing for a job with this Sunday’s opponent, the Eagles.

Continue reading "Help available: Ian Scott" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

It doesn't matter to Brian Urlacher which quarterback Minnesota coach Brad Childress ultimately chooses for Sunday's game at Soldier Field.

Popular thinking is Tarvaris Jackson will get the call after missing the last two games with a groin injury. But he's not 100 percent, and that would take away from one of his greatest assets. Kelly Holcomb hardly shined when given his opportunity. The Vikings have gone as far as their running game has carried them.

Continue reading "Pick a purple-headed quarterback" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

CB Nathan Vasher knows what it's like to be on the field playing for a contract. Vasher made it clear he wanted a new deal before last season began, and then went out and put together a solid season. LB Lance Briggs is in the position of having to put together a second contract season to get a big payday -- one that now could come from the Bears if things work out.

Continue reading "Playing for a contract" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

LB Lance Briggs said despite some definitive statements in the offseason that he wanted out, he's willing to return to the Bears if they come forward with the long-term extension he and his agent Drew Rosenhaus are seeking.

Continue reading "Briggs willing to come back" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

WLB Lance Briggs recorded a career-high 19 tackles in Sunday's victory at Green Bay.

Following review of film by coaches, he was credited with 15 solo stops and four assists. His previous career high was 16 last season at Arizona.

Continue reading "Tackling the issue: Briggs has 19" »

Posted by Brad Biggs at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)