Position battles

I don't understand why it's Brown who's at risk. Ogunleye has done nothing to earn his money. I remember reading a column last year before they played Miami about how the Bears got the better of the trade for Marty Booker...huh?

I also thought the D looked just fine with Ayanbedejo (sp) was in there for Hillenmeyer. HH is way undersized and got burned by average TE's twice at the end of last year. He's probably giving up 20 pounds every time he lines up.

Sad part is the QB should be a battle. I cannot believe we don't see that as a weakness going into this season. We don't need a sensational QB - like good Rex, we need a steady consistent one that shows up in the BIG and Divisional games - Like McMahon did. I hope Griese has a steady camp. We need a steady alternative in case this guy is hurt or Bad Rex Shows his face!

Alex Brown is going to get it because I don't think the Bears want to pressure the QB but contain and hurry him. I like "Mr. Anderson" (matrix). And I hope that Wolfe give Benson and Peterson a run for their money too. If you are not a pro-bowler, you must compete.

can Anderson stop the run or is he like "The Colonel", Richard Dent and other notable pass rushers like Simeon Rice who you can run over like a bowling ball?

seems to me putting in Anderson in passing situations made sense since he might be the fastest and the best pure pass rusher.

Or alternate them all to keep them fresh.

Roman responds: I think he is the best pure rusher on the team.

Anderson on the right, ABrown on the left....Or I guess I coulda said; Yes, I agree

I agree with the person who stated that if u are NOT a pro-bowler your job should not be secure. I've have NEVER seen a pro player be given a job like Rex has. I don't get it. He has not earned that job. he had more turnovers than touchdowns last year. What other starter has those credentials?

Anderson and Brown are both great players, but I think Brown has better leadership on the field. Lovie must chuckle every time he looks at those two guys. What's with these Rex bashers? Hey, Keith, Orton was pretty steady, but Rex took them to the Super Bowl. What did B.G. do? Having a pro-bowler is fine, but having two or three competing for the same job is even better.

You're right, Roman - QB is not a battle. I've asked before, and I'll ask again - if not Rex, then whom? (pts. for myself) There needs to be an opponent if there's a battle. If Rex really stinks it up, who's gonna feel confident with Griese coming in to the game? I don't care if he has a "steady camp." Brian Griese is not the answer, and Orton? I don't think so. So no battle at QB. I'd love it if we had a guy on the roster who could give Rex a run for his money, but as of now, his job is secure. Tampa Bay currently has 5 QBs on their roster (counting the semi-retired Jake Plummer) and I hear they are interested in Daunte Culpepper. Maybe we can take one of their middle-aged/mediocre QBs off their hands.

The two DE positions should be allowed to be a wide open battle between the three guys.

Unfortunately, with examples like Grossman and Jones last year, I have no faith that Smith actually works that way.

BTW, Jasper, not commenting on Hillenmeyer's ability but Ayanbadejo is listed at 6'1" 228 and HH at 6'4" 238. And exactly how many plays did he have last year?

Regarding Anderson. I think starting Anderson is a no brainer. 12 sacks for Anderson last year and Alex Brown is wondering why he isn't starting? I really have no idea if Anderson can play the run since he hardly ever played on running downs last year. As a starter getting those reps, we'll find out real quick. But I like the move. Brown over Ogunleye? I think Ogunleye is the better end between the two, but has a credibility problem right now because he has not met expectations. But I wouldn't argue if Brown won the job on the other side of Anderson. Hell with as often as Ogunleye was out with injuries, that is probably going to happen anyway.

Regarding Rex. Early in a QB's career it is not unusual for him to have more turnovers than TD's. It's part of the learning curve. People may argue that Rex was a fourth year player or what not, but last year was his first full season and it showed. However, a QB tends to make a jump in his second year playing full time and one should expect Rex to do so this year. If he doesn't show significant progress, well then I'll buy into him not being the one. I am happy with Griese as a backup in case Rex gets hurt, but I am not sold on Griese as a starter. Someone explain to me why Griese could lose the starters job in Denver after having a pro-bowl year, and not win the starting job in Miami and Tampa (two QB starved towns!) Having the mentality that we don't need an "explosive" QB but rather just a "care taker" type is what we had in '05 with Kyle Orton. The entire city was all too ready to replace Kyle with Rex when Rex's leg healed right before the playoffs. Now it's back to we need a caretaker because our D is so good and Rex can be to volatile we don't need a real offense? PUH-leeeeze. I'm not saying that Rex doesn't need to improve, he most certainly does. But, Rex is the Best QB on this squad and should be starting. Period.

Mark Anderson got so disrespected in the rookie of the year conversation, i can barely keep from getting frothy about it. I hope he plays a lot next year.

Rex will be the starter until he loses three in a row (regular season games).

The Running back contest was over the minute TJ was shipped out....sorry dude...Peterson is undersized and he is dumb as a cowbell and Keith...I love ya like a brother....but he will never start ANYWHERE in the NFL... EVER.

Wolfe will get used in special sits, but thats it. I cant believe more people arent excited about Cedric finally getting a chance to carry the bulk of the load. He was a top 4 draft pick! I cant wait to say I told you all so!!!

LOL, has everyone read Mike Mulligan's article today? (Sunday)...Benson has already started lipping off...I hope Urlacher and Brown take you out again, bro...and yes, we all knew it was on purpose and welcomed it..

Wait till Hester starts lining up in the back field more....and better yet...wait till Benson is used as a decoy and has to sit back and block..so Hester can get more touches

Position Battle...Benson vs Himself...which, he loses

Think about this...He's a "Me" guy on a team full of pro bowlers that went to the Superbowl last year...Mike Brown, Brian Urlacher; One more time, please

Rex vs "The 'haters". We've started 28 QB's since Favre took over for GB. Angelo had to stop the revolving door, and he did. Rex will have a great season, win the SB, get a new contract WITH THE BEARS, and be our quarterback for the next six years, at least, barring a disaster. We will have the most explosive offense in the NFC, not the Saints. We will have the best Defense in the NFL. We lost two pro-bowl defensive players last year, and STILL went to the SuperBowl, a game we could have won. The Bears are going to DOMINATE the NFC. Sorry, a bit of a rant.

As for other competitions, adding Walker at DT will press Dusty, but he'll remain starting games next to Tommie, just like the old days.

Devin Hester is in a serious competition with all the other weapons on offense (can you have TOO MANY weapons?) for touches. How many times a game can he get his hands on the ball. That's the competition I'm interested in. Who dominated the NFL in ways never seen before last year? No.23 or Reggie Bush? We all know the answer. Everyone picking the Saints as the NFC favorite are insane.

Greg Olsen vs. Dez. We don't want to look at this one, as we really want them to just co-exist. I think Dez is great, and I'm pretty sure he shrugged off a sprained foot all last year while playing at a high level. On the other hand, Olsen has the potential "WOW" factor. Definitely competing for downs.

Mark Bradley vs. Rashied Davis. It's going to be tough to get one the field as the "3rd reciever" this year with the two tight ends, and Devin "The Magic Man" Hester lining up, but who's it gonna be? Remeber that huge catch Davis had in overtime against the Bucs that he actually dropped and the ref's official review pager didn't work? That was awesome.

Archuletta vs. Harris. Adam hasn't proven anything to me yet as a member of the Bears, and Chris had a pick in the SB. He also blew the coverage on Reggie Wayne. Harris is a pro. He's not sitting down without a fight. I wonder if Harris has ever been considered for special teams? I know coaches like safties on special teams.

Ayanbadejo vs. Ayanbadejo. This competition is for which brother can get the better jump, smack their blocker the hardest, get down the field fastest, and hit the ballcarrier hardest. This comp will happen on every special team play for the entire season. My money's on Ayanbadejo for this one.

Wide Receiver anyone? Can Mark Bradley stay healthy and produce? Can Berrian consistently catch the ball? Can Davis hold off Bradley and Hester?

Can Rex get them the ball?

Darwin Walker was a good acquisition.

Clint Clack. I like your post. Olsen v Dez is going to be interesting. Olsen looked reaaal good on those cameras. Fan Factor is going to help him get out there.

Culzie you are right about the running back situation. I should have said "I HOPE" there is competition at that spot. I don't think Benson is a starting back. His style is going to get him hurt. And I don't know why the Bears are so confident in him. He runs like Rhino from the old Spiderman cartoons, and he is so arrogant that he is bound to alienate the line.

Mark Anderson is as fast off the ball as they come. My question is, will he be as fast on third downs after playing the first two downs full time? I hope so. I would choose Alex over Adewale. You don't lose much in experience (Brown is proven), and I love his motor. If Anderson is solid by game six, I rotate Brown and Ogunleye, with Alex getting the percentage of snaps and keeping Ade fresh for the post season experience (ala Ben Wallace minutes). With the addition of Walker, our line has to be the deepest in football. Rotation, rotation, rotation. The back-ups are gonna smoke people. Gotta love that security blanket. Plus, being so solid up front should help the other seven have an outstanding year. Now if only we could cut down on the three and outs on offense, LOOK OUT!!!

I don't think that Wolfe is much of a blocker...was he a sympathy pick like...the dude from Northwestern.....I forgot his name(Adrian...something...or maybe Dante)....but you know who I am talking about. Or can he return kicks............just like hester...........they are pretty similar except Wolfe can take a few hits............hmmmmmmmmmmm, what to do with Wolfe. I don't think Archuleta was brought here for his coverage......run coverage yes.........hmmmmmmmm.
Also,stop talking about good/bad he-who-must-not-be-named. There is no battle at that position, and you will Jinx him.

With the latest acquisition on the defense, the Bears look to be in a terrific position for another Super Bowl appearance. this time with a dfferent winner.

Stuck,now I'm wracking my brain trying to remember his name. I'm gonna go crazy trying until it comes to me. But he was a sympathy pick who wanted to be an actor more than a ball player. I saw him in November in Evanston,down the street from Ryan field near the ENH hospital, and he looked like a college kid. I didn't even bother to say anything because he looked very far from football material. Darnell Autry!! Did it. That guy had worse speed than TJ did. Keith, I'm also worried that the Rhino is thisclose to injury from running hard all the time. He couldn't allude anyone. That's not good. Nor is it conducive to longevity in this league.

Paul you bring up a good point. Pressure. Last year, the Bears were only expected to win the NFC and they overachieved. This year I think the expectations should be the same. I don't know if we should expect them to get to the superbowl. Some folks are talking about Winning it ALL. What do you guys/gals really think is a realistic goal for this team?

yes thats it! Darnell Autry. Thanks William....one less thing for me to think about.

Do I think winning the SB is a realistic goal for this team? I'll take you one further and say it's the realistic expectation of this team.

We have too much talent and continuity too sell ourselves short. I've never seen a team so primed for a championship. Our offense is legitimately scary. For me to be more excited about our offense than our defense is shocking because we all know how good our D is. That may not be true, because I love our D, but damn, you gotta admit the offense is frightening. Over/Under 42 offensive touchdowns this year? I say over

I also know that the Bears will not lose a single game on account of me not drinking enough beer during games.

Julie asks: "You're right, Roman - QB is not a battle. I've asked before, and I'll ask again - if not Rex, then whom?"

Anybody but Rex.

I made a friendly bet with a Grossman fan yesterday that by the end of the season, someone other than Rex would be calling the plays in the huddle. I fully expect to collect.

At 6' tall (in platform shoes) Rex hasn't got the best view of the field. The shotgun formation might help in some respects, but he has even bigger problems than poor visibility.

Rex has too many bad habits to overcome with his limited amount of talent. First of all, he has "happy feet". If his first option is covered, he's rarely able to buy himself enough time to work through his progressions. Perhaps if he had the mobility of a Steve Young, a Fran Tarkington, or even a Jeff (or Jerry) Garcia, he'd have half a chance, but this boy can't get out of his own way, and has a penchant for putting the ball on the ground when he's hit.

Opposing teams now know this all too well, and will try to rattle his cage. That won't be very hard to do. I've seen that "deer in the headlights" expression on Grossman's face far too often, and "panic" is not one of the best attributes for an NFL QB to possess.

Simply put; when it starts going bad for Grossman, he doesn't appear to be able to regain his composure, and things quickly spiral out of control.

By this time next year, Rex will be auditioning for a back-up position on another team.

Book it.

You mean Damien Anderson?

Hey,Mark, I'd be glad to make book on your bets about Rex G. Do you actually follow football? You sound like a guy who would bench Joe Montana or that guy from Denver if either one threw an interception or got sacked. Rex will end up with a long-term contract with the Bears.

Rex has limited talent? did you watch the bears last year?? he had 7 games with a qb rating of 100+. that was 2nd at least in the league. i doubt the bears have had 7 games where the starting qb had a 100+ rating since favre took over in GB. Rex haters continue to forget that last year was his first full year in the league, and that he was under his 5th offensive coordinator in 6 years (going back to college). that being said, he certainly has alot to improve upon. however, every indication from training camp reports so far have shown that he has given significant efforts to get better, and that those efforts have paid off. i don't necessarily think he will ever be a dan marino, but he will improve enough this year for the team to compete for the superbowl (and that means competing to win it). the defense is scary good, the offense has added weapons, and the special teams is among the tops in the league.

Finally... I heard this on the score today. asked what he was most worried on the bears defense this season, Bob Babich said: "the defensive coordinator".

that makes me happy.

Mark, you make good points about Grossman's shortcomings (pun intended), but you didn't actually answer Julie's question. Who do the Bears have available to them that you think would be a better choice than Grossman and why? Who wouldn't be just as much of a question mark?

Other than the height issue, the rest of the things you mentioned can be overcome with experience. I'm hoping that all the drama Rex went through last year makes him a little better equipped to handle the pressure this year and we see the "deer in the headlights" look less. (To be fair, I think the offensive line should have shouldered more of the blame for the spotty passing game than they ended up getting last year, but that's an argument for a different thread) He definitely has a long way to go, but I think the people suggesting that Grossman shouldn't be our starting QB are just not being realistic about our other choices.

there is no way his scrambling skills will get better with experience. He is awful. Worse than flat foot Kosar....and he doesn't even have flat feet.There is no way he is 6'. I met him...I am 6',he was at last 2 inches shorter than me.
THat's it...that is all we have to worry about...he has enormous talent and is a great pure passer. Three steps back and gun it. Or play action. That's all. As long as he does not get bored with the overly conservative play calling....he-who-shall-not-be-named will be awesome. The end will be as the beginning. He is the starter,and Mark is uninformed.

Ann sez: "Mark, you make good points about Grossman's shortcomings (pun intended), but you didn't actually answer Julie's question. Who do the Bears have available to them that you think would be a better choice than Grossman and why? Who wouldn't be just as much of a question mark?"

I have little doubt that after Devin Hester put us up by seven points in the Super Bowl, Brian Greise would have held the lead. As far as composure and experience go, Rex is not in the same class as Brian.

He's not even in the team picture.

As for being "uninformed" I happened to watch those games where Grossman set the bar for ineptitude, with passer ratings that barely equaled or Jay Mariotti's IQ.

Ann sez: "Mark, you make good points about Grossman's shortcomings (pun intended), but you didn't actually answer Julie's question. Who do the Bears have available to them that you think would be a better choice than Grossman and why? Who wouldn't be just as much of a question mark?"

I have little doubt that after Devin Hester put us up by seven points in the Super Bowl, Brian Greise would have held the lead. As far as composure and experience go, Rex is not in the same class as Brian.

He's not even in the team picture.

As for being "uninformed" I happened to watch those games where Grossman set the bar for ineptitude, with passer ratings that barely equaled Jay Mariotti's IQ.

Maybe Rex can borrow vicks water bottle and just reeeeelllllaaaaxxx in the pocket.

He did have some pretty amazing games too! He is a winner, and he has finally got the confidence of a full season behind him.

Cedric for MVP and Rex for MIP.

Watch!

Paul sez: "Hey,Mark, I'd be glad to make book on your bets about Rex G. Do you actually follow football? You sound like a guy who would bench Joe Montana or that guy from Denver if either one threw an interception or got sacked. Rex will end up with a long-term contract with the Bears."

And you'll end up broke.

It's "three and out" for Rex.

We are talking about position battles and we don't even have second tier talent to challenge at the two most glaringly important areas we need help at: Quarterback and Runningback. No battle for Rex or Benson. And these have been the ONLY two reasons we have turned the ball over and not won the games we lost. Everyone is battling for something but these two guys.

Roman responds: It's a good point. But they do have decent backups. I think both of those guys will do well this season.

Alright - I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to Bourbonnais tomorrow to see for myself.

I have a position I'd like to see up for battle.

Strong-side LB

Hunter is soid, but he is nothing special and limited in both pass coverage and in blitzing. He gets by on his Vanderbilt educational abilities.

If they thought Williams was good enough to replace Briggs, (at least thats what they were saying), then why isn't Willliams good enough to replace argualbly the weakest link on a strong defense.

Hunter is taller, but not much bigger, so Williams shoud be able to handle the duty.

I'd at least llike to see it open for business.

Julie must be nice to be a housewife with time on your hands.

Mark, at this point, I think Griese's the one that's barely hanging on. I bet Orton emerges from camp as the #2 behind Rex.

William, you've just stated the exact reason I'm going to kick boy butt in FFL this year.

And I really hate the term "housewife." Makes me sound old and fat. Can't you come up with something better? I bet you don't know any other housewives on their way to Bourbonnais in a mini-skirt.

I want to see who comes out on top for the 2 DE positions. Alex Brown doesn't sound happy, and 'wale knows he better get moving. it will be fun to watch!

New position battle: TE. Greg Olsen is HUGE and caught (almost) everything thrown his way. I mean, he's really big - he looks a little like Jeremy Shockey. Not a bad thing. Dez Clark looked very good too, and did catch everything thrown at him.

Rex is clearly our best QB. Orton didn't look bad either. Griese, not so much. I mean - yuck. I have zero confidence in him as Rex's backup. But Rex was accurate in his passing attempts. Hester and Moose didn't practice for some reason, but they were there watching the offense the whole time. Ced Benson and Adrian Peterson worked on receiving in the red zone mostly today - right where I was sitting. Very exciting. (Garrett Wolfe also did not practice, but I heard he strained a hamstring the other day.)

Defense mostly ran drills, and #53 (Leon Joe - but I didn't know that until later) had to do drop and do 20 push-ups for some reason. Everyone else you'd expect was there and the best part was watching the offense and defense practice together. The offense looks really very good.

Benson was escorted onto the practice field on a golf cart with a priest. I have no idea what that means, but I thought you'd want to know. "Please God let my knee hold up during practice today!"

For what's its worth, I had a great day today watching practice. I recommend going if you can. It's very fan friendly and its free. But you do have to walk through the pro shop to get to the practice fields, so its not really free. (Julie's admission: $23 tank top) But it was so fun to watch and I can't freakin' wait until Sept. 9th at 3:15!!!!!

Julie you cannot say things like miniskirt. That is where guys stop thinking and have to read you blog all over again! umm umm ummmm! Housewife my .... You go girl! Can cook, report sports with enthusiasm, and a Sox fan! Miniskirt huh... umh!

Oh yeah, I better say something about the Bears. I think the Quarterback and Runningback positions are too important to not have a GOOD backup. We should have learned from that horrible year after Rex went down, but noooo we don't have any insurance. And Benson just got hurt in the SB. Peterson is not enough. We need a good Thomas Joneslike backup. Somebody that has run for 1000 yards on the squad. The running game is too important in the NFC where clock management is vital. Why even fool around with something like? And heaven help us if our quarterback goes down. That nullifies all of those nice weapons we have and puts a ton of pressure on Benson & Peterson. I don't like it.

Boubonaise sounds like a fancy spread that richfolks put on their steaks.

Dan, that is very interesting. First all the grossman huggers are saying, "Preseason games don't mean a thing." (After grossman's horrible Preseasons of the past.... Which were a very good indicator of what he would do in the Regular Season) Now you are using P R A C T I C E, to judge how well someone is going to do?

Maybe you could at least wait to give your opinion until it is permissible to tackle the dummie???

KLS - the "s" is silent, like in Illinois. Bourbounnais is all Bears, all the time. I was hardly reminded of rich folks while there. But I did eat at Steak & Shake! Why don't we have one of those in Chi-town?

whats up with garrett wolfe and how do you guys think he will pan out for the bears

Roman responds: His early camp hamstring problems don't bode well.

Dan - Did Benson really get carted off the field today? Also, someone please tell Mulligan that the Packers beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, not the Broncos as he states in his column today!

Welcome back Rebecka. I've missed you and your stats. How is the membership going with the Griese fan club?

Rebecka, I'm going to try to be diplomatic here. First, I think you mean MY post is very interesting - the names are on the bottom of the comment. Thanks - I think my post is interesting too. Second, re-read it because all I said was that of the 3 QBs taking snaps, Rex was the clearly the best. There was no opposing defense rushing the hell out of him, he had about 10 seconds per snap and his targets were wide open. Griese, in those same conditions, was horrible. Rex's passes were the most accurate - it was easy to see. I never said this was to be an indicator of his upcoming season - give me a little credit here. Finally, the purpose of my post was to tell other Bears fans what it was like to go to training camp for a day. We all post our opinions here, and we don't have to wait for anything. Personally, I'm going to start out the season as a Rex hugger. I hate him for the Super Bowl, but what else do you suggest? Its a love/hate relationship I guess. But he's our guy for now, and if he screws up, I'll be pulling for Orton to come in. Griese is a has-been that never was.

Oh no you didn't Julie. Rebecka is a BIG time Griese fan. I mean BBBIIIIGGGG!!!! You can not down her guy like that and go unscathed. Last year she made quite a few blogs with some great stats on BG. I was greatly impressed and she almost had me going in the Griese way. That's her guy and I would never down him just because she will enlighten you with her form of JUSTICE.

Rebecka, I'm going to try to be diplomatic here. First, I think you mean MY post is very interesting - the names are on the bottom of the comment. Thanks - I think my post is interesting too. (JB)

Did I write this?? Sounds like me!

Rex Huggers Unite!!

Oh yes I did, Willy. Bring on those amazing Brian Griese stats, Becky - I'm ready. Impress me. I think his most impressive stat is that he has the most pages devoted to him in the 2006 Bears Media Guide - 6. woo-hoo! It takes a lot of ink to write 'inactive' 'injured' 'DNP' and 'cut' over and over again. He's not a better option than Rex. No way. Any football fan should naturally back the starting quarterback of their team to start the season. Give him a chance to fail, if you must think of it that way. Hell, Giants fans are Eli huggers right now and if those nutty New Yorkers can back Eli, we can certainly unite in backing Rex.

BC, 2 pts. for forming the Rex Huggers Club. We should get dressed up and have a big banquet at the Hilton!

Some thoughts:

-Julie, prurient intimations aside, why are you going to training camp in a miniskirt? Are shorts too "hausfrau?" Call me old-fashioned, but something about this seems a bit...unseemly. (Okay, so I'm kinda kidding--but still...)

-With that said, Julie--I appreciate the somewhat-objective assessment of what you saw.

-Rebecka, don't you start a flamewar with Julie--you two are turning into the next Me and BBB. (Okay, maybe not that far.)

I WILL ROUTE FOR REX AS LONG AS HE WINS AND KEEPS HIS INTERVIEWS TO UNDER 30 SECS.

Roman responds: Culzie, please tell me your misspelling was on purpose.

I know it probably doesn't seem like it darryl, but I really am a girlie girl. I don't really like shorts unless I'm also wearing 4" heels. It was the heels that seemed inappropriate for training camp to me. And uh... believe me, you would not have described my outfit as "unseemly" that day. I WAS wearing the requisite Bears t-shirt, don't worry!

;)

ugghhhh....can we get a spell checker in here?

We do have a spell checker - her name is Julie.

He spelled it right! Route would have cleared the spell check. But not Jules! Man, as long as I understand you!

Darryl M, now I have to look up haus frau!

Julie is smoking Hot! I like girly girls too Jules! "Go-head Julie Go-head get down!" oh yeah... Go Bears.

Roman responds: Ok, let's all take it easy. I know it's hot outside, but this is getting a little over the top.

You been hittin' those Froot Loops again, Keith?

Its sweltering! Ok Roman, no more comments.

Really...i almost can hear the bawwwka chicca wawww wawwww music!