Give Orton an extension? Not yet

I've been calling for Orton as QB since training camp in 2007, when he clearly outplayed Rex and Griese. So I like him.

Still, I would not extend him right now. Keep him concentrating on the job at hand. The Bears have treated Orton pretty fairly, plus he is from Iowa, so he has a lot of character. I expect that if the Bears make him a fair market offer after the season, he will re-sign. If not, there will be a lot of QBs on the market and the Bears will continue their decades long search for a leader.

"Good" QBs who could be on the market (contract be damned)

Gus Ferotte
Brian Griese
JT O'Sullivan
Carson Palmer
Derek Anderson
Damon Huard
Chad Pennington
Jay Cutler
Matt Leinart
Jon Kitna

See what he will take right now for a couple of more years on his existing contract.
They may actually end up getting a good deal.

That has to be better than finally finding a QB only to let him sign some place else after next season.

I agree that an extension is premature.Let's see what happens the rest of the year. Orton did well against Minnesota, but obviously the special teams and some good breaks won the game. The bears are not likely to win many games when the defense allows 41 points, regardless of who is quarterback. Things do look good for the Bears right now, but injuries have clearly hurt. The defensive secondary depth showed up fairly well against Minnesota and gained valuable experience.

Completely agree...the Bears writers in this town like Haugh and Mully are so lame - do you think they wave their giant "#1 finger" during the games? The first sign of ANY progress and improvement and it's "let's throw some money at these guys".

Hasn't Angelo also thrown early extensions at Tillman and Vasher? I don't see them as pro bowlers. Matter of fact, haven't seen them at all recently.

Too early for Orton. He still has no playoff games under his belt as a starter. Derek Anderson had an All-Pro season last year as QB, but look where he's at now after a fat contract. Let Kyle continue to prove himself more against the elite teams of the league and playoffs.

This is a double edged sword.

I'll agree that it's a tad premature to be shoveling dump trucks full of money into Orton's bank account, but by the same token, there's a downside to leaving him hang.

If they don't offer him a new contract, and he lights it up the rest of the year, he might just sit back and let the market come to him. Even forcing the Bears to put the Franchise Tag on him would likely realize Kyle a better single year return than anything he could hope to get in free agency, and it would cost the Bears upwards of $10 million; which would be the sum total of all the money they've invested at that position for the last decade.

On the other hand, if they give him the keys to the vault and he tanks, that would be SOOOOoooooo typically "Bears".

How about a low paying extension for another year or two to be safe then load it with options for renegotiation or performance bonuses?

Even if KO turns out not to be "The Answer" we are all hoping for, he sure as hell is a keeper at the #2 spot in the event Superman comes along and applies for the job.

I'd hate to see KO go to another team, particularly in the NFC North, and have him turn around and shred the Bears during every meeting. Its bad enough we let Berrian go to a division rival, lets not let a good QB go. Don't you know Detroit would fall all over themselves for someone of KO's caliber, playoff proven or not.

Maybe we can give him a huge extension...then...

Moved him to Wide Receiver for an average of 5rds per possession and....diminish his role as Punt/Kickoff Returner for 25yards a return average.....and lose a net net of 20 yards a possession.

So the Bears give just about every defensive starter a big chunk of money and another chunk to Devin Hester only to see them all roll over and play dead, but now they should play wait and see with the only guy who has shown up every game this season?

At the one position that they have been searching for a real player for decades?

With the one guy who has resurrected their offense and without him they would probably be 2-5 at best?

Contract extensions all around but not for this guy who has done everything that he was asked to do since being drafted while being forced to play 2nd fiddle to the inept Rex Grossman?
The same Rex Grossman that was brought back for another year when he should have been shown the door?

You have got to be kidding me! What the hell are some Bears fans smoking?
This is what we have been waiting for! A QB that can actually WIN a game and not just manage one or throw it away time after time.
This sounds a lot like Cub fan talk. Embracing the whole “loser” mentality because that is so what they are used to.
“Gee… I don’t know… this whole QB thing is different. What will I bitch about if he can actually play?”

By the way... that list that Seedy Backslash submitted of so called "good" QBs was nothing more than a list of NFL stiffs including two guys that have already sucked in a Bears uniform. That list has a grand total of two QBs worth waiting for and Carson Palmer and Jay Cutler are not going anywhere let alone coming to Chicago.

He's under contract for another year. Why tie up the money now? don't try and be cheap and wind up fouling up the situation. Let him play and if he excels pay him what he is worth. If not, get carson palmer, or a proven stud qb.

After such absurd qb play for so long, don't rush now to sign someone after a few good games. He may turn out to be really good, and there still might be someone else you'd rather sign in a year or so.

I don't understand why the media has to act as agents for the sports figures in this town. Who was it that was crying for lovie to get paid and now we have him until 2012 or something. What are you getting a cut on these contracts or just trying to get the players to like you? If the media is so concerned about Ortons financial well being why don't they take up a collection for him.

You do not have to give him Peyton Manning money here.
Offer him a two year extension now because if he continues to progress like he has this season then it is going to cost you a lot more in a couple of years and not just in dollars.
If this is as good as he will ever be then it is still better than what we have seen around here for the last 50 years.
The man should have had 4 and maybe even 5 TDs last Sunday if not for dropped balls in the end zone and another TD that was fumbled at the one yard line and counted as a recovery for the score.
He did exactly what they needed to win that game. He did the same thing the week before in Atlanta.

He is not worth signing for the next four years even as a back up? Angelo signed Brian Griese for five years before he took a single snap for the Bears and he was nothing more than a serviceable back up before that.
I saw a lot of crying over Thomas Jones being let go so where is that same love for Orton?

Why are people bringing up Carson Palmer? He was the # 1 pick in the draft, has been a pro bowl QB and is signed with Cincinnati until 2014. Why would the Bengals let him go?
It is not going to happen so why waste time dreaming about it?

Philtration --

The list was a joke... a funny... an exaggeration to make a point.

That said, no doubt many of those names are on Jerry Angelo's short list.

I am hoping the Bears don't screw around with Orton and your point about all the money they lobbed to their underperforming defense is valid.

However, Angelo has never been able to keep or develop a decent QB -- not in Tampa Bay, not in Chicago. Orton would be his first and truth be told, Angelo has never been really all that invested in Kyle. Rex is his "boy" and will always remain so.

Still, I think the Bears could easily wait another 3-5 games to see what kind of season they have going and then begin making rumbles about re-signing Kyle.

Too bad for the Bears, but the defense got fat, lazy and old all in the span of seven games. The lack of competition Lovie embraces in pre-season is having a spillover effect this season (it did in 2007, as well). They've committed big dollars to a number of players who have not shown up this year.

On the D line, I have been impressed only with Alex Brown. Dvoracek also seems to be playing well, but teams are beginning to pass so much against the Bears that Dvoracek's skills (stopping the run) are underappreciated. Idonije should be a monster, but for some reason doesn't get enough snaps. Harris, hmmmmm, is close to having the "bust" label applied to his forehead.

Linebackers? In a word, crap.

Secondary? Outside of Payne, who delivers it in large quantities to opposing receivers, crap.

I mean, how can we get five turnovers and still allow an offense to put 41 points on us? An offense guided by Gus Ferotte.

The league (or those teams with rookie QBs or "has been" QBs) have figured out the key to our defense.

Too bad our own coaches haven't.

Well yeah... I figured that the list had to be tongue in cheek.
The sad thing is that a lot of people will agree with that list and believe there is a star in that mix or a real QB will suddenly be available just for them like Carson Palmer. Will the Patriots suddenly get tired of Tom Brady and deal him to the Bears?
That is not going to happen.
Do you think that Jerry Angelo will wake up from his QB challenged slumber and pick up a franchise passer in the draft?

Grossman is done here so even though Angelo screwed that up with his blind decision making and clinging to the Rex mess it is finally over.
No one even mentions his name anymore and I have not seen him pouting on the sidelines in weeks.

I am not saying that they have to get something done right now. Just start thinking about it and if things continue to go well for Orton then make him an offer.
You can even wait till the end of the season but if he looks like the real deal then get him signed for at least two more years after 2009.

There is more upside to having him signed then waiting for some miracle to drop into their laps.

Hey, I see Brad Biggs finally caught up with me about how important our tight ends our to the Bears O (particularly Olsen). Way to go, Brad (finally).

Let's see, back in September I wrote...

By Seedy Backslash on September 16, 2008 1:12 PM

I had us going 10-6 or 11-5, but after watching the Eagles/Cowboys game last night, I'm not so sure.
Watching the Eagles, they took advantage of their best player, Westbrook, by moving him all over the field. Getting mismatches and taking advantage of them.
The Cowboys' offense runs thru their tight end, Witten, and not their running back or T.O.
Jesus H. Christ, now there is a novel concept.
We don't get our best players the ball enough. Yes, Olsen fumbled twice, but he is by far the most difficult player for teams to match up. He is faster than a linebacker, too tall for corners and can catch the ball. BUT, we don't throw it to him enough. We also have ANOTHER good tight end, but we don't throw enough to him either.
We have MEDIOCRE wide receivers, who occasionally get open, but too often drop the ball (I mean is there some reason Mark Bradley still has a roster spot?).
We bring in Jones, but don't use him.
We have Wolfe on the bench, who regardless of his size, creates match up problems, especially if Olsen, Hester, Forte and Clark are also on the field. We rarely see Wolfe in the slot back role, a la Stokely for the Colts.

And then...

By Seedy Backslash on September 17, 2008 1:45 PM

An organization that for the past 40 years has been defined by its linebackers ain't going very far in today's NFL.
An organization that during the Angelo regime shies away from using its best players to create advantageous mismatches ain't going very far in today's NFL (eg, on defense, we have two game changing linebackers, but don't let them blitz enough, instead we play the softest cover 2 ever developed; on "O" we don't take advantage of a strong group of tight ends even though an offensive juggernaut like the Cowboys runs its entire offense through its one good tight end -- Witten)
An organization that is prone to hiring some of the most smug, pompous, egomaniacs as head coaches ain't going very far in today's NFL. Ditka, after winning the SB, seemed to get paid by the word because he could never shut his mouth. Lovie, after losing in a SB, seems determined to prove his way works -- no matter what. Don't get me started on Wannstedt.
An organization that spends multiple millions on defensive players, but lets its offense die on the vine, ain't going very far in today's NFL. Briggs, Harris, Urlacher, et al got their big pay days. Hester got his, but he ain't an offensive player anyway. He is a special teams superstar, which in LovieLand is a defensive component.
Honestly, the more I watch the Bears, the more I realize that the most important offensive statistic to Lovie is no INTs. He doesn't care if the offense scores. In "LovieWorld" it's the defense that scores and the offense exists only to give the defense an occasional rest. But like I said, that mentality ain't going very far in today's NFL.
Kyle -- take my advice. Break your helmet microphone and begin calling your own plays. Forget about the stupid WR screen, we don't have the personnel to run it. FIND YOUR TIGHT ENDS EARLY AND OFTEN. DO NOT STOP THROWING TO THEM UNTIL THE DEFENSE FIGURES OUT HOW TO CONTAIN OLSEN and CLARK. Then hit them with Forte and Jones.
Christ, this ain't that hard in today's NFL.

And finally...

By Seedy Backslash on September 8, 2008 9:17 AM

Re-Fortefied!
D-Bunked!
Is there a bandwagon for Kyle yet?
10-6/11-5 especially if Orton continues to use his tight ends like he did last night.
Olsen creates more mismatches than any other Bears receiver (including Hester). The Bears would be smart to continue going to him until opponents figure out a way to stop Olsen. My money says they won't be able to do it.

By Philtration on October 22, 2008 9:21 PM - ABSOLUTELY.

The waiting game can be dangerous though. The better he gets, the steeper the price. I would get him under a Scottie contract and keep him as back-up if he fizzles.

The Bears did reward players who have since had down production. Briggs, A. Brown, and Tillman have been good. Urlacher, Harris, Hester, and Vasher have had less production since their extensions.

Should they reward Orton? While their at it, should they reward Olson, Forte, and Lloyd? No, they shouldn't. Not yet at least.

Orton is on pace for 3700 yards with 26 TD's and 10 ints. But fact is he has 1600 yards with 10 TD's and 4 ints in 7 games. Forte is on pace for 15 TDs and 1200 yards, but he only has 550 and 5. Same with Olson and Lloyd.

The day the Bears clinch the playoffs, they should make the decision to reward Orton with an extension ASAP. If he wins a playoff game, the money and length of the deal should go up. Olson might be the other guy worth giving an extension. He is a freak as a receiving TE. But only if the Bears make the playoffs

Now on to the defense.....
Think about this. In 2005 the Bears were without Mike Brown for the last 4 games, and still finished #2 in total D. Still got a bunch of pressure. In 2006, they were without Harris and Mike Brown, but still got a ton of pressure. I will give them a break in 2004 and 2007, because they had a ton of injuries.
--But not this year. They still have Brown and Harris, and now they still suck. Just like last year. Either no pressure, or no coverage. The only thing that has changed is the coordinator and the scheme. This guy has to figure this out. These are the exact same players as 05 and 06, and you could argue the depth is actually better now. No excuse, he needs to figure it out or be gone.

Also, if Babich does get canned, could a soon-to-be-fired Mike McCarthy be the next D-coordinator?

Go Bears!!

Why is the first quarterback we had given us some excitement over the first seven weeks treated like a third stringer by some of the posts I am reading and even Roman's comment?

The Bears' readily gave the numbsckull (Grossman) who is the back-up a million dollar contract for a year with no problem. Oh yeah, some will scream and shout but he took us to the Super Bowl. Remember the defense that everyone is crying the blues about presently? Well it was more the defense back then that helped win 13 games than Grossman quarterbacking skills.

Now ask yourselves this question has Kyle Orton performed well enough to have possibly won six of the seven games played thus far? Uh-Huh, just what I thought! He has but not the defense. That is why we are at four wins and three losses.

Now at least throw the man a bone for sitting on the bench behind several losers at QB when we could have been letting him grow into the role, and using the high draft picks for other offensive weapons such as wide receivers and offensive linemen. It ain't Kyle's fault the management and coaching staff are idiots.

I have no problem with him having a great season and moving on to another team. Forget loyalty! That is all he has been, but has gone from backup QB to starting QB to third string QB now back to starting QB because everyone is afraid Grossman might trip over his own feet, or Kyle wasn't mature enough to grasp the game. BS!

AND WE HAVE TO WONDER DO HE DESERVES AN EXTENSION! Heck it could be for one year, while working on a long-term if he takes the Bears deep into the playoffs.

But maybe I like people who earn their keep - instead of it being given to them! Plus the dude is only 25 years old or be 26 next month.

Seedy:

Mark Bradley was released.

LET HIM WAIT!!!!!!! (Coming to America) (the actual quote was "let them wait", but Kyle is only one person unless you count his neckbeard.)

Seriously, Julie B. sounds like she got off the Rexwagon, miss you Jules, she's now riding shotgun with Seedy on the Orton(whatever). Orton does not deserve an extension yet, but I have to admit, he does look decent, about as decent as I could have ever expected.

I am glad they are still winning, and I hope it continues. Not quite sold he is a franchise QB either, but he is playing better than anything I ever expected out of him. He at least is a real QB in the NFL now, not something I woulda said in week 1.

Congrats, Kyle, keep the winning up, take us to the SB and win it, and you can name your price.

Cant we just extend the HumVee?

Darryl M:

Check the date on my post. Yes, I know Mark Bradley is gone.

PVN --

The Orton FunVee (Check out the movie Ironman for the reference) can be extended, particularly with gas prices down a $1 a gallon. But I would rather see multiple Funvees -- so Orton has his own posse of them. I mean, what QB nowadays doesn't have a posse?

Chuck:

"Decent"?????? I think he has been a little better than that.

I want to see how he looks after the week off. Too often, young QBs during a break can start thinking a bit too much about what they've accomplished and fall flat on their faces. I believe Orton is the real deal. Afterall, he isn't a Jerry Angelo "pet." So he has that going for him.

By Bears' Fan on October 23, 2008 4:12 PM

Thats a compelling argument. I like a visionary. The guy who can see the future. I wouldnt wait for the price to go through the roof before I locked him up. Its not like he wont hold out if he's worth it.

Oh hey Chuck. Yeah, I guess I'm off the Rexmoblie. Can't argue with Kyle's play and maybe one day someone will give him a razor and teach him to shave. But until then, I tow the company line and right now, Kyle is our quarterback. I'd love to see him throw downfield, you know - really go deep - a bomb, but if that's not his game, so be it. Kyle is undeniably calmer under pressure than Rex and you have to admit, it's nice as a fan to not be so tense every time the ball is snapped. As long as he keeps driving this bus straight and doesn't stop off for a cheese, er um tofu burger along the way, I see the Bears winning the division. Then give him the money.

You know what's missing from the Kyle Orton Emergence Experiment is the Hitman.

He was one of the most consistent advocates for playing Kyle in 2007 (and beyond).

Turns out he was right about Kyle and about benching Rex and Cedric. Throughout last season, I still held out hope for Cedric, but this last off-season was too much.

So where ever the Hitman went, I hope he's holding a "j" (that's the "hit" in "hitman," right?) and basking in the glow of all those #8 and #32 jerseys now polishing car hoods and trunks.

I miss decyphering Hitman postings, just like I miss decyphering Alan Greenspan's FED-isms.

But, hey, that's me.

Btw, why no blog entry about Aramis Ramirez's recent bone-headed admissions that HE wasn't at fault for the Cubs early exit!?!?!?! What is that guy smokin'? What to accept responsibility. Just another shining example of why the Cubs are celebrating the start of their second century of futility.

P.S. I'm sure Hank Aaron is embarrassed having Ramirez win his award.

Shuda known Seedy would let me know nicely how Kyle is playing, he does look "pretty good!?!?" (gotta hold onto my accolades, all I got left with Rex on the sideline, LOL). Still need to see this during the playoffs and the superbowl, or this is 06' redux. He's made some nice throws(yes it hurts me to say this, i'm cringing in my seat right now!!!) But, still got 9 games to go, let's do this.
Julie, the weird part is I actually liked the pick of Orton in the draft. I thought he was a smart pick for a 4th rounder, then he had accuracy issues, and boy were they bad, he couldn't hit his neckbeard with his chinstrap, but he seems over them now. As long as we are winning, Rex Sux nation can keep chirping, and I am happy. Take us to the SB, and win it. I'm ecstatic, I will drop chuck wagon, and call myself Chuckbeard.

Seedy...thank you. I knew I was right about Kyle and I'm not stopping there... "Rex will never play another down in the NFL"...and I'll be right about that, too.

Parking is cheaper for the WetsMobile at AllState Arena...where Wetsy will be holding for Edinger...boo-freaking-ya!!

and the name Hitman; I've been asked more than once if that's what I do...ya know...for side cash, I guess...anyway, shooting starts in May, too many lines, no time for hits...need memory

Kyle is our QB...he's going to the pro bowl and he'll get the extension