It's no secret that the key the Tampa-2 is a strong pass rush. Last year the Bears didn't have it, and failed to crack the top 20 in total defense. There are numerous reasons for this. Adewale Ogunleye has lost a step, Brian Urlacher's lost two, and I'm pretty sure Mark Anderson was abducted by aliens. Then there's the biggest reason why the Bears couldn't pressure the quarterback: the absence of Tommie Harris.
Harris appeared in 14 games last year, but played only 56 percent of the snaps. This is troubling for two reasons:
a) The Bears' D isn't the Bears' D without Harris firing on all cylinders. When he's healthy, he could be their best player.
b) Last summer the Bears signed Harris to a four-year, $40 million contract extension. He used to eat quarterbacks, now he only eats cap space.
Now Harris is hurt again. He has been on the sidelines most of training camp and revealed this week that he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in March.
Oh boy.
So what are the Bears to do? They hedged their bets a bit this offseason by using their top draft pick on Jarron Gilbert. He can jump out of pools - which is awesome - but can he replace the production of a healthy Harris? It seems unlikely, especially as a rookie.
Over at the National Football Post, the Sun-Times' best reporter informed the world that this season may be a make or break year for Harris. If can can't stay on the field, he could be off the team. Biggs explains:
The Bears, who knew of Harris' knee condition following arthroscopic surgery in January 2008, also protected themselves, as much as a team can any way, in the $40-million, four-year extension they wrote for Harris last summer. The deal included $10 million guaranteed, but what is remaining on the contract, which runs through 2012, is basically a series of roster bonuses, none of which is guaranteed. In essence, it becomes a string of one-year contracts.Harris has roster bonuses for $2.5 million due in 2009 and 2010. In both years, the bonus is earned on June 1. That means if Angelo wants to look for a replacement, he can do so in free agency and the draft before making a determination on Harris' status.
16 games to audition for your job, Tommie. Better make 'em count.
Ricky O'Donnell is the founder of the Chicago sports blog Tremendous Upside Potential - which you should read every day - and one of the editors of the Sun-Times' fantasy blog. Contact him at richardpodonnell@gmail.com.
Great Article Ricky...well written. IM BACK BABY!
Scr*w Harris and Scr*w Mike Brown.
Injury's are 90% mental.
Lets get some mentally tough people in there....and get rid of the gimps.
I had a feeling that this was going to happen again so it is not real surprise.
Mike Brown gave the Bears a lot more in return than Harris has ever done and they let him go.
It is time to accept that any thing that he does for the Bears this year is gravy and plan on
You just can't depend on him and there is no way to sugar coat it.
All this talk about Marinelli being Warren Sapp's mentor and how he was going to get Harris back to being a great player..... right.
Gilbert had better be a real player or their defense is in trouble.
I was hoping that Marcus Harrison was going to get some playing time this season but he shows up bloated and that says something about him right there.
If the fans can see the writing on the wall with Tommie Harris then this guy should have come in with guns blazing knowing that he had a real shot at being a starter.
Hoping that a 40 pounds lighter Israel Idonije will step up and fill the void or that injury prone, 28 going on 38 Dusty Dvorcek will be the guy is a joke only no one is laughing.
The problem with tommie is nothing new. He has some kind of knee condition where there is sharp pain. The Bears knew about it when they drafted him. So the article said he only played 56 percent of the snaps, yet managed to get 6 sacs and a good amount of tackles. Tommie is way more important and has done more for the bears than mike brown. I love Mike Brown but you could say that half those picks came from the pressure of a dominate d-line.
I don't know why, but I have a feeling that this defense is going to surprise a lot of people by actually playing well.
It's just a hunch.
lmao, get your season tickets now!!! No D Line, O Line has Kruetz..... and no depth behind people who need depth behind them (ie..a broken down Pace and a compressed vertebrae on the other side), no defensive backfield, no WR's, and a QB that's a Steelers game away from imploding...lmmfao
and Tommie Harris doesn't seem to care....
Watch out for the Lions
I told you...Jerry Jumped the Shark; Jerry and the Yes Men will be canceled at the end of the season
Good article, but we did touch up on this already when talking about the Bears entire D unit as a whole. Harris is definitely one of the key players on D, but he's still 1 guy and the Bears are actually deep in the D-Line position. Maybe Marcus Harrison can be the guy also or maybe he'll continue to eat his way in and out of the lineup. We'll find out soon enough in the preseason games. I think there's getting waaay too much worry here without watching them play yet. Let's revisit this topic when 3 preseason games are already under our belt and then we can all make our predictions from there. Either way, Tommie won't be playing much in preseason, so we'll never really know how ineffective he'll be until the games matter, but yes, this season is pretty much make it-or-break it for Tommie Harris. We'll just have to find another 3 technique defensive tackle through the draft again next year if we have too.
And Hitman, your act is getting old. All talk, no substance as usual.
THE BEARS MIGHT PUT HIM ON THE PUP LIST FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON!
TOMMY IS A GOOD CITIZEN AND THE ORGANIZATION LIKES HIM, HE IS STILL A YOUNG PLAYER!
good news, tho...Al Afalava is starting ahead of another bust in Danieal Manning...and where is Craig Steltz?...not doing as well as Zbikowski now is he?...lol
and Jarron Gilbert...maybe he can make everyone bid adieu to TH with nary a tear...
Hitman, for a guy who hates the Bears so much, you seem to pay attention to the Bears Training Camp news quite a bit. I've never seen that from such a big Bears-hater before. Quit the phony act, Hitman. People are catching on to you.
Edgar shut up; you're retarded....just read what you write
phony is the last thing anybody in this world would call me...so my juevos are a little too big for ya...well, I get that a lot....you're in the majority
It's football season now...move over, sit down, shut up....maybe you'll learn something..
and Yeah, I'm a Chicagoan...the real kind, tho....I don't expect you to understand what that is (ie.. juevos comment)
Bears are at best a 7-9 team, but lack of depth and one injury to any starter...6-10
Look who's talkin with the name calling as usual, big man Hitman. A Chicagoan hating on his hometown team just to grab some attention in blogs. Pathetic. No hotshot, you shut up but I know you won't so just make sure you put your mouth where it belongs at football season end. We have a running bet about your predicted Bears record and Orton making the Pro Bowl in his first season as a Bronco.
as usual?...lol, we have a running bet?...what a {redacted}
Ricky responds: Cut it out.
This is getting really boring.
After putting up with idiots at work all day and then on the drive home does anyone really need this over and over in a sports blog or forum?
I know that I don't.
Cant we talk about something we all agree on?
Government Run Health Care?
. No! Actually he is too badly needed to be dismissed lightly, and the line has to put pressure on the passer. They have a better chance of doing that with a healthy and rejuvenated Harris in there.Injuries always stimulate second-guessing, but Williams has come back strong and hopefully Harris will as well.A pass rush would certainly be nice to see because the Bears have been woefully inadequate, even laughable in that regard lately.