Tag: Chicago Bears (Page 21 of 49)

      Bears to spend big this offseason?

      March 2, 2010 /

      Bear fans may finally get something they’ve been dying to see for almost a decade now: GM Jerry Angelo opening the team’s wallet.

      According to a report by Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Angelo has been authorized to spend up to $25 million in guaranteed money this offseason. That kind of loot would certainly be enough to lure Julius Peppers to Chicago, if the free agent defensive end wants to play for the Bears that is.

      Angelo has a history of being thrifty in free agency and building his roster almost solely via the draft. But after trading their first round pick in this year’s draft to Denver for Jay Cutler and their second round pick to Tampa Bay for the late Gaines Adams, the Bears don’t have a selection in this year’s draft until the third round. It’s hard for a team to fill voids along the offensive and defensive lines when they don’t make a selection until midway through the third round.

      The problem for Angelo is that even though he’ll have the money to spend in free agency, there aren’t many attractive offensive line options. Bobbie Williams (Bengals), Kevin Mawae (Titans) and Chad Clifton (Packers) are all 33 years or older and wouldn’t offer Chicago long-term solutions. The real value at the position lies in the restricted free agent department. Jahri Evans (Saints), Logan Mankins (Patriots) and Jared Gaither (Ravens) are all young and productive players, but depending on what each player was tendered at, the Bears won’t be able to put a decent trade package together because they don’t have any draft picks.

      Angelo has a long history of shopping in the clearance section during free agency and until he proves otherwise, I’m not buying that he’ll all of a sudden become Daniel Snyder of the 2010 offseason. That said, it’ll be interesting to see if the Bears do make a strong run at Peppers and what they’ll do to address their needs along the offensive line. Either way, it looks like it’ll be an interesting offseason in Chicago.


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      NFL

      Bears the front-runners for Peppers?

      February 26, 2010 /

      The latest in the daily Julius Peppers-rumor mill is that the Bears could be the front-runners to land the hot ticket free agent.

      From ESPN.com:

      Well, the Bears didn’t make the “Final Eight,” and they appear to be one of the front-runners for Peppers, given the fact that they have no picks in the first two rounds to find a new pass-rusher; in other words, any big personnel improvements will have to come from free agency. Bears LB Brian Urlacher seemed very pleased with the possibility of adding Peppers in comments to the Chicago Tribune, and we’re not sure how much import will be assigned to his feelings by management, but he is the leader of the defense.

      The Bears have always been among the cheapest organizations in the league, although they did pay dearly (both in terms of money and draft picks) to bring Jay Cutler to Chicago last offseason and they might be willing to open their wallets again to nab Peppers.

      That said, if history is any indication then GM Jerry Angelo isn’t going to spend recklessly, if at all this offseason. Every year the Bears have gapping holes to fill and every year, Angelo does his shopping in the bargain bin. When the Bears needed to bolster their offensive line last season, Angelo signed Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale on the cheap and he got what he paid for. Now he has to figure out how he’s going to address his needs along the O-line without having draft selections in either of the first two rounds.

      One player I could see Angelo making a play for, however, is Aaron Kampman. Kampman wasn’t a fit in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense in Green Bay last season and he knows the NFC North. He would come cheaper than Peppers and assuming he hasn’t lost his ability to rush the passer from a 4-3 end position, he makes sense for the Bears.

      NFL

      Bears lacking direction under Angelo, Smith

      February 16, 2010 /

      If anyone can explain to me the direction the Chicago Bears are taking this offseason, then I’ll donate a week’s salary to your favorite charity. And “backwards” doesn’t count.

      The Bears began the offseason by firing offensive coordinator Ron Turner and relieving head coach Lovie Smith of his defensive play calling duties. GM Jerry Angelo’s first choices as candidates to replace Turner and Smith were USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and former Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. But he lost out on both when Pete Carroll hired Bates to run the offense in Seattle and the Giants hired Fewell to run their defense in New York.

      It’s an understatement to say that Angelo settled for Mike Martz in early February. Angelo had Rob Chudzinski, Hue Jackson and a host of others atop his wish list of offensive coordinators, but nobody wanted to come to Chicago with the possibility of Smith and his entire staff getting axed a year from now. Angelo was desperate, and so too was Martz.

      Out of options again, Angelo promoted defensive line coach Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator on February 5, despite the fact that Marinelli had no previous experience in that role. When the Bears hired Smith in 2004, he tired to bring Marinelli (his former staff member in Tampa) to Chicago to be his new defensive coordinator but the Bucs didn’t release Marinelli out of his contract. Seven years later, Smith is getting his wish.

      With the coordinator roles finally settled, Angelo thought it would be wise to fire director of pro personnel Bobby DePaul on Monday. This is significant because DePaul was the man that orchestrated the Jay Cutler trade and had been with the Bears since 2001. That’s nine seasons of experience that Angelo just fired, not to mention the person responsible for pulling off the franchise’s biggest trade.

      The timing of DePaul’s firing is perplexing. Most teams fire personnel people in May because at that point, the draft is over and free agency has settled in. Teams rarely fire the man responsible for evaluating players, managing scouting and preparing the club for free agency right before the NFL combine and the free agency period begins. It just doesn’t make any sense because scouting free agents and prospects is a yearlong process – a process that should be almost completed in mid February.

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      NFL

      Q&A with ESPN’s Mike Golic

      February 4, 2010 /

      If you listen to ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike In the Morning,” you know that former NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic is one half of the equation and the counterpoint to long-time “Sportscenter” anchor Mike Greenberg. While both share a passion for sports, Golic takes the role of the “man’s man” and frequently discusses his passion for food and in particular, his love for grilling out. Well, lucky for us, Golic recently teamed up with Kingsford Charcoal to promote their new and improved briquets (and their new flavors of KC Masterpiece sauce and marinade), as well as with chef Chris Lilly, who owns Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q and is an award winning barbecue chef. So we’ve got some of their special recipes on our Grub For Guys page on Bullz-Eye.com, but we also had the opportunity to interview Golic about ESPN, grilling out, and of course, football:

      The Scores Report: Hey Mike, we know you love to eat and love to grill. What is your favorite KC Masterpiece new flavor and why?

      Mike Golic: I’m an original flavor kind of guy – no bells or whistles needed for me. But, I’ve tried the new KC Masterpiece Smoky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce and the smoky, sweet taste gives the original flavor some good competition for best sauce.

      TSR: What are your thoughts on the new briquets, and do you use your grill year round?

      MG: I have a fairly busy schedule with “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” ESPN analysis, and my family, but I definitely try to keep my grill fired up year-round whenever I have down-time. There is no better way to bring family and friends together than over the smokey flavors of a charcoal grill. In fact, when my boys where in high school, I used to travel to their football camps in early-August and grill for their entire teams during two-a-day workouts.

      Kingsford MatchLight is my go-to charcoal – it has lighter fluid built into the briquet formula so it lights quickly and easily – which is especially convenient when I’m tailgating. I’ve heard that Kingsford briquets now light easier and faster, which I can also appreciate since I’m always crunched for time with my busy schedule.

      TSR: Do you have any go-to items you like to grill for Super Bowl Sunday, or are you usually too busy working to cook that day?

      MG: I will be working the whole week leading up to Super Bowl in Miami, but I’m excited to be able to go home and watch the actual game with my friends and family. But, while I’m in Miami, I will be firing up the grill with my buddy, world champion pitmaster, Chris Lilly earlier in the week. Chris has taught me quite a bit about grilling over the years and has inspired me to create a few tailgate recipes of my own. I will be demonstrating my BBQ Blitz Chicken Wraps for a few TV interviews with Chris before sharing a little tailgate with the lucky winner of the “On the Grill with Golic” sweepstakes that took place earlier this year. The recipe is attached in case your readers want to try it at home. For more great grilling recipes become a fan of Kingsford on Facebook at Facebook.com/KingsfordCharcoal.

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      Interviews, NFL

      Is Martz a good fit for Cutler and the Bears?

      February 1, 2010 /

      The “Mad Scientist” is coming to Chicago: The National Football Post reports that the Bears have hired Mike Martz to become their next offensive coordinator.

      What’s interesting about this hire is that Martz wasn’t GM Jerry Angelo’s first, second, third or even fourth candidate for the position. Angelo had Jeremy Bates, Rob Chudzinski, Hue Jackson and a host of others ahead of Martz on his wish list, but all of the candidates bowed out, presumably because head coach Lovie Smith is on the hot seat. Why would anyone want to go to Chicago if there’s a possibility that they’ll get axed in a year anyway?

      Why would anyone outside of Martz, that is.

      After serving as the 49ers’ offensive coordinator for just one season, Martz was out of football last year and was itching to get back into coaching. With so few options, it makes sense that he would jump at the opportunity to join the Bears.

      They’re desperate, he’s desperate – it works.

      But will it work? Martz was the same person that criticized Jay Cutler earlier this season for being immature following a loss to the Packers in Week 1. Martz reportedly got the Bears’ blessing to fly down to Tennessee over the weekend to meet with Cutler and clear the air, but will the marriage work?

      Martz is still regarded as one of the brightest offensive minds in football and his track record speaks for itself. Anyone that can turn the Lions’ offense into a top 10 passing attack deserves praise, although the reason why he has been ousted everywhere he’s been is because he doesn’t run the football. He also has no use for pass protection and his quarterbacks are often sitting ducks because he always runs plays out of three and four receiver sets, thus leaving less linemen in to protect his signal caller. That’s not good considering how bad the Bears’ offensive line is and given that Cutler often forces passes when he’s under duress and doesn’t mind throwing as many interceptions as humanly possible during 60 minutes of football.

      I see this union between Cutler and Martz ending in one of two ways: An explosive partnership that makes the Bears one of the most excited passing teams in the NFL, or a beautiful disaster that will be worthy of watching from the front row.

      Either way, it should be a fun year in Chicago.

      Was Martz a good hire for the Bears?
      Total Votes: 30 Started: February 1, 2010 Back to Vote Screen


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