MidwayIllustrated
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Pick up a media guide ESPN, that information is surely in there...
@kurt6009 Based on the tone of your argument it's apparent you don't want to see the other side of the conversation and we've likely had a heated discussion somewhere else in the Chicago Bears news and website community. The anger you are directing is pretty unwarranted but you insist upon being right. We'll have to agree to disagree and end this conversation accordingly.
@tino4show @kurt6009 I understand completely your passion, but the facts don't back up your basic assertions. Bushrod gave up more pressures per pass block attempt than Webb did. He also gave up more QB hits per attempt than Webb did. These are the facts that I've layed out in numerous articles on this site and has been replicated elsewhere. Again Bushrod is an upgrade as I stated clearly and definitively in the article. Bushrod is NOT a major upgrade and the facts within the article bare that out. Either you're choosing to not read the article or you're choosing to troll. Either way you're both wrong.
@kurt6009 When every other blog and media outlet is taking the same approach and touting nothing but the positives I think it's important to take a critical look at it. The truth is we don't know what this offensive line will look like and how it will perform until the pads come on and the season starts. The only thing we can look at as how these players have played previously and how that projects going forward.
The truth of the matter may be hard for most Bears fans to stomach, but I think history is on my side. Bushrod is not a major upgrade at the LT position, Matt Slauson is a good pass protector, but he's not a good run blocker, Garza will be Garza and Kyle Long is a rookie and rookies rarely ever play at a high level in the NFL. J'Marcus Webb had his best season at LT last year and now moves to RT where you hope he replicates the level of season he had in 2012 or he continues to improve.
These are the facts of the matter, and while you can absolutely disagree with those facts and simply stick to your own opinion that a massive overhaul of the offensive line will be a great improvement for the Bears please refrain from being insulting about it. I completely understand that it's the off-season and it's the time where everyone takes the most optimistic view possible but I don't espouse to that train of thought. I prefer to be as honest as possible and if you don't agree with the honest assessment that's perfectly okay.
@GeorgeHotchkiss Thanks George I appreciate the sentiment very much. Hoping for a lot of big things this season so keep in touch.
@kzehn2324 Yes I would have targeted a #1 or #2 receiver early in the draft versus grabbing a receiver in the seventh round. It's not an indictment of Wilson so much as an indictment of Emery.
Long is going to struggle in year one, he's probably going to be down right awful for the first two years he's in the league. Then IF he gets the hang of things he could be a good player. Long won't be an upgrade over any of the offensive guards that were on the roster last year as a rookie. If you think he will be then you're fooling yourself.
Combine that with guards and the impact they make on the field to help a team win games is about the same as a fullback.
Add in Brandon Marshall's age, combined with his impending contract demand that will likely be out of the price range of the Bears and in two years the Bears are going to be desperate for receiver talent.
It takes NFL receivers on average two to three seasons to reach their full potential and play at the highest levels they're capable of reaching. Allowing a future number one number two type WR to come in and develop in the three receiver role is in perfect alignment with Marshall's contract situation.
If Wilson somehow outperforms every 99% of all seventh round draft choices that would be great, but the odds are severely stacked against him.
@bergumrob @GeorgeHotchkiss None of the newly signed linebackers has Pro Bowl ability or potential. Neither player is even in the realm of Pro Bowl potential. DJ Williams is the best of the two and in his 9 year career he's gone over 100 tackles four times in his career. Urlacher played last season with a knee injury and there is no evidence that he couldn't have come back healthy and still played at a high level. Yes Brian Urlacher is old, but it's a baseless assumption to say he wasn't going to come back healthy and play at a higher level than any of the new signings. The linebacker position has effectively been downgraded for the 2013 season until the rookies develop and the crusty old veterans prove they can play.
@kzehn2324 It's true that right now the way it looks after the 2012 season that Slauson is a viable starter at the LG spot. My concern is the change of scenery and change of offense/responsibility he may have in the Bears offense could effect his game.
What we see from Slauson right now is as good as it's going to get, there is no high ceiling on him as a player. That's fine I'm not concerned about that, that makes him competent as a player.
The real concern is if he takes a step backwards. A guy like Chris Spencer was a good player in 2011, he was considered a viable starter at that point. Problem for Spencer was, 2011 was the high point of his career and then 2012 was all down hill from there.
If Slauson isn't viable in pass protection, then he's not a viable option at all because he's not at all a very good run blocker. He's a player who simply can't afford to have any drop off whatsoever, because if he does the results will not be very pretty to watch.
@robatlivefyre No not particularly because in the meantime they've parted ways with Brian Urlacher, and Nick Roach two big money free agents that would have gobbled up around $8-million in cap space if they had been brought back. Plus they're likely to lose Israel Idonije after signing Turk McBride to a contract likely to be the fourth DE. McClellin moves up to the third DE spot, meaning he'll have to be as up to the task of being an every down DE in year two that Idonije has been the last two seasons.
What helps the Bears is they only have to pay Bennett and Bushrod around $5-million in the first year of their contracts. That number jumps up to $9.8-million for both players in 2014 while Peppers cap number is $17.1-million in 2014; plus he's still due around $6.8-million in bonus money over the next two seasons.
The Bears have now put themselves in a more precarious salary cap situation in 2014 by severely back loading the deals to Bushrod and Bennett. They also have to figure out how to get a deal done with Cutler who is rumored to want at least $15-million per season.
The year the salary cap gets a "big bump" with more TV revenue the cap is only scheduled to go up by $5-million per team.
The Bears have historically been a pay as you go team, now they're pushing everything back and are going to be in panic mode to get under the cap and sign impending free agents in 2014 and 2015.
Things are rarely black and white with the moving parts of the NFL salary cap.
@GeorgeHotchkiss Thanks a bunch for the kind words I appreciate it. Oh and Go Sun Devils!
Phil Emery will not draft an offensive tackle in the first round of the NFL draft, I guarantee it and Bears fans should not be mad when he chooses not to draft one. J'Marcus Webb vastly improved over last season 12 sacks allowed down to 5 sacks allowed in 2012. 52 pressures down to 29 pressures. Gabe Carimi enters only his second REAL full season in 2013 and will be working this off-season to return to full strength on his knee. The Bears started four different players at left guard last season, that will be the priority if it's not addressed in free agency. Other more pressing needs include linebacker and tight end... Zach Ertz or Tyler Eifert make sense for Chicago at 20.
And another note Michael Strahan doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
@Jimmy Mac Your argument that Webb doesn't give up a lot of sacks because Cutler escapes the pressure is proven invalid by the number of pressures Webb allowed. Webb's pressures allowed improved drastically, which is mentioned in the article Webb's 29 pressures puts him nearly smack dab in the middle of all NFL offensive tackles for pressures allowed on the season. Pressures account for Cutler needing to scramble away and make a play with his feet.
I cited two situations, not several situations where Webb should not be dinged for the sack and the All-22 tape backs up that assertion.
Jermon Bushrod gave up 46 pressures on the season, the second most pressures allowed on the season behind Jonathan Martin rookie OT out of Stanford. Here is what ProFootballFocus had to say about the 2012 NFL offensive lines. Their stud for the Bears was J'Marcus Webb, their dud for the New Orleans Saints was Jermon Bushrod.
Your argument is completely invalidated due to the number of pressures allowed between Webb and Bushrod.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/01/28/ranking-the-2012-offensive-lines/
You can have an opinion on the situation, but the film and the facts don't back up your opinion, if they did I would give it far more credence.
Thanks to everyone for commenting on the article and sharing your thoughts I appreciate it. I think Shea's biggest weakness is his lack of instincts as a pass rusher. As of right now he has a speed rush to the edge, and to counter off of that he uses a spin move which is effective on occasion. His biggest obstacle is not only does he struggle as a pass rusher, but he's absolutely horrible as a run defender. He's going to have to develop his game on two fronts to be successful, that's a large learning curve.
The biggest help to the Bears, has been the emergence of Corey Wootton who now looks like a sure-fire long-term starter.
@KellyInMidwest Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on the article. If you have a chance please share with your friends who may also be Bears fans.
WOW! If he wasn't happy in his job, why he didn't just quit?
@phslaxmidi10 Researching, Composing and writing a motivational speech is quite different from being able to give an impromptu speech to your team at half time or before a game. This has absolutely nothing to do with a leader of men. As far as Walsh and Gannon go when is the last time someone spoke poorly of a former co-worker coach or player. Being an NFL player/coach comes with a certain level of PR requirement.
@phslaxmidi10 That is not true, Trestman was not offered the job in Indianapolis, you n eed to get your facts straight before you make assertions or try to make truthful statements.
What's your take on All-American DT Will Sutton junior at ASU?
@rochshah Bill Cowher is the obvious answer because he is a leader. The next question is who out there is a leader, because a leader can at times overcome obvious weaknesses or flaws within the team. Lovie has allowed issues within the team to flourish and rot which in turn causes the Bears to lose key games and miss the playoffs. The defense has a lot of the time been able to overcome weaknesses and play at a high level because Lovie is the leader of the defense. What Lovie isn't, is the leader of this team. The problems have more often than not residing on the offensive side of the ball, and there has been no direction, discipline or forward progress on offense.
Is the answer Chip Kelly? I don't think so, I think Kelly has been the benefit of his gimmicky offense and a ton of money up at Oregon. Oregon has been good in a conference that doesn't play defense and has lost to better teams that DO play defense.
The answer is the man that best has the ability to lead both an offense and a defense, he has to lead the team not just a unit.