Will We See Kevin White? Who Knows?

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions yet again:

“What is the latest on Kevin White? Any chance he is activated and plays? — @GreaseMaul from Twitter

“White was involved in practice on Wednesday but I’d say it remains unlikely he is activated. Coach John Fox was asked about how White practiced and he responded that the first-round draft pick was ‘on target.’ When asked what he was on target for, Fox replied, ‘tomorrow’s practice.’ What’s been forgotten by some people is White has been out since early June. I don’t think a handful of practices over this week and next will be enough to get him ready to play this season. I believe he will first set foot on the field for the Bears in the 2016 season.”

kevin-white-chicago-bearsReports have consistently claimed that White won’t be playing this year. But its virtually impossible for them to know for sure without knowing exactly how much White is doing in practice and what he look slike while doing it. I would imagine that’s virtually impossible to determine in the limited time that practices are open to the media, particularly since Fox is probably trying to hide White’s true status.  Reporters are therefore likely getting most of their information from team sources that can’t be completely trusted.

There is something to be said for the question of how much White could help even if the Bears let him back on the field. He was thought to be the least ready of the top wide receivers in the draft, having a great deal of talent but needing a lot of work on things like route running and reading defenses. However, the guess here is that White couldn’t hurt. Even in his raw state, he’s probably better than the likes of Marc Mariani and Marquess Wilson on the outside.

Bottom line, though I’m inclined to think based upon the reports that White won’t play this year, I question the basis of those reports and I wouldn’t be too surprised if they turned out to be wrong. If they are wrong, the Bears will be better for it.

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Still a True Need for the Best Available

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers more of your questions:

“How have the areas of need changed from the start of the season to now? Or have they? — @danjnolte

“I don’t know that things have shifted drastically for the Bears since the start of the season. I think the pass rush needs some more juice, and that is something pretty much everyone said when the season began, right? They could use another safety and they have to see what happens with Tracy Porter at cornerback as he will be a free agent. I think they need a good guard and I said that at the start of the season. Defensive end is another position that should be addressed. Inside linebacker too. I think pretty much all of those positions stood out at the end of August but it should be noted the Bears have gotten better play at most of those positions than most people expected.”

The problem with the Bears doing as well as they have been, particularly on defense, is that the good coaching tends to hide the lack of talent that the Bears have all over the field.

My eye tells me the same thing that Biggs’ answer says. The Bears have needs all over the field, particularly on defense. You can make an argument for literally any position on the field, even in the first round, except left tackle, running back and – maybe, depending on the status of Martellus Bennett and Zack Miller – tight end. You could argue cornerback in that list but who really believes that Tracy Porter will remain this healthy?  And I do include quarterback of the future in that if Ryan Pace finds one that he believes in, he can’t afford to pass him up in any round.

It’s worth re-iterating. The Bears have a talent gap. Its big enough to whee they will almost certainly be looking for the best available prospect at any position throughout the draft in 2016.

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Doing It All the Time

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions:

“Why hasn’t Lamarr Houston been promoted to starter yet? I think he’s proven over the last few weeks that he’s the answer opposite Pernell McPhee. It can’t be because he’s a liability on first and second down, can it? All I heard and read when he came over from Oakland was what a great run defender he is. Not to mention he’s certainly being paid like a starter, as opposed to Sam Acho or Willie Young. — Nicholas D., Birmingham, Ala.”

Biggs points out that Houston’s snaps increased dramatically against the Packers.

“More important than the designation of who is starting is playing time, so that’s worth keeping in mind, too. I don’t think decisions on playing time should be based on money either. When you start putting players on the field because they have a bigger paycheck, that’s when you get in trouble. Young’s contract isn’t shabby either. He’s earning a base salary of $2.45 million this season. I like the way they’re moving guys in and out at outside linebacker and handling McPhee’s knee situation, which is clearly keeping him on the sideline more than anyone would like.”

jimmy-garoppolo-lamarr-houston-nfl-chicago-bears-new-england-patriots-850x560I couldn’t agree more. Both Young and Houston have earned more playing time. I also feel the need to point out that Houston has a bad habit of disappearing until points in the game where the opponent absolutely has to pass and he can go all out after the quarterback without worrying about other responsibilities. I’d like to see him do it at other points in the game before I’ll become a real believer that he’s as good as his recent statistics indicate.

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This Week Will Be All About the Running Game

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Dan Wiederer at the Chicago Tribune goes over the six most telling plays from the Bears victory over Green Bay:

“Lacy’s stampede: On the night’s second snap, Packers running back Eddie Lacy busted off his longest run of the season. Zero in on the 29-yard charge and you’ll see the Bears overpowered up front. Defensive tackle Eddie Goldman was swallowed by a double team at the snap and Jarvis Jenkins was driven 5 yards backward and dumped on his tail by [Josh] Sitton. Inside linebacker Jonathan Anderson overran Lacy in the backfield. Pernell McPhee couldn’t get off a block. Shea McClellin was overpowered by JC Tretter. And safety Adrian Amos missed a tackle 5 yards past the line of scrimmage. Off Lacy went, headed toward midfield before Kyle Fuller finally pushed him out of bounds. It wasn’t just a fluky moment either. The Packers had their way in the running game all night, piling up 177 yards on the ground with Lacy averaging 6.2 yards on his 17 carries. Over the past two games, the Bears have allowed 347 rushing yards, dropping to 29th in the league against the run. It’s a troublesome weak spot that the Bears will need to patch up in December to keep their playoff hopes alive.”

This point is well taken.

The Bears haven’t done badly stopping the run this year. They kept both Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson down without stacking extra players in the box or doing anything special to stop them. But they need to continue to stop the run if they’re going to continue to win games. The lesson apparently hasn’t been lost on the defense. Via Rich Campbell, also at the Chicago Tribune:

“‘It’s about staying gap-sound and playing with great fundamentals,’ linebacker Pernell McPhee said. ‘When it gets late in the season, people tend to lose those tendencies. But we’re doing a great job this week of stressing that, stopping the run. Hopefully when Sunday comes, we’ll be ready.'”

I believe that they will be, too. The game will depend upon it because its going to be all about the running game. Both of these teams have to find it on offense. The 49ers haven’t had a rushing TD since week 5 and haven’t had a 100 yard rusher since Carlos Hyde in week 1. The Bears running game has been stymied the last two weeks in which, not co-incidentally, they have scored only 34 points.

For once, this game is going to be simple. The team that runs the ball better against the opposing defense will win.

 

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The Reality of the Bears Situation

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Dan Wiederer at the Chicago Tribune reviews the problems that the Bears have to overcome in order to continue to win football games.

“Jay Cutler’s turnover-free night? Well, Quentin Rollins dropped a shoulda-been interception in the first quarter. And Cutler had to make a desperate hustle recovery to avoid disaster on a fumbled fourth-quarter snap.

“That spirited defensive effort? The Bears still are getting pushed around up front and proving way too vulnerable against the run.

“This list could go on for awhile. And it’s why the Bears can’t take their newfound position as favorites against the 49ers and Redskins as a sign that they can exhale. They still have a razor-thin margin for error and haven’t enjoyed a three-game winning streak since September 2013.”

He’s got a good point. In talking to Bears fans around town and around the Internet, there’s considerable optimism about how this team is going to finish the year. What I’m hearing a lot is, “With that schedule? They’re going to the playoffs.” Much though I like what I see, I think fans are setting themselves for disappointment.

Looking ahead, I see San Fransisco, Washington, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Detroit. Are those winnable games? You bet. But I feel compelled to point out that those teams are saying the same thing about their game against the 5-6 Bears. And with the exception of the Vikings, all of them are on the upswing, just as the Bears are. And the Vikings were pretty good to begin with.

San Fransisco just limited the Cardinals, possibly the best team in the NFC, to 19 points. Tampa Bay has won three of their last five and is in contention for a playoff spot. Washington has also won three of five and are the favorites to win their division. The Lions just beat the Packers three weeks ago in Lambeau, matching what the Bears just did, and they absolutely destroyed the Eagles on Thanksgiving. And both the Vikings and the Lions beat the Bears earlier in the year.

Could the Bears finish strong and be in contention for the playoffs? No doubt. But much more likely fans will be sitting at the end of the year and be happy that the Bears gradually improved over the course of the season with a bright future ahead of them. But only if they stay grounded in reality.

Posted in Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins | Leave a comment

To Re-Sign or Not to Re-Sign? That is the Question.

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Tom Shannon


Mike Mulligan at the Chicago Tribune speculates about Alshon Jeffery‘s future with the team:

“Franchise tags won’t be set until the 2016 salary cap is set in March, but Corry, writing for CBSSports.com, recently predicted it will grow about 7.5 percent to $154 million. With big-money deals for Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas added to increases for Julio Jones and A.J. Green and Calvin Johnson‘s top-dollar deal, the franchise number for a wide receiver is projected to jump from $12.8 million to just over $14.5 million.

“The number will be the richest at any NFL position other than quarterback (projected $19.75 million) and defensive end ($15.5 million).

“Is Jeffery worth that kind of money? “

Aishon_jeffreyYes, he probably is.

The real problem with Jeffery is that he’s been injured so often this season. Worse, he’s been out with exactly the kind of soft tissue injury that head coach John Fox mentioned as the major issue with Jeffery after he was hired in the off-season.

But the truth is that franchising Jeffery for a year minimizes the risk. Sure, the Bears will try to sign him at their price, which will take the injury risk into account. But even if Jeffery refuses and decides to try to prove to the Bears that he can, indeed, remain healthy, its only a one year contract with a rebuilding team that will have plenty of cap room to absorb the hit. Over the next off-season, I would expect the Bears to talk a lot to Jeffery about how to manage these injuries. If he responds, he’s going to see his pay day with the Bears. If he doesn’t, he’ll see it elsewhere. But probably not until 2017.

The real problem that the Bears will face in the off-season isn’t what to do with Jeffery. Its what to do with cornerback Tracy Porter. Porter has been healthy this year but has a brutal history of injuries as documented by Dan Wiederer, also at the Chicago Tribune:

“Through the summer, the biggest thing Porter seemed to have a knack for was getting hurt and bouncing around. When he signed with the Bears on June 8, shortly after being released by the Redskins, Porter joined his fifth team in five seasons.

“His resume came loaded with red flags, most notably the durability concerns of a player who had missed 23 games the previous three years.

“A mysterious seizure episode in Denver had been a culprit in the 10 games he missed in 2012. Last season, hamstring and shoulder injuries sidelined Porter for 13 games with the Redskins.

“Then, on Aug. 11, in the third week of Bears training camp, Porter tweaked a hamstring. He doesn’t remember how.”

Porter is a problem. He’s currently the Bears’ best corner but he’s 29 years old and, though he probably has some good years left, that’s not young for a cornerback. Will this be the year he breaks out and never looks back? Or will this be the exception to the rule, one of the few where he remained healthy? It’s a critical question because if he continues to play the way he has, he could demand a reasonably large amount of money on the open market.

What you do with Porter, of course, depends on the situation. If he’s healthy the rest of the year and he’s willing to be reasonable, maybe you give him a two year contract with most or all of the guaranteed money in the first year and see how it goes. If he’s going to require top dollar, though, you have to let him go. There’s little reason to roll the dice on a player in Porter’s situation when you are still at least a couple years from making a deep playoff run. Whether they sign Porter or not, the Bears will undoubtedly continue to look for younger cornerbacks in the draft. And that, not taking risks on free agents like Porter, has to be their primary focus.

Posted in Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos | Leave a comment

The Bill Always Comes Due

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Kevin Patra at nfl.com on the bad day that Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant had against Panthers cornerback Josh Norman:

“Norman was clearly in Bryant’s head early. When Panthers safety Kurt Coleman picked off [Dallas quarterback Tony] Romo on the first drive of the game, Bryant and Norman stood behind the play yapping when it appeared the Cowboys receiver could have had a chance to stop a touchdown, if he made an effort.”

Wide receivers are, as a group, not known for being level headed. But, as with most things Cowboy, this goes a bit beyond the norm. Add owner and general manager Jerry Jones‘s continued defense of remorseless animal Greg Hardy‘s behaviour towards even his own coaches and Dallas is eccentric to the point where they lack both discipline and character. That lack kept them from overcoming the loss of Romo at quarterback as they lost seven games in a row without him.  And that lack played a big part in killing their slim playoff hopes on Thursday.

You can make a deal with the devil.  But the bill always comes due.

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Apparently Allowing Only 13 Points Against the Packers In Lambeau Isn’t Good Enough

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Mark Potash at the Chicago Sun-Times cites the “statistics” on the Bears defensive effort.

“According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears’ composite defensive rating against the Packers on Thursday night was minus-18.8. It was minus-3.2 in Week 1, when [Aaron] Rodgers had a 140.5 passer rating and threw three touchdown passes in a 31-23 victory.”

Do I really need to comment?

Posted in Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers | 1 Comment

Fales Starting Quarterback in Waiting?

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune documents the process by which Bears quarterback David Fales because the primary back up behind starting quarterback Jay Cutler. Fales got offers to join the rosters of both the 49ers and the Ravens before choosing to remain with the Bears after they agreed to promote him from the practice squad to the roster.

“‘Yeah, but it’s all about being in the right system,’ Fales said. ‘Eventually you are going to get an opportunity and no one knows when that will come. It doesn’t matter if you are not in the right spot.'”

San Fransisco is starting Blaine Gabbert, whose long-term future as the starter is questionable. Former starter Colin Kaepernick had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and his future with the organization is in serious doubt. The Ravens were probably following up on the recommendation of former Bears head coach Marc Trestman, now their offensive coordinator. Starting quarterback Joe Flacco is out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury November 22.

Both of these teams were searching for someone to be a back up after starters became unavailable. But Fale’s popularity around the league, which is why the Bears had to add him to the roster, makes me wonder if he doesn’t have the potential to be a starter. When former Bears general manager Phil Emery drafted him, Emery said it was with the idea that that Fales had the potential to be a solid back up, thus setting the ceiling for him. But does anyone ever draft a player anywhere with the idea that he’ll never be more than a backup? Could it be that Emery was just trying to publicly re-assure Cutler that he wasn’t drafting his replacement even while he took a swing at doing so?

Regardless, Fales may have been given a gift by starting with such apparently low expectations.  He’s had the chance to develop slowly behind other quarterbacks rather than being thrown into the fire too early.  It’s debatable but this is the way many of us still believe it should be done.  No greater example of the benefits could be seen than in the person of Denver quarterback  Brock Osweiler, who beat the Bears and was named AFC offensive player of the week after a solid first start last week.

I’ve very consistently claimed that the Bears need to draft a quarterback of the future sooner rather than later. And I still believe that. But drafting quarterbacks in the first three rounds is a risky business. At minimum Fales may be a good fall back option if the process requires more than one bite at the apple. But you also have to wonder if the Bears aren’t eventually going to find that they were forced to add the quarterback of the future to the roster by necessity last week.

Posted in Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers | Leave a comment

Actual Comments from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Tom Shannon
  1. “Winning that Super Bowl was the worst thing that ever happened to us.  Now we’ll never get rid of McCarthy.”
  2. “Rogers needs to apologize to Favre, Starr and the entire fan base.”
  3. “This may sound blasphemic, but maybe they should slap a retractable roof on Lambeau and take the elements out of play.”
  4. “I wonder if Urban Meyer would be interested in making the jump to the NFL.”
  5. “Thompson should of drafted Roddy White instead of Rodgers and let Brett win another championship instead on intentionaly tanking in 2005.”
  6. “I think Janis slept with McCarthy’s wife.”
  7. “Will be there Thursday. The weather hopefully will wash away some of the stench Favre left.”
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