Month: July 2011

Bear’s Olsen Was on the Trading Block for Eleven Minutes and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Neil Hayes and Sean Jensen at the Chicago Sun-Times report that the Bears have interest in Brad Smith in free agency.
  • Bob LeGere at the Daily Herald explains why Oregon State center Alex Linnenkohl and Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher , both undrafted free agents who signed with the Bears, are players to watch.
  • Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune reports this fascinating story about Greg Olsen and the possibility that the Bears might be offering him as trade bait:

“His agent Drew Rosenhaus sent a mass email to the league’s general managers and personnel people at 7:56 p.m. Wednesday night announcing the Bears were making Olsen available for trade. The email went to scores of people, including Bears general manager Jerry Angelo and contract negotiator Cliff Stein.

“’The Bears have granted me permission to seek a trade for Greg Olsen,’ Rosenhaus wrote. ‘Please let me know if interested. Sounds like the Bears will be very reasonable on the compensation in return for Greg.’”

“But 11 minutes later, Rosenhaus sent another mass email to the same recipients, including Angelo and Stein, asking them to ignore his previous message.

“’Please disregard my previous email regarding Greg Olsen,’ the one-sentence email said.”

Not very likely, Drew.

I can’t imagine what’s going on here.  But between the messed up trade with the Ravens during the draft and things like this, Bears management isn’t exactly inspiring confidence in their organizational skills.

  • The Bears apparently wanted former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Justin Durant but the Lions got him.  That’s unfortunate as the Bears have needed an upgrade at strong side linebacker for a while.  It will be interesting to see what direction they go in now.
  • The Bears are apparently targeting offensive tackles in free agency rather than guards.  ESPN’s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert says that the Steeler’s Willie Colon and the Saints Justin Bushrod are on their radar.

Elsewhere

“Never did I think the Minnesota Vikings would draft a quarterback No. 12 overall, declare him their Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco — i.e., an instant starter on a veteran team — and then acquire a veteran to start ahead of him just before training camp.”

“With the Seahawks pouncing in back-to-back days on former Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and former Vikings receiver Sidney Rice, it’s possible that the folks in Seattle have confused the latter with Jerry and the former with Joe Montana. Or Steve Young.

“The reality is that, during their mutual time in Minnesota, Jackson and Rice never really clicked, even with running back Adrian Peterson pulling a safety to the line of scrimmage on just about every play.”

Assuming he doesn’t take his foot off the gas after getting big money, Rice is a good receiver.  But Tarvaris Jackson is never going to be a consistent quarterback.  I would agree with Florio is that he’s a very leaky vessel to pour much hope in.

One Final Thought

DJ Gallo at ESPN’s Page 2 blog gives us this handy chart to follow for NFL Free Agency:

Kristin Cavallari Is Moving On and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune reports that Chris Harris will be moving to strong safety.  This is a good move by the Bears.  Harris is much more suited to this role with Major Wright likely now taking over the duties at free safety.  Danieal Manning played well at strong safety last year but the Bears are well supplied with those and when he didn’t pan out at free safety with his athleticism, it seemed likely he would be leaving.  Manning figures to make more on the free agent market with his ability as a kick returner than the Bears would have given him.
  • Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Brad Maynard was released in part because of philosophical differences with special teams coach Dave Toub:

“‘There was one person there, and he and I didn’t see eye to eye. I did the best I could with what I was asked to do. There were times I was asked to do things where I told myself, ‘There’s no way I can do this,’ but I kept my mouth shut and did the best I could.’

“When asked if that person was Toub, who is considered one of the best special-teams coaches in the league, Maynard said: ‘Yeah.’”

A staff report from the Chicago Tribune quotes Maynard, a pretty good directional punter, as he adds some details:

“…there were times when I literally would say [let’s kick it] left and he would say right and I would say I can’t go right. The wind is blowing right to left, we need to go left. If I hit it right down the middle it’s going to carry down the left sideline, and he wouldn’t let me do it. “

Elsewhere

“‘What everyone has missed in all of this was there was normal business at the combine (in February) because that was before the lockout,’ the executive said. ‘So there was a lot of free agency and the normal business of tampering per se was done at the combine. A lot of contracts were done at the combine already.’”

“‘I’m also going to tell you there were a lot of undrafted players that were committed during the draft for college free agency,’ the source said. ‘You had normal business, you could call agents and talk about college free agents right up until the last player of the draft was selected. I guarantee you there was a lot of negotiating going on with a lot of players during the draft, probably from the fourth round on down.’”

One Final Thought

Kristin Cavallari tells the world what she’s ready to do now that she’s no longer engaged to Jay Cutler.  I’m guessing that’s going to be quite a long line…  Via The Superficial.

Dating Advice for Jay Cutler and Other Points of View

Bears

“I think they have basically done a poor job of utilizing Israel [Idonije]’s abilities. I’d put him in the three (technique) and just build a fire under him and say ‘go.’ He’s 275 or 280 … at 290 he could be a force. He’s a lot better than, you know, [Tommie] ‘Voodoo’ Harris. He would make one play a game and everyone thought he could play.”

They’ve played Idonije inside before.  I think he does better with room to work and apparently the Bears agree.  Hampton also goes on to praise Corey Wootton, something I was glad to read.  I haven’t seen much from Wootton but its a good sign if Hampton thinks he can play.

“With no great options to replace Olin Kreutz at center on the roster, there is pressure on the Bears to make the right offer to the 13-year veteran whenever free agency begins. He’ll generate interest on the open market and losing him would cost the Bears a solid player and a true leader.”

Kreutz is more valuable to the Bears than anyone else.  He’s an established leader with the Bears whereas he’d be the new guy on the block with any other team.  On the field he struggles with power.  I really don’t think he’ll generate that much interest elsewhere.

Elsewhere

  • ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert points out that under the new rules, there will be no third QB rule where he dresses but is technically inactive.  The impact isn’t major but it is significant as he points out:

“Previously, the third quarterback couldn’t enter a game before the end of the third quarter. If he did, the rest of the team’s quarterbacks were rendered ineligible.”

“…it avoids teams facing the strategic dilemma the Chicago Bears dealt with in the NFC Championship Game. If you recall, starter Jay Cutler (knee) left the game in the third quarter and backup Todd Collins proved so ineffective that coach Lovie Smith decided to replace him with No. 3 quarterback Caleb Hanie.

“As it turned out, the Bears regained possession just before the end of the third quarter. Smith’s dilemma: Send in Hanie right away, thereby rendering Cutler and Collins ineligible for the rest of the game, or proceed two more plays with the quarterback he had already decided to bench.

“Smith chose the latter, running the risk of having no quarterbacks available if Hanie got hurt. Under the new rule, no coach would be forced to balance those awkward and unnecessary options.”

  • Omar Kelly at the South FLorida Sun-Sentinel compares pursuing quarterback Vince Young to “courting that slutty chick at the club who might have herpes”.  The man’s a poet.
  • Guys like Lovie Smith apparently don’t believe much in the “rah, rah”  pre-game speech.  I understand why that might be.  But there’s little doubt it can be effective and that’s evident in this article from Jon Machota at the Dallas Morning News as he describes how Rex Ryan used Jason Garrett before one game when he was with the Ravens.
  • In a development that snuck under the radar, apparently the owners have chosen to address revenue sharing in addition to the new CBA (via Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com).  It will involve a 10% “tax” on local revenue for high revenue teams.  Why don’t they just share a percentage of the revenue amongst themselves?  Better yet, why not implement an incentive plan where the more lower revenue teams try to generate )(e.g. through selling stadium naming rights), the more they get from the others?  These options would have made more sense to me.

Frankly, I always thought that more sharing should involve more central NFL control of the franchise finances.  That way no one can complain that the owners themselves aren’t doing enough to raise money.

“There are going to be so many injuries this year. There has been zero offseason training this year. All these guys coming off injuries have had to be off somewhere else rehabbing on their own. It’s scary when you look at some of the injuries a lot of big-time players have had to deal with. Peyton Manning had neck surgery. James Harrison is coming off a back. Frank Gore had a fractured hip. There’s a big benefit to working with the same doctor or same training staff. The lockout’s effect could be disastrous on the field.”

One Final Thought

E! News reports that Jay Cutler has broken up with Kristin Cavallari:

“’Jay got cold feet,’ a source close to the couple told E! News. ‘Kristin is stunned.’  The source said the couple had been disagreeing over some issues recently, particularly how Cavallari would balance her career while living in Chicago with Cutler during the football season.”

As usual, The Superficial writer has a perceptive comment:

“Maybe I’m something of a traditionalist, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to choose football over your wife after you marry her, not before so you can at least have sex one last time on your honeymoon. Also, that’s how you get her to angrily bring you a sandwich before telling you to fuck yourself and going shopping. Sure she just whipped it at your face and texted her old boyfriend on the way to Target, but the important thing is you didn’t have to get up off the couch.”

Some Tips on How to Identify a Great Quarterback

In one of the most interesting features to the day, at least to me, Dan Pompei at the National Football Post asks agent of the quarterback stars Leigh Steinberg about how he identifies quarterback talent.  I recommend reading all of it but I thought it might be worth highlighting a few of what I thought were his unique insights:

“A quarterback has to be able to be able to elevate his play in the clutch. Steinberg talks about wanting his QBs to have a ‘quiet mind’ when the volume is turned up. ‘Most games are close,’ he said. ‘They often come down to one drive. When a quarterback has thrown interceptions, his team is behind, and he has to be perfect on a final drive, what does he do? That’s so important. You want a quiet mind. I used to see Ben Roethlisberger multitask—he would watch TV, take five phone calls, be on his computer. But he could tune out every extraneous thing, and focus on task at hand. He has a quiet mind.’”

“Strong roots make for sturdy branches. In 1993, Steinberg was in the pole position to land Rick Mirer. Then he met [Drew] Bledsoe. And he met Bledsoe’s family. Bledsoe’s father Mac especially impressed Steinberg. As a result, Steinberg chose to pursue Bledsoe instead of Mirer. ‘I saw the stability and security from that family, and how his father was a great motivator,’ Steinberg said. ‘We look at that aspect of a player’s background, his bloodlines. When I met Jim Harbaugh’s father, I knew what we had there. Steve Young’s father [LeGrande] played at Brigham Young and his nickname was ‘Grit.’’

“Willingness to be a role model reveals character. Steinberg only wanted players who would give back. ‘If they are interested in retracing their roots, they tend to be of high character,’ he said.”

When I look at many of the quarterbacks that have failed over the course of my lifetime, most didn’t have many or most of these characteristics.  If you want a good example, Vince Young is the poster boy.  On the other hand most of the greats had these characteristics.  They’re obviously very general rules but they certainly seem to be legitimate characteristics to look for.

Carimi May Struggle and Other Points of View

Bears

“The downside with staying at Halas Hall is it would eliminate or greatly reduce fans’ opportunities to see the team practice, and it also would reduce the team’s ability to sell jerseys, car flags and foam Bearheads to those fans.”

“His jack-of-all-trades skill set has led to the idea that he isn’t an elite running back (he has no Pro Bowl or All-Pro nominations in his career), but a closer look at the numbers shows that he can actually go toe-to-toe with Adrian Peterson for the title of best running back in the NFC North.

“Really.”

Joyner then dives into the numbers which are pretty comprehensive.

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune comments:

“The Bears have an immense amount of work to do to prepare for the season, but eventually they need to determine what they will do with Forte, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

“Few would select Forte over Peterson if given the choice, but Forte doesn’t have any apparent weaknesses and has been a workhorse for the Bears, not missing a game in his first three seasons.”

“The Bears safety is one of those players who not only has his responsibilities down pat, but also the responsibilities of the ten guys around him. He has a good football mind, and also is an armchair strategist who stays in coaches’ ears with ideas. Harris studies teams around the league, and sometimes comes up with blitz suggestions for his coaches, or points out potential vulnerabilities in coverages.”

I’m a bit surprised Pompei doesn’t include center Olin Kreutz in this list.

  • Pompei includes this very interesting section of his NFL Sunday Blitz column on the advantages of face-to-face visits and relationships in college scouting.
  • Pompei isn’t as high on the Bears signing Mike Sims-Walker as I am because of his off the field issues.  He’s got a point.
  • Bear fans might also take a message away from this item from Pompei:

“The lockout has dimmed the hopes of the Colts’ coaching staff for Anthony Castonzo. With the benefit of a full offseason, the Colts thought Castonzo might have been able to step right in and start at left tackle from day one. Without OTAs, the Colts are dubious about Castonzo’s chances to be an immediate starter. They do believe he will be a quick study however. It’s possible at some point during the season he will be ready to start.”

New Bears tackle Gabe Carimi won’t have the option of sitting the bench this year.  I find that there are a disturbing number of Bear fans out there who expect him to solve all the problems on the offensive line.  The truth is that he might be in for a rough time.  The Bears might still sign at least one free agent but, far from helping, Carimi may well be a liability for a while.

  • On a related note, Pompei expects the offense to be more efficient this year, the second under offensive coordinator Mike Martz.  They didn’t look too efficient against the Packers and without an offseason to improve over that and to train a new rookie tackle, I have my doubts that they’ll be much better, at least initially.
  • Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler are registered at Crate and Barrel and Williams-Sonoma.  Many of the items seem to be knives, presumably to secret away in various parts of his uniform to protect himself from pass rushers who running around J’Marcus Webb on the left.

Elsewhere

“I guess we’re getting ready to find out whether the Packers overslept or were the smart ones. I truly think the answer varies per team. But most of the Packers’ offensive players have been together for at least three years.“

True.  But they will surely be rustier than usual and arguably rustier than their counter parts in the NFC North.  And with no peer pressure to keep them motivated, there might – maybe – be more players out of shape.  We’ll see.

“I am amazed at the amount of players that were arrested during this uncalled-for lockout. My question is what punishment if any can the league bestow upon them…
Chuck Durante, Gulin, China

“All along, the NFL has maintained that they can punish players who ran afoul of the league’s conduct policy during the lockout. Whether they will, or whether they can get away with it legally, remains to be seen.”

I can’t imagine this is legal and I hope the league doesn’t try.  I’ve had enough of lawyers.

“Let’s hear what Dan Snyder thinks and then do the exact opposite.”

One Final Thought

Finally, Pompei comments on the NFL lockout:

“Looks like we’ll have a settlement right before anyone starts losing money. Isn’t that how we figured it would work all along?”

No.  Having lived through most of the baseball strikes of the eighties and nineties and having lost a World Series, no.  I did not expect it to end this soon.

And don’t tell me the NFL owners are too smart for that.  I’m not at all convinced that’s true.  Just as is the case in baseball, some of them undoubtedly are.  But not enough.  Not two-thirds.

I’m glad it looks like it will end soon and I could only speculate as to what the difference was now versus then (probably Roger Goodell).  But I’m grateful there was one because I could have easily seen this going into October.

Corey Wootton Talk and Other Points of View

Bears

  • ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert doesn’t think the Hall of Fame game is going to happen if an agreement isn’t reached until July 21 (as has been reported).  It says here that its a nationally televised game with a lot of money at stake for both the players and the owners.  I’m betting they’ll find a way to play it.
  • Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune quotes offensive coordinator Mike Martz as saying that the team could be ready in one day to play the Hall of Fame game.  Maybe the coaching staff could be ready but I doubt the players would be.
  • Steve Rosenbloom at the Chicago Tribune gives his unique take on the NFL lockout:

“Me, I’m rooting for the lawyers in this one. If you are a Bears fan, a Bears player or a Bears wonk, I suggest you do the same, and here’s why:

“If the NFL and the players can’t strike a deal to end the lockout by July 21, then it would be almost impossible for Jay Cutler to be forced to run for his life in the Hall of Fame Game.”

  • Biggs also interviews Corey Wootton.  The Bears are depending upon Wooton to step up in the role of situational pass rusher this year.  I didn’t seen much in his play his first year to indicate he’s likely to do that and I’ve been pretty down on him.  However one thing guys like me tend to under-estimate is how much a year in an NFL training program can do to improve an athlete’s performance:

“’I’m a lot leaner now and I have more strength on me,’ Wootton said. ‘I went up in all my lifts significantly. I’m feeling really strong, really explosive. I really feel like I am at a point where I am past where I was in college. With coach (Rod) Marinelli, it’s all about speed and quickness.’”

Michael C. Wright at ESPNChicago.com agrees but thinks the loss of the offseason workout program might be an issue as he gives an interesting assessment of Wootton:

“Wootton, meanwhile, is still very raw. One of the biggest knocks on Wootton is his tendency to play with his pad level too high. Well, that’s something preached at the earliest stages of football, and something Wootton still has to master before he can seriously challenge for the starting job. In addition to his speed and quickness, one thing Wootton has on his side is intensity. But he still has to harness the fundamentals before he can fully unleash it. A year in an official offseason program would have really helped Wootton.”

  • Robert O’Neill at The Bleacher Report suggests 10 wide receivers that the Bears should be looking at in free agency.  Though I don’t agree with some (e.g. Randy Moss), there are also some good possibilities on this list (e.g. Mike Sims-Walker).
  • Plaxico Burress would love to be in Chicago but according to the Sun-Times the Bears aren’t likely to reciprocate.  There was a time when the Bears were interested in Burress and rumor had it they were going to draft him.  But I would agree that Burress doesn’t fit the current offense nor does his personality fit the organization.
  • Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune talks to Devin Hester.  Hester thinks the Bears should sign Santana Moss.  Since “Hester” and “think” should never appear in the same sentence, let’s go straight to Lovie Smith (from the same article):

“If Moss is available and the Bears pursue him, some might question why Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith and crew would want to add a 5-foot-10-inch receiver to a mix that already includes the 5-11 Hester and 6-footers Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett.

“’That small stuff is overrated,’ Smith said this offseason. ‘You look for receivers who can catch the ball and move the chains.’”

To an extent, Smith has a point.  Its not the size they need so much as someone who can get off the line of scrimmage against press coverage.  They could also use another receiver around the goal line.  Size helps with those things but if Moss can do them (especially the first), its not relevant.

“Chicago Bears
“Cap status: About $37 million under

“Comment: If anything, the Bears will have to spend significantly in order to exceed the cap “floor,” or the minimum expenditure required. Regardless, all indications have been that the Bears are prepared to be active in free agency. At least one starting-caliber offensive lineman should be on their shopping list.“

Elsewhere

  • The boys at Kissing Suzy Kolber have gotten a hold of the transcript from Jon Gruden’s latest interview with Terrelle Pryor.  Here’s an excerpt:

“Jon Gruden: Terrelle Pryor! You kiddin’ me? This guy! This guy’s a football player! No way no how! Get out of here! I’m tellin’ ya!

Terrelle Pryor: Thank you for having me. That’ll be $85.”

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One Final Thought

Brandon at the ACME Packing Company (a Packers blog) disagrees with Ben Fawkes at ESPN (a grim assessment of the Bears chances to make the playoffs this year).  He thinks the Bears will be just as good next season:

“Julius Peppers was a perfect fit for their defense last season, and they should return next season with a similar starting cast. Defense can be inconsistent from year-to-year, and last season their defense only allowed 286 points (4th best in the NFL), so they could have a problem if they allow 375 points (as they did in 2009). While I don’t see any reason why their defense should be notably worse next season, the only reason they fall out of playoff contention next season is if their defense takes a step back.”

A big part of the success of the Bears defense was thier amazing health last year.  I can’t imagine it happening again.  Though Brandon makes a good point, I find myself in the odd position of agreeing with Fawkes and disagreeing with a Packer fan who has nice things to say about the Bears.  Hell freezing over in three…  two…  one…

Lambeau Should Be a Nice, Family Place This Year and Other Points of View

Bears

“‘[Jay Cutler] was one of the first guys who texted me and told me that they were throwing,’ Enderle said. ‘He was very helpful. He said I could stay with him if I didn’t have a place to stay. Everything he’s done has been very helpful to me.’”

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  • Dan Pompei, also at the Chicago Tribune, wrote an interesting column on the lasting impact of the 1987 NFL player’s strike.  No surprise that Mike Ditka has no regrets about the way he handled the situation.  But pretty much everyone else would say that he couldn’t have done it much worse.
  • Skip Bayless, the only newspaper man in the business whose name tells you what to do with his column, picks Julius Peppers as his number one defensive player in the league in this ESPN video.

“With a (possible) franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler and a perpetually strong defense, expectations are high in Chicago for this coming season. But should they be?

“In reality, the Bears are a deeply-flawed team and last season’s success — including five games won by five points or fewer — masked Chicago’s true deficiencies. This year they will be hard-pressed to duplicate last season, and make it back to the playoffs.

“There are several reasons. But they boil down to the Bears’ offensive line issues, a lack of offensive playmakers and several intangibles working against them.”

This article is spot on, pointing to most of the issues we’re aware of and adding the difficulty of the schedule which I hadn’t thought of.  It’s worth a read if you have Insider access.

Elsewhere

“Before we get into the actual routes, we need to know when the WR is going to break. And outside of the 3-step game (Slant, Flat), every route breaks at a depth of 12-15 yards. Why is that important? Double moves. If you are playing defensive back and see the WR stutter his feet at a depth of 8-yards, expect him to get vertical up the field—because there isn’t a route that breaks at 8-yards. However, remember one very important detail: if the WR doesn’t break his route between a depth of 12-15 yards, you better open your hips and run. Because he is running straight down the field.”

“Michael Huff leaves something to be desired,” Sapp said. “I watched Huff for two years, not pick a pass off in practice. I seen him make a couple plays, lately. I’d really be interested to see his tape and watch his last couple of years because his first two make you want to throw up watching him practice.”

Huff is a free agent and work ethic is an issue with him.

“[Redskins Head coach Mike] Shanahan’s decision to trade for McNabb was the worst of his career. Then Shanahan and his son, Kyle, Washington’s offensive coordinator, compounded the error while clumsily all but removing the six-time Pro Bowler from a 6-10 team.”

“The Shanahans did so much to devalue McNabb that the Redskins should not expect to receive much in exchange for a player beginning his 13th season. Also, teams are expected to ask McNabb to rework his contract to facilitate a trade, so the Redskins will need his cooperation, limiting potential trading partners.”

There’s little doubt it was a huge mistake.  In my opinion McNabb never fit the offense and Shanahan was far too stubborn to adjust it to make it fit.  And I’ve always thought McNabb was overrated, anyway.  But a conditional sixth round pick?  He’s better than that.  It says here they get a fourth rounder from someone desperate for a veteran quarterback.

  • Many NFL rookies come with a little baggage in the form of an asault charge or a failed drug test here and there.  But the case of New York Jets third round pick Kendrick Ellis may be a little extreme:

“Ellis was indicted a month before the April draft on the charge of malicious wounding, a Class 3 felony in Virginia. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

 

A potential complication is that Ellis is not a U.S. citizen, ESPNNewYork.com has learned. Ellis, a native of Jamaica who moved to Florida at the age of 11, has “permanent resident” status. A permanent resident convicted of an aggravated felony is deportable, according to immigration law.”

  • At least one un-named league executive isn’t convinced that Jon Gruden’s glowing assessment of Terrelle Pryor is the end of that story.  Via Evan Silva at ProFootballTalk.com:

“’He’s not a well-liked kid,’ the unnamed exec told John Keim of the Washington Examiner. ‘Very self-absorbed. He doesn’t have the leadership you want in a quarterback. I’ve got more issues with that than his arm.’

“The executive did acknowledge that Pryor has NFL-caliber physical tools.”

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One Final Thought

Liquor, guns and football.  Good luck with that, Wisconsin.

Will Olin Kreutz Attract Attention in the Free Agent Market?

Most Bear fans (and apparently team officials) believe that Bears center Olin Kreutz will likely be a Bear next year.  But Sean Jensen at the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that another team may take a run at Kreutz.

“First, without OTAs and minicamps, teams will be scrambling to solidify their starting lineups, especially up front.”

“Second, there are a handful of teams that might be in the market for a veteran center.”

“Third, if players get the high salary-cap floor in a new CBA, many teams will need to spend money.”

“The Baltimore Ravens lured Matt Birk away from the Minnesota Vikings with a three-year $12 million contract, half of which was guaranteed. But there were concerns about Birk’s health because of hernia and hip injuries.

That probably won’t be enough for Kreutz.”

First, the Bears might give Kreutz more than that for one year.  But I can’t imagine they’ll sign him for three at his age.  And for good reason.  As pointed out in the article, he struggles inside against power in running situations.  That’s bad news in a division with stellar defensive tackles.  The Bears eventually need to upgrade the position even as they plan to replace him.

But I really doubt anyone is going to pay Kreutz more than the Bears will.  The reason is very simple.  He’s currently more valuable to the Bears than he would be to anyone else.  He provides the team with needed leadership, bringing respect and authority that a veteran coming into a team like San Francisco for one year simply can’t exert.

If the Bears can’t resign Kreutz because some team wants to throw money at him, so be it.  He was a great Bear and I wish him luck.  I wouldn’t say he won’t be missed but strictly in terms of play on the field, the Bears will find someone comparable to play the position and someone else will just have to step up into a leadership role on offense.  But, like almost everyone else involved, I expect him to be back.