The Chicago Bears Fan Forum

The Bears

• The prevailing wisdom is that with the players on both sides of the line, the Minnesota Vikings are the odds on favorite to win the division. Those that aren’t buying this are generally buying into the idea that, even without Brett Favre, the Packers will repeat. But the odds makers in Vegas, apparently aren’t so sure. The over-under for wins for the Bears, Packers and Vikings is the same at 8.

• The Bears released kicker Shane Longest. Ordinarily they probably would have carried him into camp to provide some “competition” for Robbie Gould but Gould just signed a new contract so he’s not going anywhere. This is probably more significant because it’s partly the result of the effectively smaller camp rosters. Teams no longer get NFL Europe exemptions. It’s probably not a big deal but kickers all over the league will be getting more work in camp, possibly wearing down a little more before the season starts. It also means less exposure in preseason games for young kickers who are hoping to eventually catch on with another team and less opportunity for teams to view them in preparation for the possibility of replacing injured players.

• So I’ve heard of Israel Idonije but I have no idea who this “I-Train” guy is.

• While a few fans might miss Mike North on WSCR in the morning, the fact that management there decided not to renew his contract could mean good things for Bears fans. The odds are good that Mike Mulligan will be filling the morning slot along with Brian Hanley and Lawrence Holmes will be involved in the mid-morning slot. That means a pretty heavy football influence. Among others, WSCR has reached out to Tommie Harris to guest host next week.

Elsewhere

• Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com is speculating that the Packers interest in Jason Taylor is linked to the health of defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.

• To no one’s surprise, the Bellogio is disputing Javon Walker’s claim that he was kidnapped from the hotel. Rumor has it that Walker was knocked out and robbed after being lured into taking a woman home, a much more believable story. I’m not sure why Walker would lie but if there was ever proof that you don’t have to be a genius to play WR in the NFL, this is it. This cannot end well for him.

• The Dolphin’s Will Allen is rapidly becoming a poster boy for why players shouldn’t be allowed to be involved with gambling. He’s now been sued by former agent Tom Condon. Allen agreed to make payments to Condon which never made it to him. Recall that Allen was recently involved in a gun incident which allegedly involved gambling debts. So when does it progress from guns to, “Hey, just let a few guys get open on you and it will all be wiped out”?

One Last Thought

• I can’t believe that anyone who has watched the Bears over the last two decades would rate Joey Harrington as the worst QB in NFL history. But that is apparently what happened at pro-football-reference.com. The rating is based entirely upon statistics which shows definitively just how worthless they really are.

The draft is over.  Free agents have been signed, and all the OTA’s and mini-camps are in the books.  For the next four and one half weeks the only news we hear (hopefully) is when all the remaining draft choices sign their contracts.

Cedric Benson was shown the door and cleared waivers.  Clearing waivers wasn’t unexpected, but to some of us, the fact that he still has not been signed is perhaps a little surprising.

Matt Forte seems to be in the mold of Tommie Harris in that he is well spoken and seems to say all the right things.  Time will tell, but his mild mannered well spoken remarks remind me of another running back from a generation ago.  Quietly Forte has assumed the starting RB position before the first snap in Bourbonnais.

The QB competition appears to be genuine.  Obviously we the fans have no idea and must wait until the pre-season before we can see who the fans think should win the starting job.

The surprising news from the Spring has been the play of Brandon Lloyd and Rashied Davis.  Both have earned high praises from the coaching staff.  When reading message boards there are several doubting Thomas’ thinking how we can trust anything from this coaching staff.  There is one regular poster at the Tribunes Bears Board that refers to the Head Coach and OC as “Sleepy Smith” and “Turner Less.”

There is also a growing trend on that board to crucify Angelo and Smith for retaining such an inexperienced coaching staff.  Preferring higher profile coordinators and line coaches.  They constantly refer to the OL coach as “Harry the Hymen.”

I think back to what I have witnessed over the years….  The Bears last championship pre-Super Bowl era was in 1963, when I was only 6 years old.  The Sayers-Butkus years that were all about those two but there was little talent beyond that.

The 1969 season when the team was so terrible, it won only one game, then preceeded to lose the coin toss that had serious ramifications giving the Pittsburgh Steelers the rights to the first selection overall in the 1970 draft which became Terry Bradshaw.  By the way, the only team the Bears beat in 1969?  The Pittsburgh Steelers.

Shortly after that the Bears began the Soldier Field era and although they got off to a good start, lost 6 of their last seven games to finish 6-8. 

Then of course came the Abe Gibron era, the darkest time in Bears History. 

In 1974 the leading rusher could only account for 475 yards and I doubt if anyone here remembers the name of the runningback.  The LEADER IN POINTS SCORED THAT WASN’T A KICKER HAD ONLY 18 POINTS.
By the way the runningback?  Ken Grandberry.

Back to the present… If I am not mistaken, Lovie Smith got this team  that was as hapless when he took over from Dick Jauron as when Ditka took over the team in 1982.  Smith won more games than Ditka and got the team to the Super Bowl a year sooner. 

We can only wonder what our defense could have done in Miami if Mike Brown had been healthy.  Ditto when you throw in the likes of Tommie Harris.  When Manning blew the coverage on the Colts first TD in the Super Bowl we all know it would have never happened if Brown had been in the lineup.

One year later, a lot of fans have turned on this coaching staff.  Some say they are laughable.  Other’s say it is the worst staff assembled in the league.

I will ask how did our OL coach allow Miller and R. Brown to remain in the line when they were getting beat week in and week out.  The problems with last year all start with the OL.

Then of course the defense became decimated by injuries.  First it was Dvoracek and Mike Brown in game one.  Harris, Vasher, Tillman and Briggs all suffered injuries in the Dallas game.  The defense played the following week with ALL FOUR DEFENSIVE BACKS that were not starting in week one, yet for a stretch beginning in the second quarter and lasting until late into the third, held Detroit to only 37 yards on 6 possessions (not counting a one play “drive” to end the first half when the QB down the ball for a one yard loss).

The defense appears to be healthy again and the focus for everyone this year is squarely on offense and rightfully so.  Gone are 5 starters from a year ago (Muhammad, Berrian, Benson, Brown and Miller).  When one considers John Tait will be linig up at RT this year it will mean at least 6 positions will have a new man at the top of the depth chart in 2008 and it could be more. 

Fans are fearing there is no way this offense can be productive with so many changes need only to look at the Cleveland Browns of just a year or two ago.

Those same naysayers on the message boards have opined neither Orton or Grossman have enough talent to lead an NFL offense.  Never mind the 10 games Grossman put up 90 plus ratings in 2006.  Unfortunately, all they remember are the bad games. 

This year will be different.  Let’s hope the differences will all be for the good of the franchise and we all get to see how dynamic Turner’s offense can be.

Training camp begins in just 31 days.

The Bears

• Apparently the NFL rookies, all of whom are required to tour the Hall of Fame, ask most about Walter Payton:

“The one guy they all seem to know about is Walter Payton,” said tour coordinator Joe Horrigan of the former Chicago Bears running back. “It’s just the mystique. I think it’s the personality, the nickname ‘Sweetness,’ and everyone really revered him as a guy that put his heart and soul into the game.”

Hopefully they will come away remembering Payton as an example to them all of what a lasting impact you can have on future generations if you not only perform, but do it the right way both on and off the field.

• Staff writer Reed Schreck of The Rockford Registar Star reminds us that the Bears do still have a couple of pretty good tight ends.

• The Bear’s Jerry Angelo is on a newly formed committee of GMs the prupose of which will be to protect and support the integrity of the game, expand the use of technology, focus on player development and scouting opportunities, and develop innovative ideas to improve the Pro Bowl, Scouting Combine, NFL Draft, and preseason. I’m not exactly sure how he was chosen or why but it sounds like the committee is now in charge of running the NFL. Congratuations, Mr. Commiss… I mean Jerry.

• From PFW’s Audibles column:

“Brian Urlacher may be a great player, but he’s not a very smart guy. The Bears tried to pacify him and offered him more money, and he went public with the negotiation. When a team is attacked publicly, rarely does it result in a positive outcome. (Urlacher) has been hurt a lot. He’s on the downside of his career. He may be the face of the franchise now, but the face is going to start peeling off if he does not stop crying. You saw what happened with Lance Briggs. His agent gave him bad advice. He thought he was worth more than he was, and he came walking back to the Bears with his tail between his legs. Where Urlacher could hurt himself the most is with his life after football. I was through Chicago, and they were killing him on the radio, questioning why he was crying to the papers. All they do is talk sports in that city, and it did not sound like he had a lot of support. Look at Michael Jordan on the back end of his career. He was playing for nothing and donating his salary to charity. From an individual marketing perspective, what Urlacher is doing is not smart.”

• At least one running back reportedly doesn’t believe the Bears won’t be looking for more veteran help at the position. Kevin Jones apparently still thinks his time might come:

“Maybe that’s their plan right now, but things happen; changes are made all the time,” Jones said. “I’m still open-minded. No team shows all its cards. We’ll see what happens in the future.”

Translation: “Yeah, they want me. They’re just playing coy.” We’ll see “what happens in the future” after Jones comes to terms with reality and accepts the fact that he’s not going to get paid a lot of money.

• The Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh wrote another strong column after Lovie Smith tried to compare the Bears to the boston Celtics, who went from last to first in the NBA this year.

“Actually, Smith invoking the Celtics only brings more attention to what the Bears didn’t do in the off-season than what they plan to do next season. It contrasts how one pro sports organization boldly went out and engineered a roster good enough to win it all compared with one that oddly clung to the status quo.”

• The Sun-Time’s Mike Mulligan also points out that a lot is going to have to go right for the Bears this year, something I totally agree with. Pretty tough winning with a rookie at left tackle and a new starting left offensive guard. I can’t be optimistic, either.

• Nice work by the Bears and agent Drew Rosenhaus getting Tommie Harris signed. It looked to me like a compromise on both ends. The Bears sisn’t have to tear up the last year of Harris’ comtract, something I understand that they don’t like to do. In return, Harris gets to hit the free agent market again before he’s thirty. The deal is worth $27 million in the first three years and and $40 million overall, probably close to what both sides wanted, though perhaps slightly less than I thought Harris would get in the end. He’s the highest paid interior lineman in the league but truth be told he’s every bit as valuable to the Bears as a top notch DE. But it would be hard to understate how highly I think of Harris so that’s a less than objective view.

In any case as a Bears fan I consider this pretty much to be the accomplishment of the team’s number one goal of the offseason. It was less immediate in that the Bears would have franchised him but it was far more important long-term than anything else, even drafting a left offensive tackle. Simply put, Harris is the key to the defense. They are never the same without him.

Elsewhere

• The Packers went 13-3 but were apparently so emotionally scarred by losing twice to the Bears that they are changing their defensive scheme. They plan to blitz more aggressively, probably having Rex Grossman Vs. the San Diego Chargers (or Rex Grossman Vs anybody) in the backs of their minds.

• Apparently the Packers are also paying close attention to what Minnesota is doing. Since they signed Jared Allen, Green Bay apparently feels obligated to go one better. They have reportedly made inquiries about Jason Taylor. He’ll be so pleased to be traded to Green Bay where he can hang out with all the other movie/TV stars that live there. I’m sure he’ll be a dedicated contributor.

One Last Thought

Is anyone out there actually buying this story of Javon Walker’s that he was robbed, abducted and left on the street? What’s wrong with just saying, “Yeah, I was acting like a jerk, someone took offense and beat the crap out of me”?

The Bears

• With the release of Cedric Benson, Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News thinks the Bears should go ahead give up on first rounder Rex Grossman while they’re at it. He thinks they should start Kyle Orton.

• Speaking of Benson, his attorney, Sam Bassett, had hoped the Bears would wait until getting “the entirety of the
  record,”:

“I’ve represented professionals, bankers, lawyers and they all got a much fairer shake than Cedric did from his employer. I was hopeful they could take a look at more of the picture.”

I’m sure Bassett is a very good lawyer. But he obviously wouldn’t know a football if someone stuffed one up his rear. If he did, he would know that, perhaps more than in any other profession, being a team player is about discipline and accountability. Benson rarely showed either one on or off the field in the two years he was with the Bears. They were more than patient enough.

• To no one’s great surprise, Benson wasn’t popular with teammates. This is per Jay Glazer at Fox Sports who, when asked by Dan Patrick asked if he got the information from a Bears player, responded “No, it wasn’t a Bears defensive player. It was about ten of them.”

• Some interesting comments from Bears full back Jason McKie on Scout.com. Innocuous on the surface but let’s look into his mind to see what he really meant:

On the message about protecting your job by avoiding trouble off the field. “I think a lot of people already had that message clear.”

Translation: “Everyone except that moron Benson already had that message clear.”

“When Coach Smith first came here, he said he was going to treat us like real men. He said, ‘You’ve got to be real men on and off the field, and you’ve got to carry yourself in that way.’

Translation: “You’ve got to carry yourself like a man and Cedric never grew up into one.”

• Former Bear DE Michael Haynes decided to sound off on Benson as well.

“Cedric has always been lazy. Cedric was lazy when he first got to Chicago, and I guarantee you he is lazy now. It’s the work ethic that a lot of teammates didn’t like.”

It isn’t exactly Brian Urlacher talking here but I think we are getting the picture. Benson had a reputation around the league for not working hard even before former teammates started talking. Drunk/gun toting/wife beater you can be in the NFL and there will always be one more chance. But “lazy” without the talent to make up for it?

Benson might really have a hard time finding a training camp slot. He couldn’t be trusted to sacrifice for the team. Not off the field. Not on the field. There’s probably no worse thing you could say about a professional athlete in the NFL.

• Speaking of sacrificing for the team, kudos to Urlacher for coming in to [coughvoluntarycough] OTAs. Here’s hoping he gets the extension that he deserves. He’s a true pro.

• The Tribune’s David Haugh writes that with performances in mini-camp by Devin Hester and Brandon Lloyd that were surprisingly good, not only might Mark Bradley not be the number one receiver, he might have a tough time seeing the field at all. So what else is new…

Elsewhere

• Marcus Vick has evidently taken it upon himself to carry on with activities worthy of the family name. Vick was arrested after trying to speed away from a police officer after being addressed by a police officer. He was charged with a DUI, eluding police, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. Think what a team that prison is going to have some day!

• Those Mario Manningham fans who wanted the Bears to take him should note that he is in serious danger of being cut by the Giants.

One Last Thought

ESPN is going to roughly double the population of Green Bay week one of the NFL season.

Upon hearing the news, Jason, a member of the email forum attached to this site writes:

“Awesome. They should only bother filming Favre from the waste up when he gets his jersey retired. Everything below the waste will be getting, uh, serviced by ESPN.”

As I mentioned earlier, I had the pleasure to attend the first Bears Expo at Soldier Field this past weekend.

Aside from the ultimate distraction provided by the now ex-Bear Cedric Benson, the weekend was a great experience.

A few highlights:

There are, of course, no secrets that were uncovered.  However, there were a few interesting items shared….

Brandon Lloyd won’t break any speed records, but has been catching everything in sight.

Rashied Davis, is apparently stronger and looks quicker.  Every coach that made a comment about him said he has taken his game to another level.

There are no real plans to reduce Hester’s ST play.

Speaking of Hester, Ron Turner explained how the two spoke after the season and Hester said he wanted to be more involved in the passing game.  Turner told him he had to commit to it right then… So far, he has apparently looked good in the OTA’s and mini-camp.

Izzie Idonije has added 20 LBS to his frame and will be used more often in the regular DT rotation. 

The Bears plan is to carry 7 Defensive Lineman….

Forte continues to say all the right things.

One seminar had old players including Allan Ellis, Hilgenberg, Thayer and McMichael from Super Bowl fame and Glen Koslowski….  They spent a lot of time talking about the greatness of Walter Payton….

Two of those player’s (I can’t recall which two) said they like Kyle Orton….

There was a retired official there that went over some of the rule changes for the upcoming year.  I can’t remember his name, but he is the official that will forever be tied to Jerry Glanville:  It was he who Glanville belittled in the film clip saying the NFL means Not For Long….. 

The autograph lines were well done and moved quickly.

The locker room was suprisingly small, so it left me to wonder how small the locker room was BEFORE Soldier Field was renovated!!!

I was extremely disappointed in the way the field appeared.  The middle of the field looks like it has been re-sodded….  I wish they would have taken a serious look at other options for the field….

The entire event was, IMO, extremely well done.

Yes, the coaches are still high on Rex Grossman.  It will be very interesting to see how  the QB competition is handled in camp.

One thing is certain, there is an air of anticapation throughout the organization that things will be different this year.  It wasn’t so much what they were saying, it was just an aura of determination that permeated through anyone speaking.

The Bears

• Alex Brown had some interesting comments for the Bloomington Panatgraph:

“I believe the team is behind (Grossman),” Brown said. “I think that shows because we didn’t go out on the free agent market and get a big-time player. We didn’t go get a first-round quarterback because we believe we have a big-time quarterback.

“The first time Rex started 16 games in his career we went to the Super Bowl, so it’s kind of hard to say that he can’t play. He can play the game.”

Brown also supports Cedric Benson, who was arrested for DUI in Texas earlier Saturday following a similar incident involving a boat last month.

“I did not hear the news today. Cedric is a big part of our team and we need him on the field. We stand behind him. We need him here with a clear mind and focusing on football, and I’m sure that’s what we’re going to get.”

Brown might have felt differently if he’d been at the Bear Expo answering question after question about how they feel about Benson. Nice timing, Ced.

•  The Bears put in a claim to pick up former Tamp Bay QB Jeff Gradkowski off waivers. The Rams got him because they had priority. I doubt this will turn out to be a great loss but he was probably worth a look.

• From PFW’s Whispers column:

Our daily Bears observers tell us veteran John Tait, the starting left tackle last season, has looked right at home at right tackle, his new position in the starting lineup. At left tackle, top draft pick Chris Williams has yet to claim the starter’s role from John St. Clair, but our sources fully expect Williams to be the starting left tackle by the end of training camp. In the early going at left guard, veteran Terrence Metcalf has been handling the starting role, while Josh Beekman, another supposed top candidate for the job, has seen action mostly as the backup center so far this offseason, behind Olin Kreutz.

Elsewhere

• Former Bear Roosevelt Colvin can’t seem to find a job. He’s being linked to the Texans.

• Four witnesses put Buffalo RB Marshawn Lynch behind the wheel of his vehicle when it was involved in a hit and run. Accidents happen but when you run away and aren’t accountable for them, it reflects badly on you both on and off the field. Not good.

• Glad to see that Arlen Specter isn’t letting Spygate die. He’s still calling for a “Mitchell-type” investigation. Don’t hold your breath, Arlen. If you want it done right, you’ll have to do it yourself.

• This one might be worth keeping an eye on. A former steroids dealer had recently met with NFL officials and gave them names of players who had bought steroids from him. He was found shot dead on Thursday.

One Last Thought

ESPN’s Sal Palantonio rates former Bear and current Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher as one of the two most overrated coaches in the NFL. And so, once again, we see why we should put no stock what so ever in what national media commentators say.

Very slow news week. Here’s hoping things pick up with the Bears Expo this weekend.The Bears

• The Chicago Tribune’s Rick Morrissey wrote and interesting column on the Rex Grossman/Kyle Orton QB competition the other day. It expresses my point of view pretty well. But maybe it doesn’t. But maybe it does…

• Pat Kirwan at NFL.com writes about camp battles to keep an eye on, highlight among others, the batle betwen Grossman and Orton:

Then, of course, there are the head-to-head battles between veterans that should have happened years ago but finally will take place in 2008. In Chicago, Rex Grossman has been promised nothing and Kyle Orton gets his shot to overtake the former first-round pick. As Lovie Smith said recently: “We’ll let it play out.” The Bears probably should have done that in 2006.

I’m not at all sure they’re really doing it now, Pat. Ask Smith who starts if its a tie. Yeah. Its Grossman’s job to lose. Case closed.

Having said that, Kirwan had this interesting statement:

I get the feeling in talking to Bears players that Orton has the huddle presence and the personality to win over the team.

• Larry Mayer answers the question of whether Devin Hester is likely to start this year at WR:

There’s no doubt in my mind that Devin Hester can emerge as an elite starting receiver in the NFL this season. We’re all familiar with his incredible speed and explosiveness, but what often gets overlooked is that he has tremendous hands. I know he’s muffed some punts the past two seasons, but I think that’s more due to a lack of concentration. Working on offense in practice, he already catches the ball like a starting receiver. He just needs more reps to improve his timing and knowledge of the defense, and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people this season.

“lack of concentration” I guess that’s techinically accurate. Very accurate… Mayer also says that Dusty Dvoracek participated in mini-camp. It was my understanding that he stayed on the sideline so that’s good news to me. Maybe we’ll finally find out what he can do this year.

Elsewhere

• Formwer Bear and current Redskin DC Greg Blache of newly acquired DE Erasmus James. “Where coaches go awry is when they try to take a guy and push him and make him play before he’s ready. We’re going to let him play when he’s ready.” Back-handed swipe at teh Vikings?

• Green Bay Packers running back Noah Herron thwarted a break-in at his home on Friday night by slugging one of the intruders with a bed post, the Brown County Sheriff’s Department reported. Honestly, if you were going to rob someone, wouldn’t you at least find out who lived there? “Uh, dude, maybe we should skip this one. He plays for the Packers. There’s a rich, little old widow right down the street.”

One Last Thought

Anyone remember these words?

“All that matters is I’m here with my teammates,” Urlacher said Friday. ”That’s really the only thing that matters right now.”

Except when its not mandatory.

The Bears

• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that WRs coach Darryl Drake believes the wide receivers are better this year even without Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad:

“There’s a lot more explosion out here right now.”

I want to believe…

• Mike Mulligan, also of the Sun-Times has a fluff piece today on Devin Hester in which he says Hester needs to be paid. The part the stuck out to me were one or two comments from Drake like this one:

“He has as good a pair of hands as anybody. And then his natural ability to run after the catch is just unbelievable. He has not dropped a ball. Not one ball in any of these practices. Not just minicamp — all of the OTAs. I don’t have to tell him anything anymore. He’s telling me stuff when I am screwed up. He has taken the time to study it. He has been in my office every day since the beginning … he’s just so far ahead right now it’s unbelievable.”

Think he likes him?

Its good to hear that he knows so much. I’ve never been all that impressed with what’s in Hester’s head on the field and I’ve wondered if he’s got enough upstairs to play WR. Its not brain surgery, I know, but its more demanding than punt returns and Hester has had his share of mental errors in that department. They probably are going to ask him to read the occasional blitz and teams are going to try to confuse him if he starts playing out there regularly.

• Dusty Dvoracek (hand) was held out for the third straight day. Is this guy ever healthy?

Elsewhere

• Former Bear Muhsin Muhammad seems to be back in form in Carolina.

“I never was a guy with some blazing speed. I never had the speed like Randy Moss or Smitty,” Muhammad said. “My game is all about technique and I think that is what keeps you in the league longer when you do get up there in age. If you are a guy who is fundamentally sound, you have great technique, run great routes and you know how to go get the ball, well, that is what this game is all about – being in the right places at the right times and making the plays.”

I don’t know about running great routes but this pretty much fits into what I always thought Muhammad was about. The Bears might miss him more than most fans think. Muhammad may have been singed in part to serve as mentor to younger Carolina receivers like Dwayne Jarrett, something he also did in Chicago.

One Last Thought

• Both Biggs and The Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh report that Mike Brown is allot like his old self:

“I guess you could say I’m surprised [to be back],”Brown said. “But I think the coaching staff and the guys that make the decisions upstairs know what type of football player I am when I’m healthy.”

Brown shouldn’t be surprised. He should never underestimate the value of veteran leadership. And neither should Brian Urlacher if he decides to go back and sit in Arizona.

The Bears

• Brad Biggs of The Chicago Sun-Times blogs that Bears RB Cedric Benson has lost only four pounds between last year and this year, something he clearly doesn’t believe:

Slimmed down running back Cedric Benson is listed at 216 pounds, down four from last year’s list. If he’s 216 now, he wasn’t 220 last year.

Well, whatever he weighs now and whatever he weighed then, if the weight loss is all flab then its all good.

• From Pro Football Weekly’s Whispers Column:

Injury-prone Bears WR Mark Bradley, who is recovering from early-May arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to clean up scar tissue, is telling team sources that he should be ready for the start of training camp, but word is the team isn’t nearly that optimistic.

• Brad Biggs also indicates today that Josh Beekman is backing up Olin Kreutz at center rather than working at guard. That backs up rumors that the Bears consider him too small to be a guard and might indicate that he’s being groomed as Kreutz’s heir apparent. Also of note was that John St. Clair is currently at left tackle. St. Clair is probably a place holder until Chris Williams “earns” the starting job. At that point, St. Clair is expected to get a crack at the starting left guard spot.

• The Chicago Tribune’sDavid Haugh has one tidbit that was a little interesting in his column this morning:

So far Orton has said all the right things, sounding confident and competent, as if he was paying attention last season when Brian Griese was showing him how to handle himself as a professional. Grossman blew off the first two scheduled interview opportunities this off-season—New Rex?—but he has learned that nothing he says will matter a lick compared with what he does.

I’m of two minds on this. On the one hand, for all the obliging comments he’s made, Orton hasn’t really said anything significant. On the other hand, when Grossman blows off the media, he’s basically blowing off me. Less interaction with them means less information to the fans. I’m not comfortable with it.

• Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times has a pretty good column this morning. He makes it pretty clear that he thinks Kyle Orton will win the Bears QB competition:

With as many as six new starters projected on offense, the Bears will need to rely on an old familiar formula to win football games: win on special teams, play great defense and run the ball. For whatever reason, the Bears tend to get way too pass-happy when Grossman is under center, and that can lead to an avalanche of turnovers.

This is, IMO, true but I think it has more to do with OC Ron Turner than with Grossman. It’s probably at least partly due to the fact that Turner simply has more confidence in Grossman’s ability to deliver the ball. SO I would argue that it is an indication that Grossman is favored going in, not the other way around. Also of interest was this comment from Turner:

“We’re looking for consistency. When you have the play down the field, make it. When you don’t, then execute and run your offense. Take care of the football. Play smart and play well. Ultimately, the decision will be based on what we feel. The confidence we as coaches have in him, the guys on the offensive line, the guys in the locker room. You can tell. We’ll know who it is.”

I’m glad Turner is confident of that because I’m certainly not. I do see differences between these two but I think you could argue their merits for years and never definitively decide which is best. They’re pretty close. I will say that, like Mulligan, I think Orton might fit this description a little better. Orton might well take better care of the ball under pressure.

Most important of all, it will be interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing how the while thing plays out. Training camp, please come quickly.

Elsewhere

• Packers DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila had arthroscopic surgery Thursday and is out until training camp. He’s one of several Packers on the defensive line who has been injured. Though all are expected back by training camp its not a good sign for them. Ask any Bear fan how likely it is that a team stays as healthy as the Pack did last year two years in a row.

• Per PFT Minnesota LT Bryant McKinnie met with commissioner Roger Goodell last week to discuss his latest bump with the law in Miami. He is accused of bashing a night club bouncer in the head with a pole. He’s a repeat offender, having been punished before for involvement in the Love Boat scandal. Minnesota will have an uphill battle to fight if they start the season with their left tackle suspended.

• From Pro Football Weekly’s Whispers Column:

Our sources in Oakland say Raiders coaches are encouraging their defenders to go after the ball when RB Darren McFadden is carrying it in camp to test the rookie’s ability to avoid fumbles. We hear McFadden needs to do a better job of locking his elbow down in order to erase some of the concerns the team has about his tendency to cough up the pigskin.

Given the criticism he received for putting the ball on the ground last year, the Bears should probably be doing this with Matt Forte if they aren’t already.

The Bears

• The Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh has a nice take on Brian Urlacher deciding to show up for mandatory workouts.

Showing up simply represents the best negotiating ploy for Urlacher, who still will be seeking a new contract Friday when he enters Halas Hall.

If he is cleared to participate fully in practice, this would give Urlacher a great opportunity to disprove any doubts about his back and surgically repaired neck. Nothing backs up Urlacher’s words that he has recovered well from neck surgery and got in shape in Arizona than showing it on a practice field in Lake Forest.

More importantly in my mind, it shows hes still willing to be the team leader he needs to be for the Bears. You could argue that he’s as valuable in that role as he is in the MLB role. And as he ages, that role will become a bigger and bigger part of his value.

• A lot of people don’t like Jay Mariotti of The Chicago Sun-Times. But give credit where credit is due. This is a pretty strong column.

• Vaughn McClure of The Chicago Tribune pointed out in his article that Urlacher wasn’t responding to the media with one words answers. Most of the time.

• Brad Biggs reports that all were present and accounted for at the mini-camp, not just Urlacher. Something is wrong when younger guys like Devin Hester start using the phrase “I’ve out played my contract.” I’m not sure why, because he has certainly performed. But it definitely struck and odd note when I read it.

Elsewhere

• Here’s a good blog entry from ESPN’s Hashmarks blog on the rules for player negotiation and movement as the CBA contract negotiation progresses. It might be worth bookmarking.

• Tampa Bay is now down to five QBs not counting Jake Plummer. The released Bruce Gradkowski.

• Carolina HC John Fox is suggesting that he might actually shorten camp because of the new, effectively lower roster limits this summer.

• The Jets have a QB competition going on that is interesting if for no other reason than its similar to the one the Bears have.

  Chad Pennington is currently slightly behind Kellen Clemons though its early. What’s of interesting here is that the QBs received an voluminous evaluation on their performance in 37 categories when they showed up for off-season workouts (literally a book).

Part of me admires the attention to detail. Part of me wonders if it will do any good to give them so much information. You could end up working on so many things at once that you correct nothing. But its interesting nevertheless.

• Form Lions’ RB Kevin Jones is using new OC Jim Colletto, who he believes was most responsible for his release, as motivation to rehabilitate his injured knee:

“Before I got let go, the weeks leading up to that, I would hear him on the Internet or on the Web site saying that, ‘We need a back who can make people miss. We need a back who can take it the distance,’ ” Jones said of Colletto. “Well, I’m on the team. I’m the starting running back. He’s basically saying you don’t need me, you need somebody else. So I’m going to show him that I am that back, that I can do those things.”

That’s all good but flags went up when I got to this point:

“Jones said he has visited the Patriots and Titans, and he said he has received contract offers, but that none paid him as much as he thinks he’s worth.’I’m not trying to break the bank, but I’m not about to go anywhere just to go, just because there’s a team out there and I haven’t gotten picked up yet,’ Jones said. ‘I know my worth. A lot of the teams know my worth, but they figure, ‘OK, you’re hurt right now. We’ll bring you in.’ They’re just going to lowball you. But that’s not happening with me.’”

I don’t think Jones does know his worth. And if he keeps that attitude, he’s not going to be showing Colletto anything because he’s not going to be on a team.

• Mike Sando from ESPN’s Hashmarks blog tries to down play the significance of the comment but there’s really no getting around the fact that the Arizona Cardinals are a cheap organization. Calvin Pace, who left to sign with the Jets, comments:

Pace said it wasn’t the money — or the helicopter ride from Long Island to the team’s new training complex in Florham Park during his recruiting visit — that made him chose the Jets over the Dolphins.

“It’s the little things,” said Pace, who spent his first five seasons in Arizona. “You don’t need valet service. You just want people to show you it’s all about trying to win. (The Jets) laid things out as far as yoga classes, the Pilates, training staff. Those are things I’ve never seen before in the NFL.

“Things like lunch and breakfast before you work out. I’ve never had that. (In Arizona), you had to eat before you came and it was your job to eat when you left.”

One Final Thought

• Says Broncos QB Jay Cutler, “If we go out and go 0-4, I’m going to get blamed for it whether I have diabetes or not.”