Chicago Bears
chicago bears
Its very rare when Chicago sport fans are as involved in days like today. Every so often one of our local teams make national headlines and the buzz that results cause of it blinds us from the hard truth of our teams.
I never get caught up in all the buzz because I choose to look at things from an outsider point of view rather than a dyed-in-the-wool Chicago sports fan.
I truly believe that if the Chicago Bears do indeed sign Julius Peppers, it will be worst move the Bears could do this off season.
I am absolutely amazed by the reaction of Bears fans today to a guy who has not even signed yet and is already being compared to Reggie White. First off, what is to say that today’s meeting at Halas Hall is nothing more than gesturing on Peppers part? How often do you take the first deal that comes your way? A Carolina kid (born and raised) moving to a cold weather city?
Bears fans!!! Let’s all calm down until he indeed signs on the dotted line before comparing him to the greats of the game.
Secondly this is simply a desperation move by the Bears in a must win season, rather than doing what is best for the organization moving forward. This move shows me that Lovie Smith is positioning himself to make his defense look so good that it will be extremely difficult for the Bears to fire Smith after the season.
Lovie Smith’s entire career has been all about his cover two defenses and the way to have to success in that particular scheme revolves around pressure on the quarterback. Last season Lovie Smith brought in Rod Marinelli to coach up the defensive line, and now they bring in one of the better pass rushers in the game. You would figure that opposing offenses will scheme specifically for Peppers which could lead to better production out of Tommie Harris and Alex Brown (i.e. Adawale Ogunleye in Miami). You would also figure if the Bears can get pressure on the quarterback, that means the cover two scheme will work.
So even if the offensive line has holes all over it, a tight end that cannot block (in a blocking TE scheme), wide receivers who still have to develop into NFL players, and a running back where after two seasons is already being compared to Curtis Enis and Rashaan Salaam……Julius Peppers is the answer for all the Bears problems??
By throwing a ton of money at a guy who is known for not playing a full game (taking plays off) in Julius Peppers is not addressing your larger needs.
The Bears centerpiece is no longer its defense. The centerpiece is the guy who they traded draft picks for and signed to a large extension last fall….Jay Cutler. This is now a quarterback league, and if you do not have the quarterback and weapons he can work with….you’re not going to win in today’s NFL.
All of us saw it last season game in and game out, Jay Cutler won and lost games for the Chicago Bears. If the Bears brought in Mike Martz to rework this offense, why not start on that side of the ball rather than getting the big money big name guy on defense?
Doesn’t that make the most sense?
With Martz’ offense the Bears need to keep Jay Cutler on his feet rather than his ass, you need to bring in offensive line help for that. Doesn’t that make the most sense?
With Martz’ offense the Bears need wide receivers that are play making wide receivers who can catch balls normal receivers cannot get to. Doesn’t that make the most sense?
With Martz’ offense the Bears need a load back that can block, catch passes out of the backfield and have a good yard per carry average. Doesn’t that make the most sense?
The Bears were near the bottom of almost every offense category in the NFL, and Jay Cutler’s 26 interceptions did not help either. Cutler is the biggest issue with the Bears because in today’s game, everything revolves around the quarterback. The bigger problem is scoring points in a scoring league rather than running the ball and great defense.
If the Bears do indeed sign Julius Peppers and give him the big paycheck he is demanding (estimated 12 million per year), THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!!!
I would rather have my general manager and head coach be smart with money than be trigger happy and blinded by the hype of a big name. Uncapped year or not, is not this the same Chicago Bears team we have all grown up with and always have gone on the cheap in free agency. If Peppers is indeed the guy and they pay him, what is to say that the franchise will continue to spend? There is no historic proof to believe that they will indeed continue to spend.
Do not get me wrong, I like the aggressiveness of the Bears because they know what is on the line for the 2010 NFL season. I just hope the Bears are not putting all their eggs in one basket where it magnifies every other problem they have.
-RoCk
Rock Mamola is the Associate Producer of The Mully And Hanley Morning Show and co-host of The Joe O And Rock Show on WSCR 670AM The Score
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