Don't bank on big names

To the surprise of all 32 NFL teams, the salary cap increased $4 million to $127 million for this season.

[ACW]

Aside from St. Claire, I just don't see how any of these moves improves us. This is a pathetic list, as is the Bears organization if they don't start getting busy. This off season will determine our competitiveness for the next three years.

[Sweet]

Nothing to get excited about, that's always nice to hear!

[Mac]

How about a Cassel trade? Or is he not a better option than Orton?! I haven't heard anyone in town mention that move. He could be better than Stafford or Sanchez, so why not send the 18th pick to the Pats and sign yourself long term this franchise QB?

[Creighton]

Mac wrote:

How about a Cassel trade? Or is he not a better option than Orton?! I haven't heard anyone in town mention that move. He could be better than Stafford or Sanchez, so why not send the 18th pick to the Pats and sign yourself long term this franchise QB?

Cause the Pats franchised Cassel they get two first round picks for him not one. Plus Brady is still a question mark, and they will not trade Cassel until they are sure Brady is ok.

KC may go after Cassel after the dust settles, or they may go after Kevin O'Connell, which would not be a bad idea for the bears to offer a 3rd round pick for him.

[earthquakejake]

Creighton:

We agree! Go after O'Connell, he was one of my favorites last year in the draft and I hoped he would drop to the Bears before the Pats took him early. If they think Caleb H. can move out of the pocket, watch this guy.

[brettsky51]

It is what it is, a clueless general manager who has already blamed the coaching staff and put more pressure on them to take the focus off of his own mistakes.

Then follow it up with Ted Phillips happily trotting out his support for Angelo.

Meanwhile back in reality, look what Bill Parcells is doing with the Dolphins in a matter of two seasons. First making them a playoff team, second solidifying their standing as a playoff team, then watch what he does in the draft.

http://monstersofthemidwayillustrated.wordpre...

[John]

This is a story that didn't need to be written. I already expected the Bears not to spend any money. They never do.

[lance]

Sign St. Clair, trade Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris for draft picks and use four high draft picks to get four linemen, two offensive and two defensive. It is time to rebuild!

[Livingindenial]

lance wrote:

Sign St. Clair, trade Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris for draft picks and use four high draft picks to get four linemen, two offensive and two defensive. It is time to rebuild!

I Agree! When Urlacher's personal life makes more headlines than his football playing, then it's time to go!

As for Harris? he's a genius! he was able to dook the Bears in to giving him a big contract even though he could not perform up to the level of it. Maybe Angelo and harris are splitting the money

[henry]

Who would you rather have?
T.J. Houshmandzadeh Bernard Berrian
31 Years Old 28 Years Old
92 Catches 48 Catches
904 Yards 964 Yards

[Alex]

The OGs & C undersized and Kruetz is above average but the guards are fair at best. Is the big guard from the Bucs any good? Who are the other backups?

The LT is an unknown and the RT is geting old and average at best. Where are the back ups?

If experienced O-Linemen are not signed up, we can expect the Bears to be under 500.

Do you trust the trainees Angelo and Lovie to get a grip on this big problem?

Lovie said Hester is a #1 WR. Was Lovie drunk? Angelo spent a #3 on RB Wolfe was he drunk?

This coming season should be Lovie's
last, his defensive expertise is a myth, ref Babich, Anderson, Manning etc.

[E B F]

I'll tell you exactly what our GM is going to do:1)Pick up an afterthought or two in free agency.
2)Draft a few players who may or may not play in 09.
3)Tell us, the fantastically loyal Bears fans that we are not that far off without explaining what we're not that far off from.
I will offer some hope though.
Remember the three losses that defined our season?
At Carolina, home vs. Tampa, and at Atlanta?
This is a big if, but if the Bears can find a way to add a few players with the attitude and ability to make key plays on both side of the ball, maybe we're not thay far away. Maybe, when a couple of crucial yards are the difference between w's and l's, the 2009 monsters will have the players to finish the job.
Not that far away from what, you ask?
A playoff berth. Once we get in, sit in front of the tube and cheer..and pray.

[Mellyman]

PLEASE!!!! No Cris Sims. Why does Haugh think he is an upgrade? Unless they draft a better young guy, I`ll take my chances with Hanie. Yes,they drafted G.Wolfe to be a W.Dunn type of RB, so let him play and see what you`ve got! Another year has gone by and they still don`t know what they have in some of these young guys.

[Art]

Sickening. Everything I read this morning makes me sick. I'm tired of the Bears, in the 3rd largest market in the U.S., spending money like they are the Birmingham Bears or the Little Rock Bears. I know there's a cap and every team has the same spending limit but start acting like a responsible franchise. The denial in the front office is ridiculous. Here's my wish list for the offseason:
1 - Make a splash in free agency for an offensive lineman. Someone needs to come in and solidify that line. The line was good (not great) last year, but you could see that the line wore down by season's end.
2 - Never will happen, but try to trade #54. I never would have said this 3 years ago but he's costing too much and doing too little. I would LOVE for him to go to Arizona (along with draft pick(s)) for Anquan Boldin. Anquan is perfect for this offense. Orton can't throw deep for anything but Boldin didn't do a lot of deep route running, he's a home run threat every time he touches the ball. Perfect for the Bears.
3 - Draft the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE with pick 18. This team is not close, much to Lovie's dismay. Pick the best player, there's too many holes to plug. If #54 was traded, Laurinitis would be intersting at 18.

[Bauer]

This Bears team's going to be terrible. I don't care who they get.

I can't believe Angelo let a small contingent of loser fans addicted to booze and gambling drive Grossman out of town.

Fitting that this guy is their "saviour":

http://theondeckcircle.net/wp-content/uploads...

He may not be able to throw the ball deeper than 25 yards with accuracy; his timing may be so bad you could say he's in a different time zone; the dude can hold his booze!

There's a reason Bears fans are lampooned on Saturday Night Live: we're A NATIONAL JOKE, thanks to a small contingent of meatheads.

GET HELP.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
http://www.aa.org/...

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

[Bauer]

Attention: Danimal

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
http://www.aa.org/...

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

[Mgray]

Sell the team......PLEASE.

[Mgray]

Mac wrote:

How about a Cassel trade? Or is he not a better option than Orton?! I haven't heard anyone in town mention that move. He could be better than Stafford or Sanchez, so why not send the 18th pick to the Pats and sign yourself long term this franchise QB?

U think the Bears are going to pay $14 million for 1 season? Keep dreaming.

[Chris R]

SInce when did St.Clair become so valuable? Seems to me he works more like a Wild West saloon door than your basic immovable object.

And to call the QB list of Orton, Hanie and Basenez a "depth chart" is laughable.

The Bears need a brain transplant before anything positive will happen. Fumigate Halas Hall of all that are within and start fresh. I know it won't happen but hey, this board is for venting, right?

[Bauer]

It really doesn't matter what the Bears do; their fans now have the reputation of being worse than Phillies.

The vicious cycle continues, uninterrupted.

1963
1985
2006

It will be about 20 years before The Bears even make it back to the Superbowl.

The Bears always unravel. The quarterback always gets run out of town, no matter how good he is, and it's always back to square one.

Have a nice day you fat drunk loser fans!