Bears' position breakdown: Quarterbacks

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
martz-qbs-620.jpg
Offensive coordinator Mike Martz with quarterbacks Dan LeFevour, Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie at minicamp. (Chris Walker / Tribune)

By Brad Biggs

All eyes will be on the quarterbacks when the Bears report to training camp in a little more than two weeks, so what better group to choose to begin position-by-position previews in our three-week countdown to Bourbonnais.

Jay Cutler will enter his second season with the Bears with some tremendous security after getting a $30 million extension last October. Caleb Hanie will be out to prove the talk about getting a veteran backup was just that: talk. Finally, Dan LeFevour surely wants to get off to a good start after falling to the sixth round of the draft when he was hoping to be a mid-round selection.

All three have something to prove, but none more than Cutler, who has yet to post a winning season in the NFL.

For an in-depth look at the position, click here to go to chicagotribune.com/sports.

More...
 

Lefty

New member
Joined:
Apr 19, 2010
Posts:
2,241
Liked Posts:
777
If anyone but Jay Cutler is needed to produce anything from the QB position, this Bears season is fucked. No need to talk about how much the meatballs love Caleb Hanie for no reason.
 

bossdrb

The Boss
Donator
Joined:
Apr 28, 2010
Posts:
1,380
Liked Posts:
165
If anyone but Jay Cutler is needed to produce anything from the QB position, this Bears season is fucked. No need to talk about how much the meatballs love Caleb Hanie for no reason.

He performed decent in the pre-season, but I agree that he shouldn't be the one holding the load at anytime.
 

Lefty

New member
Joined:
Apr 19, 2010
Posts:
2,241
Liked Posts:
777
He performed decent in the pre-season, but I agree that he shouldn't be the one holding the load at anytime.

No, he shouldn't be talked about at all. He's Caleb fucking Hanie, the backup to Jay Cutler. The only sentence uttered about Hanie should be "oh shit, Cutler just got killed, dammit we have to put in Hanie." That's it.
 

X

When one letter is enough
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
May 12, 2010
Posts:
24,664
Liked Posts:
7,785
No, he shouldn't be talked about at all. He's Caleb fucking Hanie, the backup to Jay Cutler. The only sentence uttered about Hanie should be "oh shit, Cutler just got killed, dammit we have to put in Hanie." That's it.

lol, lefty...you silly bastard...

Some people just like to know what's at the bottom of the barrel in worst-case scenarios.


;)
 

ClydeLee

New member
Joined:
Jun 29, 2010
Posts:
14,829
Liked Posts:
4,113
Location:
The OP
You realize the man who made Martz a star OC was that same concept of a player. It was oh shit Trent Green got injured because Marshall Faulk acted like a douche and refused to throw a block in a preseason game(which he absolutely admits was what happened) then Warner came in and with the talent around became a star.

Same thing was with 2 of Drew Bledsoes unknown backups that are starting star QBs.

Some people want to see if there is a best case of the worst case scenario or if Hanie just looks like terrible garbage in all aspects like a Chad Hutchingson.

Hanie for one was undrafted but some scouts called him the best QB of the undrafted or a 5th round prospect type who would be suited to not play for 2 years but could be a guy who has the tools to be a good starter in into his 3rd season.
 

Lefty

New member
Joined:
Apr 19, 2010
Posts:
2,241
Liked Posts:
777
Did you really just allude to even the possibility of Caleb Hanie being on the same level as Kurt Warner and Tom Brady? Because that's what it sounds like to me.
 

bossdrb

The Boss
Donator
Joined:
Apr 28, 2010
Posts:
1,380
Liked Posts:
165
No, he shouldn't be talked about at all. He's Caleb fucking Hanie, the backup to Jay Cutler. The only sentence uttered about Hanie should be "oh shit, Cutler just got killed, dammit we have to put in Hanie." That's it.

...Dan LeFevour. :elephant:
 

ClydeLee

New member
Joined:
Jun 29, 2010
Posts:
14,829
Liked Posts:
4,113
Location:
The OP
Did you really just allude to even the possibility of Caleb Hanie being on the same level as Kurt Warner and Tom Brady? Because that's what it sounds like to me.

Comparing them at a localized point in their history, not saying he can be on their level. When they were what you were just bashing giving a moment of time to think upon. If you don't get that I'm pretty shocked, it's narrowing down the barrel but it isn't a big shocker.

Has nothing to do with Hanie's potential ability.
 
Last edited:

DMelt36

Bolland > You
Joined:
May 27, 2010
Posts:
13,969
Liked Posts:
8,434
If anyone but Jay Cutler is needed to produce anything from the QB position, this Bears season is fucked. No need to talk about how much the meatballs love Caleb Hanie for no reason.

Exactly.

But it's the Chicago Bears, where the backup QB is always more popular than he should be.
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears' position breakdown: RBs and FBs

forte-rbs-620.jpg
Garrett Wolfe, Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. (Chris Walker / Tribune)

By Brad Biggs

The Bears no longer get off the bus running, but that doesn't mean they no longer have a commitment to the ground game.

In fact, the Bears are committed to running the ball more efficiently in 2010. The rushing attack was thoroughly bad last season. In the first 11 games, the offense topped 100 yards rushing as a team just three times. The Bears had a rushing touchdown in only three games with three of the six for the season coming in a Week 4 meeting with Detroit.

Matt Forte didn't perform well in his second season and Kevin Jones never got a chance to be a complementary figure in the running game when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the final preseason game. Garrett Wolfe, once again, was an afterthought before he was injured. Now, the team has taken a serious approach to taking some of the load off Forte by paying big bucks for Chester Taylor in free agency.

For an in-depth look at the position, click here to go to chicagotribune.com/sports.


More...
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears' position breakdown: Wide receivers

hester-nam.jpg

Bears receiver Devin Hester looks toward Jay Cutler during minicamp in May. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

By Brad Biggs

What was arguably the position with the most question marks entering training camp a year ago looks more settled for the Bears.

They didn't make any major offseason additions with some top receivers trading places like Anquan Boldin and Brandon Marshall, but they did enough on film from a year ago for new offensive coordinator Mike Martz to boldly proclaim that the position would be one of the strengths of the team.

Certainly there are a host of questions for the position from outside the organization. The Bears, though, are counting on the group to make a major step forward this season with Jay Cutler. As poor as the franchise's history at quarterback has been, the record books are also barren when it comes to receivers. The Bears have had just two 1,000-yard receivers in the last 10 seasons (Marty Booker in 2001 and 2002). Whether they have one in this mix remains to be seen. Martz's offenses produce big numbers for wideouts.

For an in-depth look at the position, click here to go to chicagotribune.com/sports

More...
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears' position breakdown: Tight ends

olsen-ap-cbs.jpg

Greg Olsen is an intriguing piece of a challenging tight end puzzle for the Bears. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

By Brad Biggs

Those who were adamant that the Bears' Greg Olsen was headed out of town in a trade before the draft saw that event come and go without the tight end trading places.

Some figured there was no way he was going to be dealt because he was one of just three first-round draft picks under Jerry Angelo remaining on the roster, and he wasn't about to deal away one of his highest picks, especially with Olsen still in a modest rookie contract. Trade discussions involving New England took place but nothing happened, especially after the Patriots drafted Arizona's Rob Gronkowski in the second round with the 42nd overall pick.

When the Bears added one of the league's better blocking tight ends in Brandon Manumaleuna in free agency, it looked like a compromise. Angelo gave new offensive coordinator Mike Martz a tight end he had worked with before and one that was a proven fit in his offense. In return, the general manager was asking Martz to make it work with his tight end: Olsen.

For an in-depth look at the position, click here to go to chicagotribune.com/sports


More...
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears' position breakdown: Defensive ends

pepp-ma-cbs-cw.jpg

Julius Peppers (90) and Mark Anderson (right) give the Bears a pair of potential pass-rushing demons. (Chris Walker/Tribune)

By Brad Biggs

Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye teamed as the starting defensive ends for five of the last six seasons, but when the Bears looked at revamping the defense this offseason they thought big -- really big.

Some were surprised with an unprecedented shopping spree in free agency by the club as it signed Julius Peppers, the top available player, to a blockbuster six-year contract worth more than $91 million. He'll cash $20 million of that this season and the belief is that not only will he dominate, but he'll make those around him on the line better players.

Three years after a failed experiment as a starter, Mark Anderson will be back in that role. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli strongly supported him in offseason meetings and the hope is he'll prove to be a productive two-way player. The Bears also added a value selection in the draft by getting Northwestern's Corey Wootton in the fourth round.
atistics like sacks.

To read more of this story, click here to go to chicagotribune.com/sports


More...
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears position breakdown: Defensive tackle

harrissidelineblog.jpg
By Brad Biggs

The Bears are banking on the addition of Julius Peppers having a positive impact on the end who lines up on the other side of the line, Mark Anderson.

They are also hoping the arrival of the prized pass rusher will have a positive impact on tackle Tommie Harris. If nothing else, Peppers ought to take the spotlight off Harris, who hasn't been the same player the past few seasons and certainly endured a rollercoaster year in 2009 when he was benched for one game and ejected in the first quarter of another.

The under tackle is still the signature position of the Tampa Two and because of that Lovie Smith is counting on Harris, who has now pocketed the bulk of the money in his contract extension, to deliver. But it's not all on Harris. Let's take a look at the defensive tackles.

Photo: Tommie Harris watches from the sideline last season. (Phil Velasquez/Tribune)


Read more of this story on chicagotribune.com/sports




More...
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears position breakdown: Linebacker

bearslinebackersblog.jpg

Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs have been together since 2003. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Tribune)

By Brad Biggs

One of these years it's bound to shift, but for now the strength of the Bears' defense still resides at linebacker.

The position is stocked with the best players on the team and it's also the foundation for some of the core special teams players with the Bears getting contributions from as many as six at the position in every game.

Brian Urlacher is poised for a healthy return after being lost for the season on one of the first plays of the season last year at Green Bay. His wrist injury is not expected to impact his performance this season. Lance Briggs is coming off yet another Pro Bowl season and there should be worthy competition on the strong side between Nick Roach and Pisa Tinoisamoa. The defense doesn't face the same questions at this position as it does elsewhere. But there are some. Let's take a look at the linebackers.

Read more of this story on chicagotribune.com/sports




More...
 
Joined:
Jun 12, 2010
Posts:
146
Liked Posts:
9
Bears' position breakdown: Cornerback

bowman-ss-cbs.jpg

Zack Bowman intercepts a pass intended for Cleveland's Brian Robiskie during the 2009 preseason. (Scott Strazzante/Tribune)

By Brad Biggs

There is no doubt who the starters will be at cornerback when the season gets underway. Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman are entrenched. What else shakes out for the Bears at the position in training camp will be interesting.

There isn't a clear No. 3 cornerback on the roster at this point, but there are some choices. Corey Graham took the lead in the competition to be the nickel back during the offseason program. Defensive backs coach Jon Hoke has praised him and if he can carry the kind of momentum from the spring to the summer that Bowman did a year ago, he will do quite well.

If Graham doesn't step up, the Bears are facing lots of questions, especially if anything happens to their top two. Tillman and Bowman combined to appear in 31 games in 2009 but Tillman has had two shoulder surgeries and two back surgeries to go with the four fractured ribs and punctured lung he suffered in Week 16. Bowman made it through the season but was plagued by knee issues in college.

To read more of this story, click here to go to chicagotribune.com/sports


More...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top