SB Nation - Kellen Davis

Chris Williams: Left Tackle

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:19 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Sunday saw the long anticipated debut of 2008 first round (#14 overall) draft pick Chris Williams at left tackle for the Bears. He had a chance to play against another member of that draft class, number 2 overall selection to the St. Louis Rams, defensive end Chris Long. Long picked up a sack, but overall, how did Williams fare? I'll try and dissect his game against the Rams and look at why he's a better fit on the left side rather than the right. First up I'll tackle the left side vs. the right...

Number one he's naturally left handed. Something you may not think makes much of a difference, but it's all in their stance. Players that line up on the left side of the offensive line use a left handed stance. The lefty three point stance is the exact opposite of the righty stance most of us that grew up playing football are accustomed to. Years back coaches would simply have players get in which ever three point stance they were most comfortable with. These days many high schools are teaching to change the stance depending on which side of the line you play.

The left handed stance is as follows; feet shoulder width apart, left foot slightly back (usually lined up with the right instep), left hand on the ground, right arm on right thigh. Yes that is Hall Of Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz over there in his left handed three point stance. The point of the left handed stance on the left side is it allows better pass blocking technique. When pass blocking you push off with your inside foot while reaching back with your outside foot. By starting this way your hips are in a better position as you don't have to turn them to get settled into proper pass blocking technique. With the hips in place, and already slightly facing the usually lined up outside pass rusher, you are in better position to deliver the hand punch as well. The less a player has to move to get in position the better.

Number two his athleticism makes him a better fit on the left side. So much emphasis is placed on protecting a right handed quarterbacks blind side, so you want a tackle with quicker feet on the left. The more mauling, road grader type is usually on the right side.

And number three, and most importantly, Williams is more comfortable on the left. At Vanderbilt he was on the left side, last year (when healthy) he was on the left side, and before Orlando Pace was signed this year his reps were on the left side.

When looking at the Rams game in detail, and trying to grade out his performance, keep in mind that I have no idea his exact responsibilities from play to play. Therefore my analysis could be slightly skewed. I made my best guess on his assignments based on my years playing, coaching, and watching football, but unless I'm invited into Halas Hall, I really have no way of knowing for sure. I graded him out using the most basic of grading systems, on every offensive snap I gave him a plus (did his job) or a minus (didn't do his job). When grading him out he ended up with a +46 out of 57 plays. I'm sure he'd be even harder on himself than I was, and I'm sure the coaches were harder on him as well.

I'll give some observations on his overall performance then I'll break down some individual plays.

The good thing is on all the plays I gave him a minus it was due to something that could be fixed through coaching. He was never out classed on any plays, never over powered, just simple youthful mistakes. He'll improve. He did get off balance at times and his hand punch could use some work, but overall it was a solid debut. I didn't see any tenacious aggression from Williams, but that isn't really his game, he more a technique guy that will shield off the defender. One constant throughout the game I picked up on was he didn't stay with his blocks. Most times the play was past him when his guy got off the block (so no harm done), but I'd like to see him lock on the defender til the whistle blows when ever possible. Nothing frustrates a defensive lineman more that a guy that is constantly in your face.

I won't go into every play in detail, but I'll pick out a few of the good and a few of the bad.

Play #1 - The 1st play of the game is a good snapshot of the kind of player Williams is. It had Williams seal the defensive end, James Hall, inside. It was only a two yard gain for Matt Forte, but Williams used good technique to seal his man.

Play #3 - The long pass to Devin Hester saw the Bears keep Greg Olsen in on the left side to help pass protect. They had a double tight formation as Kellen Davis also stayed in to help on the right side. It was a fake counter to Matt Forte (with Frank Omiyale pulling to the right) so Williams had to read the defensive line. Williams first set up as if to block the DE, but when the DE went outside to Olsen he moved in and took the DT which Olin Kreutz passed off to him.

Plays #6-#8 - On 3 consecutive plays on the goal line Williams drove James Hall back into the end zone. On 1st down Hall made the tackle after slipping off the Williams block and because of the slow cut back by Forte (but Williams should have sustained the block). On 2nd down Forte again ran inside but for no gain. Then on 3rd down the Bears ran off left tackle and Forte scored practically untouched.

Play #12 - On 1st and 10 after the long play to Earl Bennett the Bears again passed and the Rams ran a stunt. The DE went inside, and Williams passed him off to Omiyale, then LB James Laurinaitis looped outside and Williams picked him up. Good awareness by Williams.

Play #24 - On a 3rd and 4 Jay Cutler rolled out to his right and Williams only had to cut off his man from backside pursuit, he missed. He tried to reach block him to seal him off but he couldn't get there, he ran with him but couldn't keep up. I think he should have cut him initially or at least got into the defenders legs since it was a hard block to execute. His man had a long chase and never made it to Cutler, but Williams has to find a way to cut him off.

Play #27 - This was the 1st down end around to Devin Hester. Williams looked lost on the play. He immediately went to the 2nd level looking for a LB, but ended up watching LB Paris Lenon run by him and make the tackle on Hester.

Play #29 - This was the sack by Long. Earl Bennett motioned from wide left towards the right and it appeared he was supposed to chip Long before he turned back to the left sideline. Bennett was wide open on the out route, but Cutler had no time. If Williams was expecting the chip it makes sense why he was beat to the outside. Williams set up and looked as if he were expecting Long to come inside, if Bennett hits him it pushes Long to an inside move. Cutler may have snapped the ball a split second too early. Either way Williams can't get beat and should have recognized the missed chip block, a better hand punch would have left him in a better position. (I really liked the design of this play and expect to see Chicago run it this Sunday)

Play #35 - On 1st and 10 they ran Kahlil Bell around the left side for 7 yards, Williams and Olsen executed a combo block on the DE, then after the defender was secured Williams slipped off to block a LB.

Play #51 - This is the 8 yard run by Forte that the FOX crew replayed with a spotlight on Williams. Williams again made a textbook seal block on Long, he didn't drive him back very far, but simply got his hands on Long, moved his feet, and sealed him from the play.

If Williams gets the nod at LT again this week he'll have a different challenge against the Packers and the 3-4 defense. He'll have more reads to make as the Packers will zone blitz from time to time. He'll be matched up with an outside linebacker as much as, if not more than he'll be on a defensive end. It will be a good test for Williams and the Bears offense.

Looking for the Bright Side of the Chicago Bears: Week 13

Sklz711 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:00:20 -0000

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Another day, another dollar, and another season where if nothing else we can say we are better than the other team that wishes it could call Illinois its home. In a league now built around parity between teams no win is guaranteed, so even against a terrible Rams team we as fans can enjoy the fact that our losing streak is now broken.

If you think any win is guaranteed in the NFL, just have a talk with the Steelers fans about how that guaranteed W against the Raiders went this week. So in a week that saw the undefeated Saints get pushed to the brink against a hapless Redskins team, let us kick back for a few days and bask in the glow of a much needed win.

Now that we all have a fresh reminder of what the letter W actually looks like next to the word Bears, we'll sit down and examine the good things that happened on the field.

C Dub appeared to be a definite improvement at LT, even in his first game, and while we're talking about blocking Kellen Davis has stepped his game up.

Don't get my sunny disposition wrong, I sat down and watched this game looking for a reason to bring down a hate storm upon CDub, but I just couldn't find a reason to. The few times I was ready to throw a tomato in his direction, upon re-watching the tape it wasn't really his fault Cutler got nailed. Take the first quarter on the Hester deep ball, Cutler got squished, but the man that pummeled him was actually being blocked by none other than Greg Olsen.

In fact, the only really bad play I think I saw out of CDub was on a Cutler sack blocking Long solo, and just getting absolutely beat. However, if in his first outing at LT the worst that happened was a single bad play and absolutely zero penalties if my memory serves then I'm feeling good about him getting some playing time and seeing what he has.

Also, on at least three runs that I saw Kellen Davis in on he laid a massive block on all three. I've got to say Kellen Davis continues to impress at his improving blocking game and really makes me feel a lot better about the impending loss of Desmond Clark. Keep an eye on this man, he's really answered the call and solidified his position as the number two TE, and number one blocker.

The Chicago Bears WR corps as whole looked like a strength instead of a weakness.

Getting back to that Hester deep ball in the first quarter, it really showed a lot of what I want to see out of Hester as a number one, and it's something he's shown more than a few times this year. He showed awareness of the ball, awareness of the defenders, used his speed and the threat of his speed to create a window of separation, and finally jumped up and made a sure handed catch in traffic. Does he need to work on his blocking during runs, sure why not. Does he need to get a bit more consistent, no argument from me. However, to continue the litany of the never going to be a number one crowd is to set yourself up to look foolish. If he continues to improve at the rate he has in his first two seasons at wide receiver, you could be looking at a pro bowl WR in 2011.

Fort Knox has shown the same thing he has shown all year, absolute flashes of speed/brilliance that you want to see out of a deep threat, and a gameness that you rarely see in rookie wide receivers, let alone later round picks. The pass interference call in the first quarter was yet another example of a player you usually see coming from a veteran coming from this rookie. Knox fights his way down field against the CB, has his man beat, sees that the ball is going to be short, and creates the contact coming back to the ball against the CB looking the wrong way making it a very easy PI call. I'm impressed more and more by the maturity of this rookie every game.

Earl Bennett is really establishing himself this year as what we always wished Rashied Davis could be, a reliable receiver that's not afraid to go over the middle, can make some good catches, and can get a bit of YAC in a pinch. He needs to protect the ball a bit better, but I'm loving the Vandy connection at #3.

Some of our young DB are starting to show real promise.

Both Kevin Payne and Al Afalava looked pretty good today, with Payne finally showing some improvement in coverage which had been his real Achilles heel. Payne of all people was shown a few times wrapping up the runner from behind instead of just going for the big hit. Afalava had lots of extra effort plays including coming real close to the interception on a Jamar Williams tip in the second quarter. Good heads up play from the rookie. Not too long after that there was a great tackle by Bowman who laid a shoulder directly into the ball and once again Afalava keeps that nose for the live ball and makes a good return.

While the Safety position is still on my wish list, if Payne and Afalava continue to play at the level they did today, and improve the rest of this year and in the off season we might just have found a nice little safety combo already on our team.

Jamar Williams took the opportunity given to him to show he has what it takes to be an eventual starter.

Wow, just wow. If you would have told me that Williams would have exploded like this in what I believe is his second start I would have called you crazy. Coverage, run stopping, you name it, Williams was there. It's really a hell of a compliment when your best LB is out for the game and you don't have a huge talent drop off at the position. Tons of great plays for Jamar all game long including TFL, tipped balls, extremely close to interceptions and more. Just an absolutely fantastic game for Jamar Williams, and so good that it overshadowed what was a fairly good game for Nick Roach as well.

If our top 4 LB go into next year as Briggs, Urlacher, Jamar, and Roach, I'll be a damned happy man.

----

So did anyone else see a player that impressed them today that I didn't mention, or any stand out plays I didn't call out?

How the Bears can move up in the 2010 NFL Draft

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by Jason DeCrow - AP

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With no first or second round picks thanks to the Jay Cutler and Gaines Adams deals, getting an impact rookie will be challenging, but not impossible. The Bears need to find a way to get into the first or second round, and then of course, not whiff on the picks. The Bears currently have one pick in the third through seventh rounds for a total of five picks. As far as I can tell the most picks you can start draft day with is ten, but you can wheel and deal once the draft starts to get as many as you want. The Bears need to do what ever they can to get ten draft choices before draft day in order to maximize their dealing capabilities.

Looking over the Bears roster you'll see plenty of players under contract that shouldn't be a part of their future. Some players will have to be cut, but some have enough value to pick up a late round pick. Jerry Angelo (if he's still the GM this off season) has to deal away some dead weight. Just remember, making trades in the NFL isn't like other sports, player movement through trades just doesn't happen that often, but Angelo will have to thoroughly explore all possibilities. And the biggest thing he must consider is he may be drafting for the last time in Chicago, so if the opportunity arises use some of the 2011 draft choices to help get some picks in 2010.

One thing to keep in mind when dealing away some of your depth is the special teams will suffer. But with Dave Toub coordinating that phase of the team it's a chance you have to take. I'll speculate on some possible moves the Bears could make.

A) Nathan Vasher has a big money deal, but could be moved because he has had some past success. All you need is one GM to think a change of scenery could revive his career. Someone will want a former Pro Bowl corner, and a change just may do him good. Depending on the timing of the deal you could possibly get a fifth or sixth round pick for him. If the Bears could squeak out a few reps at free safety for the "Interceptor" it could help his trade value or if he fills in adequately at corner for a game or two they'll see his value go up, maybe as high as a fourth round pick.

B) I know the Bears were burned by trading away a safety a few years ago in Chris Harris, but it's clear the Bears are moving forward with Al Afalava as the strong safety. He outplayed Kevin Payne to win the job, but Payne has starting experience on his resume. He has some value around the league. The Bears seem comfortable with Craig Steltz backing up SS, so moving Payne makes sense right now. Depending on team needs this off season the Bears might end up with as high as a fifth round pick for him.

C) With Greg Olsen winning the starting tight end job from Desmond Clark, and with the emergence of Kellen Davis as a serviceable back up, Des Clark is expendable. Neither Olsen or Davis can block as well as Clark, but blocking is something they can improve on. Remember Clark was a wide receiver at Wake Forest and worked to become a better than average blocker. You need your reserve tight ends to be core special teamers and Clark doesn't fit that. If he fully recovers from this years injuries and finishes strong he might bring you a fourth round pick. Besides this season, he's been a reliable starting tight end for the Bears, and even though Clark is an 11 year vet he could be a starter for another team.

D) Garrett Wolfe, currently on IR because of a lacerated kidney, is expected to be ready for full participation come this off season. It should be with another team. For what ever reason the Bears have never been able to find a way to fit him into the game plan. He's excelled on special teams the last couple years and in his limited time with the ball in his hands this year he's been ok. With Jones expected back next year in some role and Khalil Bell able to fill the special teams spot of Wolfe, the Bears need to float Wolfe's name out there to gauge his value. At most I think they could get a fifth round pick for him, but their probably more likely to get a sixth.

The next two players I'll throw out there I really can't see traded, but you never know. Trading away players of their stature is difficult because one side will never feel truly compensated in any deals that may get to the table.

E) A popular name that is mentioned in trade speculation by many fans is Tommie Harris. With his production coming no where near his contract, moving him could be next to impossible. He has however, started playing better of late. Here's the question to ponder; If Harris is 100% and playing like the Tommie of old do you still want to trade him? If he has a strong finish to the year and they decide he isn't worth the risk, they could get a third (maybe a second) round pick for him if the right situation arises.

F) Before the recent drama surrounding Brian Urlacher I never would have even considered trading him away. But with him dropping those quotes for the Yahoo Sports piece, I could see him moved. Now finding someone that would want to take on that contract is another thing entirely. With his recent injury history teams may shy away from him, but there will be a few organizations that'll show interest. If his wrist heals properly, and all indications are that it will, he could fetch as high as a second round pick.

* Of course any of these players and any future draft choices could be used to pick up a legit number one wide receiver. In that case, picking up a guy like Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin would trump any plans I touched on above.

But if the Bears do stockpile lower round picks they'll then need to be used to move up in the draft, something Jerry Angelo hasn't done much of in the past. Using an NFL Draft Pick Value Chart, one of which every GM in the league uses, you can see the points needed to move up in the draft. If you've never seen the chart go take a look so what I say next makes sense (well... I'll try and make sense).

There are always teams looking to trade down, whether to save on the first round draft pick contract or because of how the draft is falling they realize "their guy" will be available later. The Bears would need between 600-900 points to get into the bottom half of round one. Many times the team trading up will have to overpay to make the move. I won't take into consideration any picks potentially obtained by moving Harris or Urlacher (like I said, it's unlikely they'll be moved).

OK, so in the scenarios outlined above the Bears would have their own 3rd-7th round picks plus two 4's a 5 and a 6. I'll look at some draft day deals that could move them into day 1 (1st round) or day 2 (2nd and 3rd round) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

1) The three 4th round picks (approximately worth 200 points) could get them into the 3rd round.

2) They Bears could package their third and fourth round picks (about 300 pts.) and move into the lower end of round two.

3) To get into the latter part of the 2010 1st round they could always move their '11 #1 pick and a handful of late '10 picks. There seems to always be a team picking in the late 1st round that is looking to get out of that pick.

4) If the Bears finish 10th worst this year their 3rd round pick (220 pts.), their 4th round pick (82 pts.), and their 5th round pick (37 pts.) could move them up to the bottom third of the 2nd round. That 2nd plus their 2011 2nd could get them into the 2010 1st round.

5) We'll call this the "Ditka Deal"; If the Bears trade every single one of their 2010 picks, their 3rd-7th (375 pts.), plus their 4 picks acquired in my moves above (approximately 200 points), they could jump up near the top of the 2nd round.

You can see how a creative GM could work the phones to move up. All you need is a willing partner and the guts to pull the trigger on numerous deals. With day 1 of the draft limited to the 1st round this year there will be more time to work the phones before day 2 and the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

NightLink: Is Olsen Contributing Enough?

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:00:28 -0000

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In the Chicago Bears team report on Sporting News for today, the topic of discussion is Greg Olsen. I know I was one of those people that had Olsen pencilled in for the NFC Pro Bowl, which still could happen, but with only 10 catches for 94 yards and 2 TD's, he's not putting up the kind of numbers most of us expected. After an off season in which he was named the starter at TE and was far and away Jay Cutler's favorite target in camp, I'm very surprised those numbers aren't better.

He has been effective in the red zone with two TD catches, but part of the Bears' 3-for-14 effort on third-down situations between 6 and 9 yards can be traced partially to an inability to find Olsen.

The coaches say some of Olsen's lack of catches is because wide receivers stepped up unexpectedly to provide big plays, like Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett. Also, Olsen has drawn more double-teams.

I'll buy this rationale to a point. But this week the Bears will face arguably the premier TE in the last decade in Tony Gonzalez, and you think he's seen his share of double teams in his day? Especially on some of those receiver deficient Chief teams?

Olsen has been trying to focus on becoming a better blocker, which could take away some of his attention from the receiving game.

Sorry, but this is complete bull. I know he's been working on his blocking, and I have noticed some improvement, but there is no way his receiving skills would falter due to his focus on blocking.

It could help to get Desmond Clark (rib) healthy to take some of the pressure off in the two-tight end formations on third-and-middle distances.

This I agree with, the Bears are a more dangerous offense in the double tightend set. Add in a 3rd TE (Kellen Davis) on the goal line and the Bears are tough to defend when they get close.

Poll

Are you concerned with the slow start by Olsen?

Yes

178 votes

No

337 votes

515 votes | Poll has closed

The Play Of The Game: Cutler to Olsen for 29 yds

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:00:29 -0000

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What was the big play in the Bears game? The Knox leaping TD catch (why did he leap?), the two missed FG's by Steeler kicker Jeff Reed, the game winner by Robbie Gould? Maybe one of the two sacks by Alex Brown, or his pressure on Ben Roethlisberger that led to the interception by Charles Tillman?

For my money it was none of these. If I was pressed to pick a play of the game it was a play during the Knox TD catch drive. The playaction pass to Greg Olsen by Jay Cutler for 29 yards. It was a great and a well executed play call. Kudos to Ron Turner... that doesn't happen to often...

It was first and ten after the Bears converted a third down pass to Devin Hester. They were near midfield and it was a perfect time for a play action pass. Up to that point the Bears running game wasn't anything special, but they kept with it enough to keep the Steeler D honest. The Bears were doing a real good job with the short quick passing game, so the Steelers had that to think about as well. Throwing deep over the middle at that time was probably down on the list of things Pittsburgh was looking for.

During the game CBS Color man Phil Simms remarked that the usual route for Bears tight ends on that particular play was a drag across the middle, and by Greg Olsen taking it vertical it was sure to have surprised the Steelers. Simms said it was an unusual, but well designed play. One other aspect of the play was Olsen knowing he'd get creamed after the catch, yet hanging on.

After getting knocked silly earlier in the game down the left sideline by Tyrone Carter, Olsen showed the kind of toughness us Bears fans respect by holding onto that ball. He knew Carter was again barreling down in him, but he secured the reception on the way to the ground.

The play itself started with Olsen coming in motion right to left and settling in the slot on the left side. Hester (right) and Earl Bennett (left) were lined up split wide, and Kellen Davis was on the right side of the line as a TE. Matt Forte was the lone running back. Hester and Bennett both ran deep out routes, just deep enough for the safeties to have to respect them running a fly route, thus holding them from the middle long enough for Olsen to find an opening. The fake to Forte held the linebackers momentarily to allow Olsen to get behind them. Cutler actually made the pass before he had his feet set, yet he still threw a strike. He made a confident throw, Olsen showed good concentration in holding on to the catch, and the Bears pass protection gave Cutler plenty of time to find his receiver.

Knox Rocks, Gould Gold, Bears Win 17-14

Adam T — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:24:10 -0000

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Despite almost pulling out a win over Green Bay, while playing like garbage, the Bears and moreover Cutler became the media' s favorite whooping boy. I'd like to see them try to rationalize this one. The Bears ground out this game and Cutler has yet to be outplayed by a QB. He played better than a lot of people's MVP pick and he didn't get outplayed by Big Ben.

It is ugly at times, but you can see that there is something brewing in the Windy City. They still have holes that they need to fill and things they need to work out, but it's there.

Jay Cutler threw 27 for 38 for 236, 2TDs and 0 INTs for a Bear staggering 104.7 QB rating. The Bears run game once again proved to be next to useless though they have some good plays towards the end of the game, but Forte and the line are not getting it done.

It was just assumed that Hester was going to become our down field threat, but lookey lookey at what is happening. Rookie Johnny Knox is becoming our speed receiver and Hester is turning into a great possession receiver?!? Knox had 6 receptions for 70 yards and a TD and Hester had 4 for 21. We also started to see a little of this Cutler/Olsen chemistry we kept hearing about. Olsen had 3 catches for 31 yards. Kellen Davis also had 5 for 38 and a TD. I wonder if this might turn out to be Desmond Clark's last year.

Our defense played bad at times and had some lucky penalties called on the Pittsburgh offense, but they played tough and made the stops they needed for this win to happen. We have a lot of young guys playing, they will get better as the year goes on. Al Afalava already looks like he is the real deal. Jerry Angelo strikes again in the late rounds. Lance Briggs led the team with 8 tackles. Charles Tillman added to his takeaway total with an interception. I don't know how much was due to the pressure the Bears were bringing, but it seemed they bottled up Big Ben a bit. He wasn't getting away from the Bears as much as he seems to do on a week to week basis.

With the Bengals pulling off the unexpected victory against the Packers, the Bears find themselves one game back of only the Vikings.

Bears Make 53

Dane Noble — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:20:43 -0000

A few surprises, but not too many. Today, the Bears whittled their roster down to the league mandated 53 players by terminating 3 contracts, waiving 16 players, and placing 3 on Injured Reserve.

Players who were waived included guard Johan Asiata, defensive ends Ervin Baldwin and Joe Clermond, offensive tackle Cody Balogh, quarterback Brett Basanez, cornerbacks Rudy Burgess, Marcus Hamilton and Woodny Turenne, fullbacks Jason Davis and Will Ta’ufo’ou, linebackers Marcus Freeman, Kevin Malast and Mike Rivera, receiver Eric Peterman, and center Donovan Raiola.

The Bears can establish an eight-man practice squad on Sunday and also can claim players who’ve been waived by other NFL teams. In past seasons, the Bears have typically stocked their practice squad primarily with players they released a day earlier during final cuts.

Here’s a breakdown of the 53-man roster as it stands now (in alphabetical order):

Quarterbacks (2): Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie.

Running backs (3): Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe.

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie:

Wide receivers (6): Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.

Tight ends (4): Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis, Michael Gaines, Greg Olsen.

Offensive linemen (8): Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Frank Omiyale, Orlando

Pace, Kevin Shaffer, Chris Williams.

Defensive linemen (9): Anthony Adams, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown, Jarron Gilbert, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Adewale Ogunleye, Matt Toeaina.

Linebackers (6): Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Urlacher, Jamar Williams.

Cornerbacks (6): Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, D.J. Moore, Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher.

Safeties (5): Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks, Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz.

Specialists (3): Robbie Gould, Patrick Mannelly, Brad Maynard.

Bears Show Improvement - Beat Giants 17-3

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:05:23 -0000

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What a difference a week makes. Or should I say; What a difference it is having Matt Forte and Greg Olsen back in the lineup? Offensively the Bears first unit was impressive. Jay Cutler still tried to make a few throws he shouldn't, but with a big gun, you have to expect big things. I'll live with the gun-slinging force it in throw on occasion, because Cutler will complete some passes that only a QB with that kind of arm strength can.

I thought Erik Kramer did an outstanding job in spotlighting the offensive line. It seemed every time I saw them do something I wanted to playback on my DVR, Kramer beat me to it. He did the same thing with a few nice plays in the secondary.

Some Game Stars

Jay Cutler - 8 of 13 for 121 yards (117.8 Rating) 1 TD

Matt Forte - 9 carries for 58 yards (6.4 Avg) 1 TD

Cutler moved the ball around for a lot of yardage.

Earl Bennett - 2-42

Devin Aromashodu - 1-38

Kellen Davis, Juaquin Iglesias, Brandon Rideau, Greg Olsen and Garrett Wolfe all caught a pass for over 15 yards.

What's your take?

Position Battles: Tight End

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:11 -0000

One Preseason game down and three to go. These games are meaningless as far as wins and loses go, but for the bubble players, the older vets trying to hold off the younger replacement, the new free agent trying to impress, and the rookie looking to make an impression, there are no more important games they'll ever play.

These fringe players need to get on the field as much as possible, not only to impress their coaches, but to get game film for scouts across the league to peruse. Players stuck behind established veterans go into the season knowing the odds for them making the team are slim, so getting reps in the games are so valuable. You can only see so much during training camp and practices. Playing against live competition, that are just as hungry as you, is the best way to determine roster spots.

The Tight End position for the Bears has been very stable the last few seasons. Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen form arguably one the best 1-2 combos in the league. Both are locks to make the final roster. Second year man Kellen Davis and free agent acquisition Michael Gaines are both looking to stick, and so far I don't see either having an obvious advantage over the other.

Kellen Davis is an athletic pass catching TE that should be a better blocker due to his physical attributes alone (6'7" 262 and solid). Former Detroit Lion Michael Gaines (6'2" 267) has been advertised as a better blocker with average hands. A fifth TE, former practice squad player Fontell Mines, has already been ruled out for the season due to injury and may end up an injured reserve.

The Bears need that third TE to be a blocker. Blocking in football is as much technique as it is power. But if you have both, you will have a nice career in the NFL. Losing John Gilmore a couple years ago hurt the short yardage run game. He was technically strong and physically imposing (6'5" 257). You need that nasty blocking TE that will stick his nose in there and work his tail off to get the job done. Olsen will never be that guy. His blocking has, and will continue to improve, but he's paid to catch balls. Clark has made himself into a better than average blocker after playing wide receiver in college at Wake Forest, but when you go double tight, and sometimes 3 tight end sets, you ~~want~~, check that, need, a guy you can count on to make a key block. Last year the Bears used Kellen Davis in that role, and the signing of Michael Gaines should tell you all you need to know about their comfort level with him as the number three TE. Has Davis improved as a blocker? Last month Tight End coach Rob Boras had a few things to say about him on chicagobears.com;

Like everybody, he's a work in progress. He's getting better. ... We would like him to develop into being a dominant blocker for us, so to be that he’s got to play with better pad level.

At 6'7" I'm sure playing to high has been a problem he's had his entire football life. The hardest thing to teach a tall blocker is to stay low. Davis has a few inches on mostly everyone he's asked to block, so he has to condition his body to get lower through repetition, repetition, and repetition. An NFL TE has to be technically sound, he isn't going to overpower many defenders at this level. Will he put in the work to improve? A knock on Davis out of Michigan State was that he didn't work as hard as he should, it's something that has dogged him in first two years in Chicago, although I have yet to hear about a coach calling him out on his work ethic.

Michael Gaines has the ability to not only line up as a tight end, but to line up in the backfield as a fullback (or H-Back), something we've heard about but didn't see in the Buffalo game. He has versatility and experience over Davis to make the final roster, but Davis has the higher ceiling. If Gaines takes to a special teams role he could have the edge. Last year Davis was a productive member of the third phase, and this year he's been practicing as one of the 2 man wedge on the kick return team.

After just 1 preseason game, with Davis catching 2 for 29 yards and Gaines catching none, there really isn't a clear cut resolution to who has the job. There is an outside chance the Bears keep all four, but that would be at the expense of either a wide receiver or running back (I'll look at the RB position battle on Thursday). I believe Davis will be given at least one more year to show what he can do. If the Bears do go the Gaines route, they can forget about trying to stash Davis on the practice squad, he'll be picked up before he walks out of Halas Hall.

One last aspect to the TE position battle is Greg Olsen being named starter before the players broke a sweat on training camp. Not much of a battle, now was it? Desmond Clark, the true pro that he is, took the demotion in stride, but I don't like the starters being named in the meeting rooms. I prefer them to battle it out between the lines and may the best man win the job. With as many double TE sets the Bears utilize Clark will still see plenty of action, but for a guy that has started 92 of his 94 career games as a Bear, I think showing him the respect of an actual position battle would have made more sense.

Poll

How do you see the Tight End Position Battle playing out?

Olsen, Clark, & Davis

364 votes

Olsen, Clark, & Gaines

77 votes

Olsen, Clark, Davis, & Gaines

203 votes

644 votes | Poll has closed

NightLink: Fontel Mines is Gone for the Season

Adam T — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:35:20 -0000

Fontel Mines is one of the names we have heard coming from camp of players that were looking good. With Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis and Michael Gaines already having a spot or fighting for a spot, Mines probably would have been a long shot to make the roster. It doesn't really matter now.

Mines went down in practice and it is now being reported that he has torn an ACL.