SB Nation - Caleb Hanie

The Practice Squad Explained

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by Nam Y Huh - AP

There are some rules pertaining to Practice Squad eligibility that I never knew until reading some of the threads here on WCG. Even with some of these correct clarifications it seems like there are enough confused people to warrant an explanation. I just hope I don't get to long winded...

Much of my info will be pulled from the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article XXXIV. If you like these types of documents check it out. You may be able to make heads or tails of it better than I did.

I'll hit the basics first.

An NFL practice squad consists of a maximum of eight players, and those eight players are actually free to negotiate with any other team in the NFL. The only catch is if a team signs a player off your practice squad that player must be placed on their active roster, they can not be signed off 1 practice squad only to go on another. If a team wants to keep their practice squad player from signing elsewhere they must promote them to their 53 man roster. If you do lose or promote one of your eight practice squad players you may sign another, just don't over eight. (You can add a 9th if said player is from outside the United States)

The NFL is very strict with teams not going over the max of eight players. In 2004 the Redskins were caught making a change in their practice squad and for a brief moment they had 9 under contract, this led to them getting slapped with a $45,000 fine.

One important restriction on signing a player from some other teams practice squad is the following:

... a practice squad player may not sign an NFL Player Contract with his Club's next opponent later than 4:00 p.m. , New York time, on the sixth day preceding the game (except in bye weeks, when the prohibition commences on the tenth day preceding the game).

This is to prevent teams from signing a guy for the sole intent of picking their brain. If this rule weren't in place some renegade maverick owner like, let's say... Jerry Jones of the Cowboys... would keep a roster spot open for a revolving door of opposing players.

In theory a team could sign a player away from an upcoming opponent 7 days prior to extract some info, but there is a rule in place to try and prevent teams from doing this. If a team signs a practice squad player that team;

... is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts as a game) even if he is terminated or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club's 53-player roster or another club's Practice Squad prior to that time.

I guess if a team were really desperate for some inside scouting they could bite the bullet and sign a guy and deal with him counting towards their 53 man roster for a few weeks, but with football being so specialized these days you'd be hard pressed to find a team that would do this.

This year practice squad players will make a minimum of $5,200 per week. Not bad, but far from what the real rostered players bring home. Add the fact that their pay isn't guaranteed, they get no benefits and no pension, and you see how their lifestyle could be ~~one bad day~~, make that one bad play, away from the unemployment line. On a positive spin, they could also be one play away from getting promoted to the active roster. Their game-days are spent sometimes at home and sometimes, if they play for a team with good ownership, in a luxury box taking in the action. While an NFL teams practice week will vary slightly from team to team, most practice squad players spend their week doing the exact same thing their active team-mates do. Monday they sit in their positional team meetings breaking down film from the previous game. Tuesdays they look at film for the upcoming weeks opponent and start getting the game-plan. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, they do their best to play their role on the scout team, getting their team ready to play.

What type of elegibility requirements are there for the practice squad?

Section 4. Eligibility: (a) The practice squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a practice squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List during the entire period of his employment. (b) A player shall be deemed to have served on a Practice Squad in a season if he has passed the club's physical and been a member of the club's Practice Squad for at least three regular season or postseason games during his first two Practice Squad seasons, and for at least one regular season or postseason game during his third Practice Squad season. (A bye week counts as a game provided that the player is not terminated until after the regular season or postseason weekend in question.)

Got it? Simple right? I'll try and put some of "Section 4:" in English;

Two years on a practice squad means that team can't have you serve a 3rd year, unless... the team never has their active roster go below 53 players during the two years you serve on the practice squad, then you can get a 3rd year. That's why Brandon Rideau is ineligible, he's already had 2 years with the Bears practice squad.

If your player has spent an accrued year on your active roster he can't go on your practice squad. Which is why Craig Steltz is ineligible for the practice squad.

Free Agent players that play more than nine regular season games are ineligible for the practrice squad. Which is why Brett Basanez is eligible for the practice squad.

I like using examples for some of this stuff so here goes;

1) Let's say the Kansas City Chiefs really had a need for a fullback and their scouts had their eye on Chicago rookie Will Ta'ufo'ou, who is on the Bears practice squad. The Chiefs are free to negotiate with him, and the Bears would lose him unless they decide to promote him to their active roster. If the Bears wanted to promote him, they would then have to cut a player to make room for Ta'ufo'ou. The Bears then could negotiate with the Chiefs and work out a trade for his services.

2) Let's say Jay Cutler stubs his big toe (yes I'm keeping the hypothetical injury minor as not to jinx anything) and has to miss one week of action. The Bears could promote Basanez to be the back-up to Caleb Hanie for a week, then try and put him back on the practice squad. Keeping Basanez on the practice squad is really a smart move. His value to the league as a 3rd QB is limited, so the Bears should be able to keep him there all season. Of course if a team or two has some bad luck at the QB position the Bears could see Basanez signed away, but my guess is the Bears would promote him and cut someone else.

3) Say for example the Packers lost a couple DB's in a freak cheese curd avalanche, and really had their sights set on Bears rookie Woodny Tureene. Since the Bears play Green Bay this week they would have to wait until after this weeks game before offering Tureene a deal.

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.

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Denver Game

Dane Noble — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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-We saw another great offensive performance last night, most notably from Jay Cutler, Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, and Caleb Hanie. Matt Forte had a solid performance as well

-Trumaine McBride missed a couple of open field tackles.

-Rashied Davis stepped up big time on Special Teams play.

-In the first quarter, Jay Cutler had Olsen open for a first down pass, but opted for a deeper pass to Dez Clark for the conversion. That is confidence from a QB.

-I kept jotting down how good Pisa Tinoisamoa seems to be.

-Orlando Pace had his hands full... got beat several times in passing situations. Did not seem to be very nimble.

-Anthony Adams played smart football, staying at home on a reverse, and snuffing out pulling guards.

-Corey Graham shedded a block and made good open field tackles twice last night.

-Dez Clark is playing with a sense of urgency and aggressiveness. Will be more of a receiving threat than we may have thought. Ran hard after the catch.

-The DLine is definitely getting off the line fast, which is one of the main things Marinelli coaches.

-Jason McKie had several great lead blocks.

-The defense stopped the run in the first half, only giving up 6 yards. Second half, gave up several good runs.

-Al Afalava was quieter last night, but played very well in rushing situations in goal line stands.

-Johnny Knox beat Alphonso Smith for 43 yards... Smith was considered one of the best cover men in this year's draft class.

-Adrian Peterson ran very well... seemed much more aggressive with the football.

-Roberto Garza pulled out twice as lead blocker. Looked very strong, providing great blocks.

-When Cutler was interviewed on the sideline, and asked about the WR corp, he made a comment that he "doesn't know who we're gonna get." Was that a slip up? Are the Bears still looking to acquire someone?

-Briggs and Urlacher switched places twice in short yardage situations.

Who did you see step up last night? Who may have cost themselves a roster or starting spot?

Preseason Game 2: Bears vs. Giants

Dane Noble — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:49:33 -0000

Tomorrow is the home-opener for the Chicago Bears, providing most fans the opportunity to see QB Jay Cutler and company live for the first time. Any of you going?

Traveling to Soldier Field will be Eli Manning and the New York Giants.

The Giants finished 12-4 last season, losing to the Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs. Of course, the Giants biggest offseason "move" was getting rid of Plaxico Burress, but they have a couple of exciting young WRs from April's draft to keep an eye on: Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden.

The Giants finished 2008 ranked #7 in total offense (helped largely by their NFL leading rushing offense) and 5th in total defense. For each of their personnel losses from last season, the Giants seem to have covered their bases well enough to have success again in 2009. And certainly one of the biggest factors will be the return of DE Osi Uminyiora.

I remember reading a while back something about the Giants for the 2009 season, which essentially said that their defense is young and stacked, and their offense hinges on the play of the WRs. Basically, if the WRs can be productive, the Giants will look like they did 18 months ago. If they don't step up, they'll look like they did 6 months ago.

For the game at Soldier Field, here are a few things to look for:

- A ton of rookie WRs looking to step up and make plays. The Bears need productive WR play as much as the Giants do, so it will be interesting to see which group of youngsters steps it up.

- Progress: Jay Cutler has almost two full quarters of football under his belt as a Chicago Bear, so look for him to be a bit more effective in tomorrow's game. The pass rush and secondary of the Giants will be relentless, but Cutler has had a solid week to improve his game.

- Even the Giants back-ups are strong, so I am looking forward to a game-long challenge for our offensive line. As we know, the Bears OL has a lot of new folks, so this will provide a great opportunity to see how everything is coming together.

- Caleb Hanie/ Brett Basanez will be under the spotlight, with the emphasis on Basanez. He may very well be fighting for a roster spot.

- And one thing that I am personally curious about: The fans. Soldier Field is undoubtedly going to be rocking harder than the Rolling Stones did in Super Bowl XL in 2006, so it will be interesting to hear about the atmosphere there. Whoever is going to be there, make sure you keep in touch.

What all are you interested in seeing (or hearing about) tomorrow?

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

4 months ago: Denver Broncos cornerback Alphonso Smith (33) breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Micheal Spurlock (18) during their NFL preseason football game in San Francisco, Calif., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of ST&NO, this time with actual football to talk about. We'll start with some thoughts about Friday night's game, we'll reflect briefly on Jay Cutler's Chicago debut, and we'll move into some other topics also. Get excited, because it's going to be a lot of fun. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. Friday night thoughts follow, with an effort not to beat the same drums as others have been. (The Tuesday AM time slot doesn't look so great, when the game was played on Friday night.)

a. I was very, very pleased with what I saw of the first-team front 7. To me, that was the best sign of the game. They were active, they tackled well, and they played physically up front. The OLBs did a nice job, and played like standup ends mostly, mirroring the 5-2 look a few of us speculated we'd see.

b. Kyle Orton needs to improve, obviously. He could start by realizing that he has a fantastic O-Line in front of him, and settling his feet down. His arm is strong enough to make every throw, but he needs to have his feet set, like most QBs. There aren't many Jay Cutler's, who can be lazy in their lower half, and still usually power the ball to the general area they're going to. I've come to think of that as a vice, more than a virtue, really. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have to get their feet set EVERY time, so they do it just about EVERY time. Orton's third INT was particularly an example of bad footwork leading to a weak throw.

c. Chris Baker may start at NT by Week 4. He looked like a beast, and got a sack. I think the Broncos are really onto something with him.

d. Alphonso Smith is going to be a top-notch player in the NFL for a long time. His pass breakup when he got his feet tangled on the play was a thing of beauty, and he looked explosive (like always) returning kicks. I've been saying it since before the draft, so I'll keep saying it. The Broncos are never going to regret trading for the pick they used to take him.

e. I thought the offensive play-calling wasn't great, particularly with Orton on the field. I think a little more balance would have helped, and challenging the deep part of the field also would have been useful.

f. I can't figure out why Vernon Fox is on the roster. He was awful last season, and should have been part of the purge. That terrible long TD by the 49ers' Brit Miller was clearly Fox's responsibility.

g. If Orton continues to struggle, I am comfortable with Chris Simms. Truthfully, I could care less which one is the starter. Neither one is my son, you know? I think they can both play well, and help the Broncos win.

h. I did a fair bit of tweeting during the game, @TedBartlett905. I may continue to do so, in future games. Follow me, if you like my work.

i. I generally liked how physical the team looked. They've never been a quote-unquote physical team, for as long as I can remember. This was something I was really watching for, and I was pleased with the results.

j. I thought the TEs were very under-utilized in the passing game. I realize that the offensive coaches have an extensive toolbox to work with, but a lot of matchup problems can be created with those guys. I hope to see Tony Scheffler running deep soon, because he's unstoppable downfield, with his size and speed.

2. I watched the beginning of the Bears-Bills game on Saturday, and Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler looked like he hasn't improved at all. He still threw flat-footed, he still made bad decisions, and he still made a couple of big-time throws, to remind you that he can, especially one he put ON Desmond Clark down the seam.

It was kind of like seeing an ex-girlfriend at a party, if our members who don't date ladies will momentarily forgive the simile (not metaphor). For a minute, you think she looks hot, and you remember what it was like when you used to date, and she did all those wild things, when it was time for doing wild things. Man, she was a lot of fun. Then she drinks too much, and she's doing keg stands, and then she throws up in a potted plant, and is hanging all over the chump who was just holding her hair back. He evidently doesn't care that she threw up, a little vomit doesn't bother him, because now he's making out with her anyway. You're vividly reminded why you broke up with her, right?

Jay can still fire the ball, but he still locks onto receivers, and he seems to be learning that Devin Hester is no Brandon Marshall. He's not even a Brandon Stokley, actually, and has a long way to go before he can even be called a good receiver. Six of Jay's ten throws went to Hester, which is very problematic, and then he threw Hester under the bus for the interception (You stay classy, Jay). The Bears' O-line struggled against the Bills too, which was a bad sign, and Jay showed happier feet than I have seen since the Seattle game, his rookie year. Jay threw one interception, had another easy one dropped by Reggie Corner, and had a 3rd-down throw into quadruple coverage in the end zone batted down. His passer rating of 30.8 even managed to make Kyle Orton's 32.6 look a little better. I'm not saying, I'm just saying....

3. Thoughts and Observations on other games:

a. Aaron Rodgers looked terrific for the Packers, and the Browns first-team defense looked completely abysmal. The Browns had no pass rush, no coverage, and ill-timed penalties, like a defensive holding on 4th and 6.

b. Due to a preference for soundness and consistency, I am predisposed to prefer Brady Quinn to Derek Anderson, but Quinn looked a lot better, again. He led the Browns to a pretty good early drive, which saw a made field goal get disallowed by a Hank Fraley penalty, and turn into a missed field goal. At the end of the first half, Braylon Edwards dropped a sure TD on him, one play before Quinn threw a pick while getting hit. Quinn, as usual, looked decisive and fundamentally sound. Anderson looked ragged, and threw a bad interception against tight coverage.

c. I like the Bills' use of the no-huddle in mid-game situations. It gave them some matchup advantages against Chicago, and they looked improved with it, over the previous week in Canton.

d. The Bears had Henry Melton as a kickoff returner, which was a sight to behold. Melton is a Defensive End, who wears uniform number 69. He's 6-4 and 269 pounds, and he did play some running back at Texas (132-625-16 in his career, not bad). He actually looked pretty nimble, and had a 20-yard return, which he fielded nicely on a bounce, in the third quarter.

e. The Bears had better hope Cutler doesn't get hurt. Brett Basanez and Caleb Hanie are not good - especially Basanez, a Northwestern grad, who ought to be thinking about where he wants to go to graduate school. Maybe the 5 Commodores on the team can put in a good word for him at Vanderbilt.

f. Ellis Lankster, another CB I really liked in the draft, got 2 interceptions off of Basanez. Lankster played at West Virginia, and I saw a lot of him last fall, when I was dating a big Mountaineers fan. He's a guy who plays a lot better than he times, and he looks like a steal as a 7th rounder. The Bills are very deep at CB, but Lankster is going to make the team, as a seventh-rounder.

g. Matthew Stafford looked pretty good for the Lions, except for a back-foot interception which he got returned for a TD. The guy I really was pretty impressed with was Drew Stanton. He led the Lions to the win at the end of the game. For a guy who was a second-round pick, you have to wonder why he never got a chance to play, especially during an 0-16 season. I wonder if he didn't just get caught up in the Marinelli/Millen shuffle.

h. #36 for the Bears, Josh Bullocks, threw one of the body-rockingest blocks you'll ever see on a punt return. He lit some poor Buffalo Bill up, and got his returner 10 extra yards.

i. Local Philly MSMer Bob Brookover said that Jason Peters looked good against the Patriots, and the NFP reposted the article with the headline Peters Paying Dividends. I beg to differ. I watched him get beat repeatedly, and I thought he looked really fat and slow. Winston Justice, who played on the right side, is a terrible player, and he was also repeatedly abused. It's time to give up on the Justice-has-potential meme.

j. A Browns player who jumped out at me was rookie CB Coye Francies. He looks really active, and smashed a Packers RB on a play where he looked like he had some daylight. He also had an interception of the totally inept-looking Brian Brohm. Remember when Brohm was going to be the #1 pick in the 2007 Draft, after his junior season? Matt Flynn is a lot better than him, and was picked 5 rounds later.

k. For being new to zone blocking, the Seahawks looked pretty good at it. Julius Jones is a good RB for that kind of scheme, because he gets downhill quickly, and he had pretty solid success against the Chargers.

l. I think the Chargers defense still looked vulnerable. The Seahawks were able to throw and run against them. Shawne Merriman mostly stayed blocked, and had no impact on the game, although Shaun Phillips looked active and quick.

m. Matt Cassel struggled mightily for the Chiefs, showing happy feet, inaccurate passing, and a fumbled exchange (though, to be fair, it was raining). Chiefs fans shouldn't panic, though, just like we shouldn't panic.

n. A guy who looked very good for the Chiefs was Tamba Hali. He seems to be making a good transition from DE to 3-4 OLB, and he was very active, playing the whole first half. He had some rushes against Eric Winston, a good RT, where he got good pressure.

o. Matt Schaub looked really sharp for the Texans, completing all 7 of his throws for 70 yards. I've always liked Schaub, and I think if he can stay healthy, he'll have a big year. The Texans offense, as we all know, gets guys open on a lot of crossing stuff, and creates high-percentage opportunities.

p. Old friend Jim Bates' Buccaneers defense looked quick and sound, especially Stylez G. White (formerly Greg White). He had a sack and a really impressive interception of Kerry Collins. Sabby Piscitelli looked like he is putting his game together to match his talent, and he also picked off Collins, in the end zone.

q. Another old friend, John Lynch, did the color commentary for the Bucs, and he seemed very natural at it.

r. Byron Leftwich is the same as ever. He throws the ball really well, but needs to elaborately wind up to do it, and has no pocket mobility. He did make a really nice throw for a TD, to another old friend, Brian Clark. Clark also forced a safety on a punt, by getting himself held in the end zone, with a really impresisve rush.

s. I've been critical of Vince Young, but he played well Saturday. He had a couple of nice throws in the second quarter, especially a deep ball to Kenny Britt, and later hit Britt with a 37-yard TD pass. Britt looked like the real deal, and I was kind of indifferent to him, coming out of Rutgers.

t. Titans backup Center Fernando Velasco did a repeatedly horrible job with the shotgun snap. There was inadequate velocity on his snaps, and he grounded one to Young on a 3rd down near the end of the first half. Young stupidly/wildly lateraled the ball over LenDale White's head, and White smartly kicked the ball out of bounds, once he caught up to it.

u. The Bucs have a lot of quality depth at RB, which people aren't mentioning much. Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams have both been 1,000-yard rushers, and Earnest Graham got 898 and 10 TDs in 2008. Behind them is Clifton Smith, who made the Pro Bowl as a return man last season, and looked good carrying the ball from scrimmage this weekend.

v. It was mostly assumed that Clint Sintim would be drafted by a 3-4 team, since he played in one of the very few collegiate 3-4's at the University of Virginia. When the Giants took him in the second round, a lot of people were surprised, but I was not one of them. The Giants 4-3 plays like a 5-2, and their SLB tends to be DE-sized, like Mathias Kiwanuka. The Jim Johnson-led Eagles have tended to do something similar, which I am sure is where Steve Spagnuolo picked it up, but the Giants are really heavy on rushing 5 big guys most of the time. Sintim looked really good on Monday night, with a sack and a forced fumble, and a couple more solid rushes.

w. The Giants' first-round pick Hakeem Nicks looks completely lost, and got nothing done on Monday night. The Panthers' top pick, second-rounder Everette Brown, looked pretty good in his opportunities, and Jon Gruden credited him with finishing well on one occasion.

4. Interesting note from Pro Football Weekly's Whispers column:

• The Broncos recently moved Marcus Thomas from nose tackle to defensive end and we hear he will challenge DE Ryan McBean for a starting spot. Sources say Thomas is the team's most talented D-lineman, but it could take him some time to learn his new position in the team's 3-4 scheme after he was used as a tackle in a 4-3 set previously. McBean, who has just one game of experience, has not impressed observers thus far.

When I first heard that Thomas was being tried on the nose, it struck me as a little strange. He's much more a quick-footed guy than a mauler. He did look good at DE in the 30-fronts the Broncos used last season, so I think this is a smart move.

McBean got a coverage sack on Friday, but generally didn't distinguish himself much in the rest of the game. I think Thomas can do very well given this chance, and I expect him to earn the starting job.

5. Fun with Peter "Mr. Light and Breezy" King

e. It won't matter what kind of play the Broncos get out of Orton or Simms if they play defense the way they played against the all-star lineup of Shaun Hill, Alex Smith and Damon Huard. I know, I know. Preseason Week 1. Who cares? Half of these guys will be gone in two weeks. But 14 of 18 passing, for a 143.5 rating? And 30 San Fran carries for a 4.5-yard average? Not good.

This is a lot like saying that the Broncos had the second-best offense in the NFL last season. At the end of the day, the defense held San Francisco to 17 points, and nothing else matters. Remember, one TD was at least partially a gift of great field position by way of Orton's 3rd INT. This team is probably going to get the ball moved on them this season, but if they can hold the opponents to field goals instead of Touchdowns, they can win a lot of games.

This is exactly what Miami did last season, in going 11-5. People remember the Wildcat, and solid play by Chad Pennington, but scoring-area defense was the hallmark of their success. It goes a long, long way. As for Mr. Light and Breezy, I am pretty sure he was in attendance for this game, so it kind of boggles my mind why he is relying on the stat sheet, rather than his own eyes. Allowing 4.5 yards per rush sounds bad, to be sure. Par for the course, I guess, though.

6. I like the Michael Vick-to-the-Eagles move. Low pressure for him, and he can get back into the swing, and probably play in some specialty packages by the end of the year. Expect him to be in high demand next offseason, if he looks good at all, and the Eagles will now have a quality tradeable asset, with one club-option year for 2010.

The dogfighting stigma is already fading, mostly thanks to Tony Dungy and the Eagles. By next year, PETA will still be trying to make hay from Vick, but they'll be the only media force who is, and even Ted the Well-Known Liberal will grant you that nobody outside of PETA really takes PETA very seriously. What they stand for is important, and worthwhile (at a high level), but their shrillness and rigidity puts them outside of the mainstream. (Before I get excoriated, I think that most everybody can generally get behind the ethical treatment of animals, but there's a variance in what that exactly means in people's minds. That's what I mean about a high level.) If Vick can behave and dedicate himself to being a good player, he can redeem his career and his life, which is a great thing for ~~anybody~~ everybody who has ever made a mistake.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. I will be in New Hampshire visiting family from Wednesday night through Sunday morning, so chances are, I won't get to see the game live on Saturday night, unless I can find a bar with NFL Network, and my brother wants to go, the night before his 5 AM flight back to L.A on Sunday. I may tweet a little from my iPhone, if I can make it work. I'm hopeful, at least.

9. How about Tom Cable apparently breaking his assistant's jaw? That's putting the fun in dysfunctional, there, Raiders-style. I remember when Buddy Ryan socked Kevin Gilbride on the sideline once in the early 90s, when they were the coordinators for the Oilers. That got a lot of notoriety, but this seems worse, considering the nature of the injury, and the fact that it was the HEAD COACH. I actually kind of feel bad for Raiders fans.

As I mentioned, I'll be out of pocket, and out in the woods at the end of the week, but I hope everybody has a great one. Until next Tuesday, I'll be keeping it Shallow and Nearsighted, like always.

Bills turn in big plays, defeat Bears 27-20

Brian Galliford — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:46:22 -0000

It was not a perfect night at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but "not perfect" doesn't mean "bad" - and the Buffalo Bills were a far cry from bad in defeating the Chicago Bears 27-20 in their first home pre-season game of the season. Several young Bills turned in big plays, the team had good showings in key areas, and a few questions were answered (in a not-set-in-stone way, of course) along the way.

To say the DVR failed epically this evening would be a dramatic undersell. Without getting into the specifics - I like my blood pressure right where it's at now, thanks - let's just say that I, personally, am only going to have one shot at seeing this game. My thoughts on some of the big issues are after the jump, and we'll be getting more in-depth over the coming days.

No-huddle needs Owens
QB Trent Edwards played into the second quarter, completing all ten of his passing attempts for 79 yards, while also taking two sacks. The Bills, however, struggled in an area all too familiar to Bills fans - getting receivers open. Edwards was 10-of-10 in part because he was forced to check to short throws (though he did have three nice strikes to WR Lee Evans for 54 yards). Chicago's corners were playing Bills receivers tight, and as a result, it caused a few problems for the Bills' aerial attack.

Where Owens was missed most, however, was in the red zone. Once again, the first-team offense struggled to put the ball in the paint, settling for a 28-yard Rian Lindell field goal on their only trip into the red area. Owens helps the team between the twenties too, obviously, but the Bills had 46-yard and 60-yard drives on the evening. They should be able to move the ball in the event that they're without a major weapon. But though the no-huddle kept the Bears on their toes tonight, it wasn't as efficient as it should be. Without both receivers in the lineup, the offense will struggle.

Ryan Fitzpatrick can play, it turns out
It was tough not to be impressed with Ryan Fitzpatrick tonight. His units struggled in the red area, too, but his 13-of-16 for 143 yards performance should quiet some of his tougher critics, if only for a few days. He has looked in command of the no-huddle attack throughout the pre-season, and he made some absolutely beautiful throws in the face of pressure tonight. In particular, a 23-yard seam route to TE Jonathan Stupar was a thing of beauty - that's a difficult throw to make, and he made it look easy. Again, it wasn't perfect - but this was a very encouraging performance.

Offensive Line still a work in progress
For the most part tonight, I thought the starting line of Langston Walker, Andy Levitre, Geoff Hangartner, Eric Wood and Brad Butler provided excellent pass protection. Edwards generally had plenty of time to throw; though he was sacked twice, one was on an overload blitz that Edwards failed to read hot, and the other was possibly Edwards' only indecisive play of the night. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing.

It's pretty clear that this no-huddle will be pass-oriented - 13 of the first-unit offense's 24 plays were passes, after all, and the way the Bills are running the ball right now, they'll need to throw early in the season until the line comes together a bit more. The Bills ran for 123 yards on the evening, sure, but it took 43 rushing attempts to get there. That's 2.86 yards per attempt, folks - and that total plummeted to 2.48 yards per carry for the team's running backs. The pass blocking is solid enough to be getting on with; we need to see a few more running lanes, and hopefully, we'll see the sooner rather than later.

All in all, however, the Bills still picked up 375 yards of offense while eating up 38 minutes of game clock. They were helped by some big plays defensively, but without their biggest offensive star, there were plenty of encouraging signs offensively tonight.

Corners turn in big plays
Leodis McKelvin may be getting torched by Evans and Owens in practice, but he's acquitting himself nicely against actual opponents. After logging an interception last weekend in the Hall of Fame Game, McKelvin again intercepted a pass - this time a deep throw from Jay Cutler intended for Devin Hester. Leo also had a pass breakup on a third-and-short play to snuff out Chicago's opening drive.

Two picks in two games wasn't good enough to outshine rookie Ellis Lankster, however. Lankster intercepted two passes on the evening within one minute of game time, setting up two consecutive fourth-quarter touchdowns to put the game on ice for the Bills. If you were skeptical of Lankster's routine interceptions in practice, this performance should put your mind at ease. Lankster dropped a potential third interception as well.

Undrafted rookie free agent Lydell Sargeant got in on the act, too, pulling in a pick late to seal the victory. In all, Bills corners had four picks on the evening - even though it should have been five, as Reggie Corner dropped a gift-wrapped toss from Cutler early in the game. The corners were great, but they were helped out by a surprisingly solid Bills pass rush.

Pass rush has a pulse - seriously
McKelvin's early interception would not have been possible without heat on Cutler from Chris Kelsay - yes, that Chris Kelsay, the much-maligned end who was essentially booed during pre-game introductions tonight. (Seriously - lighten up, Bills fans. Who the hell boos at a pre-season game? On Kid's Night? Sheesh.) Kelsay didn't get close enough to sack Cutler on the play, but he was bearing down, causing Cutler to make a poor decision. It should also be noted that Kelsay's pressure came on a counter move - perhaps that tae kwon do training is paying off.

Second-team ends Chris Ellis and Copeland Bryan had nice nights as well. On back-to-back plays, Ellis and Bryan recorded sacks on Bears QB Caleb Hanie. Ellis' sack was a thing of beauty, bending the edge and catching Hanie from behind as he stepped up into the pocket. Bryan forced a fumble on his sack, which Ellis promptly recovered. The pass rush itself was responsible for the fifth and final Bears turnover of the evening. I don't know if Aaron Maybin was watching this contest, but Ellis and Bryan are supposed to make his understudies. While he waits for a deal, his understudies are making plays. Just sayin'.

I have much more to talk about, and I'd like to flesh some of this out a bit more, but it's late, I'm wired beyond belief, and my fingers are shaking. Let's hear it, folks - what were your impressions of this game? I'll leave you with this - barring injury, which has derailed many a Bills team in the past, this Bills team has a chance to be very, very surprising. The pieces are in place. I am genuinely excited.

Bears Tried To Land Another QB

Dane Noble — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:49:00 -0000

Say what you will about Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez, but maybe the Bears are still a little uncertain of their backup QBs. According to this article, we made a play for Andrew Walter, who recently signed with the Patriots (see #5).

There aren't many names that are left out there that are intriguing free agents (Bollinger, Dorsey, Green), so I wonder what will happen if Hanie and Basenez fail to impress during the preseason? Brad Biggs mentions that neither have stood out in training camp thus far.

Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez have not done a lot to stand out a training camp that has been dominated by Cutler. Hanie has flashed his ability to keep plays alive with his legs, and Basanez has made the occasional throw. The test for them will come when preseason begins and Hanie is expected to receive plenty of work Saturday at Buffalo. Basanez is the only one with NFL game experience. He threw 11 passes at Carolina in 2006. Stay tuned.

Only six more days until Preseason Game #1!

NightLink: Top 10 Bears Prospects

Dane Noble — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:00:11 -0000

For the purposes of this article, the writer has defined a prospect as "a player entering their third year in the NFL or is under 25 years old."

We have mentioned the fact that the Bears seem to be building a very young and solid foundation for our offense, and 5 of the 10 players listed here are on the offensive side of the ball.

While I may not agree with everything the author writes, he has done a good job with his analysis. Here are his top 10 Bears prospects for 2009:

1- Matt Forte

2- Greg Olsen

3- Chris Williams

6- Kevin Payne

10- Corey Graham

Just missing the top 10 were: Craig Steltz, Caleb Hanie, and Johnny Knox.

Be sure to head on over to the original article and check out his analysis.

NightLink: QB Coach Pep Hamilton on Cutler, Hanie, and Basenez

Dane Noble — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:01:23 -0000

Over at the Bears official site, Larry Mayer sits down with the Bears QB coach, Pep Hamilton, to discuss Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie, and Brett Basenez.

Excerpts of the interview to follow, but make sure you head over and catch the entire article

With Cutler’s ability to throw the deep ball, how much more will the Bears take shots down the field than they have in the past?

Just in my time here, when there’s been an opportunity for us to take a shot down field and make a big play, coach Turner has seized that opportunity. We had a lot of chances last year to make some big plays down the field and for whatever reason we didn’t. Jay’s arm talent and his ability to throw the deep ball is an asset, so I’m sure with Devin Hester’s game-breaking speed and his ability to get behind the secondary, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that play called a few times during the season.

How did backup quarterback Caleb Hanie perform in OTAs?

He did a lot of good things. He showed the poise that he’s shown since he’s been here. Being given a chance to get reps versus the first and second team defense was important for him. It gave him a chance to get a feel for what the play speed would be like during the regular season. But he’s still working at it. Training camp is going to be important for him. It’s going to be big. It’s going to be important that he comes into training camp in great shape and has the appropriate mental approach and perspective. But he’s coming along. He’s a young player who has a lot of potential. He’s just got to keep working at it.

What are your impressions of backup Brett Basanez?

He’s a hard-working guy. Brett is always at Halas Hall after hours studying film and going back to critique himself after practice. On the field, he’s shown some mobility as well as the ability to make the necessary throws. Brett doesn’t have a lot of play-time reps, but the potential is there. Both Brett and Caleb can make plays with their legs. They’re both athletic, and they can extend plays. Both guys have a lot of common traits. They’re smart kids who work hard. It’ll be interesting to see how the competition between them ultimately ends up.

QB Depth in the NFL

Dane Noble — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:59:36 -0000

It has been discussed a few times in the last couple of months... which NFL team has the best group of QBs? Certainly, only ranking the starting QBs would be a tough enough task, but to attempt to rank teams based on the starter + back-ups? Well, I found an article that does just that (or attempts to nonetheless), and I'll leave it up to you to decide how close it would stack up against your rankings.

Our beloved Chicago Bears QBs come in at number 19.

19.

BEARS

Jay Cutler
Caleb Hanie
Brett Basanez

Well, at least now the Bears finally have one legitimate, top-shelf QB. They just may not have anyone behind him if Cutler ever gets hurt. First, how good is Cutler? Critics point to his offseason pouting in Denver, his 18 interceptions in 2008 and fact that he's never led a team to the playoffs. But he did have a horrible defense in Denver, which on paper the Bears should be an improvement. But Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez as backups? Chicago's front office should be ashamed to head into the season with no proven backup.