SB Nation User Blog: Doctor Chicago

Idonije Wants to Play Some D

Doctor Chicago — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:06:27 -0000

Israel Idonije, who has been a standout special teams player for the past few years, not surprisingly wants an increased role on the defensive line in 2008. He's been utilized as a defensive end in the past, but in recent practices he's been lining up at DT. To prepare to play inside, he put on 20 pounds and now plays at 295.

With Idonije expected to see more playing time on defense, his role on special teams likely will be reduced.

“The way I look at it right now is that I feel I have to replace him,” said special teams coordinator Dave Toub. “If I think that way and get him replaced, then it’s a bonus if I get him back.

“I’ve got to think that he’s going to be in the [defensive line] rotation. He’ll probably get a lot of plays defensively, so I’m not going to be able to use him as much. If I use him in any phase, it would be kickoff because he’s a factor. Just having him running down the middle of the field, you have to account for him. You have to use two guys on him, so that frees up somebody else.”

Despite what Toub thinks, Idonije will likely split time with Dusty Dvoracek and rookie Marcus Harrison in the preseason, but I would expect they'll win the job over him and go into a starting rotation to start the season, and Idonije will slide back into his special teams role.

Lovie Sends Benson Home from OTA

Doctor Chicago — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:59:40 -0000

While earlier reports suggested that Benson simply didn't show up for Monday's OTA, now it seems that Benson did show up, but Lovie Smith turned him away at the door .

Cedric Benson showed up for work this morning at Halas Hall and was told to go home by coach Lovie Smith.

That’s what Benson’s attorney Sam Bassett said.

``I know that he went to practice today and Lovie told him to go home," said Bassett, based in Austin, Texas. ``I don’t know if it’s because of the publicity or because it’s a distraction, or if the Bears are trying to decide what to do. He’s just kind of waiting to see what they tell him and what they are going to require of him.

``His agent and business manager are doing some stuff with the Bears that I am not privy to. He knows the Bears may release him. He hopes they don't. He knows he screwed up."

Benson released a statement, admitting to drinking and driving, but also saying, "I strongly believe that I am not guilty of any crime." Maybe the problem is that he truly doesn't realize that drinking and driving/boating is in fact an actual crime?

Jerry Angelo is expected to give a statement of his own, possibly about giving Benson the boot, later this afternoon.

Usual Rookie Signing Frenzy Not Happening This Year

Doctor Chicago — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:19:06 -0000

In recent years, it seems that the Bears are one of the first teams to get all of their draft picks signed to contracts in a swift and easy manner. Two years in a row, the Bears have been the first team to sign all of their draft picks. This year, though, it’s been very quiet on the rookie contract front. As Brad Biggs points out, this time last year Chicago had five rookies signed already, while this year we have none under contract so far. To be fair, it’s been quiet all around the NFL, not just in the Windy City, as Biggs states.

It’s been slow going around the league getting draft picks done, unless you’re the Miami Dolphins with four in hand already, or the Atlanta Falcons with quarterback Matt Ryan on board. You can get any selection signed with a $72 million, six-year contract. What’s the challenge in that negotiation?

There are a few ideas floating around as to why it’s been quiet on this front. One is that the Dolphins did some player-friendly deals earlier this week when they signed running backs Jalen Parmele (6th round, Pick 10, 176 overall), Lex Hilliard (6th round, Pick 38, 204 overall) and defensive lineman Lionel Dotson (7th round, Pick 38, 245 overall). The Dophins had some wiggle room with their rookie pool after signing No. 1 pick Jake Long to a five-year deal instead of a six-year contract, and consequently signed these three late-round picks for a little more than the slots were projected to get.

Agents are going to take these deals and run with them, using them as a basis for their own negotiations with other late-round selections. Hilliard was drafted four slots ahead of Bears’ defensive end Ervin Baldwin. Dotson was selected within three slots either direction of three Bears’ picks—linebacker Joey LaRocque, offensive tackle Kirk Barton and wide receiver Marcus Monk. Eventually the marketplace will be better defined, but it’s going to take a little time.

Bears Could Be Handcuffed by Benson's Cap Hit

Doctor Chicago — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:47:11 -0000

The general consensus among Windy City Gridiron readers and most Bears fans is that Cedric Benson should be cut for his humiliations both on and off the field. However, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, sending Benson on the next boat out of Chicago would result in a harsh cap hit for the team.

Benson’s salary-cap figure for 2008 is $3.335 million and if the Bears cut him before June 1 and do not exercise an option to spread the dead money over two seasons, the hit for this year would be roughly $6 million. That would be cutting a sizeable slice into the pie that’s meant to go to Tommie Harris, Devin Hester, Robbie Gould and others in the form of longterm extensions.

If the Bears did a post-June 1 cut, or cut him now and had the money go on the books as a post-June 1 cut, they would still be on the books for more than $2.5 million this season when subtracting out his base pay of $820,000 for 2008.

Biggs goes on to say that even if the Bears release Benson based on his injuries, he would likely file a grievance and win, resulting in effectively paying Benson his salary without him even being on the team.

Like Biggs says, we need all the cap space we can get to lock up Harris and Hester to long-term deals, and Benson's cap hit would definitely complicate things and cause a financial ripple effect that could have a negative impact on signing other players. So although he'll probably get extremely limited playing time in 2008, we may be stuck with him.

A Look at the 2009 Quarterback Situation

Doctor Chicago — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:57:42 -0000

You may not have heard the news, but the Bears didn’t select a quarterback in this year’s draft, despite everyone’s speculation that they would either select one of the top QBs such as Chad Henne or Brian Brohm if they fell to them in the second round, or at least select a project player like Andre Woodson, Josh Johnson, or Kevin O’Connell. It seems that every Bears fan you speak to would have felt a lot better about the 2008 draft if a signal-caller was selected somewhere in the first 5 rounds. Even if the guy didn’t pan out as a pro, hey, at least the organization is trying. But, that didn’t happen, and none of us have any idea why. The only reasonable explanation is that Jerry, Lovie, and company didn’t believe that any of the QBs in this year’s class were going to amount to anything more than backups, and that the true franchise guy would have to be found at some other point. Obviously, free agency isn’t the answer this year. We did sign a couple of undrafted kids, but nobody can honestly expect them to have so much hidden star potential that 32 teams couldn’t see it through 7 rounds.

So what are our options? Let's start with free agency next year. Maybe Angelo could look for the answer there? Well, here’s a look at the list of 2009 free-agent quarterbacks:

Kurt Warner
Kyle Boller
Matt Cassel
Kerry Collins
Trent Dilfer
Charlie Batch
Charlie Frye
Jeff Garcia
Quinn Gray
Gibran Hamdan
Byron Leftwich
J.P. Losman
Luke McCown
Patrick Ramsey
Chris Simms
Anthony Wright

Not a very mouth-watering group, the only potentially decent options being J.P. Losman and Matt Cassel. Losman’s career so far has definitely been a roller-coaster ride in Buffalo, and he lost his job to rookie Trent Edwards at the end of the season. And if Chicago did indeed sign him next year, would you really be genuinely excited about it, or just feel that it’s a lateral move? As for Cassel, the simple fact that he's Tom Brady's backup is getting him attention. The truth is, he was a 7^th-round pick in 2005, and has had very limited game experience in a garbage time blowout and a meaningless season finale. He’s as unknown a commodity as you can get, and it would take a big leap of faith to assume that he’s any more suited to be a franchise quarterback than an undrafted rookie would be. Chris Simms may also be an appealing name to some, but it's becoming pretty clear that he's not his father, and is a good backup at best.

So the 2009 free-agent crop looks pretty dismal, with no guy you’d want the Bears to really seriously pursue. Granted, that list may change with off-season cuts, but they can’t be predicted. There is also a slight, probably very slight, possibility that the Bears could trade for a quarterback. Although that would pretty much go against everything Jerry Angelo has done in the past, let’s just speculate on what could happen. But who could the Bears possibly want and/or get? A couple of options include Brady Quinn (who got drafted as the Browns savior but is now on the outside looking in with the emergence of Derek Anderson) and Donovan McNabb (whose name always gets bandied around in Chicago trade rumors because of hometown ties, but he’s definitely on the downslope of his career, and can’t stay healthy). Apart from that, there are guys who have been in the league a while who seem just on the verge of breaking out but haven’t accomplished it yet, such as Tampa Bay’s Josh McCown and San Francisco’s Shaun Hill. But would any of these guys be worth a gamble? Quinn maybe, but the Browns could ask for a steep price, and his bust potential is still up in the air.

That leaves us with the 2009 draft as the next opportunity to find the next Sid Luckman. Judging from the early look at this group, there could absolutely be the Bears’ franchise guy in there, and we’ll have an even better judgment after the upcoming college season is over. Obviously, this isn’t a complete list, just some of the guys who stand out at the moment:

Tim Tebow – Florida

6’3” – 233 lbs.

2007 season: 3,286 yards – 32 TDs – 6 INTs – 172.5 rating

895 rushing yards – 23 rushing TDs

Yeah, here’s another Florida QB. Here’s a guy who’s probably a gimmick, and his style may or may not transfer to the pro level. And here’s a guy who scored 55 touchdowns in one season. Fifty-five. Even half that kind of production would be a very welcome site for the Bears. Tebow is a type of QB that nobody has really seen before. You want to compare him to Michael Vick? Vick’s final college season numbers were 1,234 passing yards, 8 TDs, 6 INTs, 617 rushing yards, and 8 rushing TDs. That’s not even close to Tebow’s production. You want to compare him to fellow Florida alum Rex Grossman? Grossman’s final college season numbers were 3,402 passing yards, 22 TDs, and 17 INTs. Similar in yards, not similar in TDs/INTs, although Grossman did rush for -65 yards and 1 touchdown. The Florida argument is definitely understandable, but this kid looks like he’s in a whole other league than past Gator QBs.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qn30J3KePDg

Sam Bradford – Oklahoma

6’5” – 214 lbs.

2007 season: 3,121 yards – 36 TDs – 8 INTs – 176.5 rating

Bradford may actually be a better pure passer than Tebow. Of course, his numbers are very impressive, but especially if you realize that they're from his freshman year. Now, since he’ll only be coming out of his sophomore year next year, there’s no guarantee that he’ll actually declare for the draft, but if he can equal or better his stats, it would be a huge surprise if he didn’t.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=V3WqkNBZt7M

Matthew Stafford – Georgia

6’3” – 237 lbs.

2007 season: 2,523 yards – 19 TDs – 10 INTs – 55.7% –128.9 rating

Stafford’s numbers aren’t exactly remarkable, but scouts are calling him probably the most NFL-ready quarterback to come out of college in years. He has a big arm and good mobility, and is entering his third year as the starter at Georgia. With pro-level coaching he could become a star.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cc2hGodkPqw

http://youtube.com/watch?v=r96vm751oKs

Chase Daniel – Missouri

6’0” – 225 lbs.

2007 season: 4,306 yards – 33 TDs – 11 INTs – 68.2% – 147.9 rating

At only 6 feet tall, Daniel lacks the ideal height of an NFL QB, but so does Drew Brees. Daniel’s yardage numbers at Missouri in 2007 were outstanding, and he was a major reason why the Tigers had such a surprisingly good year, as well as being a finalist for the Heisman.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=B-uHRh9zgAQ

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qbdMojDpPPk

Curtis Painter – Purdue

6’4” – 230 lbs.

2007 season: 3,846 yards – 29 TDs – 11 INTs – 62.6% – 132.3 rating

Painter is a prototypical NFL quarterback with a very quick release. Painter caught everyone’s attention at the 2007 Motor City Bowl, where completed 35 of 54 passes for 546 yards and three touchdowns against Central Michigan. However, if he’s drafted by the Bears, there’s no way he’ll be able to shake comparisons to Kyle Orton if he gets off to a rough start.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=OOF6Fvfn9_c

Cullen Harper – Clemson

6’4” – 220 lbs.

2007 season: 2,991 yards – 27 TDs – 6 INTs – 65.1% – 140.9 rating

Harper enjoyed a breakout season in 2007 for Clemson. However, three starters on his offensive line have left, so we’ll see if he’ll truly be able to step up and win in the 2008 campaign.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9_LM-wbY8l4

Todd Boeckman – Ohio State

6’5” – 244 lbs.

2007 season: 2,379 yards – 25 TDs – 14 INTs – 63.9% – 148.9 rating

Boeckman is a big pocket passer with an absolute cannon for an arm, the only problem is that he moves about as well as a cannon, too. He’ll also be 25 before the 2009 season starts, which will probably cause him to slide.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9yMl-oBpFSw

http://youtube.com/watch?v=M8VRtr2HGLw (Boeckman highlights start at :58)

Nate Davis – Ball State

6’2” – 214 lbs.

2007 season: 3,667 yards – 30 TDs – 6 INTs – 56.5% - 139.13 rating

Davis is a solid athlete who rewrote Ball State’s record books in 2007 in only his second season. He had 5 games of 300 passing yards or more and put up 422 against Nebraska.

Video (only ones I could find, sorry): http://youtube.com/watch?v=dsmtYxZPasw

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xztF3XVV2TQ

Hunter Cantwell – Louisville

6’5” – 230 lbs.

2007 season: 79 yards – 0 TDs – 1 INT – 57.1% – 90.3 rating

Cantwell seems to have the skills to succeed at the pro level, but lacks the experience, sitting behind Brian Brohm the past few seasons. But when he has had a chance to take the field, he’s looked good. His 2008 campaign will be the true test of his NFL potential.

Video: Only this video, which showcases his toughness…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cKd54zCh5C8

So how likely are we to grab any of these guys? This is where not drafting a quarterback this year is a positive. If you think of the other NFL teams with shaky QB situations several of them (Atlanta, Baltimore, Green Bay, Miami, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, NY Jets) did in fact select a quarterback in this year’s draft whom they hope to groom for the future. This leaves Chicago in the position of one of the few teams who would be willing to use a first-round pick on a quarterback in the 2009 draft, with Kansas City being the only other team (unless San Francisco throws in the towel on Alex Smith) who may possibly want to use a high pick on a quarterback due to desperate need (and if Brodie Croyle happens to have a good season, things may change). So it actually looks like the Bears should at the very least be able to grab one of the top three quarterbacks in the 2009 class. Obviously, the slot where Chicago will pick will be determined by their play this season, and right now the line between playoff contenders and rebuilding mode is very thin. A guy like Tebow will no doubt go in the top five picks just based on his potential alone, especially if one of the top five teams have quarterbacks who are aging, so unless the Bears completely fall apart this season and happen to be one of those top five teams, some trading up will have to occur to get Tebow, and Jerry Angelo has shown no willingness to do that whatsoever. So Chicago will likely stay where they are and select the top guy who falls to them, like Bradford or Stafford. Even then, it will likely take a year or two for the guy picked to be ready to start with confidence, since throwing a rookie straight into the fire rarely works out well, giving us another possible two seasons with Grossman/Orton or whatever non-elite free-agent QB the Bears happen to pick up.

A lot can happen in a year. Good quarterbacks could be surprising cap cuts, or Kyle Orton could suddenly find his groove and pass for 4,000 yards and 60 touchdowns. In all likelihood, the search for a franchise QB is far from over, but it will happen one day, and when it does, we’ll be glad we took the right guy at the right time.

The REAL Madden 09 cover.

Doctor Chicago — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:48:14 -0000

The REAL Madden 09 cover.

New NFL logo

Doctor Chicago — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:07:43 -0000

The NFL is rolling out their new logo on draft day. Among the changes are a more modern font (getting rid of that stupid curly L), darker shades of red and blue, a more "3-D" football, and going to to just 8 stars to represent the 8 divisions. Supposedly one of the main reasons for the change is that the use of fewer stars on the shield will make it easier for merchandising efforts (i.e., stitching on jerseys). I personally think it looks a lot better. What do you think?

Old logo:

New logo:

New logo with better colors:

Poll

Which NFL logo do you prefer?

Old logo

16 votes

New logo

17 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

Favre says he wants to sign with Bears

Doctor Chicago — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:16:47 -0000

Our long-time nemesis Brett Favre gave an exclusive interview to the Chicago Sun-Times in which he said that he has had preliminary discussions with Jerry Angelo to come out of his short-lived retirement and join the Bears.

"I've played against them so many times, I just want to see what it's like on the other side of the fence," Favre said.

League sources say that the Favre signing is "all but a done deal" and that he would step into the starter's role immediately. Angelo and Lovie Smith would neither confirm nor deny the imminent signing, but rumor has it that the duo will be traveling to Wisconsin today for a lunch meeting with Favre.

The Sun-Times is calling the impending signing a "bold move that has been a long time coming."

Poll

Should the Bears sign Favre?

Absolutely, he's exactly what we need to get back on track.

14 votes

Never! I hope he rots.

8 votes

I don't care.

2 votes

Who's Brett Favre?

6 votes

30 votes | Poll has closed

Bryant Johnson signs with 49ers

Doctor Chicago — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:43:59 -0000

Bryant Johnson is taking a one-year deal with San Francisco, Michael Smith of ESPN.com reports.

Well, I guess the Bears were never serious at all about Johnson, so some of us got our hopes up for nothing. It seems odd that the deal is only for one year, and that he would accept such a "tryout" deal when he had a couple of other suitors like the Bills and Redskins. This leaves the injury prone DJ Hackett as the only decent receiver left in free agency, but we surely won't be going after him, either.

Kevin Jones being released

Doctor Chicago — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:28:01 -0000

Lions RB Kevin Jones has stated that a team official told him that he will be released, due to "the injuries and the contract -- business decisions" according to Jones.

This is kind of a surprising move, although Jones has suffered terrible setbacks with first a Lisfranc injury and then a torn ACL, significantly clouding his future and leaving his 2008 season up in the air. I highly doubt the Bears will give him a sniff, since the last thing they need is another RB who can't stay healthy. This raises an interesting issue of what the Lions will be doing in the draft, since they probably don't think Tatum Bell is a feature back (although this is Matt Millen we're talking about here). With just scraps left in free agency, I wouldn't be surprised to see them snatch up Mendenhall with the 15th pick if the Bears pass.