Defensive coordinator of the Titans and a man that appreciates Football Outsiders and statistical analysis...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3835911

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/sports/football/23titans.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&sq=jim%20schwartz&st=cse&scp=1

I shall watch with intrigue...

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One other tidbit I gathered this morning is that a certain former coach of the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys has the itch to coach again. That's right, a source has told me Bill Parcells is telling those close to him he would consider a return to the sidelines. I'm guessing it would have to be the right opportunity for a premier franchise (Jets again????). Parcells has an out in his Dolphins contract if Wayne Huizenga sells the team, which apparently is going to happen. So far, reports have Parcells potentially jumping ship to be the GM of another franchise. But I'm hearing he would also like to coach the talent he selects.

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2008/12/spagnuolo_sweepstakes_begin_to.html

Fire them all, bring in Parcells....ego-maniac that he is, he's generally on the right side of the playoffs almost every year.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2008/final-2008-dvoa-ratings

Bears rankings

17th Overall in DVOA, 18th in Weighted DVOA (puts more significance on later games)

    4th in Variance (4th most consistent from week-to-week)

    18th Hardest Schedule

22nd on Offense, 25th in Weighted DVOA
  21st in Passing
  24th in Rushing
   2nd in Variance (2nd most consistent from week-to-week)

7th on Defense, 7th in Weighted DVOA as well
   11th vs Pass
    5th vs Rush
   11th vs #1 WR
    8th vs #2 WR
   19th vs other WR
    3rd vs TE
    24th vs RB's
    21st in Variance (rather inconsistent in other words)

5th on Special Teams

The simple version: DYAR means a quarterback with more total value. DVOA means a quarterback with more value per play.

Orton - 19th DYAR, 25th in DVOA
Forte rushing - 27th DYAR, 38th in DVOA,  37th in Success Rate

This number represents the player's consistency, measured by successful running plays (the definition of success being different based on down and distance) divided by total running plays. A player with higher DVOA and a low success rate mixes long runs with downs getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage. A player with lower DVOA and a high success rate generally gets the yards needed, but doesn't often get more.

Forte receiving - 2nd in DYAR, 8th in DVOA, 83% catch rate (tied for best with M. Jones-Drew)

Hester - 63rd DYAR, 64th in DVOA, R. Davis 73rd DYAR, 74th in DVOA

Olsen 23rd DYAR, 20th in DVOA, D. Clark - 43rd in both

Offensive Line (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol2008)

24th overall, 20th on Power Rank, 16th in 10+ Rank, 27th in Stuffed Rank, 11th in Sack Rank (explanations at above link)

(rather incredible that Benson had a decent season behind a terrible line in Cincy)

Defensive Line (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/dl2008)

2nd overall, 11th in Power Rank, 27th in 10+ Rank, 1st in Stuffed Rank, 27th in Sack Rank

It's officially time for Bears fans to worry about the offensive line this season: Head coach Lovie Smith is starting to make excuses for the inept play of his blockers up front during training camp.

"When they come out in practice," Smith said after Monday's afternoon workout in Bourbonnais, "they're going against a great defensive front. So it can only make us a better team."

http://chi.scout.com/2/661085.html

Kreutz, Williams still hurt and...

Assuming Williams gets back on the field and proves he is the best option protecting the quarterback's blind side, that would allow St. Clair to slide inside because Terrence Metcalf has no business being atop any team's depth chart. But how much time would St. Clair need to get adjused to guard after spending all of training camp at tackle?

also said Grossman and Orton both had miserable days on Monday...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3499320&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

According to sources, Urlacher and the Bears have come to terms on a revised contract, which includes a one-year extension, thus ending their offseason contract squabble.

Urlacher, 30, had four years and approximately $25.5 million remaining on his contract. Under the terms of the upgraded deal, Urlacher will receive a $6 million signing bonus along with a $1 million bump in salary each of the next four years. The sides also have agreed to extend the pact into 2012, at a salary of $7.5 million. Urlacher can earn an additional $500,000 in a workout bonus in 2012.

That's a total of roughly $43.5 million over the next five years, with $18 million in new money for the six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro.

to keep playing, so says Chris Mortensen and Al Harris. Poor  Aaron Rodgers...

http://deadspin.com/5021546/brett-favre-seriously-considering-unretirement-nfl-live-says

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http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/post/Juggernaut-Index-No-32-Rex-Grossman-is-proba;_ylt=AqUo6W6kwW5nTs_cOZWT50lNC5kB?urn=fantasy,91153

I know it's just fantasy football, but the Bears are ranked #32 in the "juggernaut index"

The Juggernaut Index is our annual attempt to rank every NFL team for fantasy purposes. We're not concerned with real-life wins and losses here. No, here we just care about imaginary winning. If an NFL team gains lots of yardage, limits turnovers, and scores when they reach the red zone, then you'll want to own their skill position players in fantasy leagues.

http://chi.scout.com/2/761055.html

Brandon Lloyd continues to be the best receiver on the field by far, which is either a testament to his natural ability or an indictment of the other wideouts on the roster. Both Grossman and Orton appear to be getting more comfortable with him in the offense, as they are looking for him more and more once the initial read on a pass play isn't there. Lloyd could be on his way to resurrecting his once-promising career, or he could simply be teasing yet another team since he has a reputation for not showing up on game day – feel free to ask the 49ers and Redskins.

Grossman vs Orton:

Because of all the drama surrounding the tailback position Monday, quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton continued their battle for the starting job in relative anonymity. Grossman's best delivery of the day came on a deep pattern down the seam to Forte, who got behind Michael Okwo in coverage and made the catch with relative ease – it was the kind of route that Benson simply wasn't capable of running, by the way. Orton was again checking down to his secondary reads more often than not and somewhat reluctant to air it out down the field, and Corey Graham picked off one of the few deep balls he tried on an underthrown fly pattern to Greg Olsen down the right sideline.

http://chi.scout.com/2/756618.html

- Orton getting more first team reps than Grossman at the moment, writer speculates that it's just because Grossman got the majority over the last few seasons.

- " Caleb Hanie has clearly separated himself from Nick Hill and stands a relatively decent chance of making the 53-man roster as the No. 3 QB."

- Forte looking good

- "As expected, John Tait looks like he has been moved from left tackle over to the right side, although it's not the team's No. 1 pick, Chris Williams, who's protecting the quarterback's blind side. John St. Clair is currently running with the first team offense at left tackle, although this seems like a subtle tactic to make sure Williams earns his spot as a rookie."

- Terrance Metcalf starting at left guard so far

- Dvoracek looking healthy..

think we can get him for Marty Booker?

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Some quotes and tidbits about the Bears draft...surprisingly upbeat of course.

http://chi.scout.com/2/750866.html

BEST PICK: The Bears picked LSU safety Craig Steltz in the fourth round (120th overall), but according to Angelo, there was complete agreement in the war room that he had the ability to become a starter. Steltz was only a full-time starter for one season at LSU, but he had 101 tackles and six interceptions last year. He's big enough to play effectively in the box but also has the instincts to play free safety, so he could be a factor very soon in an area that has been troubled for the past four seasons because of frequent injuries to Mike Brown – a special player when healthy.

http://chi.scout.com/a.z?s=25&p=2&c=750055

Included only to mention he had a 4.44/40 which seems lower than what Chad found...

RB Matt Forte – Tulane

The numbers: 6-2, 217 pounds, 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 23 bench-press reps at 225 pounds, 31.5-inch vertical jump. The skinny: A very well-rounded running back who was awfully productive for the Green Wave, Forte also catches the ball very well out of the backfield and is a willing blocker in the passing game. He lacks elite speed and isn't necessarily the most explosive ball-carrier in the draft, but he is tough between the tackles and put up 2,127 yards on the ground this past season. The analysis: It's safe to say that Cedric Benson has officially been put on notice, as Forte can challenge for playing time immediately in a way that Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe can't. The Monsters of the Midway were dead last in the league at 3.1 yards per carry in 2007, but adding another weapon on the ground in addition to a potential franchise left tackle with first-rounder Chris Williams should be a big help for this struggling offense.

http://chi.scout.com/a.z?s=25&p=2&c=749738#ChrisWilliams

some dude who's been an NFL scout for supposedly 35 years and his take. Had Williams Rated #2 ahead of Otah and Clady.

2. Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
40: 5.15v Ht: 6061v Wt: 315v Rating: 1.125
An athletic big man with quickness, body control, flexibility and balance. Smart player who comes off the ball, hits up and turns defender. Good power and finishing skills. Outstanding playing range and ability to adjust on the move at the second level. Not a great finisher but dominated none the less. Outstanding balance points, knee, and ankle bend.. Can control with punch. Outstanding ability to ride defender past the pocket. Round # 1 sure thing.

3. Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
40: 5.57v Ht: 6060v Wt: 322v Rating: 1.143
Not a natural knee bender, but was a massive person, who used his hands well, sustained blocks, played on his feet and finished people inline. I liked the way he rolled into his sets and the way he moved his feet for a big man. On pass pro, I thought his sets were efficient and consistent. Good hand placement. Can come off the ball and maul people inline. Still developing but has real solid playing skills. Top round draft consideration

4. Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
40: 5.24v Ht: 6061v Wt: 309v Rating: 1.152
Has outstanding feet, balance, and body control. Came off the ball with good pad level, hit on the rise with good hand placement. On pass protection, I felt his sets were efficient. Good depth on his kick step and slide. Did overplay and open outside shoulder some, but I liked his balance points and his ability to replaces hands. Not particularly strong. Needs more weight room dedication. Has left tackle playing

the "v" stands for verified.

fwiw, his write-up on Albert

Branden Albert was a heck of a pick for the Chiefs, and they’re leading the way in the first round in my estimation. They have two top 15 picks.

My thinking with Albert is that he’s got great versatility. I rated him as a guard but he can play tackle. Obviously the Chiefs have seen more of him than I have, and they probably know better. He’s got really good movement, he’s got good athletic ability, and he’s got the feet to be an outside guy. I love his ability to block at the second level and pull and lead on toss plays.

He’s a young guy and he’s only going to get better. He wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school so the sky is the limit with this guy. But the Chiefs have got themselves two starters with two picks right now.

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo has publicly stated that there are four QBs on his NFL Draft wish list, and they appear to be Joe Flacco of Delaware, Chad Henne of Michigan, Colt Brennan of Hawaii, and Paul Smith of Tulsa. Both Flacco and Henne are expected to come off the board at some point in the second round, while Brennan and Smith should still be available fairly late on Day 2.

http://chi.scout.com/2/745197.html

http://chi.scout.com/2/742972.html

1st - Mendenhall
2nd - OT Anthony Collins - Kansas
3rd - WR Earl Bennett - Vanderbilt
3rd - G Roy Schuening - Oregon State
4th - DT Andre Fluellen - FSU
5th - S Craig Steltz - Louisiana State
6th - QB Paul Smith - Tulsa
7th - G Jeremy Zuttah - Rutgers
7th - OT David Hale - Weber State
7th - CB Antwaun Molden - Eastern Kentucky
7th - WR Justin Harper - Virginia Tech

http://chi.scout.com/2/741434.html

Bears have workouts for Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte and Tashard Choice (?) set up....

speculates that Adrian peterson would indeed be the back to go since he wouldn't count against the cap and the Bears believe more in Toub's system than individual special teamers...

PS - that workout for Flacco seems to have never materialized...

anyone out there know who the possible June 1st cap casualties might be among offensive linemen?

I just can't imagine the Bears plan to fix their biggest weakness is to fix it with rookies and in-house options. Okay, I can imagine that, but I'm hoping that's not the case.

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From what I've read, here are the reasonable targets that I think the Bears should be targeting for the first round in my preferred order:

Ryan Clady
Chris Williams
Kenny Phillips
Malcolm Kelly
Mendenhall
Jonathan Stewart

of course it would be a dream if Matt Ryan or Jake Long dropped that far. And should the Bears take Glen Dorsey if his knee troubles scare teams off? Could be another Tommie Harris.... Ideally, if we could drop to later in the first round and grab an extra pick, I think we could still get Chris Williams.

Boise State tackle Ryan Clady...

http://chi.scout.com/2/734688.html

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Sorry for the off-topic news but wanted to mention to the Cubs fans that The Cub Reporter has moved to a new URL: The Cub Reporter

New look, new features, same great writers, hope all the Cubs fans have a moment to check it out.

The Cub Reporter

Thanks everyone...

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Anyone watch the combine? How did Flacco and Henne look? Anyone else interesting?

I know Woodson sat out with an injury...

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They have a few to cover the combine:

http://profootballexperts.scout.com/2/730767.html

http://profootballexperts.scout.com/2/730728.html

http://chi.scout.com/2/730693.html

I'll post any intersting Bears updates such as....

UPDATE 12:45 PM EST

While various reports indicate the Chicago Bears will use their first-round pick on a quarterback, league sources told Scout.com here at the combine that the team will look to use their top selection on an offensive or defensive lineman.

On the offensive line, Chicago has a dire need for help at RT and LG.
Defensively, the help they need is in the interior.

It's believed the earliest Chicago would look toward selecting a quarterback is in round two with Joe Flacco (Delaware) or Chad Henne (Michigan) as the likely targets

Seems like the offensive line was always at the top of the radar, but whatever...

on the radar...

http://chi.scout.com/2/730227.html

Scout.com senior NFL analyst Ed Thompson is reporting that Tulane running back Matt Forte is drawing considerable interest from Bears officials. According to Forte, the other teams on his list of serious suitors are Houston, Carolina, Cleveland, Detroit, and Seattle. Thompson caught up with the 6-1, 223-pounder as he was making preparations for the NFL Combine in Indianapolis ...

http://chi.scout.com/a.z?s=25&p=2&c=729674

Tulsa QB Pat Smith...

Smith also said that the Chicago Bears have shown a good level of interest so far. But that shouldn't be a huge surprise since the Bears are definitely in need of some quarterback help, and their head coach, Lovie Smith, graduated from Tulsa.

"I did talk one of their scouts for quite a while," Smith said. "And then I talked to a different one at the East-West game." Update [2008-2-17 14:45:30 by Rob G]: Same article says Bears scouts have talked to Western Michigan tackle James Blair...although so did about 10 other teams.

The mock drafts I've seen don't seem to address this, but according to this article we have an extra third round pick this year.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/798312,CST-SPT-bear17.article

They hold the 14th pick in the first round and an extra selection in the third. Angelo talks about being able to get good players through the first four rounds, so that means a chance for five.

Sorry if it's a repeat...but I hadn't seen it anywhere.

you've probably seent this by now...
http://deadspin.com/351147/chris-berman-is-somewhat-perturbed-with-the-help

and the re-edit...
http://deadspin.com/353755/the-real-reason-berman-lost-his-mind

Good times....

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http://chi.scout.com/2/727231.html

Scout.com senior NFL reporter Adam Caplan is reporting that Chicago Bears officials have scheduled a private workout at Halas Hall in March with Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco.

Originally forecasted to be a second- or third-round selection, Flacco (6-6, 230) impressed a lot of scouts at the Senior Bowl and could now be in the mix at the end of Round 1. A prototypical drop-back passer who put up huge numbers in two seasons with the Blue Hens, he can make all the throws necessary of a pro quarterback and possesses excellent touch and timing. His mechanics need some work and he didn't play against top collegiate competition, but he's drawn rave reviews so far and is moving up draft boards everywhere.

curious what people think of him?

Lions want to move him for a "proven player" to fill some of their defensive holes....

Maybe him for Alex Brown who wants out?

Rogers probably doesn't qualify as the quick tackle that Lovie likes though.

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