Urlacher Speaks Up About Jay Cutler Trade

Urlacher had this to say last Friday on ESPN 1000 in Chicago:

'Making this deal, plus we got Orlando Pace, our offense is looking really good, we have some big names on offense, which we haven't had since I've been here. We have a franchise quarterback, which we obviously haven't had. We're going in the right direction.

''He's still young [25]. I'm sure he has a lot to learn, but from what I've seen he has all the skills you want in a quarterback. He can throw the ball on the run, he can throw it from the pocket. He's got a cannon. And he can play well in cold weather, having played in Denver, so that will be important playing in Chicago.''

''He's got nothing to explain to me, they tried to trade him, and he got a little peed off about it.

''As a player, if a team talks about trading you, you would be a little mad, and he got really mad. I don't blame him one bit. ... I'm on his side, and most of the time players are on each other's side when these matters go down. He's got nothing to explain to us.''

''He'll do a great job, he's got a swagger about him which, personally, I love a quarterback who has a swagger. He's cocky, but not too cocky. I like that. I think you have to have that as your quarterback, somebody who's confident and will get the job done.''

Urlacher says he will miss Orton, who was a popular teammate.

''I have a lot of respect for Kyle Orton, he was a great teammate. He came in as a rookie and wins 10 games, gets benched the next two years, comes back last year and goes 9-6 as a starter. He's a winner.

''I hope he does really well in Denver. He's a free agent after next season, so I hope he plays his butt off and gets a big contract.''

Urlacher spoke up about his health as well.

''My neck is healthy, I didn't do any rehab -- all I did was train. I feel good, back to my normal self.''

all quotes from chicagosuntimes.com

What Are the Bears' Odds of Getting QB Jay Cutler?

According to ESPN.com the Bears odds to get QB Jay Cutler in a trade with Denver are 5-1.


This is what ESPN.com's Bill Williamson had to say:

"Making such a deal may be out of character for general manager Jerry Angelo, but the Bears need a quarterback and two of their NFC North foes will be going after Cutler. They need to make a push. Chicago has the No. 18 pick."

There are three teams ahead of the Bears right now, the NY Jets (3-1), TB Bucs (3-1) and the Detroit Lions (4-1).

I know the Bears would love to have Jay Cutler throwing to Bears players like Devin Hester, Matt Forte, Earl Bennett and Greg Olsen, but i don't know if the Bears would be willing to give up a lot for a whiner like Cutler.

I have read many proposed deals that could work for both the Broncos and the Bears.

Here's the examples:

1) QB Kyle Orton, CB Nathan Vasher, the Bears' first round pick (18) and third round pick (84).

2) DT Marcus Harrison, CB Corey Graham and two first round picks.

3) MLB Brian Urlacher and the first round pick (18) could be enough.

They could also make a three-team trade.

I would love to see the Bears get Jay Cutler, let's just wait and see what happens.

Lovie Smith Speaks about Michael Vick

To the left is the picture of Bears MLB Brian Urlacher crushing former Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick to the ground.


Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith spoke about QB Michael Vick and his chances on a comeback to the NFL:

“I would look at Michael like I look at every other prospect that’s available: He goes back into the pool,” Smith told USA Today, via David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune. “That’s what everyone in society does. Mike made a mistake, and he’s paying the price for that mistake. Once you’ve paid your debt to society, you have to say, ‘OK, let’s go on from there."

What I think?

Lovie Smith is crazy for calling Michael Vick's jail time as a mistake.

You do realize what he did to those poor innocent dogs Lovie?

If I were the Bears I would stay as far away as I could from Michael Vick.

The guy is an average quarterback, who is pretty damn good at scrambling, but that's it.

Vick doesn't fit the Bears scheme on offense at all.

The last time the Bears had a scrambling quarterback, they had #9 Jim McMahon under the helm.

Please Bears stay away from convict/QB Michael Vick.

Urlacher Seen Working Out at Halas Hall

Chicagobears.com writer Larry Mayer reported today that he saw LB Brian Urlacher working out at Halas Hall this morning.


This is what Larry Mayer had to say:

"I saw him this morning lifting weights as a matter of fact—even though Bears players aren’t required to be here until next week’s mandatory minicamp."


What I think?

I think this is great news for Bears fans, because we all know how important it is for Brian Urlacher to man the middle of the field in the Cover 2 scheme.

I think he still has a lot left in his tank, but he isn't the same player he used to be and maybe he knows that.


Just look at Ray Lewis, he's still doing it at age 35, that's pretty impressive.


all quotes from chicagobears.com

Chicago Tribune: Q & A with Jerry Angelo

You have expressed your faith in Brian Urlacher. Why didn't he make more big plays?

Players change. It's hard to stay on top forever. But he's still a good player. He still is a real good leader. He still has a lot of value to our team. We're looking at the whole package

Can you envision a scenario in which Mike Brown would return?

I don't see that right now, given how it affects Danieal. Allocation of money comes into play, too, in what we want to do at other positions. There could be a case where we want Mike back, but we can't afford to do it given what we want to do in other areas.


Do you still consider Nathan Vasher a starter?

He really hasn't played in two years, so he needs to redefine himself, starting in the off-season. He has to earn a spot on our team. He has to show he can be a starter, somebody we can depend on. We rewarded a very good player. He earned a new contract. But since then he has had some injuries, and when he has played, his play hasn't been up to his standards, I'm sure, and certainly our standards.


Chicago Tribune writers ask these questions to GM Jerry Angelo

Lovie Smith is the Bears' Defensive Coordinator?

Ya, that's right Lovie Smith demoted Bob Babich back to his old position as the linebackers coach.

Lovie Smith will call the defensive plays and take over as the defensive coordinator next season.


Lovie had this to say about the change:

“I’m excited about taking a more hands-on approach to helping our defense get back to where it was."

“I’m a big boy, and after five years in this role, I think you find out exactly how much time you have and where you have time to do a few more thing."

“This past year I coached the (nickel backs) for about half of the season and enjoyed that quite a bit. So I saw that I had a little bit more time to do some of these things. It’s not unprecedented for head coaches to call defensive signals, but rare. There are a lot of offensive coaches in the league that call plays, that do a little bit more on their side of the ball where their expertise is."

“For some reason, a lot of defensive coaches haven’t done it. But I think it’s time to change some of that.”

The Bears' defense finished 28th (354.7 yards per game) in 2007 and 21st this past season (334.7 ypg) under Bob Babich.

That is just unacceptable, when you have that many talented players on the defense.

The Bears hired former Lions head coach Rod Marinelli Saturday as defensive line coach and assistant head coach. Smith and Marinelli became good friends while coaching together under Tony Dungy with Tampa Bay from 1996-2000, and Smith said Marinelli will make his job easier.


Lovie said this about Marinelli:

“I have worked with Rod in the past. I know what he brings, he’s an excellent teacher, communicator, motivator."

Marinelli, fired after the Lions went 0-16, was pursued by both Seattle and Houston, but chose Lovie and the Bears.

“I just knew that it was a perfect fit for Rod to be here,” Smith said.

Lovie on the demotion of Bob Babich:

“Bob is a team player."

“We didn’t meet our expectations this past year and in the off season you look to try to make improvements the best you can. … And just because I’m going to be more involved doesn’t mean that Bob’s not our defensive coordinator. There will be a lot of things that he’ll be helping me do."

What to expect:

Lovie hasn't coached a defense since 2003, his last season with the St. Louis Rams.

I expect this defense to be much improved, with the demotion of Babich, hiring of Rod Marinelli as defensive line coach and Lovie calling the defensive plays.

It all depends on Brian Urlacher, he is the most important part of the Cover 2, and most of the season he was horrible.

all quotes taken from chicagotribune.com

Brian Urlacher should be mad at this

Brian Urlacher made the SI.com's All-Disappointment Team: Who didn't play up to par in 2008

Brian Urlacher, Bears -- His reputation says he's one of the most dominating defensive players in the game. But reality says Urlacher just had a season in which he made almost no big plays for a Bears defense that has slid a long way from its 2006 hey day. Urlacher had no sacks, no forced fumbles and just two interceptions this season. That's almost hard to do when you start and play all 16 games in the middle of a defense.
You can read all of the disappointments at the website below


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/01/07/all-disappointment-team/1.html

Good as Gould Again

My first Soldier Field experience turned out to be a success.

Not only was it the coldest (-2) Bears game in history at kickoff, but they also defeated their most hated rival the Green Bay Packers 20-17.

The Bears were trailing 14-3 at half to the 5-9 Packers and basically did nothing offensively.

They adjusted at half, just like me.

My hands were pretty much frozen, so I put multiple hand warmers in my gloves.

That saved me, and the Bears.


Three reasons how they won:

1. Special Teams- Robbie Gould, Danieal Manning and Alex Brown had huge plays.

2. Matt Forte- He came up big late in the game.

3. The fans- they play a huge role in this one.


If they lost, I would have wasted my time freezing my hands.

Thank goodness they won.

Now they play a 7-8 Houston Texans team in Houston, a must win game to even have a shot at the playoffs.

They need Minnesota to lose to the Giants in Minnesota and the Cowboys and Bucs both to lose.

If Minnesota loses and we win were NFC North champs, and if Dallas and Tampa Bay lose and we win we clinch a wild card spot.

What a great weekend for me.

Not only do the the Chicago Bulls win Saturday night, but all the teams the Bears needed to lose lost and they pick up a huge win.


Just a few notes:

S Mike Brown injured his calf late in the second quarter and did not return.

Brad Maynard’s third quarter punt hit Green Bay’s Jarrett Bush, who was blocking on the play, and the Bears’ Jason Davis recovered at the 27.

The 4th and one, when it was 17-10 was converted by only an inch.

Matt Forte played through an injured toe to keep the Bears playoffs hopes alive.

The coin toss in OT went off of Brian Urlacher's Helmet.


Alex Brown had this to say about his blocked field goal to save the day:

We got a great push from a lot of different people. I was just the one who got my hand on it, we were saying on the sidelines that we have to block it. I got through pretty good but I didn’t really think that was going to happen. You just go as hard as you can and see if you can get a hand up and hopefully you can get it.”

Orton had this to say after the game:

“Everything fell right, gave us a lot of momentum and energy coming into this game. We just had to carry it all the way through."

Lovie on team win:

"I don't know if I've ever been prouder of a team."

All quotes from Yahoosports.com

Lance Briggs lone bear heading to Honolulu

Lance Briggs was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl today

Lance Briggs leads the Bears in tackles with 122.

He also has three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.


Briggs on Pro Bowl:

"Obviously, I'm ecstatic about it, I'm extremely excited. It's always nice to get voted to the Pro Bowl, and this is going four years in a row."


Urlacher on Briggs' Pro Bowl vote:

"He’s having a great year, man, after the first game of the year I told him, 'You should be defensive player of the year. There’s no doubt in my mind.' He just makes plays."

Brian Urlacher was named a third alternate at MLB.

Tommie Harris was named a first alternate at defensive tackle.

Center Olin Kreutz, punter Brad Maynard, and tight end Greg Olsen were named second alternate.

Also, Devin Hester was named a third alternate kick returner.

All quotes from Chicagotribune.com

Quotes of the Week

Brian Urlacher on Sunday's win:

"As long as we win and they win, they're going to get in, that's the picture. We've got to get some help.

"I wanted Detroit to help us out today, but they didn't. But the Vikings have three tough games: Arizona, Atlanta and the Giants. It's not easy for them or us."

Adewale Ogunleye on Sunday's win:

"We're still in a tough situation, it's not even just about this game. The whole season right now is kind of like a big drag. … I'm not even going to look at the [playoff] scenarios, because if we don't handle our business, what does it matter?"

Mike Brown on Sunday's game:

"We peeked up every now and then at the scoreboard, but we had to make sure we took care of our job. That's first and foremost. We've got to win. If we lose, then it really doesn't matter what Minnesota does."

Lovie Smith on win:

“We can finish up 10-6,” most teams that finish up 10-6 end up going to the playoffs. We’re just looking straight ahead.”

Alex Brown on win:

“You look at it, but you’ve got to take care of your part,” he said. “That’s it. Whatever happens in the Minnesota game is going to happen whether you look at it or not. It’s still going to happen. We’ve got to do our part and that’s winning.”

All quotes came from chicagotribune.com

Just a Thought: Bears need Albert Haynesworth

I know they need a big time receiver for next season, but they might want to get themselves a big run stopper.

This would be a brilliant idea, because Adrian Peterson is having great success against the Bears.

In his first four games against the Bears, Adrian Peterson has averaged 6.2 yards per carry and 138 yards per game.

Wow, sounds like need someone in the middle to clog up the runs.

We, saw them stuff the Titans, but Tennessee found success through the air, because the Bears kept eight men in the box for most of the game.

Albert Haynesworth might be too expensive, but who knows maybe the Bears realize they need him to win the division.

They could easily lose every game to the Vikings, if Adrian Peterson keeps running wild.

The signing of a run stopper like Haynesworth will help everyone around him, including Tommie Harris, who will see less double teams and Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher.

The Browns look like geniuses with the signing of 350 pound run stopper Shaun Rogers and so do the NY Jets, who brought in Kris Jenkins.

So, the Bears most pressing needs this off season are wide receiver and a big run stopping nose tackle.

They could easily go after other positions, like safety, running back, offensive line and quarterback.

Bears Defense Sounds off on loss to Green Bay

Lance Briggs:

"Nothing was effective, we didn't do what we wanted to do, and they did. And that's why they beat our heads in the way they did."

"We didn't do anything right, it doesn't matter what adjustments you make because we didn't get it done in every facet of the game. It was a poor display of football. That's not the way we prepared. That's not Bear football. We have to get ourselves to who we are."

Corey Graham on giving up a TD to Greg Jennings:

"I was actually anticipating it to come inside a little bit," Graham said. "Maybe next time I'll be a little more inside."


Adewale Ogunleye:

"The thing I can't wait to do is watch the film and see, even after the game was a little bit out of hand, who gave up, we've got to get that straightened out. We've got to have guys on the field that are going to fight all the way to the end. And hopefully we'll see that we had all 22 guys fighting."


Brian Urlacher:

"I'm frustrated, but I don't think anyone gave up, if we gave up, I think I would be embarrassed, but I don't think anyone quit or didn't play hard. We just got beat, that's what it comes down to."


Alex Brown:

"I think we have a good defense, I think we have a good scheme and I believe Alex needs to put in some more work to get better, "That's what I believe." ...


Nathan Vasher:

"Our scheme is good, we just have to execute and make plays. Everybody in this locker room is staying tight. We just have to circle the wagons and believe in each other."


Mike Brown:

‘‘All I can tell you is obviously, our defense isn’t what it used to be, once everyone accepts that, and understands it, he said, everyone will be better off.

Embarrassing: Bears lose to the Packers 37-3

The Bears looked like a high school team on Sunday.

They let the Packers do whatever they wanted to do to them.

The defense let Ryan Grant run for 100 yards in the first half and score 30 points.

Kyle Orton wasn't much better than the defense, he was 13-26, for 133 yards and a fumble which was recovered for a touchdown.

Rex Grossman came in the game in the 4th quarter and and completed four of seven passes for 26 yards.

From the second play, I thought Kyle Orton should have been taken out of the game.

He was limping, when he got back up from the game.

He was inaccurate throughout the whole game and it seemed like the ankle was really bothering him.

If you had Grossman in the game at least he could have taken shots down field.

Grossman at least should have put in at halftime, when they were trailing 17-3.

The whole game was so pathetic.

Only two players on defense actually put there hearts in the game on Sunday.

Those players were Brian Urlacher, who came up with a touchdown stopping interception late in the second quarter and Mike Brown, who was all over the field.

Only one player played to there best in the game, that was Matt Forte, who they went away from in the second half of the game.

The Bears better make some huge strides for there big match up in Minnesota two weeks from now.

If they lose to St. Louis there season will be over, they better get the victory.

There schedule from here on out isn't that tough.


Extra points:

Rookie first-round pick Chris Williams finished the game at left tackle… Reserve linebacker Darrell McClover, a regular on special teams, said he tweaked his left hamstring while running. He left in the first half and didn't return. … A surprise among the in actives was running back Kevin Jones, who said he was a little shocked by the move.

Urlacher Angry at fans for booing Grossman

Urlacher wiggled his fingers in the air as he departed the field at halftime, a gesture interpreted as mocking toward the jeering fans.

His actions fueled criticism on talk-radio shows Monday morning, particularly from those displeased with the way the six-time Pro Bowler has played this season.

Urlacher is angry?:

"I was just putting my hands in the air," on third down, when the fans are cheering and we throw our arms up for them to scream louder, what's the difference? If I choose to do it when they're booing, there's something wrong with it?"People can think what they want and they will, so that's fine with me."

Lovie Smith on Booing of Grossman:

"The fans are a big part of what we're doing," Smith said. "When you go through adversity, I see everyone rallying together [and] using positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement has never really worked for me. ... I would just hope that most of the time we'll hear positive reinforcement to help us get through some of those times. That's what a team does."

More Brian Urlacher talk:

"We've got a quarterback who comes in off the bench and leads us to a victory, and they boo him right out of the gate, poor guy. Lucky for him he's resilient and he came back and led us to two scoring drives. But man, it's tough."

"I don't feel like I'm playing terrible, I don't know what the big deal is. People just expect more of me, which is fine."

Bears name Captains

The Bears selected their team captains for the 2008 season: Center Olin Kreutz and quarterback Kyle Orton on offense; middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and safety Mike Brown on defense; and long-snapper Patrick Mannelly on special teams.

“There are a lot of things that go into it,” coach Lovie Smith said when asked about the criteria of picking team captains.

“Most of the time, it’s a pretty good football player. It’s a guy who does it the right way most of the time. I’m talking about preparing off the field. You can count on him on the football field and just a guy that you want representing you."

“It’s always good to see that there are a couple guys who get votes because you have two guys out in front on both sides of the ball, but you’re going to need 11 leaders really always.”

Update at Halftime From The Last Preseason Game

This is an update from the Chicago Bears last preseason game at halftime.

Kyle Orton played the first quarter and a little of the second.

He threw one interception and was 4/7 for 51 yards. The interception wasn't his fault, because LT John St. Clair made a bad play and left Orton exposed.

Rex Grossman came in and played most of the 2nd quarter until the two minute warning.

He went 5/7 with one touchdown throw to Brandon Rideau and 59 yards.

Then Caleb Hanie got his shot to run the offense and looked good as well.

Hanie was 6/6, with 55 yards.

He also had a 23 yard touchdown pass to Mark Bradley taken away from him because of a holding call on 7th round pick Kirk Barton.

The game is 10-10 at the half, but Grossman and Hanie looked good helping the Bears tie it up.

Positives:

The "other" Adrian Peterson (He had six carries for 36 yards)

Rex Grossman (He was 5/7 and lead the Bears to there only TD drive).

Caleb Hanie (He was a perfect 6/6 and looked good)

Brandon Rideau (He had two catches for 25 yards and a TD).

Mark Bradley (For a guy trying to find his groove after two knee surgeries, I think he did). He had five catches for 42 yards.

Brandon McGowan (He looks the real thing, whether he moves to nickel back or stays at safety, he makes the right moves).

Negatives:

Craig Steltz (He got beat a couple times and I haven't seen look real good this preseason, he might still be injured or it might be Adam Archuleta's jersey).

Corey Graham (He was supposedly getting a whole lot better, but I haven't seen that this preseason and defiantly not tonight against the Browns).

Kevin Payne (For a guy, who was supposedly a big hitter, he looked real slow to the ball).

Brian Urlacher (He might still be hurt, because he is not the same old Urlacher anymore).

Hopefully the negatives must improve soon, because the Bears need everyone to contribute this season.

This has been Chicago Bear Report at halftime.

Brett Favre Might Really Wind Up With an NFC North Team

All of us have heard the rumors about Brett Favre for the last two weeks or so.

But, today the Green Bay Packers offered Brett Favre $20 million for ten years to stay retired.

That is absurd, but I also heard rumors about the Packers trading within the NFC North.

The Bears and Vikings were teams considered.

The only other teams I have heard in the mix are the NY Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I would really be upset if he went to the Minnesota Vikings because that would give them a player who can perform better than Tavaris Jackson.

I watched Tavaris Jackson only once, in the game against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football last season, and he was very bad.

He threw three interceptions and had a 50 QB rating.

He is clearly not the answer.

So, I am sure Viking fans will have mixed feelings if Favre plays for Minnesota this season.

They have despised him for so long.

Now, to the Chicago Bears.

For a period of time I really believed it was possible for the Bears to get Favre, but now with everything I have been reading, the trade is highly unlikely.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated said Chicago is one of Favre's preferred destinations.

But, Brian Urlacher appeared on Dan Patrick show this morning and when he was asked whether he could see Favre playing for a couple of NFC North rivals, he made it clear what he thought.

Brian Urlacher said: "Ooohh, no. I don't see how that would be possible. No way."

Dan Patrick asked why and Urlacher said: "Why? ... First of all, we're in the division. Ummm, we got two good quarterbacks as it is. ... I just don't see how that would be a possibility."

Brian Urlacher then said: "I could see him in a Viking uniform, though. I guess they're going after him pretty hard. OK, well, if they got him, they'd be, uh, they'd be tough. The way they run the ball and with him ... they'd be real, real tough."

Urlacher later said he could see the Minnesota Vikings being a Super Bowl contender with Favre at quarterback.

"Yes, I would definitely think so. I mean, their defense is good. They have a great running game. I mean, nothing against Tarvaris Jackson, but they really haven't thrown the ball that great, you know, the last couple of years. So if you put him in there, it automatically upgrades their passing game right there."

Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette

The Chicago Bears two quarterbacks had something to say about the possibility of Favre being in Chicago.

"It's hard to escape because you hear [Brett] Favre this, Favre that," Rex Grossman said. "I try not to pay attention because I don't really care. ... Ever since I got pulled last year, I've tried to worry about everything I can control and nothing else."

"I haven't paid attention to it one bit because I have enough to worry about," Kyle Orton said.

Ron Turner said, "I haven't said a word about it. I hope they have enough sense to know there's nothing to it. I heard that story and just laughed, wondered where these things come from. And I'm sure Rex and Kyle have the same reaction."

So, the Chicago Bears are out of consideration.

That leaves Minnesota Vikings, NY Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Green Bay Packers as teams he could be with next season.

The NY Jets have a QB battle right now and I know they would love to bring him in, but NY is a big city, and he has not played in such a place before.

The problem with the Buccaneers getting Favre is Jeff Garcia and the four other quarterbacks on the roster in Tampa Bay.

Jon Gruden coached Brett Favre in Green Bay years ago and it would be a good fit for him, but this won't happen.

The Vikings appear to be the top dogs in this Favre dilemma, because of their lack of depth at quarterback position. They already communicated with Brett.

Then, the Packers, he could end up there as a backup quarterback, but that would be awkward for everyone.

My prediction is the Minnesota Vikings.

So, Vikings fans should get excited.

Also, a thought for everyone in Green Bay, if Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to the playoffs, than Brett Favre will quickly be forgotten.

Devin Hester: The Bears Finally Give Him His Money

I'm glad to report that the Chicago Bears have signed WR/KR Devin Hester to a four year contract extension.

I knew they would come to terms sooner or later.

They gave Hester the money he deserved all along.

Now the Bears are set with all of there players. The signed every potential free agent on their roster and all their draft picks.

Alex Brown, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Robbie Gould, Tommie Harris, all their draft picks and now Devin Hester.

Jerry Angelo should not be fired. That would be the last thing i would do.

Jerry Angelo and Hester's agent Eugene Parker came to terms earlier today.

Hester must be so happy, that he just got his money.

Maybe he won't be injured today on the practice field.

That is joke for the people who didn't know he had a hamstring injury, which many thought he faked so he didn't have to pay the $15,000 fine every day.

Hester should breakout as an offensive weapon this season, but it might take him a while to grow into a #1 WR because he isn't the smartest guy in the league.

I saw an article written by Dan Pompei on Chicagosports.com, that was titled Call me crazy, but it's time for Bears to trade Hester.

I said to myself what is this guy thinking.

Is he nuts.

Do you know how many times Devin Hester bailed the Chicago Bears out of games?

Exactly, too many to count.

Dan Pompei thinks many teams want this guy, of course they do , he is ridiculous.

Who doesn't want a game changer, like Hester?

I can't imagine the Chicago Bears without him.

Dan Pompei you should have thought about what you just said, because Bears fans will be all over you this season, when Hester return kicks and catches passes for touchdowns.

They gave him his money Dan, so obviously it's not time to trade him.

The link to the article is: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-080724-dan-pompei-devin-hester,1,3042432.column

Devin Hester: Holding Out Of Bears Training Camp

Just recently, it has been reported that WR/KR for the Chicago Bears, Devin Hester, is holding out of training camp.

Devin Hester wants his money and he wants it now. Personally i saw this coming way before last season ended.

This man is on the verge of being something special.

Do you think he deserves his money?

I sure do, but what do you give to the man. He has to prove anything at receiver and we all know his ability at KR.

You don't want to overpay Devin Hester, it could be a huge mistake.

I understand where the University of Miami alum is coming from.

The Chicago Bears signed many players on the team to long contracts this off-season, including: DT, Tommie Harris, LB Lance Briggs, DE Alex Brown, K Robbie Gould, LB Brian Urlacher and WR Rashied Davis.

They also signed every single draft pick including first round pick, Chris Williams today.

He wants money and he will be willing to sit out of precious training camp time for it.

The report from ESPN said he will lose 15,000 dollars each day he holds out of training camp.

He is scheduled to make $445,000 this season and $530,000 in 2009.

He signed a four-year, $2.61 million contract in 2006 after he was the 57th overall pick in the second round.

Devin Hester told the Chicago Tribune "I'm not coming,'' he said by phone. "I have to make a statement. I showed by going to [organized team activities] that I was a team player. But then, I just felt like they weren't taking it seriously that I wanted to get a new deal. "I can't go out and play this year making $445,000. Come on, man.''

Devin Hester said Lovie Smith called and said the team didn't feel the same without him.

He said he deserves more, and I agree, but how much more is the real question.

This could turn out ugly, but I believe the Chicago Bears will do the right thing and give Devin Hester his money.

The Chicago Bears know that the 31 other teams in the league would love to have this dynamic return man, soon to be star receiver, according to many players, coaches and fans.

Bears Close To Deal With 1st Round Pick

The Chicago Bears roster stands at 80 with Chris Williams unsigned.

This is what Chris Williams's agent had to say "we have exchanged dialogue and proposals," Johnson said Thursday. "I respect the Bears' diligence in working toward a timely resolution, particularly with training camp right around the corner."

It has been reported that Chris Williams, the No. 14 overall pick, will sign a five-year contract, with $9 million guaranteed.

The only two players the Chicago Bears are worried about have to be Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester.

The Bears training camp starts in five days.