My Interview With Bears' GM Jerry Angelo

My Question: After the 2008 season ended, you said that you believed in Kyle Orton and liked some of the things he did, but you needed to see more before anointing him the long-term solution at the position. You also indicated that the Bears were fixated on getting the quarterback position stabilized. With all that in mind, why are the Bears seemingly not interested in pursuing a veteran in free agency or via a trade?

Angelo: When you talk about bringing in a quarterback, that requires a few things that we have to keep in mind. If you bring him in now, you’re bringing in a veteran to compete to start. We’ve done that. Really we did that last year with Kyle [Orton] and Rex [Grossman], so we had co-starters. That creates a competition, which was the right thing to do last year given our situation. But it takes away reps from the starting quarterback because you’re dividing those and certainly it does for the backup quarterbacks as well.

Given the players that potentially could be out there, we thought that Kyle was as good or better given our situation. To bring in somebody to compete to start to me was running up and down the starting line and really was hurting Kyle’s progress. We had our meetings and we felt very good about the players we have presently—obviously Kyle, talking about Caleb Hanie’s continued development, and we like what we saw in Brett Basanez from college and when he was with Carolina in the preseason.

Now is that to say that we couldn’t look for a veteran after the draft? That’s a possibility. We haven’t ruled that out. To do it then, that veteran would have had a chance to see what his value is, and it might be a little bit more palatable for him to come in and compete for a backup job versus if you sign him now.

In terms of a trade, trades are very difficult to do. I know there was a lot of talk about Matt Cassel. The real problem with the Matt Cassel trade from my perspective was the contract. He had signed his franchise tag, which was approximately $15 million, so that means that in the ’09 season he has a $15 million guaranteed contract in hand. To do something now in terms of a new contract, that’s going to be an exorbitant amount of money, which is fine if you know for sure he’s the guy. It’s a little bit easier for Kansas City and Denver to feel good about him because they were with him (new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and new Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels worked with Cassel in New England). But to bring somebody in and say he is the guy and pay him an exorbitant amount of money given that he’s guaranteed $15 million in ’09, that’s why most teams were cautious about going forward. It wasn’t the draft compensation. It was the contract that people were focusing on.

He did a nice job [in 2008]. But let’s not forget who he was with. He was with the New England Patriots; a pretty good football team with a good supporting cast and a great system. Is that guy going to be the same guy in another system with different personnel around him? It’s hard to say. He did a fine job, so there were rewards with him. But there was great risk as well.

My Question: Why haven’t the Bears tried to sign any of this year’s big-name free agents such as wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh or safety Brian Dawkins, both of whom are productive veterans who seemingly would provide major upgrades?

Angelo: Houshmandzadeh is a fine receiver. Would we have entertained him? Yes, but we wanted to see what his marketplace was. In this case, we felt like [what he received from the Seahawks] was an exorbitant amount of money. Remember, he was a No. 2 in Cincinnati. That’s not to say that what Seattle did wasn’t right for them; their situation is different in my mind than ours. They had an inordinate amount of injuries with receivers and they felt like they needed to get somebody that was established and healthy.

A lot of teams would have liked to have had Houshmandzadeh. But he’s going to be 32 in ’09 and the price that you’re paying for that receiver we felt was very high. You have to look at economics when you look at players. Who doesn’t want Houshmandzadeh? But you have to look at the economics: What are the implications to the cap going forward and what does that prevent us from doing in other areas within our team and/or in free agency?

With Brian Dawkins, he’s 35 years old. He’s a great player, but Philadelphia put a limit on what they were going to pay him and they know him the best. You have to understand that it’s not just, “Do you want the player?” Certainly there are players out there, but at what cost? And what does that cost do to your salary cap and to other things you may want to do internally and/or in free agency. You have to be patient as you go through this process. It’s not a matter of not wanting to spend the money. The cap is how you want to allocate the money. When we look at a player, we have to put a value on that player, and then we have to stay disciplined to stay within those parameters. With 14 players being franchised, it makes free agency less attractive, and the players that do get out in free agency are making an exorbitant amount of money because it’s a supply and demand business.

My Question: How much of a priority is upgrading the wide receiver position either in free agency or the draft?

Angelo: Naturally, we’re going to look at that real hard, in all likelihood in the draft. We’re not looking for backup wide receivers. What we want are potentially starting wide receivers. We have a nucleus of receivers that we feel good about in terms of twos, threes, fours and fives, and if we carried six, a sixth receiver. Part of that ties into special teams. What we’re looking at is the top of the wide receiver position. Where does that come from? It comes with a premium receiver in free agency if there’s one out there and/or in the draft. Yes, it’s a position that we are looking at.

interview from chicagobears.com

Caleb Hanie Wants #2 QB Spot

Hanie is heading to the Bears' facilities two weeks before the mandatory veteran minicamp.

This is what he had to say:

“My expectations are just to compete for the backup job, and if they need me to compete for the starting job at some point, I’m ready to do that."

“Kyle’s done a great job and he deserves that [starting] spot. To win that backup job is my main concern, and my job is to be ready at all times to keep the team running and succeed.”

“I think it will help tremendously, last year was a struggle, not getting many reps and trying to learn at the same time. It was all mental reps.

“Now I have a year under my belt. I know the offense, so I’ll be able to progress that much quicker as far as being game-ready and being able to get the reps that I need in the minicamps and OTAs. I think I’ll be able to progress a lot faster and play fast.”

Hanie knows that some fans would like the Bears to sign an experienced backup quarterback—and that’s just fine with him. Asked what he’d say to those people, Hanie said: “I wouldn’t say anything to them. They have their own opinion. Obviously they’d prefer to have a veteran guy that’s been established. But at the same time I think I bring a lot to the table, and given a chance I can go out there and make plays and run the offense.”

all quotes from chicagobears.com

They Are Who We Thought They Were

The Bears have many questions to ask themselves after a 21-14 loss against the undefeated Tennessee Titans.

How do you lose a game where you shut down supposedly the best running back tandem in the NFL?

How does your pass rush, who is loaded with players like Tommie Harris, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye have no success getting to Kerry Collins?

How does your pass defense, who has everyone back from injury, struggle against Kerry Collins, who hasn't had over 200 yards passing all year?

The Bears need to remedy these crucial mistakes and fast.

We know they can shut down running backs, but how do you make an ordinary QB look like a pro bowler?

It has happened with Brian Griese, Gus Frerotte and even Dan Orlovsky this season.

On the bright side, the first eight games the Titans averaged 149.1 rushing yards per game and yesterday only produced 20 yards. At half they had -5 yards on the ground.
Chris Johnson who averaged 89.4 ypg rushing had only eight total yards on the ground.

The Bears offense was another story, they came out strong with a six minute drive and Grossman threw a touchdown to Matt Forte, who ran all over the Titans D in the first half.

The next eight drives ended in punts.

The Bears had their share of opportunities as they stopped the Titans on 4th and goal late in the first quarter.

Between Marty Booker, Rashied Davis, and Devin Hester, five passes were caught for a total of 69 yards.

Booker looked like a bad Muhsin Muhammad and Rashied Davis just ran the wrong routes.

Hester had two big returns that I thought could have been returned for touchdowns.

Also, Grossman overthrew Hester on a sure touchdown, which would have gave the Bears much needed momentum.

Grossman shouldn't get all the blame, but he did struggle to get the ball to his receivers.

He looked in sync at intervals in the game, but just couldn't keep it going.

His interception reminded me of the one he threw in Super Bowl 41, which Kelvin Hayden returned for a touchdown.

If Grossman played like he did on the first drive of the game and one of the drives at the end of the game, we would have scored a lot of points.

But, the team just looked out of sync and they abandoned the running game in the second half; Forte ran for a total of seven yards.

They need some help and they need it fast because they have a huge game in Green Bay next Sunday and the Packers just came off a tough loss.

If Orton can't go this week, there is absolutely no way they would put in Caleb Hanie at QB, for all the Hanie fans out there.

You have to give the Titans offensive coordinator some credit for realizing the running game wasn't working, but the Bears should have figured out a way to get to Kerry Collins

The Bears have at total of five sacks in there last five games.

That really hurts your pass defense.


Quote of the Day:

Rashied Davis said this after a tough loss to the now 9-0 Titans, "Maybe they have some kind of angel around them or something, I don't know."


Three Stars of the Game:

1) The run defense

2) Corey Graham- he recovered a big fumble early in the first quarter.

3) Matt Forte- had a big day running and looked great receiving as well.


Just a Thought...


You can blame Rex Grossman for this loss all you want, but the Bears were backed up in the own 10 yard line for most of the game.

Who knows if Orton could have one this game, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Where was Brandon Lloyd, I thought he was supposed to play yesterday.

He definitely would have helped, anything but Marty Booker.

They must change gears to the Packers, for they don't want to lose a divisional game, against my most hated team.

Hopefully they can figure this out before this week's game.

Guess whose back? Back again. Rex is back. Tell a friend.

Rex had this to say back in August:

“I’ll never fully get over it and I don’t think anyone would expect me to, my motivation is to be a great player in this league and a starter again, but for right now I’ve got to be the best quarterback ready at a moment’s notice. That’s my goal and that’s my job.”

Rex had this to say after the big win:

“The last couple months have been tough, but when you have a role and your number is called to fulfill that role, I was happy to come in and help us win the game.

“It was tough, I didn’t have any reps in practice. I was [Lions quarterback] Dan Orlovsky all week. I just had to memorize the game plan and go through it, pay attention, all those types of things. It’s not easy to just sit there for an hour or hour and a half not thinking you’re going to play at all and then, boom, be brought into the mix.”

Orton was being reevaluated Monday after exiting the game with :26 remaining in the second quarter when his ankle bent awkwardly while being tackled by defensive end Dewayne White.

“You always want to play, but never under those circumstances, I had the whole half[time] to think to myself about my game plan; how I was going to go out there and get ready. So that was nice. After that first series I started feeling pretty good about just being out there. I got my feet wet and calmed down and everything was fine.”

“As frustrating as it was to not be the guy to start off [the season], you have a different role, and in that role, I came in and did the job.”

Lovie Smith had this to say about Rex:

“When you’re the backup quarterback and you haven’t gotten a lot of reps and you’re asked to step up and make plays like that, it was important for Rex to come in and then do some of the things that he was able to do.”

Olin Kreutz on Rex's Play:

“We believe in Rex, Rex has been our starter for a long time. Like he showed, he’s ready to play. If a guy runs the no-huddle, he’s studying his plays.

“He’s being a professional as what’s expected of him as a backup quarterback. All along he has taken his demotion well and he’s studied hard, and he showed that [Sunday].”

WR Rashied Davis on Rex's Play:

"Grossman hasn't been in there for a while, so we tried to pick him up until he could get comfortable, everyone knows what he is capable of doing."

DE Alex Brown on Rex:

"It's not like it's his first time, he has been there before. If we can just cut out some of the boos when a bad play happens, we'll be fine, Orton's our quarterback, but right now I guess Rex is, "We have two good quarterbacks."

Now backup QB Caleb Hanie talks about the possibility of playing and how Rex played:

"Rex came in and did a good job. He did what he's supposed to do."
"It was a wake-up call to both of us that you're one play away, so you have to prepare. We'll see what Kyle's injury entails. It's looking decent, so hopefully he won't be out for the year. He has earned the right to be in there. But luckily we have Rex. He's also an NFL quarterback and he's a talented guy."

Down the Road:

If Kyle Orton aka K.O. is out for a month, Rex will have to face Tennessee at home next week, and then Green Bay, St. Louis and Minnesota all on the road.

Next week will be a huge game, but also the two NFC North games will be huge.

My inside source told me that Kyle Orton drove home last night after the game and Rex Grossman has been told by Pep Hamilton (the Bears QB coach) to not be a gunslinger.

Rather be more like Kyle Orton, who was so far the Bears' best player.

If Orton finished out the season and kept playing well he would have been a sure pick for the Pro Bowl and a fantasy football stud.

Prediction:

The Bears won't be awful without Orton, but there offense must step it up for Rex and I think with this week of practice as the #1 QB will be huge for him and the team.

Tennessee will be a huge test for Rex and the Bears.

The Packers almost beat them and we are ahead of the Packers, so will see.

Bears DT Anthony Adams, WR Mark Bradley Among Inactives from Week 1

The big surprise from the inactives from week 1 is that Bears DT Anthony Adams has gone from being a starter on the depth chart to being inactive.

Wide receiver Mark Bradley, who expressed frustration last week over his role in the offense, is also inactive.

Also down are safety Craig Steltz, guard Dan Buenning, defensive tackle Matt Toeaina, wide receiver Earl Bennett, offensive tackle Chris Williams and quarterback Caleb Hanie.

Chicago Bears Cut Rideau and Keep Hanie.

The Chicago Bears had to trim there roster down to 53 today and they decided to keep three quarterbacks, four running backs, and six wide receivers.

They cut one guy, who everyone thought showed great promise and it could be a huge mistake.

Brandon Rideau, has been on the Bears practice squad for a couple of years now and in four games this preseason he caught three touchdown passes.

Rideau had 127 yards in those games, he totally outplayed veteran WR Marty Booker, who in my mind was the guy to go.

The Bears are looking to establish their eight man practice squad and they better put Rideau on that list.

Rideau is a big kid at 6'3" and I hope they add him to their roster this season, if they get him through waivers.

The Bears had talks about keeping only two QB's this season, but realized rookie QB Caleb Hanie from Colorado State showed too much this preseason.

Hanie is the QB of the future for the Bears, not only does he have a decent arm, but he is athletic and he can scramble for the first down, if you need it.

Hanie combined for 29/49 on passing attempts, 321 yards through the air, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Hanie had this to say about making the 53 man roster "After a couple of [exhibition] games, I figured I had at least a shot at making it."

"It just really depended on the numbers for me. I'm just thankful to be in this position now."

"[Coach] Lovie Smith gave me a call and said, 'Usually these calls are bad, but I just wanted to let you know you made it."

Veteran Fred Miller has been offered a one-year deal, but has yet to act on it.

Also, rookie LT Chris Williams is likely out for the season and Terrance Metcalf doesn't know how long he will be out.

The Bears have only seven offensive lineman on their roster, with John St. Clair replacing Chris Williams at LT and Josh Beekman replacing Terrance Metcalf at LG.

Aslo released to get the roster down to 53 were offensive linemen Anthony Oakley and Tyler Reed, tight end Fontel Mines, long-snapper Thomas Gafford and nine rookies in punter Zacrey Atterberry, defensive end Ervin Baldwin, tackle Cody Balogh, cornerback Trey Brown, defensive ends Joe Clermond and Nick Osborn, linebacker Joey LaRocque, guard Ryan Poles and tight end Marcus Stone.

So here is the breakdown of the Chicago Bears 2008-2009 roster in alphabetical order:

Quarterbacks (3): Rex Grossman, Caleb Hanie, Kyle Orton

Running backs (4): Matt Forte, Kevin Jones, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie

Wide receivers (6): Earl Bennett, Marty Booker, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Brandon Lloyd

Tight ends (3): Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis, Greg Olsen

Offensive linemen (8): Kirk Barton, Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Terrence Metcalf, John St. Clair, John Tait, Chris Williams

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

Linebackers (6): Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Darrell McClover, Nick Roach, Brian Urlacher, Jamar Williams

Cornerbacks (5): Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher

Safeties (5): Mike Brown, Danieal Manning, Brandon McGowan, Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz

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

The Bears want to get some other veteran offensive lineman in the mix, atleast as backups, just to help out the current line, which is shaky right now.

Also, they might regret the release of Rideau, but who knows, maybe Booker will wake up and have a big game.

Taking a Look at Their Final Preseason Game

At the end of the Bears final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bears came out the winners.

The won 16-10 and held the Browns to zero points in the second half.

But, Head Coach Lovie Smith had this to say about his defense "I'm disappointed."

"The plan was to get a couple of three-and-outs and then take the players out, but it didn't turn out that way. We didn't play well. Believe me, if we could put our finger on it we would have done something about it before now. We've got a little bit more time to get it right.

"We haven't played well. That is all you can say about it. We have not made all the effort we need to play well. All the things that go into playing well, we haven't done. Once we get all our guys going, I feel we will have a very strong defense."

Starting CB Charles Tillman was aksed about the D's bad play this preseason and he had this say "If I had an answer I'd tell you right now, we have to get this cleaned up."

Keep in mind the Bears did rest two key starters on the defense, S Mike Brown and DT Tommie Harris.

They also kept G Terrance Metcalf, who has been injured for a while on the sideline and TE Desmond Clark out.

Backup G Chester Adams was injured on the last play of the first half and reportedly went out with a knee injury.

That is why they need to get Fred Miller in uniform as a backup, just to get a veteran presence in there.

Read my Fred Miller article for more info, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/52003-fred-miller-waiting-to-make-decision-with-bears.

Offensively:

On the bright side for the Bears, 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie finished the game 12/17, for 115 yards and led the Bears down the field for two field goals.

Grossman led the Bears to there only TD drive, in a 19 yard pass to Brandon Rideau.

Orton was 4/7 and threw a bad ball because John St. Clair missed his block.

P.J. Pope, who was on the practice squad last season, carried the ball eight times for 34 yards in the second half.

The last WR spot on the Bears roster could come down to Marty Booker, Mark Bradley or Brandon Rideau.

This will be a tough call because the Bears depth at WR looks like this, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Mark Bradley, Marty Booker, Brandon Rideau.

Don't forget 3rd round pick Earl Bennett from Vanderbilt.

I think Rideau and Bradley should both make the team, because last night they combined for eight catches, 105 yards and one TD.

I don't know what you do with Marty Booker, he hasn't showed much this preseason.

This will be a tough call for the Bears, but for sure you have to keep Mark Bradley, because he is the type of play maker Bernard Berrian was.

Did you know?

Because the Bears beat the Browns last night, they prevented themselves form going 0-4 in the preseason for the first time since 1998.

Good Stuff:

On a fourth and goal for the Browns in the 4th quarter the Bears Craig Steltz tipped the ball and stopped the Browns from scoring.

Before, that play S Leonard Peters, who was on the practice squad last season, forced a fumble, which was later overturned.

Also, undrafted free agent CB Trey Brown who took Cedric Benson's #32 picked off Ken Dorsey in the fourth quarter.

Lastly, the Bears K Robbie Gould looked "good as gold" last night, he kicked he made all three field goal attempts he had and his longest was a 48 yarder.

Heading into the regular season:

Cutting there roster to 53 men, is going to be tough for the Bears.

They must make there moves by Saturday.

The D is dissapointed in themselves, and they should be, they gave up an average of 25 points, 326 total yards, 161 of that on the ground per game.

If they want to be the D they were in 2006, they better step it up a couple of notches

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.

Chicago Bears: What Did We Learn From the First Preseason Game?

What did we learn from the first Chicago Bears preseason game of 2008 against the Kansas City Chiefs?

We learned that they have three quarterbacks on the roster.

They don't just have Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman, they have Caleb Hanie too.

This guy played well in his first action in the league.

Hanie is an undrafted free agent from Colorado State, who could solidify his spot on the team with his play.

But, the starter Kyle Orton, performed well, until his fumble on a scramble which he later recovered.

Rex Grossman's arm looked good throwing a 25 yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wolfe, but his hair looked bad.

I think the offense struggled a little bit as a whole, because they don't have all there starters on the offensive line and of course Kevin Jones didn't get to play.

First round pick Chris Williams is said to be out until november and the Bears have reportedly talked to Fred Miller and Ruben Brown about coming back.

Between the other three running backs, they looked good. Forte, AP and Garrett Wolfe all looked they could be starters.

I really like Adrian Peterson's ability in the screen game.

Matt Forte looks to be a much better back than Cedric Benson was.

The defense struggled a little bit, but they are good and they will get it together.

Plus, it is just a preseason game, it means nothing.

Mark Schlereth of ESPN, who usually makes fun of the Bears QB situation, said Kyle Orton should be the starter for this years Bears team.

What people don't understand is, that the Chicago Bears haven't had a great QB since Sid Luckman. Also, the Bears have showed they can win with just an okay QB.

Kyle Orton's rookie year in 2005, the Bears went 11-5 and he was ordinary.

in 2006, Rex Grossman lead the team to a 13-3 record.

Last season, the Bears went 7-9, because they chose to give in and put Brian Griese in as the QB. The defense was battered by injuries. The last two regular season games, the Bears performed well.

It seems like Chicago Bears fans want there QB to fail.

The question on the Chicago Bears offense is not QB, it is RB and offensive line.

You don't have to have a great QB to win, when it comes to the Chicago Bears.