Ruben Brown: Hangs em' up

Ruben Brown, a perennial Pro Bowl left guard for the Buffalo Bills, has officially retired.

Ruben Brown's announcement on Buffalo radio station WECK wasn't a surprise, but it brought his decorated career to an official end.

He missed the entire 2008 season while trying in vain to latch on with a team.''

Brown had this to say today:

"I came to the conclusion it's time to hang it up, I'm going to officially retire this week. I'm going to submit my paperwork to the NFL. ... I am terminating my active playing days. It's a wrap. There's no more football for me. They're always inquiring if I'm done. Yeah, that's it. There's no more. It was an awesome ride."

Brown last played in 2007 for the Bears, who declined to re-sign him after four seasons with them.

He played only eight games that year because of a right shoulder injury.

He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, including eight straight trips to Honolulu from his second pro season until he left the Bills after 2003.

His final Pro Bowl season was with the Bears in 2006, when he started every game in their Super Bowl run.

Brown will turn 37 on Feb. 13.

He missed a combined 11 games in 2004 and 2005 with chest, knee and neck injuries.

all quotes from yahoosports.com

Danieal Manning Named NFC special teams player of the week

According to NFL.com, Bears safety Danieal Manning was named NFC special teams player of the week after returning five kickoffs for 179 yards, including the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown last Thursday night against New Orleans.

Danieal Manning leads the NFL this season with 29.5 yards per kickoff return (26 returns, 766 yards).

The last time a Bear returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, was in Super Bowl XLI, by a guy named Devin Hester.

Good job Danieal Manning, we need you to return some long ones in the future.

Why Rex Grossman Has To Start the Regular Season

Written by Farooq Ahmed from Bleacherreport.com

Yes. I said it. Rex Grossman must start for the Bears.

Call me crazy, but in 30 starts, he has a 19-11 record. Yes, people will say that he turns the ball over way too much, but as many Bears fans know, the players around him respond to the guy for some strange reason.

And don't forget that he was "the guy" that helped lead the Bears to a Super Bowl only two years ago.

He definitely has a chip on his shoulder after Super Bowl XLI, where the Bears ran the ball well and defended solidly. Despite the Bears' great defensive play, Grossman's turnovers cost them the game. He threw three interceptions, including one that resulted in a touchdown, which sealed the Colts' victory.

That’s why I believe Rex will start the season opener against the Colts and continue to play throughout the regular season. He wants to prove himself as an elite NFL quarterback. But first comes the much-publicized QB competition in the Windy City.

It's clear that Rex is the favorite to win. In fact, Bears officials have said that they expect Rex to win the starting job. He has the talent to lead a team. Whether or not he wins the starting role is another question.

We all know that when he’s hot, he can be unstoppable, as was the case when he threw four touchdown passes against Detroit in 2006 which was his best game to date.

When he’s cold, he can be awful. This was apparent when he threw for zero touchdowns and three interceptions against Green Bay.

With a career rating of 70.9 in 30 starts, Rex is definitely under pressure to perform like a 22nd-overall pick should.

Rex will have a better season this year.

I can see him easily beating out Kyle Orton in the QB competition and throwing well in preseason games before Lovie Smith declares him as the starter. Much to the outrage of thousands of Bears fans that will shout and scream, “WE WANT FAVRE,” it won’t happen.

One thing Rex has to do is mature and stop the stupid, unwanted turnovers and vow to protect the ball. He's shown glimpses of the great quarterback he can be, and that’s what the Bears will need to see from him in the 2008 season.

He doesn't quite have the weapons he had in 2006, but he does have Devin Hester providing a deep threat at WR, along with veteran receivers Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, and Mark Bradley.

With much-hyped running backs Matt Forte and Kevin Jones in the mix, and a re-jigged offensive line, the Bears should improve on their 29th-ranked offense from a year ago.

Add a solid top-10 defense and a No.1 special teams, and the Bears can set their sights high this season and make a playoff run. The mood around camp is very positive, with Jerry Angelo dishing out contracts like lunch. But it is up to the players and team to prove that money was well spent.