Bleacher Report - Articles by Victor Ferenzi

Chicago Bears 2009 Draft Day Breakdown

Victor Ferenzi — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:05:50 -0400

Another draft has come and gone. Everyone seems to have their opinion, and while there is no way to judge a draft for a couple of years, let alone a couple of hours after the closing bell, here is how I see it.

Draft grades for each player are based on talent, value at where they were picked, and team need.

Jarron Gilbert DT/DE (Third round 68th overall)

I might have gone another direction, but we do need help on the defensive line. Gilbert is extremely strong and athletic. He plays defensive end and tackle, and considering three of our defensive linemen are hitting free agency at the end of the season, we could use some options.

Many people had this guy graded higher, but he suddenly developed a reputation for taking plays off. I really think this was just certain people’s way around admitting they didn’t properly scout a small school.

Everyone who has been around this guy or seen him has loved him. Oh and he led the nation in tackles for loss. Not too bad.

I really just think the Bears weren’t too high on most of the safeties. It was considered a weak class for that position. As for receivers at that spot, Massaquoi was the only one close to being worth the pick, and his stock rose in the past week or so.

Many will tell you that the board you have three weeks out is the most accurate, and we all remember what happened when we let David Terrell’s last minute hype sway us. Like Terrell, Massaquoi had one of the better quarterbacks in college throwing to him, which may be what pushed him ahead of guys like Iglesias and co.

For these reasons, I like the pick.

Draft grade: B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXDSPbZ_OUw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK_SxTr4jZs

Juaquin Iglesia WR (Third round 99th overall)

I like the pick. We need a receiver to complement Hester and he fits that mold. A possession receiver, he lacks top end speed but has quickness and toughness.

He will make the first guy miss and break a tackle or two. He has good separation skills and although he won’t get too many 40-yard touchdowns, he will move the chains.

Draft grade: B+

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qGtpemtA08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLB00IQcHEI

Henry Melton DE (Fourth round 105th overall)

I do not understand this pick. There were almost a dozen defensive ends ranked higher than him on the board at the time. Even if Angelo really liked him, they could have gotten him later.

I think the situation in the second round made this decision. The Raiders grabbed a safety at 47 that most people hadn’t even seen tape on and was projected to be a late round/UDFA. A huge reach; oh and the Bears had just called him and said they were taking him at 49.

I don’t know that I would have liked that pick, but it essentially made the Bears reach even more on Melton out of fear of losing him.

Melton plays fast for his size and strength, but he lacks technique, as illustrated in the Texas Tech game when TTU’s left tackle owned him all game.

Melton can benefit from good defensive linemen around him that require extra attention, but don’t expect him to produce on his own, at least not right away.

The bottom line is that Melton isn’t going to see subpar left tackles at the pro level, if Marinelli can’t find a way to coach him up he will be a special teams player at best.

Draft Grade C-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4plYFVOi-1o

DJ Moore CB (Fourth round 119th pick)

Another bad pick. We have depth at cornerback; depth that is signed for several years.

They passed on Johnson at free safety because they didn’t like his size; well Johnson has more than four inches and 25 lbs on Moore.

Moore measures in at a little under 5’9’’, and weighed in at 182 lbs at the combine, but he played around 175 lbs. He ran a 4.58 which is just god awful at that size giving him an adjusted 40 time of 82.7.

I just don’t know where this kid is going to play. To be fair he suffered an ankle injury in the Music City Bowl, but returned to the game. It is hard to say if residual problems from that contributed to his poor 40 times.

He does have some versatility playing multiple positions on offense and defense in college. He will contribute on special teams, but I don’t see drafting a guy this high for special teams or to see if you can get him to play at another position. He simply isn’t that special.

Draft grade: C-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH37cK2GBKo

Johnny Knox WR (Fifth round 140th overall)

I love this pick. I think Knox represents great value where the Bears took him.

Knox is as fast as the day is long. He officially clocked a 4.34 40 at the combine, but as many scouts don’t like the electronic timing they still use the stopwatch. Of those who clocked him manually (Mike Mayock was one of them) he ran between 4.25 and 4.28.

Knox comes out of Abilene Christian University which plays in the small Lone Star Conference. The LSC produces a surprising number of players for a small conference.

ACU is one of the better producers of talent from small schools. Granted this has a lot to do with multiple NCAA violations involving recruiting and providing housing and scholarships, but D-II schools get screwed in that area anyway and I for one won’t care when Knox is running go routes on Sunday.

Knox played only two years for ACU since he was a JUCO transfer, but in those two years he set a conference and school record with 30 touchdown receptions.

Knox has already drawn comparisons to Airese Currie. The problem is that all Currie had going for him was speed. He wasn’t a good route runner and didn’t have good hands.

To top that off Currie ran at the combine on a broken foot, making it worse. The Bears drafted him anyway and Currie continued to run before he was healed and repeatedly re-injured himself. Currie couldn’t even get on the practice field let alone develop into a contributor.

I am not saying Knox will be a HOF player, but he has a lot of upside for relatively low risk.

Draft grade: A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQJlZBGvhBE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8VeffYnvFk

Marcus Freeman LB (Fifth round 154th overall)

Freeman played well at OSU before injuring his knee in 2005. A staph infection kept Freeman from returning to action that year.

In his senior year he played all 13 games, but was hampered by an ankle injury. Many had dropped him down because they grade on last season played, however he had a great showing at the senior bowl, proving he was healthy in many people’s minds.

Freeman was projected as a second round player by many based on previous performance and with the understanding that he would be healthy.

Many teams are not willing to look past the injury plagued performance of his senior year, but if he returns to form (if the senior bowl is an indication he will) he is a steal at 154th overall.

Freeman is a weak side linebacker and that is how the Bears see him, but he has the skill to play strong side and he may have to do so if he plans on starting for any reason other than injury to Lance Briggs.

This could actually be a big pick. Freeman is a Lance Brigs type player, but he played some SSLB in college and has the potential to move there.

Currently the Bears have Hillenmeyer and Roach at SSLB. Hillenmeyer is a stronger guy that eats up blockers to free up the other linebackers in certain situations while Roach does a better job of covering the tight end in passing situations.

Freeman has the potential to do both, making our defense more versatile and freeing up Hillenmeyer and Roach to contribute more on special teams, which is of underrated importance.

Freeman is three inches shorter than Hillenmeyer and the same height as Roach, but he has more bulk than either of them. Don’t let that fool you though, he is fast enough to cover and he can rush the quarterback, which both Roach and Hillenmeyer have trouble doing.

Freeman’s biggest challenge will be proving he has returned to form and proving he can grasp the complexities of a pro defense.

Draft grade: B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBMabHxe7kc

Al Afalava S (Sixth round 190th overall)

Afalava played strong safety in college, but the Bears will eventually try to move him to free safety.

The Bears tried to make up for not drafting a safety earlier and ended up filling a position we are heavy at and not getting an actual free safety. This position would have been better served being filled in the fourth round instead of drafting Melton.

The Bears consistently do this and fail. Afalava is the same height and ten pounds heavier than Rashad Johnson, whom they deemed too small. Afalava doesn’t have the speed or cover skills of a free safety like Johnson and is known for his many questionable hits.

The Bears have made a pattern of falling in love with safeties who are hitters and not tacklers, and then trying to get them to play free safety. This usually leads to them making many illegal hits when trying to recover from playing out of position.

The Bears have failed to develop guys like this in recent years. I t remains to be seen if new defensive backs coach Jon Hoke can do a better job.

Draft grade: D+

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOpswkyrS0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txSlG-iLFU0

Lance Louis TE (Seventh round 246th overall)

Louis is listed as a tight end, but really is an offensive lineman. He missed his entire 2006 season with an injury and hasn’t played tight end since.

At 6’2’’ 303lbs he is surprisingly athletic and he may follow in the footsteps of other offensive lineman who are converted tight ends (Jason Peters, Ryan Clady).

He has experience at guard and may develop into a contributor, but expect to see a lot of special teams out of him if he makes the roster.

Draft grade: C

Derek Kinder WR (Seventh round 251st overall)

Kinder is a former first team All-Big East player and was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

He tore his ACL in the summer of 2007 and missed the entire year. He returned in 2008, but did not have the same production.

ACL injuries often take two years to recover from and Kinder should benefit from a professional training staff. If Kinder can return to form, this will be a huge pick.

Kinder is also a terrific blocker and special teams player, as many remember from the 2006 WVU game during Revis’ punt return.

Relatively low risk with huge upside, Kinder in the late seventh round could pay dividends.

Draft grade: A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAxaM5AM8Qg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV3g2Z-0ExA

Overall grade: B-/C+

Jerry Angelo Has a Bear of a Dilemma Going into This Weekend's Draft

Victor Ferenzi — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:37:23 -0400

Jerry Angelo may have the biggest dilemma any bear has had since Winnie-the-Pooh pondered whether fresh honey was worth numerous bee stings. Angelo has to decide if he should draft a receiver or a free safety in the upcoming draft, and, like Pooh-Bear, anything less than the perfect move will likely result in him getting stung.

Angelo has made some good moves this offseason, but with those moves come the added expectations for a winning season.

I have been in favor of a wide receiver for weeks now, but as the draft approaches I’m not so sure. That isn’t to say I’m leaning toward a safety. I truly don’t know what I would do. It isn’t as simple as deciding which position we need more, though that in itself is debatable. The variables involved are many, outnumbered only by questions that need answers.

Who is available and will they fit our system? Are they ready to play now, or do they offer larger upside after a few years of development? How are our coaches planning to adjust to a new year with new talent? What kind of talent do we have, have they developed, and will they respond to the adjustments the coaches are making?

After a great deal of internal conflict, I decided to make the best possible arguments I could for each position. After that, all I can do is wait to see what Angelo does, and see which position fans tend to agree with: free safety or wide receiver.

Wide Receiver

At this time, the Bears' roster boasts Rashied Davis, Earl Bennet, John Broussard, Brandon Rideau, Devin Aromashodu, and Devin Hester.

In spite of what people say about Hester, his production last year doesn’t reflect the strides he made in the second half. Hester has the potential to be very good, but not if they don’t give him some help to take the pressure off, not to mention the double coverage.

Davis is a converted AFL defensive back who has made some good grabs in the past, but last year he was diagnosed with stage-three dropsies, and it appears to be terminal.

The remaining four receivers have combined for 11 career receptions.

Jay Cutler cannot do it all on his own. Sure, we bolstered the line and Matt Forte should only get better, but when Forte is the only guy who needs to be covered, one-dimensional doesn’t begin to describe the Bears' offense.

Percy Harvin’s recent failed drug test should push some of the talent at wide receiver down into the second round. Angelo needs to get another set of hands for Cutler to throw to if he is to be successful. Even if the receiver we get takes a few years to develop completely, the extra threat will open up more options for Cutler.

We lost Mike Brown this season, but we haven’t really had him for years. The free safety position is important and has posed problems for us in the past, but Zack Bowman should be able to play free safety very well. Behind Bowman, Manning, Bullocks, and Steltz provide adequate depth.

Besides, the problem isn’t really the talent, it’s the system. The Bears play Cover Two, which leaves gaping holes in the zones. With coaches who refuse to have their cornerbacks jam at the line, the safety isn’t going to have time to assess his assignment, no matter who is back there. If the coaches teach the cornerbacks to jam the defensive line, the safeties will have better production, and then we will once again be overstocked on free safeties of similar talent, just as we were when we moved Harris and Green.

Free Safety

The Bears are in desperate need of someone to complete the defensive backfield. The Bears' defense constantly gets beaten because the free safety takes too long to figure out where he is supposed to provide help.

The better passing teams in the league pick us apart because the safety is always frozen and doesn’t have enough speed to recover. Our free safety is usually a natural strong safety who always seems to be too deep to get to the underneath route and too shallow to lend help over the top.

A fast free safety with cover skills and the football IQ to diagnose opposing offenses instantly makes everyone else on defense better. A safety who could consistently stay with his assignment will force opposing quarterbacks to hang on to the ball longer or risk turning it over.

At 49th overall, the Bears are in position to take one of the top two free safeties in the draft while most likely looking at the seventh- or eighth-best receiver.

In recent years we have seen as many good receivers come out of rounds three through five as we have seen busts come out of the first two.

Angelo has little to no success drafting offense, particularly at receiver. Angelo’s draft history at the position includes Jamin Elliott, Justin Gage, Bobby Wade, Arise Curry, and Mark Bradley. Bernard Berrian showed some promise when running go routes but never developed into a solid route runner before going off to drop balls up in Minnesota.

Angelo has just as good a chance of hitting on a receiver at 99th overall as he does at 49, which may be a moot point anyway if Daryl Drake can’t find a way to do a better job developing talent.

Before drafting another questionable receiver, wouldn’t it be better to draft a safety? Safety is a position that is more easily evaluated in college. Angelo has had more success drafting defensive backs in the past, and the safety position will hold more talent at 49th overall.

On Draft Day

The Bears will undoubtedly receive criticism no matter which direction they decide to go. I think the biggest question is whether our problem lies with coaching and development or with the players. With a lack of veterans at both positions, who do the young players turn to for help? With a Pro Bowl quarterback under center and the addition of one of the best defensive line coaches in the league, won’t the Bears be better on both sides of the ball?

I honestly don’t know which I would pick. Free safety seems to be the safer pick with less upside, especially if Bowman turns out to be great or a bad coverage scheme negates talent. Wide receiver has the bigger potential for a bust but also may offer the most reward, especially looking to the future.

I am torn going into this weekend’s draft but immensely interested. One thing is certain: It will feel like time has stopped once the Bears are on the clock.

Isn't It Time for Ron Turner To Think outside the Box?

Victor Ferenzi — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:06:02 -0400

Say what you will about the New England Patriots, but one thing is clear: they get the most out of every player they have. Isn’t it time the Bears did the same?

The Bears boast an unusual amount of underutilized talent. Every year we have questions about the Bears' offense, and every year we go into the season wondering who will step up and fill the roles needed to field a typical, supposedly, west-cast offense. My question is, why do we have to be typical?

The Bears may not have the best tight end in the league, but they have the best group of tight ends. Clark is going to toe the line in typical tight end fashion, but Olsen is truly a gifted, versatile player who needs to be used in different situations. Ditto for Kellen Davis, who is as much of a physical, athletic freak as anyone in the league.

Adrian Peterson has been a staple of our special teams play for several seasons and we have all seen what Forte can do, but what about Wolfe and Jones?

Jones is a former first round pick who suffered devastating injuries two years in a row before being released by Detroit. Jones has stated that he would have argued that he was 100 percent last year, until he had another offseason to recover and to truly see what 100 percent could be. We know that injuries such as the ones he sustained often take two years to fully recover from, but could we see the return of the Kevin Jones, who rushed for over 1100 yards in 2004?

Wolfe is clearly undersized, but we have heard rumors of using him as a flanker for several seasons, only to see him get the occasional carry between the tackles. Wolfe has the kind of speed and agility that had people wondering (unrealistically) if he could win the Heisman while playing for a school like NIU. Wolfe may never be a Pro Bowl running back, but teams like San Diego have shown us what both small backs, and backs from NIU, can do.

We also have several players who are extremely athletic and have been flexed around to multiple positions on defense and special teams. Israel Idonije, Joey LaRocque, and Nick Roach come to mind.

Fullback Jason Mckie has been used in the passing game, but in a fashion that is very much vanilla and has become predictable.

Everyone is caught up in who is going to compliment Hester at receiver, and while I would love to get a great receiver, couldn’t we have been doing more to free up Hester all along?

The Patriots utilize linebackers in one of the best passing games in the league, yet before Moss came to town, you would be hard pressed to call any of their receivers a number one on most NFL rosters.

The Dolphins have had success using the wildcat, not because it is a great scheme, but because it gives them the most opportunities to get their talent on the field.

The Bears of the past would bring in Refrigerator Perry to clear running lanes and occasionally carry the ball (Brian Urlacher has even caught a touchdown pass for the Bears), but how have they been utilizing unique talents lately? John St. Claire was the target of several passes over the last couple of years, hardly the stellar athlete you need to get more touches.

With the amount of athletic talent on the Bears team, when are they going to make adjustments to use more of them? When will they decide to create mismatches instead of trying to fit the mold? As each new season approaches, we hear the talk, we see flashes in preseason, only to see the same-old predictable playbook come the regular season.

Old and predictable are great qualities in a Swiss watch or a geyser, not in a playbook. It is time for the Bears to stop looking like a team that thinks the forward pass is a trick play, the T-formation is long gone, and it is time to move on. Stop waiting for talented players to fit the traditional mold, and start drawing up new plays that can utilize the unique talent we have and catch defenses off guard.

It's Time for the Chicago Bears To Go for Broke

Victor Ferenzi — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:01:25 -0400

The Bears made a major move this offseason acquiring quarterback Jay Cutler. They also provided their new quarterback with protection by going out and getting three offensive linemen. Now it is time for Jerry Angelo to go for broke and get Jay Cutler someone to throw to.

Ken Whisenhunt announced today that although the Cardinals are still pursuing a long-term contract with Anquan Boldin, they would listen to trade offers.

According to numerous sources, the New York Giants have all but finished a deal for Braylon Edwards. And there are similar rumors floating around about the Eagles involving Chad Johnson. (Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to call a grown man "Ocho-Cinco.")

A talent like Boldin will draw a lot of interest across the league, but with the two biggest competitors potentially off the market, where do the Bears stand?

Speculation about what the Cardinals are looking for has centered on a first and third round pick, but could the Bears still put together a package?

As Bears fans, what would you be willing to give up? A second round pick this year and next? A second round pick this year, and next year’s second and third? What about this year’s second and fifth and next year’s second and third? Does it really matter?

The Bears have spent far too many draft picks searching for someone special. Wouldn’t it be advantageous to spend whatever it takes in order to make this team special?

The Cardinals are in need of a running back and a linebacker. Brian Urlacher, with his age and contract, may be more valuable to us on the team than in a trade, since we may not be able to get full value.

Lance Briggs should be untouchable, however, any combination of our other linebackers and draft picks is okay with me. Throw in Kevin Jones as well if that is what it takes.

People get very caught up with the value of draft picks, yet far too often they end up damaging the cap more than they help the team. Forget about the Bears' questionable picks over recent years and take a look around the league.

Detroit drafted a ton of players on day one who are either no longer in the league, no longer on the team, or not getting any playing time.

Cleveland has already dealt Kellen Winslow Jr., and is about to deal Braylon Edwards. Cleveland is even getting ready to deal Brady Quinn to San Francisco after trading away a first round pick just to move up to get him.

Why do the 49ers want Quinn? Their first round pick Alex Smith hasn’t performed.

Look at half of the league’s 2005 draft picks. 2005 may be the worst draft ever. The point is that you don’t win games with picks, you win with talent. Draft picks often don’t pay off, but they always get paid.

What are you willing to give up, Chicago?

The time is now for Chicago to win. I would gladly mortgage the future of our draft for the future of our team, and I would step over my own mother to hear “Cutler to Boldin for the touchdown, the Bears have just won Super Bowl XLIV.”

When It Comes To Drafting USC Players in the First Round...Buyer Beware

Victor Ferenzi — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:20:54 -0400

When it comes to college football the USC Trojans are perennial favorites. It is debatable whether the attention they garner year after year is warranted, but a common theme has been how this attention has made its way into the draft rooms of many NFL teams. When scouts and GMs pay more attention to headlines than game film bad things happen, and wasted picks and cap hits ensue. In the following slides I will look back at first round picks from USC over the past 10 years. I will omit the past two seasons since it may not be fair to evaluate these players just yet.

Begin Slideshow

Chicago Sports: Taking the Country By Storm, One City at a Time

Victor Ferenzi — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:44:28 -0400

On the heels of a weekend that saw the Blackhawks beat the Red Wings twice, the White Sox and Bulls look to continue the trend and go to Detroit to finish the job.

The Blackhawks rolled into Detroit on Saturday having gone 0-2-2 in their previous four meetings. This time would be different. This time the ‘Hawks where on a roll, and it showed. The Hawks put Detroit away 4-2, before coming home to Chicago to face them again on Sunday.

On Sunday Detroit would get more of the same losing to the ‘Hawks 3-0. This would be bigger than just one win however. Nikolai Khabibulin recorded 37 saves and his 41st career shutout. The ‘Hawks, and Khabibulin, are red hot as they head toward the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The White Sox

Fast forward to Monday as the Sox headed to Detroit to face the Tigers. Both starting pitchers struggled, however, the Sox offense and a few key defensive plays brought a 10-6 victory to the Southsiders.

As I stated, both starting pitchers struggled, but this does happen to curveball/slider pitchers when the air turns cold and there is still a lot of moisture in the air.

A couple of key defensive notes: Dewayne Wise chased down a beautiful fly ball from shallow center field as it faded toward deep right center. Wise had a great jump and showed great speed making the diving catch and hanging on. Unfortunately Wise separated his shoulder in the process and will be out four to six weeks.

Carrasco got into a bit of trouble later in the game, loading up the bases, but Josh Fields made a beautiful stop to his right on a smoked ground ball giving Carrascoa reprieve and eventually letting him pitch out of the jam.

Fields has looked great so far this year. He has showed versatility at the plate in addition to the power we already knew he had. More importantly he has showed the range and arm on defense that everyone (myself included) said he lacked. Fields has made it much easier to deal with the fact that Crede and his bad back followed Scott Boras’ carrot up north to go play on that rug covered concrete.

On offense: Leading off the second inning Dye hit a solo shot to get his 300th home run, followed up by Paul Konerko immediately hitting a solo shot for his 300th home run. This was the first time in MLB history two teammates have hit any home run century mark in the same game, let alone back-to-back.

Paulie would finish 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, a single, and four RBI. Quentin finished 3-for-5 with two homers, a single, one walk, and four RBI.

Anderson saw two plate appearances after coming in for Wise. He took a walk and stole second both times. Anderson’s superior glove is well known, but more patience at the plate and solid base running should get him a few more starts.

I am one who thinks Anderson gets a raw deal. We dealt with Uribe’s poor hitting for years, but Anderson’s average slumps after he gets 10 plate appearances in 20 days and Ozzie benches him.

The Sox recalled Owens today, but Owens is clearly a guy the Sox don’t want so it will speak volumes if he gets a significant amount of starts over Anderson.

After a week of baseball the Sox are 4-3 and in first place.

The Bulls

The Bulls also saw action in Detroit on Monday. I know some people don’t like to hear it, but this was a horribly officiated game.

The Bulls hung on, however, with Gordon making a gutsy move to the basket in the final minute of the game.

Future rookie of the year Derrick Rose finished with 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.

The Bulls also guaranteed themselves at worst the seventh seed going into the playoffs. More impressive is that they moved into the sixth seed, taking it from a struggling Philadelphia team who has lost five in a row and must beat the Cavs' and Celtics if they want the sixth seed back.

All of this means more than just the contrast between Chicago sports and Detroit sports. It does have a lot to do with the current state of sports in Chicago.

The Bulls and ‘Hawks are playoff bound, and they didn’t limp in. The Sox are once again much better than anyone is willing to give them credit for, just like they were when they won the division last year and the World Series in 2005. The Cubs are fully expected to win their division and be at the top of the NL.

The Bears are going into this season with absolutely no questions at QB and RB and the overachieving offensive line from last year has been reinforced.

Although we didn’t get to take in any Rush games this year, the Bandits are entering this season once again the returning NPF Champions and have the NPF player of the year. Even the Slaughter are 5-0 and likely on their way to a championship.

To top all of this off, there is a tremendous amount of young talent across the board in players who haven’t begun to peak. So I ask all of you, how does the future look? As a whole could this end up being the beginning of the best period in Chicago sports history?

Will the Bears Reintroduce Tackling To Their Training Camp Program?

Victor Ferenzi — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:44:39 -0400

Over the past several seasons, Bears fans everywhere have been destroying their television sets in fits of rage.

So what is the culprit?

It isn’t roid rage, demonic possession, or even people doing their best Elvis impersonation. The problem stems from the overwhelming frustration in watching the Bears try to tackle.

Now normally when players, or anyone for that matter, struggle with something the motto has always been “practice makes perfect”.

Not Lovie’s Bears. You see, Lovie doesn’t believe in tackling in practice. Every time he is asked about it, Lovie’s response is “the guys know what they have to do.”

If that works, why practice at all? Why not just talk about your blocking scheme or your special teams coverage?

Yet the Bears continue to not tackle in practice. In the immortal words of Ned Flanders beatnik parents “we’ve tried nothing and were all out of ideas.”

Lovie claims this is to reduce injuries, but I don’t buy it. We still have injuries every training camp.

On top of that, when guys start the season having not been tackled in eight months, or in the case of rookies having never been tackled by a pro, there is bound to be some trepidation about taking a hit.

I know people who support the no tackling policy will say that these guys have been learning how to tackle since Pop Warner, but we’ve also learned since that time, playing like you’re scared to get tackled will get you hurt.

Baptism by fire is not the answer for a lot of these young players. Part of getting into “football shape” is getting used to getting hit.

Perhaps a bigger, yet unexplored, issue is how it affects our draft and development.

The Bears scouts tend to fall in love with hitters. Chris Harris, Joey LaRocque, Brandon McGowan, the list goes on. Even Craig Steltz drew comparisons to the great Doug Plank when he was drafted.

The problem is, coming out of college, many of these kids are hitters, but not tacklers. They were able to get away with it in college because most of the guys they were tackling would never see a football field on Sunday, but in the pros it causes problems. We have seen our share of missed tackles and unneeded penalties.

So should we stop drafting these guys? Absolutely not.

The right thing to do is to develop and coach these young players. There is nothing stating a guy can’t be a hitter and a tackler, but in order to become that, they have to actually tackle.

Waiting for game time to try this leaves us in a bad predicament. Most of these guys either never adjust, or end up playing with less passion.

It is hard to play with passion when you have to think about breaking a guy down because you have never had a chance to do it. Tackling should be a reaction, not a thought process.

Could you imagine what would happen if your favorite boxer had to think about how to react to every punch?

We have lost too much talent over the years because we failed to develop a player.

Look at Chris Harris; everyone wonders how we let him go when we don’t have any consistency at safety. When Harris was here he was undisciplined, constantly missing tackles and constantly drawing penalties for illegal hits. Lovie decided he couldn’t work with him so he went to Carolina where he was promptly coached, developed, and became a terrific starter for their secondary.

The bottom line is that veterans and rookies alike will benefit from tackling in practice.

Injuries can occur at anytime. We know they can occur when they don’t tackle.

There is even a school of thought suggesting that not tackling in practice may increase injury to players who are entering the season unprepared. Most importantly, this is another example of playing not to lose instead of playing to win.

Angelo has finally gotten aggressive, the time is now, the Bears can no longer afford to wait and see, they need to go and take. Lovie needs to stop acting like an emissary ready to negotiate the outcome of the game and start acting like a conqueror who is prepared to dictate the outcome of the season.

Top 10 Worst NFL Related Bets in Vegas This Year

Victor Ferenzi — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:55:52 -0400

10. Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen vs. Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson in a coed tag team

wrestling match on pay-per-view.

· Tony and Jess are odds-on favorites; apparently Jess has been getting her weight up for the fight.

9. No one in the NFL gets arrested.

· Seriously you have better odds of having your winning lottery ticket struck by lightning.

8. Mercury Morris shuts up and goes away when a team is still undefeated halfway through the season.

· The guy averaged 500 yards and less than four TDs per year over his career and every year he feels the need to get in front of the camera and bad mouth any undefeated team as if he was the reason the Dolphins were good.

7. Michael Vick fails to get reinstated, takes job as dog groomer

· I still don’t get how people defend this guy. I know he didn’t kill anyone, but strangling dogs is usually reserved for future serial killers. I also think it is insulting to black men, people, dogs, gamblers, and possibly anthropologists when people suggest that dog fighting is a cultural thing and the conviction was a form of discrimination.

6. Kyle Orton’s neck beard becomes a new fashion trend in Denver.

· I realize that Denver is a very au natural city, but the neck beard takes it too far.

5. Mel Kiper’s hair moves

· This '80s hair helmet thing he has going on is almost as annoying as his arrogance. This guy is one of the most overrated analysts and I find it hilarious when he gets all flustered whenever McShay disagrees with him.

4. We make it through an entire season without someone mentioning Ed Hochuli’s arms

· We get it, you’re ripped, now put some sleeves on

3. Detroit drafts a WR in the first round

· I think a lynch mob would show up at the new GM’s house before the end of the round

2. Jeff George realizes he is too old to play football.

· He hasn’t thrown a pass since 2001, yet he still gets on every radio show he can begging fans to demand their team give him a tryout. He has even gone as far as to suggest collusion stating that he knows he is better than most of the backups in the league. Hey Jeff you’re 42, that’s right 42! You haven’t played in eight years! Buy a sports car and some Viagra and call it a night.

1. Tom Brady struggles but the rules don’t change

· He fumbles, but the tuck rule saves him. He gets hurt, the defense gets shackled. Why is it that no other QB gets the protection he does? Warner didn’t get the tuck rule call. Palmer, Culpepper, and numerous others have had season ending injuries and no one blinked. What will it be this year? Will they find a way to take interceptions away if Brady throws too many?

Did The Redskins Pull a Fast One On Tennessee?

Victor Ferenzi — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:53:47 -0400

Albert Haynesworth was clearly the biggest free agent acquisition of the offseason, but today the Tennessee Titans have asked the NFL to begin a probe to determine if the Redskins engaged in illegal tampering by contacting Haynesworth before free agency started.

This could have huge ramifications on the rest of the NFL.

The most recent tampering case was when the 49ers were found to have tampered with Lance Briggs when he and the Chicago Bears were having their differences. For their troubles, the 49ers were forced to swap third round picks with the Bears, and they also lost a fifth rounder.

The tampering charge wasn’t cleared up until after Briggs and the Bears settled their differences. Word around the campfire was that if the Bears had lost Briggs, the penalty would have been much stiffer.

Fast forward to this year.

Haynesworth signs a deal that falls just shy of getting him on a Forbes list, and the ‘Skins may have inked the deal using duplicitous methods.

Washington is notoriously aggressive when it comes to acquiring talent. They usually over pay, only to find out you can’t buy team chemistry...or a championship.

They often end up cutting players to avoid cap penalties; they have even come close to losing picks due to the salary cap.

This time, their aggressiveness may cost them dearly. When their overpriced contracts hit the cap hard next year, they may be forced to cut talent they haven’t replaced yet if they are to lose draft picks.

The 18-Game Season: A Win-Win Proposition for Everyone

Victor Ferenzi — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:37:22 -0400

The discussion about adding additional games to the NFL regular season has been brought up again, and with a new collective-bargaining agreement on the horizon, it has built some steam, at least among fans and media.

I have heard many arguments on both sides of this and after reading responses on many websites and listening to many a radio show caller I would like to address those of you who will be gracious enough to comment on this article in advance.

Contrary to popular belief, yelling and name calling is not the next best thing to being right. What I write here, as well as any response provided by readers, is of course an opinion. You can disagree without being uncivil, and please base your argument on something valid.

In my opinion the addition of two more regular-season games is win-win for players, fans, teams, the league, media partners, and local economies.

I will start with many of the reasons I have heard for not adding additional games and state why I don’t agree or why I believe they used faulty logic.

Today, I heard that it would negate the validity of the divisions because it would keep teams within the same divisions from playing the same schedule like they do now.

This was stated by a caller on a local radio show here in Chicago and the radio host sat there egging him on and telling him how smart he was. I, hating bad math and faulty logic, almost drove off the road.

Let’s look at the NFC North this past year to test this theory. Each team in the NFC North played the other teams in the division twice, all four teams in the NFC South, and all four teams in the AFC South.

To round off the last two games, each team played one team from both the NFC East and the NFC West, but no two teams from the NFC North played the same team from either the NFC East or West.

Right away we can already see that the schedules are not equal. Now it is mathematically impossible to make each team in a division play exactly the same teams and have that apply to each division.

However having each team in the NFC North play an additional team from another division doesn’t make this any more or less equal. It certainly doesn’t make the division less valid than it is now.

You could attempt to have the two best teams from a division play both top teams from another division to make this more equal, but since the schedules are made well in advance this probably wouldn’t work.

I also heard, on that same show, that adding one football game would be like adding 10 games to baseball since the baseball season is 162 games long and the football season is currently 16 games long.

I hope that most of the population that is of voting age realizes that just because 162 divided by 16 is roughly 10 you can’t omit all other variables and call this a valid correlation.

Does this mean that when the football season was 14 games long and they added two games to the schedule they were each worth 11.5 games? Aside from that, what is the relevance? Is it good or bad?

The point of a good argument shouldn’t have to be inferred from voice inflection. Football has nothing to do with baseball and adding 10 games to baseball would have neither a positive or negative effect on football.

A more reasonable complaint I have heard is that it would be bad for players because it would increase the number of injuries. I don’t really see this either. Injuries can occur at any time and there is no evidence to suggest that a player is more likely to get injured in game 17 than game one.

I think that this would benefit players since it would probably be easier for a player to ride out two extra games per year over an eight year career than for a player to play an entire ninth season. They would draw the same number of game checks but one player would do it in eight seasons.

These guys train year round and injuries occur in the offseason, during OTAs, minicamp, and preseason games. The best players in NFL history played extra games every year by going to the playoffs and it didn’t seem to shorten their careers.

So it would seem that a player has the same opportunity to injure himself in any game. Saying that an additional game adds to that is like saying playing for ten years instead of five years doubles your chance to get injured over the course of a career. Of course it does, but in each individual game your odds are the same.

I have heard complaints about the added cost to ticket owners, and while the economy is bad right now, it usually isn’t too hard to get rid of an unwanted ticket.

Some considerations many have missed are ramifications to local economies. Additional work days for stadium staff would bring added income. Additional, parking, vending, memorabilia, security, public transportation and numerous other variables would stimulate local economies. Same goes for television and radio.

Every employee involved would draw an additional pay check. Same goes for advertisers; it isn’t just the corporations who make the money, but the employees who would do the work. The trickledown effect of earning and spending could have significant positive effects.

The teams along with all of the staff, the league, and the television stations would obviously make more money and I am sure they are ok with that.

I also think that this may add to the parity of the league and the significance of the draft. Teams would have to pay closer attention to their rosters since every member of the team would have to contribute in a longer season.

This makes the overall team more significant than just who has the best couple of starters.

From a fan’s perspective, aside from the extra football they’ll enjoy, if a significant player goes down for a couple of games right when your team happens to play your division rival they now have opportunities to come back from that to some extent.

Overall one thing always remains true, the larger the sample size the more accurate the results will be. Added games won’t ensure the best teams go to the playoffs, but it will increase the probability.

Top 10 NFL Bets That Are Sure To Pay Off This Year

Victor Ferenzi — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:23:49 -0400

10. ESPN tells us how great Tom Brady and the Patriots are.

· This happens every year, no matter what. Patriots get caught cheating, ESPN says “they’re facing adversity.” More suspensions for drugs or illegal hits? We’ll hear “look how well they’re doing in spite of all the problems they have.” ESPN’s ability to spin any situation into positive PR for the Patriots is uncanny. Maybe Rod Blagojevich should hire them.

9. Al Davis will find someone other than himself to blame for the Raider’s woes.

· I’m not a huge Lane Kiffen fan, but if you believe what Davis has been saying then give me a call, I have a bridge I want to sell you. Crazy Uncle Al has been doing this for years. No one is safe from the boss in Oakland. The man has been sticking his nose in his team's business for way to long. This works to some extent for guys like Jerry Jones; he at least knows a little about football. Al Davis’ idea of good football hasn’t been effective since Truman was in office.

8. Adam “pacman” Jones goes to a strip club.

· Does this really need an explanation? I mean seriously, this guy sees more ass than a toilet seat.

7. John Madden cries publicly on national television about not being able to see

Brett Favre play anymore.

· This may be the longest standing man-crush in the public eye.

6. T.O. has more complaints about Trent Edwards than touchdown passes.

· T.O. has talent, and takes more heat than he should with all the criminals in the league, but man does he cry a lot. It doesn’t even have to be something Edwards does, after that first really cold night in Buffalo T.O. may decide he wants out.

5. Tom Brady does not return to form; New England regrets letting Cassel go for a second-round pick.

· I’m not saying Brady will never return to form, but his was a serious injury. A serious injury that has run into several complications including additional surgeries. Then again Brady does have connections to Gregg Anderson and New England players are no strangers to the syringe, maybe a recovery is possible. Hey, I’m just saying!

4. The Redskins miss the playoffs; Dan Snyder still won’t realize that he can’t buy a championship.

· Every few years Snyder over pays for a ton of talent. He usually just ends up killing their cap for a few years. He may get talent, but with poor cap management they’re constantly in danger of losing draft picks due to penalty. They also have poor retention because of escalating base salaries. They’re always missing the little pieces. Most importantly, you can’t buy heart, chemistry, consistency.

3. Chris Berman will open his mouth at the draft and something annoying will come spewing out.

· Seriously, who does this guy have pictures of? How does he have a job? What does he bring to the table? Even his colleagues, past and present alike, take shots at him. Although he does take time in between making funny noises to game footage to yell at set members and talk about smuggling drugs in from Canada.

2. One of Drew Rosenhaus’ clients will be unhappy and hold out.

· I know you can’t officially black ball Rosenhaus, but come on. How long will teams keep working with him. GMs hate him, other agents hate him, and every time a team caves to his demands another player decides that switching agents is a good idea.

1. Officials will blow a terrible call that just happens to keep a team from covering the spread.

· Happens every year. Conspiracy theorists go nuts. Normally Mike Periera would go on NFLTA and explain it away as a “judgment call”, but Periera is gone this year.

Are refs fixing games? I don’t know. I do know that it does happen, just ask the NBA. That is why it is so important to hold referees to a much higher standard. When players and coaches so much as sneeze funny they’re brought into the spotlight and publicly disciplined.

Officials are defended by the league and the media (mostly) alike. Many members of the media act as though complaining about officiating is low class, a “losers lament.”

It is implied as though if you don’t like something the officials have done it is because you are a mouth breathing homer who couldn’t possibly be objective. Here in Chicago, we have a couple of know-it-alls on the radio at 2:00 who love to belittle people for questioning refs, until they don’t like something that the refs do.

It is not a conspiracy theory, sometimes refs are just bad! Shouldn’t an honest, but bad, ref be gone just as quickly as dishonest, but good, ref?

I have this theory, it goes like this.

Media members can’t afford to have the validity of the game called into question. If the game’s validity is questioned then the game becomes fake, no better than “professional” wrestling.

How many media member make a living covering “professional” wrestling? So just take the validity away from anyone who questions the game.

Angelo and Smith: Converging To Form The Perfect Storm In Chicago

Victor Ferenzi — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:00:47 -0400

It has been said that actions speak louder than words, and Jerry Angelo’s lack of action this offseason speaks volumes.

After another speech about improving the team through both talent and coaching, we head into another season of wait and see. Angelo has been with the Bears since June of 2001 making 2002 his first draft, but it wasn’t until 2004 when, after being turned down by two other coaches, that Angelo hired Lovie Smith to be the new head coach of the Chicago Bears.

So began the perfect storm. Lovie was the perfect complement to Angelo, they set up a platform in which the continuously offered each other plausible deniability. “We like player X, but we will use this time to evaluate everyone.” “We will use the players that give us the best chance to win.” Then the next week we’ll hear “we need to get better at position X”.

Angelo and Smith sound more like politicians, talking often, but never really saying anything. They leave just enough doubt in people’s minds to keep a united Anti-Angelo/Lovie front at bay. If people can’t decide on whose fault it is then no one needs to be held responsible.

They exude a condescending attitude towards fans and media alike. Anyone who dares to question the abilities of Angelo or Smith obviously just does not understand football. We’re all too ignorant and don’t understand the complexities of the day to day strategies towards winning. We don’t see the improvements and potential that they do, yet the Bears don’t get any better.

When the public pressure becomes too overbearing, they just use a coordinator or a player as a scapegoat. How long can it be everyone else’s fault? When do we ask the big question; if all of these players and assistants are so bad, maybe it is because Angelo and Smith cannot judge talent? Isn’t that a big part of their job? Why is it that no one has asked about the all of the assistants and coordinators that have left the Bears for the same job somewhere else, or even a demotion somewhere else?

Almost every other team has lost the majority of their coaches due to promotion, not the Bears. Coaches just want to leave the Bears and they don’t care how. Is it because they cannot tolerate working with Lovie or because they know Chicago is a career killer and they will have to take a step back before taking a step forward.

My guess is a little of both. What is worse is that every coach that is then brought in is a personal friend of Lovie’s and/or Angelo’s, many of whom have little or no experience, and many of whom have never experienced winning. Double-talking politicians and nepotism, do you think Chicago attracts this or just brings it out in people?

Let’s take a quick look at some of Heckle and Jeckle’s finer moments:

Angelo on coaches:

Angelo hired Lovie Smith away from the St. Louis Rams after a season in which their high-powered offense finished second in points but their defense was 16^th and 17^th in points and yards respectively.

What does this mean? It means that while the Rams won, Lovie had little or nothing to do with it. Lovie’s defense is predicated upon slowing the other team’s offense down instead of stopping them. Keep giving up yards and hope that you can get a turnover.

The problem is that unless you have one of the top scoring offenses in the league you can’t win like this. Angelo hired Lovie when he had no experience actually stopping offenses or playing from behind. Angelo threw him on a team whose offense ranked 23^rd and 28^th in points and yards respectively. This is not hard math people.

Angelo provided Lovie with offensive coordinator Terry Shea. Shea’s coaching career was riddled with one and two-year stints with various college and pro teams, but I guess Angelo thought he was a long-term answer.

Shea’s latest accomplishment at the time was quarterbacks coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. K.C. had a good offense in 2003, however this was due to Priest Holmes 2,000 plus yards from scrimmage and record setting 27 rushing touchdowns, and not Shea’s coaching.

Throughout the 2004 season Angelo and Lovie repeatedly announced their confidence in Shea, but when the angry mob showed up to Halas Hall with pitchforks and torches the day after the season ended, Shea’s head (and job) were promptly handed to the crowd.

Ron Turner was promptly hired for his second term and Lovie and Angelo have been driving coaches away ever since, slowly replacing them with people from Lovie’s Christmas card list.

Lovie and Angelo on players:

Let’s forget about free-agent acquisitions, Angelo has never gone after an elite player. Angelo’s stance is to forever try to find the diamond in the rough that everyone else has passed over. Let’s look at the draft. Of the first day draft picks Angelo has drafted seven first-round picks, seven second-round picks, and nine third-round picks, how many are still with us?

Of the seven first-round picks, four are gone, one is a backup (Olsen), and one has played less football for the Bears than Rudy did for Notre Dame (Williams). So who is left? Tommy “I couldn’t care less since I got paid” Harris.

Of the seven second-round picks what did we get? Tank Johnson traded his pads for an orange jumpsuit. Mark Bradley was announced as the No. 1 receiver shortly before getting a pink slip.

Daniel Manning is an up and coming corner, no safety, no corner, no nickel back, special teamer, bench warmer, who knows what this season will bring. Devin Hester had a great first and second year before becoming the No. 1 receiver, which as we all know makes anyone instantly irrelevant in Chicago.

Dan Bauzin is gone, however Forte looks like the real deal, but we’ll see if the Bears find a way to ruin that. Of the nine third-round picks, four are gone. Lance Briggs has been a true find, and perhaps the only player who earned his money last year.

Dvoracek has spent more time at AA meetings than on the field. Garret Wolfe has become an average special teams player. Marcus Harrison shows a little promise, but I find it funny that we cut Benson for boating while black (Angelo says he shouldn’t put himself in that situation, apparently Angelo is not well versed in genetics) but keep a guy with felony drug charges.

Earl Bennett is currently our defacto starter, one day he hopes to catch his first pass. The Bears offense is terrible every year and every year we wonder about receivers, quarterback, and offensive line.

We still have three of the 10 offensive linemen Angelo has drafted, and Josh Beekman is the only one with starting experience. Beekman did a decent job last year and looks like he could get better, so Angelo replaces him with a third-string tackle from Carolina who has only started one game in his career.

Angelo also has a nice collection of other teams discarded guards as well. Of the three tackles the Bears have on the team right now, they collectively have one starter, and that is Omiyale, who is slated to play guard.

The Bears haven’t had a legitimate receiver since Willy Gault. Angelo has drafted eight receivers, seven are gone and the remaining (Bennett) has never caught a pass. They have drafted three quarterbacks, Orton is left. Orton is average and may one day be a little better than that, but he can’t throw the deep ball and he will never be a star.

Lovie on Game Day:

Lovie is clearly a guy who has lost control of his team. Attitude reflects leadership and the Bears attitude is telling. No one is buying into this system anymore. We have a defense that doesn’t take advantage of its player’s abilities. We have corners that aren’t taught how to bump receivers off their routes at the line of scrimmage (essential in cover 2), which doesn’t give the line enough time to get after the quarterback, which means the Bears get burned.

Lovie’s offense is so archaic and conservative that it appears as though they consider the forward pass a trick play. In fact, this team hasn’t had any creativity from the coaches since special team’s coach Danny Abramowicz left.

Lovie consistently fails to use time outs effectively, often take them at the wrong time allowing the other team to kick field goals or take a last shot down field. Who can forget when Lovie smugly told the media how “we don’t make adjustments” yeah, we know Lovie, we were watching and so was the other team.

There was also a Super Bowl game that the Bears had in hand against a team that gave up more points in a season than any other team in Super Bowl history. The Colts had one of the worst run defenses ever that year, so what does Lovie do, he stops running the ball.

That is Lovie’s plan. He always thinks he will outsmart the opponent by doing what they don’t expect. The problem is there is a difference between doing the unexpected because it is clever and catches the opponent off guard, and doing what no one thinks you will do because they don’t believe you’re that stupid.

Nobody expects someone to rob a bank with a slingshot, surprising as that may be for all of 10 seconds it is still a suicide mission. Just like Lovie’s playbook.

I have been a diehard Bears fan my whole life. Yes, I am one of those people who loves to talk about the ’85 Super Bowl. I know that irate fans sometime lack objectivity, but the situation at Halas Hall is way out of control.

Since the Angelo-Smith storm front blew into town they have dismantled a team that had promise. Even when they’ve had talent and some coaching they’ve managed to give up.

People will talk about winning division championships in a weak division as a success. People will say that limping to the Super Bowl with a Ron Rivera defense, luck, and a few big plays means that Lovie is a good coach. That must mean that Rex is a good quarterback.

The Bears didn’t get there because of Lovie and Angelo, they got there in spite of them. The whole experience over the past few years reminds me of one of those experiments where they put a bunch of people in a room to fill out a survey and they’re really filming them. Then they start sending smoke in from another room just to see if anyone will speak up, but no one wants to be the first one to yell fire.

Well the smoke has been pouring into Halas Hall for years now and I don’t want to wait until we’re sifting through the ashes for someone to yell fire.