How Bout Dem Bears?

So we get Lamarr Houston on a 5 year $35million deal. Surely Peppers is cut later today and that will leave enough space for a similar splash on someone else

Peanut and McCown visiting Tampa. Pretty sure Lovie won't let Peanut leave without a deal.

According to spotrac here we are currently $13million under the cap. It doesn't include the salaries for Jay Ratliff, Ryan Mundy, Jordan Palmer & Nate Collins.

Allowing $3million for those 4 and $5million for our rookies we still have the guts of $5million to use in free agency. That is of course assuming no more cuts or contract amendments which I cant see happening

Nice, the QB-hurries stat is very impressive.

Some big FA money spent on secondary players around the league, but I prefer spending the FA money on the d-line, and maybe use the draft more for the secondary.

Need to have the d-line fixed first, so good to have some proven talent there.

Gets the vote of approval from Kyle Long too..."I'm glad we don't have to block that avatar anymore.... %WillieYoung"

Peanut is back on a 1 year deal apparently. Hopefully he can stay healthy for the year and continue punching the ball out.

Happy with FA now. Bring on the draft!

padraig_f wrote: »

Cool.

@dabearsblog: "If season started today, here's your defense: Young-Ratliff-Collins-Houston, Briggs-Williams-Bostic/Shea, Jennings-Peanut, Conte-Mundy"

Draft DT, safety, then maybe CB, and you're looking pretty good.

Can't agree at all. Have been really busy with work so haven't had time to post properly but have been following free agency and wanted to wait to see most/all the moves before commenting.

Overall I've found it very meh. Too many here with their navy and orange glasses on imho.

Anyway looking at that lineup (which obviously has to be added to via the draft) we have Collins coming off an ACL and is a back up player imho and Ratliff is by no means guaranteed to stay healthy. We've also Paea who hasn't played 16 games in a season in the 3 years he's been in the league. So a lot of injury worries at DT - we better carry 5 on the roster imho.

Looking at where the sacks will come from at DT? Well as I say Collins is a back up esp coming off an ACL, so looking at Ratliff and Paea - Ratliff has 5.5 sacks in his last 38 games with Dallas. Playing 3 tech beside Paea he did manage 1.5 however in 5 games (probably about 4 really) so at least that is a bit encouraging. Paea has 2 sacks a season average (6 in 3 seasons). So basically we are going to need a 3 tech DT who can get us about 8 sacks imho - we better pray Donald gets to us and is as good in the NFL. This from a team who let Izzy go after a 7.5 sack season playing DT over a $1 or so. And they now want him back? (a year too late imho)

At end we've Houston who I think is a good addition (the one move I really like), but by no means is guaranteed to generate 8+ sacks (16.5 in 4 seasons though 6 in his last year) - he's more of a run stuffing end so that Young can tee off but Young had 3 sacks (less than McClellin) playing in probably the best or if not 2nd best DL in the league with Fairley and Suh pushing the pocket. He won't get that to the same degree here. This is our big hope for sacks - a $3m a year man? Again he hasn't done much prior to last year (0 sacks in 2012). The QB hurries is impressive but ends need to generate sacks - simply hurrying Rodgers won't cut it - top class QB's will still make those throws under pressure. I think the biggest concern is a lack of history for a 28 (nearly 29 by time league starts). We've zero depth at end.

Looking at the linebackers - Williams is another injury concern - a rupture of anything is serious so there has to be concerns it will re-occur. anyway him and Briggs are another year older and another year slower. If either goes down it will leave a massive gap (particularly Briggs). Bostic was so average last year - a rookie yes but look at Jamie collins or Alonso - if you've got it you've got it and I'm not sure he does but hopefully he can put it together and just be solid and not a waste of a 2nd round pick. McClellin shouldn't even be listed imho until he shows something - hasn't played LB for 3 years.

The safties are woeful - Conte (s'hite), Jennings (s'hite also) and I assume Mundy is here to help play the run but 2 interceptions in 80 games? Is this what Phil means by a playmaker?

Overall we look injuries to Houston and Briggs away from disaster on both those lines.

I can't believe they are going to let Wotton go (I think i'm incensed by this most), who is 26 had 7 sacks playing end in 2012 - who unselfishly moved into DT last year when need and still had 3 sacks - an excellent player against the run and who should be given a chance back at end. He has the size and length they crave. And they are replacing him with Young who is 28, shorter, lighter and 3 sacks playing alongside Ansah, suh and Fairley. He's exactly the dependable, adaptable and unselfish type of player we need esp with all the injury concerns at DT. He was able to win a starting role on one, if the best, defence in the league in 2012 and now replaced by Young who was a back up until last year and only got in due to injury?

Our Dline looks woefully short of sacks and looks set up to stop the run mainly, ( I see a lot of blitzing yet we've 2 old linebackers and safties with f'uck all sacks in the past) we lack depth in all positions and we'll need a super draft.

I just don't get how the signing of Mundy (29), Young (28) - the resigning of Williams, Tillman and Ratliff and how this fits with getting younger and more dynamic talk. We are letting Melton (27) & Wotton (26) go. I guess it's all about money.

Bottom line is we've now no Peppers, Melton or Wotton but have Mundy, Jennings, Young & Houston. That's hard to dress up as being an improvement imho.It's what I expected after Cutler's contract - no stars, just a load of 1 year vet contracts, some okayish players and one mid range splash signing.

SameOleJay wrote: »

Wotton had hip surgery. I doubt anyone will touch him for a while yet. Let’s see how it plays out, he may well come back on the cheap yet.

I suspect Melton is gone. We just don’t have the cap space to take a chance on him if Dallas and Seattle have a real interest.

Given the Cutler deal I think Emery has had a very decent free agency. The moves that matter are Young, Houston, Peanut and, to a lesser extent, Mundy. Hixon and Jennings will bring depth, however bad. The 4 names combined will average less than 15 mill a year. That is value by any metric. There’s plenty of holes left but I fancy us to have a mid-ranking D post FA and draft. We were never bridging the gap to Seattle or San Fran in one off-season.

I’d be interested to hear what you would have done with the money available. The only name that stands out for me as being a high value miss is TJ Ward but there is nothing to suggest he would have picked us over Denver. Bennett was clearly a non-runner after all.

Don't worry I'm not trying to prove i'm a better GM than Phil, just that I'm not sold on his defensive moves bar Houston. I loved last seasons FA moves - these are very much meh. Houston is the only player I'm fully happy with on the Dline. Looks like another below average defence but we'll see what the draft brings.

Wotton gone to the vikes (good pick up for them), to add to peppers to the pack. You never want ex players in your division as they'll be super motivated at least twice a year.

Disappointed by that and worried. Looks like the Izzy move last year which came back to bite us (when we got injuries). Would have at the very least made a good rotational player, strong against the run and can get some sacks too. Our depth players at end (Izzy aside who is more a DT at this stage anyway and is probably finished anyway) have little to no NFL snaps.

3 of our 4 Dline starters gone last year - yet our biggest problem remains (our DC) and we've still got conte on the roster somehow.

SameOleJay wrote: »

It turns out Melton is only guaranteed about 2 mill in his first year. AND Dallas can drop him like a hot snot if he doesn’t perform.

If Wotton’s deal (confirmed 1 year) is on the cheap I will not be impressed.

EDIT: Yup, it’s only 1.5 mill. That makes no sense to me.

Neither make sense to me. Looks like a clear out for the sake of a clear out. Yes they played (in Melton's case only 3 games) on a shocking defence last year but they've both also played on dominant defences too. Both are legitimate players. In both cases there are injury concerns but that's factored into the prices and lack of guaranteed and how can you let them go based on injury concerns yet keep Ratliff and Collins (2 of our only 3 DT's on the roster). I'm confused.

I'd have been happy to see both players back with those numbers or even slightly more.

Emery has to prove he can draft defence and draft defence well this offseason. It's his 3rd offseason and if the Bears don't make the post season again next year he has to take some serious flak - the it was J Angelo excuse will be gone by then.

McClellin is a €1.14m cap hit this year - has never played a snap at LB in the NFL, has looked brain dead football wise, gets abused by TE's (yet they are still talking of his rushing the passer ability) yet we let Wotten go for $1.5m?

You gotta feel sorry for him - having taken one for the team and played inside last year.

He'd have been amazing value at $1.5m, even just to play run downs (6'6 and 270lbs). I don't get paying Young $3m and not giving Wotton $1.5m at 26. Even if it doesn't work out this year that's not a huge outlay. Certainly makes more sense than giving Izzy who barely played last year near $1m at 34. Even on the injury thing - the hip surgery isn't massive BMarsh has had 3 of them and we aren't canning him and Wotton has played 32 of the last 32 games. This is the decision I like least this offseason - I'm actually pretty p'issed off.

Listening to the Ross Tucker football podcast yesterday, he had SI's Doug Farrar on, and they were talking about the Raiders. Farrar said he thought Lamaar Houston was the most under-rated player in the NFL and the Raiders screwed up not franchise-tagging him.

I know everyone seems to like the Houston signing, but good to hear it coming from an objective observer.

I'm a fan of the podcast. He also has Greg Cosell on every Wednesday doing previews of draft prospects.

padraig_f wrote: »

Listening to the Ross Tucker football podcast yesterday, he had SI's Doug Farrar on, and they were talking about the Raiders. Farrar said he thought Lamaar Houston was the most under-rated player in the NFL and the Raiders screwed up not franchise-tagging him.

I know everyone seems to like the Houston signing, but good to hear it coming from an objective observer.

I'm a fan of the podcast. He also has Greg Cosell on every Wednesday doing previews of draft prospects.

Thanks for that, will add it to the ipad later and have a listen.

Oat23 wrote: »

Bears have created $4m in cap room after converting some of Cutlers G'td into a bonus.

$10.5m cap room before putting aside some for the draft class.

Would have preferred not to see us do that and accept this year for what it is - rebuilding. Then we'd be in a better position next year. We can't seem to decide if we are win now or rebuilding. The only thing I liked about the cutler money was it was front loaded to this year leaving us in great position next year and year after assuming he stays healthy.

Is the $4m spread over next 2 years? (in the guranteed period? or over the remaining 6?) Just seen it's over the remainder of the contract.

Hopefully get Britton and Bowman resigned and hopefully pick up another young,high upside FA.

I've hated him for years. Him and his stupid sack dance. But as long as he gets to the QB, I'll love him.

@adbrandt: Allen to receive $32M over four years, with $15.5M guaranteed, per @MikeGarafolo. Translation: contract is 2 years, $15.5 million.

Phil Emery/Cliff Stein football gods etc.

Chucky the tree wrote: »

That's a lot of money for a pass rusher who will be 32 in a week.

Much, much less than Peppers was going to get. And he is a better player.

Very happy with the deal at this price.

Good addition, hopefully he proves to be good value.

But a strange one - doesn't fit with getting younger and certainly not with rebuilding.

Looks like it's win now mode - so hopefully for that outlay, combined with Cutler's contract and Houston's to add with Bennett's & Bushrods last year - we can at least make a play off game. Anything else will now be a failure.

Better hope he isn't massively on the downgrade or it will still look a very expensive 2 years. Still looks risky compared to Seattle's 1yr/$5m guaranteed.

He should help Houston, Young, Bass & Washington with their techniques - his hand use is just awesome.

SameOleJay wrote: »

Contrast that with the deals for Ware (same age) and the 34 year old Peppers.

2013 sacks:

Peppers - 7
Ware - 6 (13 games)
Allen - 11.5

Oat23 wrote: »

2013 sacks:

Peppers - 7
Ware - 6 (13 games)
Allen - 11.5

As much as I like Allen and no doubting his production that's an unfair comparision; Ware changed to a 4-3 and had a new DC, and Peppers had Landon cohen and Corey Wotton playing DT for part the season with McClellin getting abused by TE's and looking lost. Allen had the same defence plus a 1st round pick in Floyd and an improving Griffen.

I like the signing but lets not blow our own trumpets unnecessarily.

Bushrod (getting no help) was comfortable against him for the most part last year, which has to be a concern.