2009-10 Bears Season: Utler, 'Uther 'Uckers

[Ivy6]

Boo.

Frank Omiyale is expected to remain the starter at left guard based on the information gathered in the locker room. There's been speculation that Josh Beekman, who started 16 games there last season, would replace Omiyale. But the Bears are showing that they believe in taking time to let a unit with three new starters gel.

Since I'm sort of a football idiot, I really have no idea -- does "gelling" matter?  I feel like I've heard this a lot lately.  I can't imagine it helps to mesh with the linemen next to you if you can't block the dude directly in your face.

To take that one step further, they've been practicing for what, 3 full months almost?  How much time could it take?

Also, I can't imagine there's a whole lot of improvisation on the offensive line, as if one guy needs to know where the other's going to be.  You either get to your assignment or you don't.

[CT III]

Boo.

Frank Omiyale is expected to remain the starter at left guard based on the information gathered in the locker room. There's been speculation that Josh Beekman, who started 16 games there last season, would replace Omiyale. But the Bears are showing that they believe in taking time to let a unit with three new starters gel.

Since I'm sort of a football idiot, I really have no idea -- does "gelling" matter?  I feel like I've heard this a lot lately.  I can't imagine it helps to mesh with the linemen next to you if you can't block the dude directly in your face.

Time for another group trip to the FBI firing range!

[Saul Goodman]

gelling = tripping your guy so you can block Omiyale's guy too.  These things take time.

[SKO]

Boo.

Frank Omiyale is expected to remain the starter at left guard based on the information gathered in the locker room. There's been speculation that Josh Beekman, who started 16 games there last season, would replace Omiyale. But the Bears are showing that they believe in taking time to let a unit with three new starters gel.

Since I'm sort of a football idiot, I really have no idea -- does "gelling" matter?  I feel like I've heard this a lot lately.  I can't imagine it helps to mesh with the linemen next to you if you can't block the dude directly in your face.

No. It's an absolutely retarded way of saying "we payed 11 millions bucks for a guy who couldn't even start in his natural position of tackle when he was in Carolina, so now we have to ride this out and hope he magically plays well so Jerry can point to his great 'find." Why is the offensive line somehow excused from the roster turnover that's a part of every major sport? It's bull crap. Take a look at the 2005 Bears. The 2004 Bears lined up Qasim Mitchell, Ruben Brown (when healthy, which wasn't often that year), Olin Kreutz, Steve Edwards, and John Tait left to right and that unit gave up a team record 66 sacks and cleared the way for the 25th ranked rushing offense in the league.

The next year had Tait shifted to left tackle, Brown at Left, Kreutz, Terrence Metcalf, and Fred Miller, so two completely new starters and one position change with Tait. That group allowed 35 fewer sacks and improved the rushing attack from 25th to 8th in the league. More importantly for our purposes they averaged 121 ypg rushing over the first 5 games. They did improve as the season went on, since they averaged 131.2 ypg for the whole season, but still, it's a piss poor excuse for the sad sack of crap Omiyale has been this year.

On the goal line carry where Forte first fumbled the guy that met him was Babineaux, Omiyale's guy. On the second carry, the one where Forte lost the fumble? Yeah, that was a blown assignment by Omiyale that allowed Babineaux to whack Forte and knock it out. On the slant pass to Knox that was an EASY touchdown had it not been deflected, the guy who got his hand up and batted it down was Babineaux, Omiyale's guy. Omiyale fucking sucks and the only thing keeping him in that line up is the fat fucking contract Angelo handed to a career back up thinking he was getting a "steal."

[BH]

Cedric was blackballed.

"The Chicago Bears made running back Cedric Benson the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft.  After three disappointing seasons and a pair of alcohol-related arrests (drunken driving and drunken boating) in a one-month span, the Bears cut him loose.

So that was the end of it, right?

Not so, says Benson.

Benson believes that the Bears spread rumors about him and told the Bengals "nothing but bad things.""

[Quality Start Machine]

Cedric was blackballed.

Racist.

[Saul Goodman]

Pisa Tino's out for the season.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

Pisa Tino's out for the season.

Hellen is back at practice.

[CubFaninHydePark]

Cedric was blackballed.

"The Chicago Bears made running back Cedric Benson the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft.  After three disappointing seasons and a pair of alcohol-related arrests (drunken driving and drunken boating) in a one-month span, the Bears cut him loose.

So that was the end of it, right?

Not so, says Benson.

Benson believes that the Bears spread rumors about him and told the Bengals "nothing but bad things.""

Given the circus the media creates around Chicago and how quickly it paints good players in the worst possible light over things entirely unrelated to on-field performance...I have some empathy for Benson.  I'm glad he's getting a fair shake--which is more than most high-profile athletes get in the city.

[PenFoe]

Cedric was blackballed.

"The Chicago Bears made running back Cedric Benson the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft.  After three disappointing seasons and a pair of alcohol-related arrests (drunken driving and drunken boating) in a one-month span, the Bears cut him loose.

So that was the end of it, right?

Not so, says Benson.

Benson believes that the Bears spread rumors about him and told the Bengals "nothing but bad things.""

Given the circus the media creates around Chicago and how quickly it paints good players in the worst possible light over things entirely unrelated to on-field performance...I have some empathy for Benson.  I'm glad he's getting a fair shake--which is more than most high-profile athletes get in the city.

So what about his mediocre on-field performance in Chicago (meaning the 3.8 ypc)

[CubFaninHydePark]

Cedric was blackballed.

"The Chicago Bears made running back Cedric Benson the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft.  After three disappointing seasons and a pair of alcohol-related arrests (drunken driving and drunken boating) in a one-month span, the Bears cut him loose.

So that was the end of it, right?

Not so, says Benson.

Benson believes that the Bears spread rumors about him and told the Bengals "nothing but bad things.""

Given the circus the media creates around Chicago and how quickly it paints good players in the worst possible light over things entirely unrelated to on-field performance...I have some empathy for Benson.  I'm glad he's getting a fair shake--which is more than most high-profile athletes get in the city.

So what about his mediocre on-field performance in Chicago (meaning the 3.8 ypc)

That he and Forte are averaging the same is probably an indictment of the o-line instead of either RB?

[SKO]

Cedric was blackballed.

"The Chicago Bears made running back Cedric Benson the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft.  After three disappointing seasons and a pair of alcohol-related arrests (drunken driving and drunken boating) in a one-month span, the Bears cut him loose.

So that was the end of it, right?

Not so, says Benson.

Benson believes that the Bears spread rumors about him and told the Bengals "nothing but bad things.""

Given the circus the media creates around Chicago and how quickly it paints good players in the worst possible light over things entirely unrelated to on-field performance...I have some empathy for Benson.  I'm glad he's getting a fair shake--which is more than most high-profile athletes get in the city.

So what about his mediocre on-field performance in Chicago (meaning the 3.8 ypc)

That he and Forte are averaging the same is probably an indictment of the o-line instead of either RB?

The problem with Cedric wasn't his abilities or lack of production for the most part. He was solid as a counterpart to Thomas Jones in 05 and 06. Nobody could run behind that line in 2007, nor could they pass (they gave up 43 sacks). Anybody was doomed. It's that in Cincinnati he's actually given effort and running with a sense of purpose after realizing the NFL isn't just a guaranteed luxury in his life. I get annoyed with the Chicago media when they harass a guy like Cutler for a few boring press conferences, Cedric's career in Chicago, however, deserved all of the criticism, as he never should have been drafted and followed that with the following career highlights (cut from an article I wrote about him this summer)-

2005- Determined to work their new "power runningback" into the offense, the Bears declare an open competition for the starting job during training camp. Thomas Jones wins, because he was actually In training camp, unlike Benson, who MISSED THE ENTIRE CAMP WHILE HE WAS HOLDING OUT FOR MORE MONEY. Undaunted, Benson declares that he'll win the starting job by the third game of the season. He doesn't, as Thomas Jones has a far more effective season than Benson has had in his entire career, rushing for 1,335 yards and 9 tds with a 4.3 ypa average. Benson gets one start that year, against the 49ers, and leaves before half time with an injury.

2006- Upset that the Bears still seem determined to replace him after his outstanding year, Thomas Jones holds out of minicamps and is benched during training camp. The Bears are ready to hand the job to Benson (who predicts a 1,700 yard season) before he gets hurt and misses most of the rest of training camp and the preseason, leaving the job in Jones's hands, who again goes out and has a better year than Benson rushing for 1,210 yds and 6 tds. Benson actually plays effectively as the second back, averaging 4.1 ypc. During the Superbowl, however, Benson once more gets injured early and sits out the rest of the game.

2007- The Bears, determined to rid themselves of a highly productive runningback, for whatever reason, trade Thomas Jones to the New York Jets and annoint Benson the starter for the 2007 season. Benson responds with a 3.4 ypc average, and despite playing behind a subpar line (still, more or less the same line that Jones and Forte have had to work with), he still gets his fair share of the blame for his indecisiveness, inability to hit the hole, and complete lack of agility. Benson gets injured AGAIN against the Broncos and misses the last five games of the season.

During the 2007 offseason the Bears remain adamant that Benson will be in the mix for the starting runningback job, and they draft Matt Forte to push him in training camp. The Bears were forced by Benson's own hand to release him, however, when he got arrested twice in two weeks for alcohol related incidents (making it four times that he'd been arrested since college).

So really my problem with Benson was the entitled attitude, the contract holdout, the constant injuries and THEN the ineffective play, which I realized wasn't entirely his fault.

[Internet Apex]

LSA, SKO.

I think the reason the Bears traded Jones to NYJ was his (polite and deserved) demand for more money. Jones was due for a raise after 2005 and the Bears couldn't afford it. Angelo and Jones made a deal that said Jones could play one more year under his current contract and Angelo would agree to trade him afterward to a team that would give him a deal. After the year Benson had in 2006, it seemed right to move forward with him and let Jones go get his paper in NY, which he did.

I don't fault Angelo for that. I fault him for drafting Benson in the first place and Garrett Wolfe to replace Jones. D'ur and D'ur'er.

[Brownie]

LSA, SKO.

I think the reason the Bears traded Jones to NYJ was his (polite and deserved) demand for more money. Jones was due for a raise after 2005 and the Bears couldn't afford it. Angelo and Jones made a deal that said Jones could play one more year under his current contract and Angelo would agree to trade him afterward to a team that would give him a deal. After the year Benson had in 2006, it seemed right to move forward with him and let Jones go get his paper in NY, which he did.

I don't fault Angelo for that. I fault him for drafting Benson in the first place and Garrett Wolfe to replace Jones. D'ur and D'ur'er.

This.

[SKO]

LSA, SKO.

I think the reason the Bears traded Jones to NYJ was his (polite and deserved) demand for more money. Jones was due for a raise after 2005 and the Bears couldn't afford it. Angelo and Jones made a deal that said Jones could play one more year under his current contract and Angelo would agree to trade him afterward to a team that would give him a deal. After the year Benson had in 2006, it seemed right to move forward with him and let Jones go get his paper in NY, which he did.

I don't fault Angelo for that. I fault him for drafting Benson in the first place and Garrett Wolfe to replace Jones. D'ur and D'ur'er.

I fault Ron Turner for running Garrett Wolfe in between the tackles and even in short yardage situations. Must be a Turner family trait as Norvy has now blown a 4th and 2 with the game on the line against the Ravens and a chance at an opening drive touchdown against the Broncos by running Darren Sproles straight up the gut both times.