What the Bears (and fans) can REALLY learn from the Packers

[CT III]

Sometimes his best moves are the ones you don't make. Bernard Berrian, anyone? And where Angelo gets a slight edge over Hendry is that his sins (Adam Archuleta leaps to mind) seem to be very erasable.

That would seem to be more a function of the NFL's system of non-guaranteed contracts than anything else.  I mean, if Hendry had the option of cutting Milton Bradley with no further economic impact to the team, I'm sure he'd have done that instead of trading him to Seattle for Silva's ridiculous paper.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Angelo is far from Millenesque,  but I wholeheartedly disagree with his approach to the offensive line. Teams like the Patriots and Colts have done pretty well drafting linemen in the middle-to-late rounds, but in general I think it's an offensive lineman should be one of a team's top three picks damn near every year. It's a position where players can get old or injured fast and it can fuck an entire season. You need depth. Angelo just patches and repatches and he lucked into Tait and Miller and Brown all having 2-3 good years well after everyone else thought they were done. You can't rely on finding your left tackle in free agency and just holding your breath for a few years. Look at the Jets. Ferguson and Mangold were first round picks in back-to-back years. Then they signed Faneca to play guard and drafted Slausen to develop behind him. Faneca gave them a few good years and they were able to throw him overboard when the new guy was ready and cheaper. That line's paved the way for one of the league's best rushing attacks for the last three years and it's allowed them to get to back-to-back AFC Championship games with Mark F*&king Sanchez. They can tinker a little bit with the right side of the offensive line because they know that the interior and the blind side are taken care of.

Meanwhile, Angelo signs three very old, possibly over the hill linemen in Tait, Miller, and Brown, then gets a few good years out of them and doesn't say "damn, this bought me some time, I should draft some depth" but instead says "Sure, an offensive line with the average age of 34 should hold out for awhile."

The rest of TJ's analysis is spot on, although I've bitterly argued before that Aaron Rodgers' offensive line last year was still a hell of a lot better than what Cutler has had to deal with. Sack totals aren't everything. Green Bay last year had a far, far better rushing attack than Chicago did last year despite McCarthy often abandoning it at the drop of a hat, and Rodgers attempted a shit ton of deep balls. He got sacked a lot early, but that team was rolling by the time they got to the playoffs. I know the Bears offensive line "improved" in the second half this year, but we also know a lot of that had to do with Martz simply abandoning any hope of going deep for a 4-5 game stretch while things got straightend out. The Packers never did that.

I'll grant you that Angelo got more than he rightfully should have expected out of the Fred Miller and Ruben Brown signings.  However, I disagree with you on Tait.  Yes, Tait ended up retiring after his contract expired, but wasn't that due more from the concussions than his age?  In any event, my memory of the Tait signing was that it was a pretty big signing at the time.  The guy let them move him back and forth between the two tackle positions, and he produced wherever they put him.  Seems to me the Bears got a pretty fair--and not necessarily lucky--return on that investment.

[SKO]

Angelo is far from Millenesque,  but I wholeheartedly disagree with his approach to the offensive line. Teams like the Patriots and Colts have done pretty well drafting linemen in the middle-to-late rounds, but in general I think it's an offensive lineman should be one of a team's top three picks damn near every year. It's a position where players can get old or injured fast and it can fuck an entire season. You need depth. Angelo just patches and repatches and he lucked into Tait and Miller and Brown all having 2-3 good years well after everyone else thought they were done. You can't rely on finding your left tackle in free agency and just holding your breath for a few years. Look at the Jets. Ferguson and Mangold were first round picks in back-to-back years. Then they signed Faneca to play guard and drafted Slausen to develop behind him. Faneca gave them a few good years and they were able to throw him overboard when the new guy was ready and cheaper. That line's paved the way for one of the league's best rushing attacks for the last three years and it's allowed them to get to back-to-back AFC Championship games with Mark F*&king Sanchez. They can tinker a little bit with the right side of the offensive line because they know that the interior and the blind side are taken care of.

Meanwhile, Angelo signs three very old, possibly over the hill linemen in Tait, Miller, and Brown, then gets a few good years out of them and doesn't say "damn, this bought me some time, I should draft some depth" but instead says "Sure, an offensive line with the average age of 34 should hold out for awhile."

The rest of TJ's analysis is spot on, although I've bitterly argued before that Aaron Rodgers' offensive line last year was still a hell of a lot better than what Cutler has had to deal with. Sack totals aren't everything. Green Bay last year had a far, far better rushing attack than Chicago did last year despite McCarthy often abandoning it at the drop of a hat, and Rodgers attempted a shit ton of deep balls. He got sacked a lot early, but that team was rolling by the time they got to the playoffs. I know the Bears offensive line "improved" in the second half this year, but we also know a lot of that had to do with Martz simply abandoning any hope of going deep for a 4-5 game stretch while things got straightend out. The Packers never did that.

I'll grant you that Angelo got more than he rightfully should have expected out of the Fred Miller and Ruben Brown signings.  However, I disagree with you on Tait.  Yes, Tait ended up retiring after his contract expired, but wasn't that due more from the concussions than his age?  In any event, my memory of the Tait signing was that it was a pretty big signing at the time.  The guy let them move him back and forth between the two tackle positions, and he produced wherever they put him.  Seems to me the Bears got a pretty fair--and not necessarily lucky--return on that investment.

I guess "lucky" is extreme. I approved of all three signings at the time. Tait was definitely the best of the three, but more impressively he didn't overpay for any of them. His mistake was not having their replacements on the roster. Kind of like the ticking time-bomb that is Olin Kreutz. That guy is older than sin and I don't see his replacement coming anytime soon. It was supposed to be Beekman, but they dumped him last year.

Also, when I say "ticking time-bomb" with Kreutz, I'm somewhat kidding, because the guy already fucking sucks.

[Internet Apex]

So what can we REALLY learn from the Packers? Nothing. Fuck them and their whole fucking fanbase.

[Brownie]

So what can we REALLY learn from the Packers? Nothing. Fuck them and their whole fucking fanbase.

I guess that's what I really mean. Fuck them. Avoid any knee-jerk reactions to "experts" spouting that the 2010 Packers are the next dynasty in the making and everyone should be scared of them next year. They kept themselves in games and enjoyed a little bit of luck, but I'd hardly say they're head and shoulders better than New Orleans, Atlanta (the one divisional playoff game notwithstanding), the Bears, either New York team, Philadelphia, New England, the Steelers, Baltimore, or even Indianapolis.

[Eli]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

[Internet Apex]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

[PenPho]

So what can we REALLY learn from the Packers? Nothing. Fuck them and their whole fucking fanbase.

I guess that's what I really mean. Fuck them. Avoid any knee-jerk reactions to "experts" spouting that the 2010 Packers are the next dynasty in the making and everyone should be scared of them next year. They kept themselves in games and enjoyed a little bit of luck, but I'd hardly say they're head and shoulders better than New Orleans, Atlanta (the one divisional playoff game notwithstanding), the Bears, either New York team, Philadelphia, New England, the Steelers, Baltimore, or even Indianapolis.

I'm pretty sure the Giants are bad.

[SKO]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

[Internet Apex]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

Slot back means that he plays the slot though, right? He's not an outside guy? Could he contribute on Special Teams? Should I get a jersey or just tattoo his name on my taint?

[Eli]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

So he's a Canadian Greg Olsen?

[Internet Apex]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

So he's a Canadian Greg Olsen?

SKO promised us good hands.

[SKO]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

So he's a Canadian Greg Olsen?

Nearly faced by Apex.

[Internet Apex]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

So he's a Canadian Greg Olsen?

Nearly faced by Apex.

But...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2010/04/study_confirms_olsens_sure_han.html

[J. Walter Weatherman]

And without Martz, they may not have gotten that big, white Canadian dude yesterday to help out on the blue line.

I demand 700 words from SKO telling us all about him.

So does Hub Arkush. We'll have to wait our turn.

He's a big target with good hands. He's also injury prone and he runs a 4.5 40 at best. But he WAS Most Valuable Canadian of the Grey Cup a few years ago (yeah, they have that). I'd say he's likely to become a cult hero like Devin Aromoshadu and be just as effective.

So he's a Canadian Greg Olsen?

Nearly faced by Apex.

But...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2010/04/study_confirms_olsens_sure_han.html

I guess they must not have looked at fumbles after catches.