BULLITT

Bears falling further behind NFC North foes
By Adam Schein
Adam Schein hosts the Afternoon Blitz on Sirius NFL Radio from 3-7 ET. He is also the NFL insider for Sports Net New York. Schein's columns appear every Tuesday and Thursday on FOXSports.com. His weekly video picks and video reports appear every Friday.
Updated: March 14, 2008, 6:50 PM EST

Someone needs to remind the Bears that the goal in the off-season is to improve the ball club. I'm having a hard time comprehending the thought process in Chicago.
Let's get the good out of the way first.


I love the fact that Lance Briggs is back in Chicago. He's a Pro Bowl caliber linebacker, a fantastic tackler and playmaker built for Lovie Smith's system. Briggs is the perfect wingman for Brian Urlacher.

And as President, Founder, CEO, and often sole member of the Rex Grossman fan club, I was happy to see the much maligned quarterback re-sign in the Windy City for another year. The free-agent market was very thin at quarterback. Grossman still has talent and upside. He does have a conference championship on his resume. He knows Ron Turner's offense and couldn't leave town on the low note that was 2007. Grossman's return is good for the team and the player.

But here we are two weeks into the off-season, and I'm scratching my head on Chicago's decision making. The team is getting worse, specifically at the receiver position. Key areas of need haven't been addressed, like safety, offensive line, and, yes, Cedric Benson at running back. Potentially perfect fits in free agency weren't pursued. These questions and areas of weakness loom large as the teams in the division get stronger.

And I'm writing this while defending Grossman!

Everyone likes to blame Grossman for everything in Chicago. But you cannot ignore the enormous holes on this team.


I understand Bernard Berrian got gobs of guaranteed money to join the rival Vikings. He had 16 million guaranteed reasons to defect. But Berrian told us last week that he would've re-upped with the Bears if the guaranteed money would've been remotely close. Even in a season where Berrian admits he dropped more passes than he should've, the wideout hauled in 71 passes and amassed just under 1,000 receiving yards. And he has an excellent rapport with Grossman, especially on the deep ball.

And it is gut-wrenching for Bears fans to think of Berrian catching the all the passes Troy Williamson dropped through the years.

And it is even worse to think of Brandon Lloyd replacing him.

Brandon Lloyd? You have to be kidding me!

He was a total bust in Washington after Joe Gibbs and Vinny Cerrato foolishly gave the Niners third- and fourth-round picks as well as millions of Dan Snyder's cash to Lloyd.

How did Lloyd respond? He caught two total passes last year! And this performance followed an underwhelming 23 catches in 2006. It was highway robbery. I don't care that he played for Turner in college. This is a terrible move.

I know Marty Booker has always been a favorite of general manager Jerry Angelo. But does Booker represent an upgrade over Muhsin Muhammad? I don't think so. It's a wash, at best.

And where's the push for a defensive tackle to replace the underachieving Darwin Walker?

Can Chicago possibly back on Mike Brown and Adam Archuleta at safety? Shouldn't Eugene Wilson be on the radar?

And let's be honest here — the Bears need to be in the running back business.

Michael Turner would've looked great in a Chicago uniform, but he signed with the Falcons.

Cedric Benson has been a total bust, with opposing players like Shaun Philips and Luis Castillo openly questioning his toughness. Benson's disappointing 2007 came to a bitter and dramatic end when he fractured his ankle and was placed on injured reserve in late November. You can't bank on him for anything in 2008.

Chicago never should've traded Thomas Jones. Thus, Angelo must consider a carry-the-mail back in the first round of the draft. Jonathan Stewart from Oregon or Illinois' own Rashard Mendenhall, two physical and speedy backs that should be big-time players, have to be on the radar. Mendenhall would be perfect.

Investigating Shaun Alexander is also a worthy option.

But while thinking running back, Chicago also needs to also replenish its offensive line and could be in the tackle business in the first round.

This is what happens when you have major problems on offense.

Could Grossman actually represent stability?

Scary.

It's seems like the 2006 Super Bowl run was ages ago. Minnesota is vastly improved with Berrian and Madieu Williams. Green Bay, even sans Favre, is rock solid. And hey, let's give Matt Millen some credit for picking up cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly.

Unless the Bears suddenly join the off-season party, 2008 already has the makings of another frustrating season.


Schein's 9 Nuggets...

1. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis tells us that he anticipates that cornerback Mike McKenzie can be healthy enough for training camp in the hot Jackson, Miss. sun. That's major news after McKenzie's ACL surgery. McKenzie was having an outstanding season before his suffered the injury and would look great teamed with free-agent addition Randall Gay.

And write this one down — Jonathan Vilma is going to be a great player in New Orleans this year back in the 4-3. That was a brilliant trade for the Saints. It instantly improves the Saints defense. And Vilma reports he should be 100 percent physically for training camp.

2. Niners general manager Scot McCloughan says the quarterback competition will be "fair and open" between Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. Look for the Niners to draft at wide receiver in the first round, with the tall, athletic, and sure-handed James Hardy out of Indiana a distinct possibility.

I really like what McCloughan has done in free agency, bringing in an energizer bunny and a three-down defensive end in Justin Smith. Isaac Bruce makes sense at receiver since he knows Mike Martz's offense.

And I firmly believe Darrell Jackson will bounce back and have a really good 2008 season.

3. One of the great, subtle moves made this off-season was Miami's pickup of guard Justin Smiley. He's an old school, tough-as-nails throwback who instantly starts for Tony Sparano at right guard. Smiley defines "Parcells guy." Catching up with the guard after he signed, he told us he couldn't wait to play for Sparano and be with Parcells.

Miami's off-season hasn't been sexy, but pickups of Smiley, Josh McCown (a top 32 quarterback who can start and teach John Beck) and Ernest Wilford are very solid.

4. I'm concerned about all three signings involving the players with concussion risks, Dan Morgan to New Orleans, Zach Thomas to Dallas, and the Rams picking up Trent Green. Color me skeptical on all three guys. I hope I am wrong, but you simply cannot bank on them staying healthy.

And the Rams pickup of Green was a bit goofy at three years and $8.9 million. Green, at age 37, could make up to $4 million dollars this year. For that money, wouldn't it have made more sense signing Al Saunders favorite Todd Collins?

5. Jevon Kearse goes home to Tennessee to the tune of two years and $6 million bucks. The best thing about this deal is he is reunited with line coach Jim Washburn. I'm not sure if Kearse is an every-down defensive end any more but I think he can get back to a really strong level rushing the quarterback under Washburn.

6. Denver needed help at linebacker, no question. But I am not convinced Boss Bailey, signed to a seemingly high 5-year, $17.5 million deal will solidify the Denver run defense.

7. I'm not sure what Bryant Johnson is waiting for. Sign the deal Buffalo offered you. Johnson is a perfect compliment to Lee Evans.

8. It's wonderful that Arizona gave Larry Fitzgerald his extension. It would've been even more wonderful if the two sides agreed to it in February so Alan Faneca would be starting at left guard.

9. Last week, Andre Davis echoed the sentiments of teammate DeMeco Ryans when we caught up with the Pro Bowler in Hawaii. They both think competition at the quarterback position would aid the Texans. They say competition never hurts and makes players stronger.

I'm not so sure here.

While Sage Rosenfels did a good job filling in for Matt Schaub, this is Schaub's team. He needs to be the No. 1 guy. Schaub gives Houston the best chance for its first winning season.

Houston also needs to consider a running back in round one.

And how about the Texans as a potential landing spot for Shaun Alexander once he's cut by Seattle? He'd rush for 1,000 yards behind an Alex Gibbs coached line.

Interviews with Berrian, Loomis, Davis, Ryans, Smiley, Vilma, and McCloughan were conducted on Sirius NFL Radio.