The Bears aren't about to reveal the extent of Brian Urlacher's neck injury until perhaps the day before training camp starts in late July.
But, if the team's attitude toward free-agent-to-be Lance Briggs changes on Feb. 29 or later, it will be an early indication that they're concerned about Urlacher's future, even though it doesn't appear that the injury or the surgery are career threatening. The Bears have been resigned to letting Briggs leave since he declined their six-year $30 million offer nearly two years ago.
But they will be forced to change their tune if Urlacher's neck injury, which required early February surgery, is considered a threat to his continued excellence. Letting a three-time Pro Bowl player like Briggs walk away when you have a healthy six-time Pro Bowler in Urlacher to anchor the defense is a business decision the Bears felt they could afford to make. But going into battle next season without Briggs and with Urlacher's health tenuous could undermine the Bears' chances of returning to the playoffs and the Super Bowl, which they still consider a very real possibility.
Urlacher has been the face of the Bears since shortly after he was drafted in the first round in 2000.
Since being selected in the third round three years later Briggs has always been forced to play second fiddle, although he's played a pretty mean tune, practically matching Urlacher tackle for tackle the past four years.
But Urlacher's neck injury, even if it isn't a serious problem yet, is the latest and best indication yet that Briggs might be a better long-term asset. Briggs, who has missed just two games in five years, is only 27. Urlacher has been extremely durable too, missing just seven games in eight years, but he will be 30 two months before training camp begins, and his play suffered in several games this past season when he was hindered by an arthritic back, which isn't going to get any better.
That doesn't mean Urlacher isn't still an exceptional player -- he is. He was more effective in the final few weeks of the season than Briggs, and he deserved another trip to the Pro Bowl as much as Briggs. But the Bears need an insurance policy if Urlacher's play slips or he misses significant time because of injuries. If Briggs leaves, the Bears will have no depth at linebacker, and even with him they don't have much in reserve.
For quite a while almost no one has believed there was any chance of Briggs re-signing with the Bears, but all along general manager Jerry Angelo has gone out of his way not to close the door on that slim possibility. Now it's time to swing that door wide open and welcome Briggs back to Halas Hall.
That way they're protected if Urlacher's injury is more serious than believed. If not, they keep two of the NFL's best linebackers together for a few more years, and what's wrong with that?
Notes, Quotes
• The Packers used a four-game win streak at the end of the 2006 season as a springboard to a 13-3 season in 2007, and the Bears hope their only "win streak" of 2007, victories in the final two games, can do the same. But general manager Jerry Angelo isn't getting carried away, although he was encouraged by the 68 points that one of the league's worst offenses was able to put up in the final two weeks -- 35-7 over the Packers and 33-25 over the Saints.
"Those were two good football games," Angelo said. "I'm not going to get euphoric and say that's who we're going to be in '08. But it was good to see that we could still play that kind of football. You did see consistency, more so on the offense. You did see the kind of defense that we're accustomed to seeing, and again you saw good special teams."
It was enough, though, to convince Angelo that he didn't need to undertake a major housecleaning in the off-season to get back to the playoffs after a 7-9 season.
"We played well as a team, but we weren't able to do that throughout," he said. "Does that mean we're going to have to make (wholesale) changes to get to that point? I don't feel we need to."
• The Bears finished No. 1 in the NFL on special teams in 2007 for the second straight season in rankings compiled annually by Dallas Morning News columnist Rick Gosselin.
Gosselin ranks the league's 32 teams in 22 categories and assigns points according to their standing - one for the best, 32 for the worst. The Bears' score of 236.5 was 5.5 points better than the second-place Chargers. In addition to Devin Hester's NFL-record six kick-return touchdowns, the Bears also topped the NFL with eight blocked kicks in 2007, twice as many as any other team. They led the league in kickoff coverage, ranked third in punt coverage and second in field goals, and sent two players to the Pro Bowl -- Hester and coverage ace Brendon Ayanbadejo.
"It's very special," said special teams coordinator Dave Toub. "It says a lot about our guys and how important it is to them that we are the best. That's always our goal. Our goal is obviously to win the Super Bowl. But our No. 2 goal is to be the best special teams unit in the league, and to do that two years in a row, it's a great honor. I'm very proud of the players."
• The 2007 season was typical of many recent (unsuccessful) Bears seasons in that there was a lack of continuity at the quarterback position.
"It's always tough when you play three quarterbacks, no matter what the reason," coach Lovie Smith said. "If you play three quarterbacks, no matter what the reasons are, it's always tough to get into your rhythm and things like that."
Solidifying the QB spot is a major concern this off-season, but for now it's anybody's guess how the position will look when training camp starts. Rex Grossman, who played poorly in the first three games of 2007 and was benched, is an unrestricted free agent who may or may not be back but certainly won't be handed the starting position without earning it. Grossman's fate appeared sealed until backup Brian Griese suffered a shoulder injury after starting Games 4-9 last season. In his second go-round, Grossman was much better, but still far from superb. Grossman's knee injury allowed No. 3 Kyle Orton to get three starts after a two-year stint on the bench, and he showed enough to be given a chance to compete in 2008, at least for the backup spot. The former fourth-round pick is under contract for another season at a bargain rate. Griese, who was a decent backup, period, probably won't be back at almost $3 million a year if Grossman is re-signed.
Quote To Note: "I've come to the point now where I just say that, 'After the catch, he's the best.' There is nobody better." -- Bears special teams coach Dave Toub on Devin Hester
Strategy And Personnel
The consensus is that most of the work needed to restore the Bears to a playoff team after a 7-9 season must occur on offense.
With the exception of tight end, where exciting rookie Greg Olsen and underrated veteran Desmond Clark combined for 83 catches, 936 yards and six touchdowns, every area of the offense has plenty of room for improvement. The offensive line needs an infusion of youth, the running game needs someone capable of an occasional big play and the wideouts are unimpressive as a group, even with Bernard Berrian, who is expected to leave via free agency.
TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY
It won't be a total shock if the Bears don't re-sign any of their eight unrestricted free agents: LB Lance Briggs, WR Bernard Berrian, QB Rex Grossman, OG Ruben Brown, TE John Gilmore, LB/special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, and DT's Antonio Garay and Jimmy Kennedy.
Briggs, Berrian and Ayanbadejo are looking to strike it rich, and that doesn't fit the Bears' budget. It's possible they could franchise Berrian, even though $7.8 million seems like way too much money for a fragile speed guy whose 71 catches and 951 yards in 2007 were easily the best marks of his four-year career.
They'd like Grossman back at their price to compete for the starting job, and Gilmore is an unsung role player who might be better off remaining where he has a niche as a blocker. Brown is 36, coming off season-ending shoulder surgery and expected to hang it up. Garay provides little more than depth, and Kennedy is a few rungs below that.
It is assumed that the Bears will add a relatively young offensive lineman in free agency and draft at least one more. They are also seeking to create competition for the featured RB role and at quarterback. Both those positions could also be addressed in free agency and in the draft. Ditto wideout, where Berrian's expected departure would leave them with an aging Muhsin Muhammad, an ongoing project in Devin Hester, a talented but unproductive Mark Bradley and restricted free-agent slot guy Rashied Davis, who ideally would be a No. 4 or No. 5 wideout.
1. Offensive line: After 12 years, ORT Fred Miller's best days are long gone, and OLT John Tait, 33, would benefit from a move to the right side. OLG Ruben Brown isn't expected back for a 14th season after shoulder surgery, and six-year veteran Terrence Metcalf was a flop when given a chance to replace Brown.
2. Running back: Cedric Benson and backup Adrian Peterson both averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Of Benson's 196 carries, only one gained more than 21 yards, and he's coming off yet another injury, this one a fractured ankle. Of Peterson's 151 carries, none gained more than 21 yards. Tiny No. 3 RB Garrett Wolfe averaged just 2.7 yards per carry.
3. Quarterback: The Bears continue to hold out hope that Rex Grossman will undergo an Eli Manning-like metamorphosis, but they can't afford to wait much longer for him to start playing consistently like a first-rounder should.
4. Wide receiver: If UFA Bernard Berrian leaves there is no No. 1 receiver or anyone who's even close.
Medical Watch: The Bears have been mum about Brian Urlacher's neck injury but it didn't cause him to miss any games, so it isn't considered career threatening and he is expected to be completely healthy long before training camp starts.
At 36, Ruben Brown may be too old to come back from shoulder surgery.
• DT Tommie Harris' knee scope is considered minor.
• NT Dusty Dvoracek's torn ACL should be fine by training camp, since the injury occurred in the 2007 season opener.
• The Bears would love to see a healthy Mike Brown back at safety, and he could be completely recovered from his torn ACL by camp, since it also happened in Week One. But Brown's lengthy injury history could make him a salary cap casualty if he won't accept a renegotiated deal.
• DT Anthony Adams (elbow) is expected to be completely recovered long before camp starts.
• CB Nate Vasher (groin) is already considered healed after missing 12 weeks during the season.
• RB Cedric Benson (fractured ankle) says he'll be 100 percent by camp, but he will probably be on a limited schedule, maybe through the preseason.
• S Kevin Payne (fractured arm) is 100 percent after being injured in Game Four and missing the season.
• DT Antonio Garay (fractured ankle) is questionable for the start of training camp.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
• LB Brendon Ayanbadejo wants to be the league's highest paid special-teams ace, but he won't get that kind of money from the Bears, even though he is outstanding in that realm. He's not a factor in the defense.
• WR Bernard Berrian has great speed and big-play capability, but he's fragile and has had just one big season. The Bears could franchise him, but it's doubtful they'd commit $7.8, even if he is their top wideout.
• LB Lance Briggs has been voted to three straight Pro Bowls, but the Bears have backed away since he spurned a six-year, $30 million offer two years ago, although Brian Urlacher's neck injury could force the team to re-examine its stance on Briggs.
• OG Ruben Brown missed the final eight games of the season with a shoulder injury that required surgery, which, after 13 NFL seasons, is probably a career ender.
• DT Antonio Garay is a bottom-of-the-depth chart player who finished the season on I.R. with a fractured ankle.
• TE John Gilmore has a niche as the blocking member of the Bears' troika, but with Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark around, he's expendable.
• QB Rex Grossman has been wildly inconsistent the past two seasons. The Bears would like to have him around to compete for the starting job, but they will not pay him a starter's salary until he earns the job, which he will have to do even if he is retained.
• DT Jimmy Kennedy was signed at the end of the season only because of an injury epidemic, and he got enough snaps to prove that he still can't play.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
• WR Rashied Davis is a tough, little, dependable guy suited to the slot or as a No. 4 wideout, and he contributes on special teams.
• S Brandon McGowan is a big hitter with potential, but he's inconsistent as a pass defender and has an injury history.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_yl...pe=team_report
Bears Off-Season Outlook
Bears Off-Season Outlook
Linear Mode
