[CBFF] Disappointed Bears expect to be back

[Steve Behrens]

I think this game helps the Bears sign Rex to a more economical contract
this season and get him locked up on the (realtively) cheap.  He may be in a
competition for starter next camp, but I fully expect him *TO BE* the
started by the time the season opens.

-Behr


On 2/5/07, E. George Mucher III <fishydude at mchsi.com> wrote:
>
> The only thing I did not like with this article, was the idea of Kyle
> Orton competing for the starting QB job. That just flat out scares
> me. I would not at all mind the Bears picking up another QB if there
> is a good one available somewhere after they have addressed other
> things.
>
> -Geo
>
> 'Oi kau ka lâ, e hana i ola honua'
>
> "While the sun yet shines do all you can"
>
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 5, 2007, at 3:30 PM, Kenny Claxton wrote:
>
> > By *Len Pasquarelli*
> > *ESPN.com
> >
> > *
> >
> > MIAMI -- The last time the Chicago
> > Bears<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=chi>enjoyed a
> > season like the one that concluded here Sunday night, in 2001 when
> > coach Dick Jauron led the team to a 13-3 record but lost the
> > playoff opener,
> > they followed up a disappointing postseason appearance by going
> > back into
> > hibernation for three years.
> >
> > No one expects such a monumental collapse this time around.
> >
> > This team appears to be built for the long haul. The Bears clearly
> > possess
> > superior talent in the NFC North, and now they are motivated to
> > advance the
> > one extra step in 2007 that they couldn't traverse in Super Bowl XLI.
> >
> > "You never want to squander a chance [to win a Super Bowl], because
> > you
> > don't know when you'll get another opportunity," said defensive end
> > Alex
> > Brown <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5990>
> > after the
> > Bears were physically dominated by the Indianapolis
> > Colts<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=ind>.
> > "But I think we'll learn from this. I mean, the team that beat us,
> > it's had
> > a lot of setbacks in the playoffs. But from talking to some of
> > their guys,
> > every one of those [playoff] losses made them hungrier, because
> > they used
> > them as a learning experience. And now that's what we have to do."
> >
> > It was legendary Bears tailback Walter Payton who once noted,
> > "Tomorrow is
> > promised to no man." Although the 2006 Bears understand that and
> > departed
> > Dolphin Stadium late Sunday night unfulfilled, they also exited
> > with a sense
> > of unfinished business.
> >
> > The Chicago mantra all season, one hammered home by coach Lovie
> > Smith and
> > even conspicuously displayed on posters throughout the team's hotel
> > here
> > last week, was "Finish." It was a reminder of the 2005 season, when
> > the
> > Bears failed to complete the task, losing to Carolina in the
> > divisional
> > round.
> >
> > One can expect the credo to be reprised by Smith in 2007.
> >
> > And one also can expect the Bears, who won 15 of 19 games in 2006,
> > counting
> > the postseason, to return to the playoffs as a Super Bowl contender
> > next
> > season. Even if some coaches and players don't return.
> >
> > "I don't really think," said tailback Thomas
> > Jones<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5036>,
> > "that there are a whole lot of question marks hanging over this team."
> >
> > There is, however, the very prominent question of how the Chicago
> > brain
> > trust will address the quarterback position, where Rex
> > Grossman<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?
> > statsId=6358>performed
> > poorly on Sunday and provided his legion of critics considerable
> > fodder. A victory over the Colts might have cemented Grossman in
> > the eyes of
> > Bears officials, perhaps earned him a contract extension.
> >
> > Now there is a chance the Bears will force Grossman into semi-lame
> > duck
> > status next season, to play under his original rookie contract, and
> > evaluate
> > him as the year wears on. There also is a chance that, despite the
> > public
> > support Grossman enjoys from Smith and general manager Jerry
> > Angelo, he
> > might have to compete with Brian
> > Griese<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322>and
> > Kyle
> > Orton <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7282>
> > for the
> > starting job in training camp.
> >
> > On Sunday night, Grossman spoke more of the carnage that had just
> > ensued,
> > rather than looking at the future. But every quarterback wants
> > security and
> > every franchise wants security at the game's most important
> > position. And,
> > looking forward, Chicago's most glaring shortcoming for 2007
> > clearly is the
> > uncertainty surrounding Grossman.
> >
> > It is *the* position that demands a long offseason evaluation and more
> > clarification moving into the 2007 campaign.
> >
> > In terms of free agency, Angelo has done a terrific job the past
> > few years
> > of locking up nucleus players for the long term. That said, the
> > Bears do
> > have three key starters, most notably two-time Pro Bowl weakside
> > linebacker Lance
> > Briggs <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?
> > statsId=6404>, who are
> > eligible for unrestricted free agency.
> >
> > Briggs is a superb player, an emerging star, and the Bears
> > attempted to sign
> > him to a long-term extension last spring, and failed. While the
> > consensus is
> > that Chicago might not ante up the kind of money it takes to retain
> > Briggs,
> > and feels it has some promising youngsters who can step in if he
> > departs,
> > club officials may still be inclined to use the franchise marker to
> > keep
> > him.
> >
> > Said Briggs: "They know I want to stay, but it's not my call."
> >
> > The other key players eligible for unrestricted free agency include
> > defensive tackles Alfonso
> > Boone<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5283>and
> > Ian
> > Scott <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6452>,
> > and
> > venerable guard Ruben
> > Brown<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3161>,
> > who continues to defy the ravages of age to play at a very high level.
> >
> > Chicago is rarely a big player in acquiring free agents, with
> > Angelo always
> > preferring to build through the draft, but the Bears are a
> > projected $23.4
> > million under the cap if they decide to do a little shopping to
> > fill in some
> > pieces or address issues of depth.
> >
> > As is characteristically the case with a successful team, there
> > will be some
> > veterans with time remaining on their contracts who will want their
> > deals
> > upgraded. Jones, who lost his starting tailback job to Benson late
> > in the
> > season, made some noise last summer about his contract, and could
> > be vocal
> > in that regard again.
> >
> > The contracts that most need attention, however, are those of
> > Angelo and
> > Smith, and both figure to sign lucrative extensions. Smith was the
> > league's
> > lowest-paid coach in 2006, with a salary of just $1.35 million, and
> > much has
> > been made of his status. Unless his demands are exorbitant, the
> > Bears' brass
> > won't let him go into 2007, the final year of his original contract,
> > negotiated in 2004, minus a new deal.
> >
> > Chicago players simply love working for Smith, who, on the NFL's
> > biggest
> > stage last week, demonstrated to those who might not have known him
> > well
> > before Super Bowl LXI what a class act he is. In three seasons,
> > Smith has
> > compiled a 31-21 mark (counting playoffs) and led the team to
> > consecutive
> > division titles. No Chicago coach has accomplished the latter feat
> > since
> > Mike Ditka in 1987-88.
> >
> > To even allow any uncertainty to exist over Smith's long-term
> > future with
> > the franchise would send a bad message, and the Bears won't do that.
> >
> > One coach who could depart is defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who
> > will
> > interview with the Dallas
> > Cowboys<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=dal>,
> > and could become the head coach or even coordinator there. Rivera
> > is making
> > just $500,000 and his contract with the Bears has essentially
> > expired. The
> > Bears have a two-week exclusivity period in which they can
> > negotiate with
> > Rivera as coordinator, but the sense is that Chicago will not
> > overpay to
> > retain him.
> >
> > There are several defensive coordinators earning double Rivera's
> > salary and
> > Miami coordinator Dom Capers recently signed a new contract that
> > pays him
> > about $2.7 annually. Chicago officials indicated on Sunday night,
> > however,
> > that they will not get into a bidding war with Jerry Jones if the
> > Dallas
> > owner pursues Rivera with a big-money offer.
> >
> > They pointed out that the Bears' defense is more Smith's brain
> > child and
> > that there might be a ready replacement already on staff in
> > linebackers
> > coach Bob Babich. And so it appears the Bears could have one
> > significant
> > staffing change in 2007.
> >
> > Odds are, though, this team will be tweaked more than turned over
> > in '07.
> > Angelo and Smith have done a estimable job building the roster and,
> > even
> > with the uncertainty at quarterback, the Bears don't figure to show
> > much
> > slippage next season.
> >
> > *Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer at ESPN.com.*
> > _______________________________________________
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