[CBFF] The Chicago Bears: Defense From Top to Bottom

[Tom Shannon]

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=207
http://www.myspace.com/the_left_hand_of_darkness

The Chicago Bears:  Defense From Top to Bottom

By Tom Shannon

Looking at the middling state that typically defines the Bears, probably the
most common thing an optimistic fan will say is, "Wow.  Just think how good
they'd be if they had an offense."  Inevitably they will then ask themselves
why the Bears never have production on that side of the ball.

There's a phrase that most people have been very familiar with since
childhood.  It is, "It all starts at the top."  Most Bear fans will preface
any criticism of ownership with some similar expression and they criticize
often enough.  Indeed it's true of leadership on all levels.  Almost any
sort of team in some way or another will reflect the personality of its
head.  If a manager is refusing to admit his own mistakes you can bet that
the members of the team are going to lack accountability and blame others
for their failures.  It's the same all over in every walk of life.  It's
part of the reason why the NFL head coach is so important despite the fact
that all he appears to do during the game is wear head phones and call
timeouts.

This all struck home for me again last week as I watched the Bears approach
free agency.  The first thing they did was re-sign Rex Grossman.  And you
ask yourself, "Why keep a quarterback who you know doesn't have the ability
to actively contribute to a true championship offense?  Why not look
elsewhere?  Yeah, sure, it's a mediocre free agent class but why not try
someone different?  Why not look for someone who hasn't had a chance to show
what he can do or for a veteran who might have a couple good years left in
him to excel?  Why not look for the next Derek Anderson or Kurt Warner?"

The answer to this is because it's risky.  Sure you might be buying a
diamond.  But what if it's a piece of glass?  Better to stick with the rocks
you know, flaws and all.  Better not to risk the money on the unknown free
agent.  Better to prevent others from signing your guys instead.  Better to
play defense. 

This attitude defines what the Bears did last week.  It defines what they
will do next week.  It defines what they'll do in the draft.  It defines how
they will perform on the field.

The Bears have a lot of holes to fill this offseason but they aren't letting
that affect their strategy for free agency.  They will sit back and let the
first wave pass over them and then look at the guys who are left.  Don't
look for the big talent.  Don't take the chance that you might overpay.
Look for the bargains.  Take the leftovers with good floors and little risk.

They will then sit down and assess their position.  They will see what holes
they have left and move into the draft with those in mind.  But they will
not identify a single prospect and trade up.  That's risky.  Player
evaluation is not an exact science.  They will sit in position and "let the
draft come to them."  Heck they might even trade down if they can.  So sure
are the Bears that you can't take a risk by focusing on individual players
that they don't even bother to hide their intensions.  GM Jerry Angelo has
been characterized
<http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/798312,CST-SPT-bear17.article
>  as being "honest to a fault" at this time of the year.  Nonsense.  It
isn't honesty.  It's the firm belief that no matter what other teams do, no
matter who they take, even if they trade up, he has just as good a chance of
succeeding with the guy that falls to him as others have with the guy they
went up and got.  Sure you evaluate players to the extent you can.  But
bottom line, you don't identify outstanding players and go after them.  It's
a coin flip.

So when Bear fans ask the questions, "How could the franchise be so inept on
the offensive side of the ball?  How come they can build good defenses and
yet have decades of incompetence at the quarterback position?  How could
they have such bad luck?" you find that the answer is simple, really.  It
all starts at the top.  Offense requires originality. It requires that you
formulate a plan and aggressively and actively execute it.  You don't wait
for the game to come to you.  You take it to the game.  Instead, look what
the Bears have.  Defensive front office.  Defensive head coach.  Defensive
team.  Defensive attitude.  And there lies the surest path to mediocrity.