Blasphemy #2

[karhu]

Just to dream a bit, what would our line look like with Jonathon Cooper and Khaled Holmes? Half a year from the draft, that looks completely reasonable for a team picking 25th-ish.

[LT]-Cooper-Holmes-Louis-[RT]

That'd be something serious to build on. Between the tackles, at least, that'd be deadly once the rookies got up to speed. Add a Manase Foketi (kid who wanted out of Kansas St. last year) in the late rounds as a RT prospect, and it'd really be something.

Drop Urlacher to add a Long or Clady, and our line's improved...but maybe just on paper, and definitely at the cost of our soul. We'd still have to shore up the interior through the draft, and we'd be left with a big Urlacher-sized hole on D and in the locker room.

Most of our current linemen aren't starter-quality, and half of them don't belong in the league. That's just what it is. Building a top-notch line won't be easy, but if we're serious about it, there's no reason to think that we can't assemble the pieces in 2-3 years.

[Navin101]

Karhu, I'm not sure Louis will be able to get back by early next season after a torn ACL.

[LakeAussie]

5. Urlacher understands what kind of player he is now and they come to an agreement without him ever testing the market. This would be the best move for both sides as it would avoid any acrimony & distractions. Fortunately, I also think this is most likely what happens. I obviously don't know Urlacher personally, but based on his public comments, he seems like a pretty reasonable, self-aware guy as far as pro athletes go.

I vote for this one. Even if he hasn’t managed his money well, I suspect that he can make more money limping along with the Bears for a couple more years and using the Chicago marketing opportunities to his advantage. It’s not easy starting a new job with a new team in your twilight years. He could be gone quickly with another team. He’s been the face of the Bears franchise. Bears fans will love him forever, if he doesn’t diss them (like Favre did to Packer fans). I assume that his agent is advising him well in this regard, because he is looking out for future money making opportunities. (Excuse me, but DirecTV is the best!)

I have never seen BU have the kind of ego that would prevent him from retiring as a Bear. He’s already said that he will never be the same with his knee injury. He still loves playing, and it seems like he would play forever if his body would let him. He’s happy for so many of his teammates making great plays and just being able to contribute. Staying with such a great defense is a great way for him to retire.

[karhu]

Karhu, I'm not sure Louis will be able to get back by early next season after a torn ACL.

Hoo damn. Knew he'd been placed on the IR, hadn't caught the official diagnosis.

[Navin101]

Hoo damn. Knew he'd been placed on the IR, hadn't caught the official diagnosis.

Yeah, of all the lineman to get cheapshotted...

[mouse]

Just to dream a bit, what would our line look like with Jonathon Cooper and Khaled Holmes? Half a year from the draft, that looks completely reasonable for a team picking 25th-ish.

[LT]-Cooper-Holmes-Louis-[RT]

That'd be something serious to build on. Between the tackles, at least, that'd be deadly once the rookies got up to speed. Add a Manase Foketi (kid who wanted out of Kansas St. last year) in the late rounds as a RT prospect, and it'd really be something.

Drop Urlacher to add a Long or Clady, and our line's improved...but maybe just on paper, and definitely at the cost of our soul. We'd still have to shore up the interior through the draft, and we'd be left with a big Urlacher-sized hole on D and in the locker room.

Most of our current linemen aren't starter-quality, and half of them don't belong in the league. That's just what it is. Building a top-notch line won't be easy, but if we're serious about it, there's no reason to think that we can't assemble the pieces in 2-3 years.

I'm really liking Barrett Jones for us. We need anything interior and he can play all well.

[karhu]

I'm really liking Barrett Jones for us. We need anything interior and he can play all well.

Yep; Jones would be great, too (didn't bother watching the Alabama-Missouri debacle this weekend, so Cooper's name popped to mind first). Figure we'd draft him in the first as a G if we were also looking for a C this year.

[karhu]

Just to dream a bit, what would our line look like with Jonathon Cooper and Khaled Holmes? Half a year from the draft, that looks completely reasonable for a team picking 25th-ish.

[LT]-Cooper-Holmes-Carimi-[RT]

That'd be something serious to build on. Between the tackles, at least, that'd be deadly once the rookies got up to speed. Add a Manase Foketi (kid who wanted out of Kansas St. last year) in the late rounds as a RT prospect, and it'd really be something.

Drop Urlacher to add a Long or Clady, and our line's improved...but maybe just on paper, and definitely at the cost of our soul. We'd still have to shore up the interior through the draft, and we'd be left with a big Urlacher-sized hole on D and in the locker room.

Most of our current linemen aren't starter-quality, and half of them don't belong in the league. That's just what it is. Building a top-notch line won't be easy, but if we're serious about it, there's no reason to think that we can't assemble the pieces in 2-3 years.

Updated. Just remembered that I don't remember much of Carimi after Louis went down, and that's a very, very good thing. I'm really looking forward to seeing Carimi at RG for a full game next week. If he flourishes there, the road is open for us to get this thing licked in a year or two.

[Navin101]

Carimi was great at guard, not surprising given how well he has graded out in the running game while he was at RT.

I too like Barrett Jones, more so than Cooper. Also would like Dallas Thomas as a G but Jones viability at all 3 interior OL positions trumps Thomas. Obviously would love Chance Warmack too but I assume he'll get drafted in the teens.

[karhu]

Carimi was great at guard, not surprising given how well he has graded out in the running game while he was at RT.

I too like Barrett Jones, more so than Cooper. Also would like Dallas Thomas as a G but Jones viability at all 3 interior OL positions trumps Thomas. Obviously would love Chance Warmack too but I assume he'll get drafted in the teens.

Quick question for the Jones fans: where do you like him? If you like him at C, would you still take him in the first? (Is he a Pouncey-/Mack-quality C...or would we have to draft him like one because other teams see him as a good G prospect?) Do you see him as a LG prospect?

Maybe it's down to the times I've seen him play, but I see him as a very, very good C prospect and a good RG prospect. Less sure of him at LG, probably because LG puts me in mind of more athletic guys like Cooper.

[TrueNorthBear]

I'd be ok with keeping Garza at C rather than drafting one. I don't think he has been that bad. There are some pretty good tackles in FA available this year tho. Outside of Long and Clady, there is Bushrod from NO, Vollmer from NE, Albert from KC, maybe Andre Smith from cincy. I hope they can sign one of them

[karhu]

I'd be ok with keeping Garza at C rather than drafting one. I don't think he has been that bad. There are some pretty good tackles in FA available this year tho. Outside of Long and Clady, there is Bushrod from NO, Vollmer from NE, Albert from KC, maybe Andre Smith from cincy. I hope they can sign one of them

Garza's a great guy by all accounts, but he's not a starter IMSO on a good line. He's competent, and we needed that after Kreutz left, but he's not so good that he makes guys around him better. He's a first-off-the-bench utility player.

As for the FAs, Miami seems to have prioritized Long over Bush (three deep now at RB), Clady's going nowhere as long as Peyton Manning's starting, ditto with Bushrod and Brees. I'd be very, very surprised to see Vollmer leave NE...and if they don't, that oughta say something about his health.

Smith is Cincinnati's only big re-signing job this year, so I imagine it'd be tough to pry him away. But who knows? It's Cincy.

Which leaves Albert. Not a great LT, but a competent one, and KC seems to have drafted his presumptive replacement in what's-his-name Stephenson. Show me a G and a C in the draft along with Albert, and I'll show you a conference champion-caliber team.

Not trying to pee on any Cheerios there, just wondering if the OT market is really going to be very rich this offseason....

[Navin101]

Agree with Karhu. Top LTs are like ace pitchers in baseball, I'll believe a good one shows up in free agency when he actually does. Teams will do whatever it takes to re-sign their guys, especially someone like Clady.

Karhu, I do think you're underrating Albert. He's having a really good season.

[brh]

Not trying to pee on any Cheerios there, just wondering if the OT market is really going to be very rich this offseason....

I've been thinking the same thing. It will likely end up being much like the WR market was last year. Leading up to FA there were all these enticing names that were going to be available (Bowe, Colston, Wayne, Jackson, etc), but by the time FA arrived, the only one who actually hit the open market was Jackson.

[Navin101]

Quick question for the Jones fans: where do you like him? If you like him at C, would you still take him in the first? (Is he a Pouncey-/Mack-quality C...or would we have to draft him like one because other teams see him as a good G prospect?) Do you see him as a LG prospect?

Maybe it's down to the times I've seen him play, but I see him as a very, very good C prospect and a good RG prospect. Less sure of him at LG, probably because LG puts me in mind of more athletic guys like Cooper.

He's not as good as Pouncey (who is?) but I still think he's a good pick around 25-30. He's technically sound at multiple positions, All-pro level at RG and C. I agree he's not as athletic as, say, Cooper but the abilty to play multiple positions at a high level is a trump card.