The season starts now

I have written close to 3,950 words on this blog since the last time the word ‘Bears’ appears. (It’s the 18th word in the February 5 “A Few Small Changes” post.) That seems like a long enough off-season to me. And as I mentioned in the last post, there is very little going on in the sports world these days. That being said, now is as good of a time as any to run down the ten things the Bears must do between now and the time the squad reconvenes in Bourbonnais in late July.


10--Hire a Cover 2 defensive coordinator
After learning on Monday that the Bears decided not to bring back Ron Riviera as the D-coordinator, I was very upset. How could the team throw aside a guy who helped turn around this unit from being one of the worst in the league to one of the best? And plus he was on the ’85 Bears, making him a legend in this city. But as I read the Tuesday papers and listened to sports radio throughout the day, I kind of had a change of heart. Riviera was a coach brought up on blitzing, as a player under Buddy Ryan and as a linebacker’s coach of the Philadelphia Eagles under Jim Johnson. So his style never really fit with Lovie Smith’s Tampa Two. It makes more sense for the Bears to get a coach who will fit in with the head man’s philosophy, and it also helps Riviera, who has been a head coach candidate for many teams over the past few years.
*Note: After this paragraph was written, the Bears promoted former linebackers coach Bob Babich to defensive coordinator. He does plan on playing the Cover-2.

9-Continue opening up the playbook for Desmond Clark
During the beginning of the regular season, it seemed like tight end Desmond Clark was emerging as a viable threat in the red zone. But as the year went on, less and less passes went to big number 88. Why was that? It probably had to do with Rex Grossman’s decreasing accuracy and the increasing efficiency of the Bears running game. But the Bears need to do something this summer to make sure Clark stays involved throughout the entire season. He is a good over-the-middle pass catcher and can be a quality safety receiver when nobody else is open.

8-Get rid of Adewale
Last season, in 14 games, defensive end Adewale Ogunleye recorded 43 tackles and six and a half sacks. For this, the Bears are paying him more then six million dollars a year. His backup, rookie end Mark Anderson, recorded 28 tackles and 12 sacks in almost twice as less snaps. And he’s on his rookie salary. So why not dump Ogunleye, use the money on a more worthwhile spot (I’ll explain that below), and draft another young DE in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft.

7-Teach Devin Hester how to play corner
You will find no bigger fan of the Windy City Flyer then me. I loved it when the Bears picked him in round two of last April’s draft, loved it when he took punt back for a touchdown in his first ever game and loved it when he returned those six other scores last season. I though other then Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, Hester was the Bears most valuable player during their Super Bowl run, since he is a serious threat to bring it back every time he touches the ball. But with all that said, he is just a special teams player. To become a complete football player, the Flyer is going to have learn how to play a real position, most likely corner. And as it turns out, the Bears could use a number four corner.

6-Lock Rex in a film room
Yes, I’ll come out and say it. I think the Bears should stick with Rex Grossman as their starting QB next season. While he often times made Bears fans tear out their hair and make them look like George Costanza, I believe that Rex can be a good NFL quarterback, one that can eventually lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. But he needs some work (OK, that was the understatement of the year. He needs a LOT of work). Mainly in reading defenses and making the right decision with the ball. So lock number eight in a Hallas Hall study hall for about three months, make him watch more film then Roger Ebert, and when he’s ready to come out, shove him back in and make him watch more. Make him watch every snap of 2006, from the good games to the bad ones to the Jonathan Quinn imitations.

5-Draft some depth for the offensive line
If there is one unit of the team that didn’t get enough credit for last season’s success, it was the offensive line. John Tait, Roberto Garza, Olin Kruetz, Rueben Brown, and Fred Miller started every game of the season and never were responsible for losing a game. Add in the fact that a starting QB stayed healthy all season and I’d say that the O-Line was a success this year. That doesn’t mean that it couldn’t use an upgrade. Tait, Brown and Miller are all getting up there in age, and there is no guarantee that these guys will stay healthy in ’07. I say the Bears should spend a second and a fifth round pick on a couple of offensive lineman to acquire some much needed depth.

4-Sign a free agent safety
I hate to say it, but Mike Brown has officially reached Kerry Wood status. Whatever he gives you is nice, but he is so injury prone, I have no expectations that Brown will play a single snap next year. Todd Johnson is also a guy who can’t stay on the field, Danieal Manning is a nice player who has room to grow, and Chris Harris is a decent backup at best. So it would be nice if the Bears addressed the safety position in free agency. One idea would be acquiring Adam Archuletta, who spurred the Bears last spring and signed with the Redskins instead. But after a horrible season, many expect Washington to release him. He was drafted by Lovie Smith when in St. Louis and can play both free and strong safety.

3-Extend Lance Briggs’ contract
Last week, the Bears placed the franchise tag on linebacker Lance Briggs, meaning they agreed on a one year deal that pay’s Briggs the average of the top five salaries at his position. That equals $7.2 million for 2007. While that seems like a lot, I think Briggs is worth every penny. He perfectly fits the Cover-2 and plays great with Brian Urlacher. He constantly makes big plays, and is a two time Pro Bowler. If possible, I would try to extend Briggs’ deal as long as possible, because he is too valuable to let go.

2-Don’t touch TJ
Running back Thomas Jones has one year left on his contract, and many people think the Bears are going to try and trade him this spring and let Cederic Benson become the number one back. I disagree with that philosophy for many reasons. First is, what is wrong with having two good running backs. In the NFL these days, having two top of the line backs is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. So what if the two players both want to start. Deal with it. Reason two is the uncertainty of Benson’s health. He injured his leg in the Super Bowl and was unable to make a difference. Why let a very good back go if you’re not sure his replacement can fully take his place? Let Jones play out the rest of his contract, then after 2007, if he has another big year, let him go to another team for the big free agent contract he deserves. I see no reason to fix something that isn’t broken.

1-Pay Lovie
Currently, Bears coach Lovie Smith is the lowest paid head coach in the entire National Football League. That sentence alone should give most Bears fans a headache. How could the franchise notorious for being stingy when it comes to paying coaches go back to that mentality when they have one of the leagues five best coaches on their staff? But it gets worse then that. Smith is in the final year of his deal, and there are no signs the Bears are going to give him a new one. That means that after this season, Lovie is all but gone. I don’t even want to think about what a former Coach of the Year, NFC Champion and defensive genius will get on an open market. So here is my final plea. Dear Bears management, please ask Coach Smith’s agent how much he wants and for how many years. Immediately agree to that contract, have a press conference announcing the new terms and then pass this note on to Cubs management for their negotiations with Carlos Zambrano.