Opinion on Brandon Marshall to the Bears

 

 

I know this post is a little late, but I just wanted to let the acquisition marinate.   Wanted to write a blog about the Bears getting a pro-bowl wide receiver for the price of a hot dog.  I was talking to my sister, who is a Bears fan and a mental health professional about Brandon Marshall.  I told her that Marshall has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.  Her response was “Whoa! Borderline is no joke. That’s a serious diagnosis. Borderlines are the third most crazy behind schizophrenics and bi-polar.” Obviously that made me think twice about this trade.  Marshall certainly has some baggage, but perhaps reuniting with Jay Cutler is enough of safety blanket to keep Marshall sane during the season.  Marshall is without a doubt the most talented wide receiver the Bears have ever had.  Who knows how dynamic this offense can be with a real receiving threat to go with Forte.  It could be the piece that puts the Bears back in the discussion as NFC contenders.  The Phil Emery era has begun and the guy is not screwing around.  Made a big splash and didn’t have to dump a ton of cash on V Jax.  The Bears know their window for having a dominant defense is closing as Urlacher, Briggs, and Peppers keep aging.  They are doing everything to win now.  It’s good to see.  Bears are in “fuck you, win at all costs” mode right now.

 

PS: The day after the trade Jay Cutler called into the Waddle & Silvy show and just demolished Mark Silverman for saying that he was a little less excited about the Brandon Marshall trade after learning that Marshall had punched some broad in the face sunday night.  Jay just boxed Silverman into the radio fetal position in about 1.2 seconds.  Jay stood up for his boy and promised to keep him out of trouble and under his wing.  Classic asshole Cutler.  I LOVED it.  Cutler might just be morphing into the definitive leader of the team before our eyes.

 

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Browns fan a little upset that the Browns didn’t get RGIII. Takes machete to Browns flag

 

 

No word on whether or not this guy has killed himself yet.  It’s gotta suck to be from Cleveland.  They just suck at everything.  Here is my real question though…what went wrong.  Clearly this guy told you everything that went wrong with the Cleveland Browns.  I am not talking about that.  I am talking about Cleveland…the city.  Everything.  Like I bet a 150 years ago Cleveland and Chicago weren’t that different.  Just a couple of Midwestern cities growing rapidly on the shores of great lakes during the Industrial Revolution.  Flash forward to present day and Chicago is the best city in the United States and Cleveland is the worst.  I bet if you could pick up the entire city of Cleveland and drop it in Mexico…it’d be the worst city in Mexico.  We need the History Channel to do like a modern-day “A Tale of Two Cities” and explain to everyone where Cleveland went wrong.

 

So Bears fans, even if you don’t get Vincent Jackson or Mario Williams today just be thankful that you aren’t this guy.  He has a shitty football team and has to live in Cleveland.  Doesn’t get much worse than that.

 

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If this kid went to Abilene Christian Jerry Angelo would be salivating

 

Pretty good lateral quickness, but appears to be lacking top end speed.  Probably entered the draft too early.  Could’ve used another 20 years of school before going pro.  Bears fans should be hitting their knees and thanking God that the Jerry Angelo era is over.

 

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Post-Combine NFL Mock Draft

I was looking around for post-combine Mock Drafts since McShay/Kiper haven’t come out with theirs yet.  All I could find were a bunch of morons from Bleacher Report saying shit like Luke Kuechly was going in the 2nd round.  Which is ridiculous.  I am smarter than those dickheads.  So here is the best mock draft you’ll see all day.

1. Indianapolis Colts– Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Probably the most obvious number one pick ever.

2. Washington Redskins– Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Redskins trade up with Rams and finally get the QB Dan Snyder has been trying to buy for over a decade.

3. Minnesota Vikings– Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Minnesota starts rebuilding their line with a franchise type Left tackle to protect Christian Ponder

4. Cleveland Browns– Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The Browns probably want RGIII and could very well trade up to get him. If they don’t they take the best player available which also happens to be a position of need.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers– Quinton Coples, DE/OLB, North Carolina

Coples is a bit of a stretch here at number 5, but TB desperately needs a pass rush. Trading back could also make sense

6. St. Louis Rams– Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

After flipping with the Redskins, the Rams get a difference maker at WR for Bradford.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars– Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Jags really want Blackmon to slip to them, but they have holes everywhere. Adding Claiborne could quickly transform their secondary into a good one.

8. Miami Dolphins– Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

The Dolphins are going to need somebody to protect Peyton Manning’s noodle neck. An O-line bookended by Jake Long and Riley Reiff is a great start.

9. Carolina Panthers– Michael Brockers, DL, LSU

Panthers have a lot of holes on defense and never replaced Julius Peppers when he left via free agency.  Brockers has a high ceiling and would fit well as a rusher in the Panthers’ 4-3 scheme.

10. Buffalo Bills– Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

The Bills are remaking their defense and adding another beast from the SEC to the D-Line will make one level of their unit dynamic. Ingram really impressed during the combine.

11. Kansas City Chiefs– Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

Patriots-West, aka KC Chiefs, will look to get either Tedy Bruschi or Vince Wilfork with this pick.  Poe had the most impressive combine in my opinion, but I think KC opts for the future captain of their defense.

12. Seattle Seahawks– Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

Pete Carroll is a moron so it wouldn’t surprise me if he traded this pick for TJ Yates, but if he doesn’t they should try to add a dynamic pass rusher.  Upshaw, though not a perfect fit scheme-wise, is the best on the board.

13. Arizona Cardinals– Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Your father’s Cardinals are back.  This team is a mess.  They need help everywhere, but a good place to start is keeping their QBs out of the emergency room. Martin is the best option to left on the board.

14. Dallas Cowboys– Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Call me crazy…but it wouldn’t totally shock me if the Cowboys got in on the RGIII sweepstakes.  It’d take a lot to move up that far, but Jerry Jones is crazy enough to try.  They’ll likely stay at 14, and try to improve their secondary. Barron best DB on the board

15. Philadelphia Eagles– Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Vince Wilfork 2.0.  The guy is a moster and a freak athlete.  Eagles need help against the run and Poe can play either the nose in a 3-4, or a 1 gap DT in the 4-3.

16. New York Jets– Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

Jets are one of the oldest teams in the NFL and with no slamdunk pick available at 16, the smart thing to do would be to trade back and acquire more picks.  That’s not the Jet way, so they will continue to revamp the D-Line and take Cox.

17. Cincinnati Bengals– Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

Bengals definitely need help at guard.  They could go with DeCastro out of Stanford…the safe, smart, productive pick. Or they could be the Bengals and get enamored with a big dude.  Glenn has Bengals written all over him.

18. San Diego Chargers– Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Michael Floyd could be an option here depending on what happens with the Vincent Jackson situation. Having said that…corner is a position of need for the Chargers and the offense will be fine with or without a Jackson replacement.

19. Chicago Bears– Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

I don’t think Kristin Cav has ever given Jay Cutler the raging hard-on that he must have gotten watching Floyd at the combine.  He ran faster that expected.  He is the big, fast, smart, perimeter threat the Bears have needed for…well…forever.

20. Tennessee Titans– Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

The Titans desperately need pass-rush help.  There are a few guys(Vin Curry, Whitney Mercilus, Nick Perry) with about the same talent level.  If the Titans don’t trade down, they take player best suited to fit their 4-3 scheme.

21. Cincinnati Bengals– Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Cincy’s running game was putrid last year.  They could go and get the other guard with a 1st round grade here…or they could reach a little for the second best RB in the draft.  Nobody has ever taken two guards in the 1st rd and I don’t think the Bengals start a trend.

22. Cleveland Browns– Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

If the Browns take Richardson at #4, sign Matt Flynn, and take Kendall Wright here, the Cleveland Browns would suddenly have the pieces in place to be a very dynamic offense.  Wright didn’t wow at the combine, but he didn’t fall backwards into 108 catches and 15.4 yards per catch.  Wright is the perfect fit.

23. Detroit Lions– Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

The only reason Jenkins goes this low is because he is a problem child.  The Lions desperately need DB help and are probably willing to take a chance on a knucklehead like Jenkins.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers– Devin Still, DT, Penn State

Steelers need to get younger and deeper on the defensive line.  Local product Devin Still fits the bill.

25.  Denver Broncos– Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

The Broncos need secondary help, but there isn’t a lot of value at this spot on the board.  So they’ll continue to overhaul the front seven and get a dynamic interior rusher.

26. Houston Texans– Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

This is with the impending free agency of Mario Williams in mind.  Mercilus could slide into the giant void left by Williams and contribute as an edge rusher in the Texans 3-4 scheme.

27. New England Patriots– Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

The Pats biggest needs this offseason are Safety, OLB, and deep threat WR.  So it would make perfect sense the Belichick completely shock everyone again and take a Konz as he continues to rebuild the O-line on the fly.  It’s the smart move with both current Patriot centers entering free agency.  Belichick playing chess, everyone else playing hungry hungry hippos.

28. Green Bay Packers– Nick Perry, OLB, USC

Packers defense needs help.  Perry put up great numbers at the combine and has plenty of on-field production.  The last time the Packers took an OLB out of USC it worked out ok too.

29. Baltimore Ravens– David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Interior offensive line is probably the biggest need for the Ravens at this point.  DeCastro is the best guard remaining on the board.

30. San Francisco 49ers– Reuben Randle, WR, LSU

Nobody needs WR help more than the 49ers.  How they made it to the NFC Championship with that collection of dickheads beats the hell out of me.  Randle never really impressed me, but that could be because of the QBs at LSU suck hard.  I wonder sometimes if those guys were actually left handed.

31. New England Patriots– Harrison Smith, FS, Notre Dame

Obvious position of need for the Patriots.  Smith tested well at the combine and has shown tremendous instincts on the field.  He is a great play-maker.  Adding Smith to Chung, McCourty, and last year’s 33rd overall pick Ras-I Dowling(injured all season) could transform 2011′s worst pass defense into one a strong unit. Dynasty Reign.

32. New York Giants– Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

Ugh, whatever. Fuck off Giants.

 

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Phil Emery introduced as Bears new GM

 

Phil Emery was announced as the Bears new GM yesterday.  I don’t know anything about this guy other than he came from the Chiefs which means that he has worked closely with former Patriots pro personnel genius Scott Pioli.  Start of a new era of sorts.  I think any change away from the Angelo-Ruskell era has to be an improvement, but I still think the Bears need a complete overhaul starting at the very top with the McCaskeys.  Bottom 5 ownership in the NFL, which is sad because they are the original.  It’s a start, but there’s a lot of work to be done and the ties to the old regime are going to have the franchise stuck in neutral for the time being.

 

Thanks to @KyleTrompeter for the video. Nailed it.  Follow him.

 

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Et tu Bears?

(Sun Times)–The Bears began interviewing for their general-manager vacancy Monday by talking with New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht. They are looking to replace Jerry Angelo, who was fired Jan. 3. Licht, 40, got his first NFL job as a scouting assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 1995. He joined the Patriots as a college scout in 1999, then became the Philadelphia Eagles’ assistant director of player personnel in 2002. He was promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2003. After a year with the Arizona Cardinals, Licht returned to the Patriots as director of pro personnel in February 2009. Phil Emery of the Kansas City Chiefs, Jimmy Raye of the San Diego Chargers and Marc Ross of the New York Giants will interview for the job later this week. Bears player-personnel director Tim Ruskell also will be interviewed.

Well it’s mid-January, which means its time for other football organizations to start trying to fix all of their problems by hiring one of Belichick’s lemmings.  It’s a January tradition as old as time. Looks like the Bears are going to be the next team to try to steal some of that Belichick magic. The Bears’ GM search is on and at the top of their list is Patriots’ Director of Pro Personnel Jason Licht.  I don’t know one thing about Jason Licht, except that I know he doesn’t know anything.  Here is the problem with trying to hire Belichick’s guys…they aren’t Belichick.

These guys are a dime a dozen…

There is only one…

DYNASTY REIGN!!!

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Little girl Bears fan throws a fit

I am going to give this little girl the same advice I gave to the White Sox girl last week…GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN.  You are little.  You are still allowed to switch teams.  Between the ages 4 and 6 I probably changed my favorite football team like 8 times before the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe and I was then a Pats fan for life.  Point is…this girl can put on that Rodgers jersey now, and leave it on forever.  Or…she can return it for that Hester jersey and live a miserable life talking about how great the Bears were in 1985.  I am  a Pats fan, but I have a soft spot for the Bears, I really do want them to do well.  The NFL is just better when the Bears are good.  The fact of the matter is that the Chicago Bears are a joke of an organization and aren’t going to be a serious Superbowl contender any time soon.  Everything that transpired this week proves it.

Jerry Angelo deserved to be fired, but the Bears have put themselves in an awkward situation by retaining Lovie Smith.  I think Lovie is a fine coach, but the organization really can’t move forward unless they relieved Smith as well.  Whoever the new GM is will eventually want to hire is own coach.  So Lovie is on borrowed time.  He really needs everything to come together next season and make the playoffs in order to save his job.  Yet, even still he decided to fire Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz.  I believe that Lovie and Martz had “a real difference in philosophy” and that Martz is an ego-maniac dickhead of epic proportions, but didn’t Lovie know that when he hired him?  Martz’s reputation as a pass-happy arrogant asshole is widely known.  If he had such a difference in philosophy Lovie never should have brought him on to his staff in the first place.  Now the Bears have put Cutler and the rest of the offense in a position where they need learn their third offensive system since 2009.  And…furthermore, who can the Bears get as an offensive coordinator if the coaching staff’s future is murky at best?  If things go poorly in 2012 the Bears could be learning their 4th offensive system in 2013.  At that point the Bears’ already aging defense will be over the hill. Peanut Tillman will be 32, Briggs and Peppers 33, and future Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher will be 35. The defense will need a major overhaul at that point, and thanks to Angelo’s draft record the Bears don’t exactly have a bunch of young studs ready to take on bigger roles.

This organization has essentially wasted a decade when they had two great linebackers, one of the best overall defenses perennially, and arguably the best Special Teams Units in the NFL by failing to compliment them with even a decent offense.  Now, even with great talent in place at quarterback and running back(for now) the offense is in flux.  By the time they get it going, Chicago fans might be saying “man, if we only had a defense…”.

PS: Torturing your own kids looks so fun.

PPS: That little girl seems like a peach huh? Remind me never to have kids.

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Tim Tebow Mic’d up…guy is a little religious

 

Just the most positive guy ever.  The Patriots are like a billion times better than the Broncos and I am still scared out of my effing mind.  Tebow’s god is an awesome god…obvi.

 

 

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Bears WR probably inactive this weekend. Arrested for dealing drugs

(Chicago Tribune)–Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd was arrested Wednesday night outside a Chicago restaurant after he accepted a kilogram of cocaine from a confidential informant and an undercover federal agent posing as a drug supplier, according to federal charges filed Thursday in Dallas. Hurd was charged with one count of conspiring to possess half a kilogram of cocaine with the intent to distribute it. At the Wednesday night meeting, Hurd negotiated to buy five to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana a week for distribution in the Chicago area, authorities alleged. He agreed to pay $25,000 for each kilogram of cocaine and $450 a pound for the marijuana, according to the charges. Hurd said at the meeting that he plays for the Bears, gets out of practice at about 5:30 p.m. and would pay them on the next day, authorities said. Bears players are paid on Thursdays. Hurd told the undercover agent and informant that he and someone else distributed about four kilograms of cocaine each week in the Chicago area but that their supplier wasn’t able to meet their needs, according to the criminal complaint. The Bears issued the following statement: “We are aware of Sam’s arrest and are continuing to gather details surrounding it. We are disappointed whenever these circumstances arise. We will deal with them appropriately once we have all the information. Hurd, a former Northern Illinois product, signed a three-year contract with the Bears this offseason after playing the previous five seasons with the Cowboys. The veteran receiver has been primarily a special teams contributor for the Bears. “It’s sad for him,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said Thursday when asked about Hurd at Halas Hall. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but you never want to hear about one of your teammates, something like this happening to them. “He’s a good teammate. That’s what I know of him. He comes to work every day and works hard. Outside of here, I don’t know him very well. But he comes to work every day and practices hard and plays hard. That’s all I know of him. He’s a friendly guy.” Hurd was inactive for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons because of a sprained ankle, and has eight receptions for 109 yards on the season. The complaint alleged that Hurd first came to the attention of federal authorities in July when the confidential informant tipped off agents that a man — later learned to be a Hurd associate — was attempting to coordinate the purchase of about four kilograms of cocaine in the Dallas area. The associate wanted to complete the deal that day so the buyer could transport the cocaine to a northern destination that same day, authorities charged. At the direction of authorities, the informant met with the Hurd associate. After the meeting, Dallas County police conducted a traffic stop of the Hurd associate and recovered $88,000 in cash and a marijuana plant. Hurd, who owned the vehicle pulled over by police, later reached out to federal agents and claimed that he had placed the $88,000 into the vehicle and then turned over the vehicle to the associate — who worked at a car repair shop — for maintenance and detailing work, according to the charges. Hurd produced a bank statement that he said showed he had withdrawn the $88,000 from his account, but authorities said the statement did not reflect that size of a withdrawal. Hurd’s three-year contract with the Bears had a maximum value of $5.15 million ($4.15 million base total), and Hurd received a $1.35 million signing bonus. His base pay this season was $685,000. The Bears could pursue trying to recover some of the signing bonus. The investigation is being handled by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas. Hurd is scheduled to appear in federal court in Chicago at about 5 p.m. Thursday for a hearing on his transfer to Dallas to face the federal charges there.

Tough break here for Hurd.  One minute you think you got a nice little part-time job to supplement your 3 year $4.15 million dollar contract, and the next minute you are being busted by the Feds.  Now, I don’t know shit about drugs because I always had a healthy fear of my parents…and drugs pretty much freak me out, but to me buying 1000lbs of weed sounds like a lot.  I don’t even want to speculate about how much cocaine he was buying because the only thing I know less about than drugs is the metric system.  Some quick math shows that Hurd had agreed to buy $700,000 worth of drugs per week.  No wonder he only has 8 catches on the season.  Guy has an empire to run.  Any way you slice it, things could not get worse for the Bears right now.  They NEED Jay Cutler back and they needed him back yesterday.

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The Bears’ only chance to make the playoffs…

 

Never thought I’d say that.

 

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