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what you did there i see it..................but i dont think you tired to do itOriginally Posted by fraij da 5 11
Dont worry Casper, you and your crew will be ghost by week 16 anyways
Just wanted to give you a glimpse of the throwback jerseys Chicago unveiled just before the madness of Tuesday's 2010 schedule announcement. Below, you'll see the entire 1940's-era uniform the Bears will wear for two games this season. Those games will be announced at a later date.
I'm on board. The simpler, the better as far as I'm concerned. You?
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/11734/checking-out-the-bears-throwbacks#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5119984">http://sports.espn.go.com.../enlarg...idth=640,height=750,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">
cool with me
this is my thing ive been hearin that since we picked him i hate hate hate when my teams pick somebody that couldnt stay healthy be for he became a proOriginally Posted by fraij da 5 11
Wootton is nice if he can keep the knee healthy...
Major is the only player yall really got in this draft aside from Wootton whos a question mark IMO.
Bears fans on other boards were FIENDING for Morgan Burnett before the draft and the Pack snatched him up
Peppers gonna do his best to make up for a mediocre draft though
Originally Posted by CasperJr
Just wanted to give you a glimpse of the throwback jerseys Chicago unveiled just before the madness of Tuesday's 2010 schedule announcement. Below, you'll see the entire 1940's-era uniform the Bears will wear for two games this season. Those games will be announced at a later date.
I'm on board. The simpler, the better as far as I'm concerned. You?
Originally Posted by THE GR8
^^ sounds good to me. what was he undrafted?? that size and speed combo at safety is
Originally Posted by RKO2004
Originally Posted by CasperJr
Just wanted to give you a glimpse of the throwback jerseys Chicago unveiled just before the madness of Tuesday's 2010 schedule announcement. Below, you'll see the entire 1940's-era uniform the Bears will wear for two games this season. Those games will be announced at a later date.
I'm on board. The simpler, the better as far as I'm concerned. You?
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/11734/checking-out-the-bears-throwbacks#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5119984">http://sports.espn.go.com.../enlargePhoto?id=5119984','Popup','width=640,height=750,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">
cool with me
i ready brought it during that 20 bucks off code on the ea siteOriginally Posted by CasperJr
Originally Posted by RKO2004
Originally Posted by CasperJr
Just wanted to give you a glimpse of the throwback jerseys Chicago unveiled just before the madness of Tuesday's 2010 schedule announcement. Below, you'll see the entire 1940's-era uniform the Bears will wear for two games this season. Those games will be announced at a later date.
I'm on board. The simpler, the better as far as I'm concerned. You?
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/11734/checking-out-the-bears-throwbacks#/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5119984">http://sports.espn.go.com.../enlargePhoto?id=5119984','Popup','width=640,height=750,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;">
cool with me
They look pretty OK.
You getting Madden this year right? I can see abusing the Chicago Pooh Bears in those uniforms.
[h1]Bears' Chris Harris day-to-day with back sprain[/h1]
August 1, 2010 12:31 PM | No Comments
By Vaughn McClure
BOURBONNAIS -- Bears safety Chris Harris said he is day-to-day after spraining his back during Saturday's morning practice.
Harris won't practice Sunday afternoon.
"Backs aren't anything you want to rush," Harris said. "But I don't think it's anything severe."
Harris being sidelined means more opportunities for Craig Steltz and Josh Bullocks with the first unit alongside strong safety Danieal Manning. Rookie Major Wright also could get a closer look after breaking up three passes in Saturday night's full-pad scrimmage.
Cornerback Tim Jennings plans to practice Sunday and he continues to deal with cartilage issues in his knee. Jennings sat out Saturday.
Both Brian Urlacher and Olin Kreutz are expected back at practice Sunday after getting the night off Saturday.
[h1][/h1][h1]Cutler watch[/h1]
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Jay Cutler and offensive coordinator Mike Martz on the sideline during the first day of camp. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune / July 30, 2010)
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BOURBONNAIS â It was an interesting first training camp practice in the Mike Martz era for Jay Cutler.
The quarterback initially was out of sync with his receivers, but he heated up quickly when the Bears started practicing seven on seven and in full team drills.
Cutler had not worked with his receivers for the last three weeks, so the initial rust was understandable to Devin Aromashodu.
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"It was the first day back for everybody," the wide receiver said. "We were a little off early. It's usually like that the first day. Once we got the muscle memory going, everybody got back into the groove. (Cutler) looked good."
The highlights included deep balls to Devin Hester and Johnny Knox, the target of nine of Cutler's throws. Cutler's only attempt to Earl Bennett also was a long ball, but Zack Bowman picked it off on the sideline.
[h1]Day 2, Cutler Watch: QB works with his RBs[/h1]
July 31, 2010 11:12 PM | 1 Comment
Jay Cutler chats with WR Johnny Knox. (AP / Nam Y. Huh)
By Brad Biggs
While tight ends were the focus of the first day of practice for quarterback Jay Cutler, it looked like there was a concerted effort to involve the running backs in the passing game Saturday.
Cutler looked to Matt Forte, who made 120 receptions in his first two seasons, and Chester Taylor, who the Bears signed in free agency partly because he was such a skilled third-down back in Minnesota. The backs were targeted 12 times by Cutler in 7-on-7 and full team drills combined.
Taylor did a nice job getting open out of the backfield for about a 20-yard pass down the right sideline and later Forte made a nice play on a deep ball. The backs were not just catching check-down throws, they were getting out in the pattern, a staple of the Mike Martz offense.
The only interception of the day of Cutler's came when defensive end Julius Peppers made a leaping play to pick off a screen pass intended for Taylor.
[h1][/h1][h1]Peppers' presence should lessen need to blitz[/h1]
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Julius Peppers takes a break during his first training camp practice as a Bear. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune / July 30, 2010)
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If Bears are blitzing more with his sack potential, something will be very wrong
BOURBONNAIS â So the Bears are going to blitz more than last year? Sorry, but I'm not taking a bite of that worm.
If the Bears have to blitz more, then signing Julius Peppers was a waste.
Hey I love a good blitz as much as the next guy, but any defense works best when the fewest amount of pass rushers can create pressure. Sending more than four after the quarterback too frequently exposes holes in coverage.
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Rod Marinelli's Bears defense isn't set up to blitz like Buddy Ryan's defenses were. Or like Rex Ryan's defense is, for that matter.
The Bears blitzed too much last year. Not that they had a choice. They blitzed because they weren't generating enough heat on the quarterback with four. And then they didn't generate enough heat with five or six or more.
But this season, they should be able to disrupt passers without an over-reliance on the blitz because of Peppers. And the team has worked diligently to make Peppers a one-man blitz.
Marinelli is going to be playing a shell game with his star defensive end. Peppers will be moving from right to left and back, and maybe even to tackle or standing up.
"If they can find him, hats off to them," Marinelli said. "I've done this enough that I think we can get a guy in position."
What Marinelli wants is to get Peppers an advantageous matchup. Given Peppers' ability, that usually just means a one-on-one.
When Peppers was with the Panthers last year, opponents probably made some kind of protection adjustment for him about 50 percent of the time, and much more frequently on passing downs. Often, it was a running back chipping him. Sometimes it was sliding the protection. Other times it was getting help from a tight end.
When opponents tried to single block Peppers, he usually made them pay.
"This is a little different from Carolina as far as getting matchups, finding the one on ones, dissecting the scheme, teaching us how the opponent is blocking us, and being able to attack the line," Peppers said. "Having that knowledge, and being able to have the freedom to go to that side is good."
Peppers said sometimes it will be his call where he lines up. Other times it will be Marinelli's call. Where he will line up could depend on strength of the offense, formation, the personnel package, or down and distance.
"It's a lengthy decision process that takes into account a lot of different things," Peppers said. "Sometimes it's based on how they come out of the huddle, sometimes it's based on how they line up. We're doing it like that so teams can't get a bead on where I'm going to line up, and to give them something different every couple of snaps."
Marinelli tinkered with a similar system when he coached Simeon Rice with the Bucs for five years. Not coincidentally, those were the five of the most productive years of Rice's career. And with Peppers, Marinelli hopes to take the system to another level.
Peppers said he has gone through some mental gymnastics, but it hasn't been too taxing. He said ultimately, it's football, not calculus.
In addition to the mental demands, Peppers also has to be comfortable with the physical challenge of flipping his stance. But he's not the only one who needs to be comfortable with two stances. Mark Anderson and the other ends must as well.
"Some guys don't feel comfortable with it," Marinelli said. "It's one thing being a good athlete, but it's still different playing both sides and getting comfortable and having your fundamentals down. He has done it consistently."
Peppers has shown the versatility to change sides in his career, as he has been a full time and productive on both sides in the past.
And he has the potential to be more productive than ever this year.
"I feel I will have an opportunity to get more sacks," he said. "I know the opportunity will be there. It's on me to try to take advantage of it."
Blitz? Did someone say blitz?
[h1][/h1][h1]Bears' Anderson inspired to have big season[/h1] [h2]Fifth-year DE is dedicating 2010 to late teammate Gaines Adams[/h2]
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Mark Anderson takes a break during the first day of training camp in Bourbonnais. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune / July 30, 2010)
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BOURBONNAIS â The image etched across Mark Anderson's left hand is hard to decipher upon first glance, but a closer look makes clear its meaning.
The initials "G.A." are surrounded by a halo and angel wings as a tribute to Gaines Adams, the Bears defensive end who died of a heart attack in January. Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison has the same tattoo on his left hand.
"With Gaines, it's a sad situation that happened," Anderson said. "This season is kind of for him. I know he was working hard. I know he was a good guy, a good teammate, a good friend off the field.
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"I just want to go out there and go hard because I know he'd be doing the same thing."
The previous descriptions of Adams, an undersized but promising young talent who never reached his full potential, could characterize Anderson as he heads into his fifth season. The Bears signed the restricted free agent to a one-year, $1.759 million tender, figuring Anderson, 27, had more to offer as a complement to Julius Peppers than Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown.
"The Bears have a lot of confidence in me," Anderson said. "I've got a lot of confidence in myself. I felt good about this offseason. I think it's going to be a big year."
Since exploding onto the scene in 2006 with a 12-sack rookie season despite only one start, Anderson has only 9 1/2 sacks in 46 games with 16 starts.
The Bears need the rookie version of Anderson back as they attempt to re-establish a strong pass rush. They had only 35 sacks last season, 24 by the line. Peppers brings 81 career sacks from his years in Carolina but can't do it alone.
So why will this year be different for Anderson? Well, the arrival of five-time Pro Bowl selection Peppers should make Anderson's work off the other edge a lot easier.
"He's always asking questions, just thirsty for knowledge," Peppers said of Anderson. "As far as the maturity level and the professionalism, I see those things. And that's where it starts. Once he starts doing all those things, that's when it translates into numbers and success on the field."
Anderson tried to explain why his production has fallen off since his rookie season.
"I've been trying to do a lot of different things instead of sticking to what I do best," he said. "Now I'm going back to the basics."
Anderson admitted he tried too hard to incorporate other players' moves into his game the last two years.
"Take the spin, for example. I tried to use the spin," Anderson said. "That's not really my game. I mean, I can do it, but it's not like what I do. I have a certain move I like to do â straight, basic speed rush and counter inside move â and now I'm just going to stick with it. That's what got me my 12 sacks."
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli agreed Anderson was pressing a bit.
"You don't have to have 20 things," Marinelli said. "Three things and then a counter. Coming off the ball correctly and the footwork. It's more about concepts than moves.
"I feel real good about Mark this season. I feel good about Izzy (Idonije) and Corey Wootton, this big young horse. They know the emphasis. We've got to find a way to get a four-man rush."
And if Anderson needs any added motivation, all he needs to do is glance at his left hand.
[h1]Bears receiver Iglesias frustrated with injury[/h1]
August 6, 2010 7:51 AM | 1 Comment
By Brad Biggs
BOURBONNAIS -- For all the talk Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith have had about Juaquin Iglesias this offseason, it's time for the second-year receiver to show something at training camp.
He knows it.
Iglesias has missed the last five practices with a minor quad injury. He's done some light running on adjacent fields the last two days and is day-to-day. But each practice that passes, another opportunity to state his case for a roster spot vanishes.
"Man, I think about it all the time," Iglesias said of the missed time. "I am out here trying to battle for a spot and when you're not out there practicing and guys are out there making plays, it's frustrating. At the same time, I can't rush it and come out here and tear my quad or something like that. I just have to take my time. You have to be healthy first. It is frustrating big time."
Photo: Juaquin Iglesias catches a pass during a June minicamp. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Iglesias was a third-round draft pick from Oklahoma in 2009 and Angelo likely won't give up on a high selection quickly. But Iglesias has to pass the test with offensive coordinator Mike Martz and also prove what value he has on special teams. He was active for only one game as a rookie and didn't appear on offense.
But Iglesias worked diligently during the offseason. He gained five pounds and weighs 200 this year. He immersed himself in Martz's playbook and believes he's ready to prove he can play fast.
Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu and Earl Bennett look to be the top four wide receivers. The Bears could keep one or two more depending on how it breaks down at final cuts. Rashied Davis got extended time with the first unit in Thursday's practice. He's also the most handy of the bunch when it comes to coverage teams on special teams. Iglesias will be competing with him and Eric Peterman, the second-year undrafted free agent from Northwestern. Antonio Robinson and Greg Mathews have also made some plays with the second team.
Time isn't running out on Iglesias. Angelo places high value in his draft picks and Iglesias had 142 receptions and 15 touchdowns his final two seasons at Oklahoma. He did the right things during the offseason. Now, he needs to be able to make it pay off.
[h1][/h1][h1]Knox catching on early[/h1]
[h2]But that just may be because of where he lines up and makeup of Bears defense[/h2]BOURBONNAIS â One week into training camp it would appear Jay Cutler has a new favorite target, or Mike Martz does anyway.
But the new offensive coordinator said it's just by chance that receiver Johnny Knox has been targeted considerably more times than the other options in the offense after nine practices. According to the Tribune's chart of 11-on-11 and seven-on-seven drills to this point, Knox has been targeted 55 times, 16 more than Devin Hester and Greg Olsen.
"We're installing right now and depending on the coverages the ball will go different places," Martz said. "Everything we script is just plays going in so it depends on what the defense is doing. Because of our defense, some of what we're doing, the weak side is going to get kind of emphasized."
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Knox is operating on the weak side and one of the holes in the Cover-2 is the space between the weak-side linebacker and cornerback, a hole for a quick slant that Knox runs well.
"We're just out there taking what the defense gives us," Knox said. "It all depends on Jay's progression and read."
Devin Aromoashodu, who became a favorite target for Cutler late last season, is fourth with 32 passes his way and he has the highest percentage of catches on balls intended for him at 78.1.
Running backs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor are next and the work has been pretty evenly distributed between them.
Now with retired former star Isaac Bruce helping in camp, the hope is he can share some nuances of the offense with the young group. Bruce had nine 1,000-yard seasons in his career and was a main cog in the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf. The Bears don't have a 1,000-yard receiver on their roster. He said his goal is to help make the players more confident.
"I don't see much missing (here)," Bruce said. "I see guys who can make plays. You have a quarterback who can wing it. I always like that. You have guys on the outside who can make plays, who are fast and who can run routes without breaking down. When you have guys like that in this offense, it's always good."
[h1][/h1][h1]Harris should provide lift[/h1] [h2]Oft-ailing defensive tackle appears healthy as Bears look for boost from defensive line[/h2]
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Tommie Harris at training camp. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune / July 30, 2010)
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BOURBONNAISâ The Bears are counting on being better on defense this season but they're not putting all the burden on Julius Peppers and a healthy Brian Urlacher to accomplish that task.
Fact is, the defense had moments of mediocrity before Urlacher was lost for the season in the opener last year. There is no question he should help a lot, especially in the base Cover-2, but he can't do it alone. As freakish as Peppers is, he isn't a one-man wrecking crew.
The newly incarnated Lovie Smith defense now under the direction of Rod Marinelli needs to be better across the board, starting up front.
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One week into training camp, one reason for hope could be the biggest surprise at Olivet Nazarene. It doesn't have anything to do with a newcomer, shift in philosophy or recent discovery. Instead, it's Tommie Harris, the defensive tackle who is entering his seventh season. The Bears completed their ninth practice Thursday and Harris hasn't missed one, something few would have predicted.
After all, Harris has been treated with kid gloves here in recent summers. He was shut down at the beginning of camp last year and finally, tired of being badgered by reporters, offered up that he had undergone offseason left knee surgery. This is the first time since entering 2006 that he hasn't had to rehabilitate from an offseason surgery.
"I would say my confidence is a lot higher than it was," Harris said. "Last year, I had no confidence. I didn't really know what to expect because I didn't practice and I didn't do anything, no minicamp, nothing.
"Basically, it's getting back to knowing your keys, knowing what to do and breaking the game down. That is what I feel like I am able to do now. I can trust in my leg."
In the past, the Bears were mindful of wanting to have a fresh Harris in the fourth quarter of games in November and December. They used that as an explanation for the practice routine he had, which was scaled back during camp and the regular season.
Still, he was only in on 56.8 percent of the snaps in 2009 and 56.1 percent in 2008.
Now, they want to work the 27-year-old. He has been through two challenging seasons, suspended by Smith for a game in 2008 and benched for one last season. That type of problem seems to be in the past, but the only measuring stick is his performance when it counts.
"He's in there, he's getting padded up every single day. In this game and in what we're trying to do, practice is everything," Marinelli said. "It's skill development. The key is lining up and getting the work, and he's doing that."
The rest of the line also has to elevate its play. The thinking is that with Peppers attracting double-team blocks and chips on his side â the Bears are going to move him all over â the end on the opposite side should have a healthy share of one-on-one opportunities.
Call if the Jared Allen Effect. Ray Edwards has blossomed playing opposite him in Minnesota, notching 8 1/2 sacks last season and getting four more in the playoffs. Mark Anderson and Israel Idonije are being called on to fill that role.
"They understand the importance of the one-on-ones," Marinelli said. "They play very hard. They're both tough. They'll play their run gaps well. Now it comes down to who can win the one-on-one because those guys are going to get some singles now. They have to win them."
Anderson seemingly would have the edge with his pass-rushing skills. He had 12 sacks as a rookie in 2006 and Idonije has eight for his career. But Anderson has been a mystery wrapped inside an enigma since, and has posted only 4 1/2 sacks the last two seasons. The Bears aren't going to wait much longer for him to develop.
The defense is counting on help from all over, not just from the man who will make $20 million this season and the face of the franchise. The line is a good place to start looking.