By Brad Biggs
Today marks the first day that NFL teams can begin releasing players, the beginning of the official offseason now that Super Bowl XLIV is behind us.
The Bears don't have a lot of candidates to be outright cut. Most of the players who depart have expiring contracts, with defensive end Adewale Ogunleye and running back Adrian Peterson being two examples. The club could negotiate with Ogunleye at some point. Peterson probably will not return.
Cornerback Nathan Vasher could be in danger of being released. There's no such thing as having too many cornerbacks on the roster, but Vasher has had opportunities to regain his status over the last two seasons and he finished last season as an occasional contributor.
Today marks the first day that NFL teams can begin releasing players, the beginning of the official offseason now that Super Bowl XLIV is behind us.
The Bears don't have a lot of candidates to be outright cut. Most of the players who depart have expiring contracts, with defensive end Adewale Ogunleye and running back Adrian Peterson being two examples. The club could negotiate with Ogunleye at some point. Peterson probably will not return.
Cornerback Nathan Vasher could be in danger of being released. There's no such thing as having too many cornerbacks on the roster, but Vasher has had opportunities to regain his status over the last two seasons and he finished last season as an occasional contributor.
Vasher is set to make $2.95 million this coming season and also has a
$500,000 workout bonus. He has made just 11 starts since signing a $28
million, five-year extension before the 2007 season. That's a lot of
money to pay a player who doesn't figure into the nickel package.
The only problem for the Bears is they don't have established depth at cornerback behind Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman, starters who have dealt with injury issues over the last two seasons. Corey Graham seems to have fallen out of favor. D.J. Moore could barely see time as a rookie and might be too short to be a regular contributor at his generously listed height of 5-9.
The question becomes: Do the Bears want to cut a veteran who knows the system before they have a replacement on board they can feel comfortable with? In the past, general manager Jerry Angelo has given a nod of respect to veterans who have gone about their business professionally and released them sooner rather than later in order to aid their chances on the open market. For instance, the Bears released Marty Booker last Feb. 13. It's impossible to say that same fate awaits Vasher, but it wouldn't be a surprise.
"The offseason will be interesting. We will see. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to,'' Vasher told the Tribune after the season finale in Detroit. ``I'm not concerned with anything I can't control right now.
"Definitely, I can still be a starter in this league. We'll worry about anything else when it happens. I am definitely excited about the future.''
With today being the first day players can be released, here are some other key dates:
Feb. 11-25. Window for clubs to designate franchise/transition players.
Feb. 24-March 2. Scouting combine in Indianapolis.
March 5. Free agency begins.
March 15. First day clubs can open offseason programs or host a minicamp.
March 21-24. NFL annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
April 15. Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 22-24. NFL draft.
May 24-26. NFL spring meeting in Dallas.
June 1. Deadline for old club to send tender offer to RFA and UFA to retain rights.
July 15. Deadline to sign a franchise player to a multi-year contract.
The only problem for the Bears is they don't have established depth at cornerback behind Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman, starters who have dealt with injury issues over the last two seasons. Corey Graham seems to have fallen out of favor. D.J. Moore could barely see time as a rookie and might be too short to be a regular contributor at his generously listed height of 5-9.
The question becomes: Do the Bears want to cut a veteran who knows the system before they have a replacement on board they can feel comfortable with? In the past, general manager Jerry Angelo has given a nod of respect to veterans who have gone about their business professionally and released them sooner rather than later in order to aid their chances on the open market. For instance, the Bears released Marty Booker last Feb. 13. It's impossible to say that same fate awaits Vasher, but it wouldn't be a surprise.
"The offseason will be interesting. We will see. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to,'' Vasher told the Tribune after the season finale in Detroit. ``I'm not concerned with anything I can't control right now.
"Definitely, I can still be a starter in this league. We'll worry about anything else when it happens. I am definitely excited about the future.''
With today being the first day players can be released, here are some other key dates:
Feb. 11-25. Window for clubs to designate franchise/transition players.
Feb. 24-March 2. Scouting combine in Indianapolis.
March 5. Free agency begins.
March 15. First day clubs can open offseason programs or host a minicamp.
March 21-24. NFL annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
April 15. Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 22-24. NFL draft.
May 24-26. NFL spring meeting in Dallas.
June 1. Deadline for old club to send tender offer to RFA and UFA to retain rights.
July 15. Deadline to sign a franchise player to a multi-year contract.
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Goes to show how STUPID Angelo is as a GM!!! FOR GOD SAKES McCASKEYS FIRE HIM!!! HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S DOING!!! How can u justify paying Vasher all that money a few years ago and he wasn't even the best CB at that time either! LET THE FIRE ANGELO WATCH BEGIN!!! I love my Bears, but I hope they miss the playoffs next year just so they change the management and coaching for the better!
The Bears have a lot of iffy positions (probably too many to address in one off season) and no 1st or 2nd round picks. Some players are probably going to have to traded for picks. Here's my view on needs / potential players to be traded for (ideally) 2nd round picks (potential starters)
Offense - needs
1. O-Line Current players are old/not productive. Too many players look done (Pace/Kreutz/etc).
2. RB to complement Forte
3. Number one receiver, prefereably one who knows Martz's offense (Holt?)
4. Tight end (blocker more than receiver) - Olsen does not fit new offense, Clark is getting older.
Tradeable parts - Olsen (not great, true...also does not fit Martz's system, could have value as pass receiver for another team). One of the young receivers (Aromashodu or Knox - they both seem to be the same type of receiver), Hester (potential as difference maker on special teams may be worth decent pick to another team).
Defense - needs
D-Line - never understood why Angelo traded 2nd round pick for another team's failed player (the unfortunate Adams). With no 1st round pick hanging on to the 2nd round pick was essential. In the absence of good alternatives they probably should bring Wale back. This group could use some upgrades, but not sure this position is as critical as others.
CB/Safety - Except for Tillman, a mediocre group. May need to use draft picks to improve.
Tradeable parts - Briggs (hate to say it, but he is the guy most likely to bring a high draft pick, and LB is one spot the Bears have the most depth). Tillman (May have to do it, Bears need draft picks)
Overall - don't be surprised if some of your favorite Bears are playing for another team next season. The more you look at this team, the more obvious it becomes that the rebuilding process (including new GM/new coach) should have started now instead of later.
WHAT HAPPENED NATE? WHAT HAPPENED "INTERCEPTOR"? IT SEEMS THAT THAT LEG INJURY HE HAD A COUPLE YEARS BACK JUST ABOUT ENDED HIS CAREER, HE HAS NEVER BEEN CLOSE TO THE SAME SINCE.
Candidates to be released:
-Vasher--well explained by Biggs
-Tommie Harris--you just cannot pay a guy all-world type money and get intermittent flashes of talent
-Hillenmeyer--solid backup MLB, but if we are bringing Tinoisamoa back, we should let him go and use Roach, Williams, and Shaw as the rotation on the strong side and middle as depth
-Dez Clark--If we are going to use Olsen like Kellen Winslow, we really don't need Dez in the mix.
-Kreutz--one year left, and despite his injury this year, we need to start planning for the future at center
-Pace--no way we pay him multi-million $ deal to back up Williams.
I would be reluctant to part with some other guys unless we have a replacement in mind on the roster. We could either get better with the projected deluge of bad contracts being dumped in an uncapped year into the FA market, or we could see a lot of teams staying conservative and not picking a lot of these guys up.
But now is the time, if you ever wanted to send a message to underperforming players (Hester, Harris, Urlacher, etc.), when you can cut them and make them find their true market value, which would be significantly less than they are being paid today.
Please move Tillman to safety!
"Biggest bust last 5 years" C'mon, are you serious? Vasher had a phenomenal rookie year which is one more phenomenal year than #4 pick Cedric Benson had. It is interesting to note that apparently being from UT does not portend a bust since they both are from there. That being said, neither has set the world on fire when considering their "body of work" for their career.
The question is: what can/ will they do with that money? We should be resigned to the fact that while our offense may improve by reducing turnovers, our defense probably will not. Too many holes and very few means with which to fill them. My hope for 2010 is Cutler survives, some youngsters arrive, and our new coach has some substance and draft picks.
The Bears should have kept Chris Harris. Vasher is the biggest bust in the last five years. I hope the Bears like shopping cause that's their only option this off season.
Well that and his crappy play the last few years
Send him packing! Please find someone who can cover and tackle.
GO BEARS!