Williams’ Starting Spot in Jeopardy
Ron Turner, the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator, talked with Larry Mayer about how the Bears offense is doing so far in training camp and commented about the different positions. He stated that the competition for the starting quarterback spot between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton is still as tight as ever, and that the receivers are still competing for their chance to start.
While the Bears had big plans for first round draft pick Chris Williams at left tackle, Williams has been out with an injury. According to Turner, this might change things in the lineup. He said, “He needs to get back soon. He needed to get back a few days ago. Now, I’m not saying he can’t play because he hasn’t been here, but that position, offensive line, you’ve got to get work… He’s got to get the feel for the speed of the game and everything else, all the adjustments, everything else that comes with it, and the only way you can get it is being out there.”
So it looks like Williams’ starting job is not secured and he might be facing a backup position for at least he beginning of the season. See how the changed offensive line works this season by getting Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.
Kreutz Practicing After Being Out with Injury
Olin Kreutz participated in his first practice of training camp on Tuesday. He has a sore Achilles’ tendon that kept him from practicing up until now. Kreutz is a six-time Pro Bowler and the offensive line desperately needs his presence as center. In his typical hard working fashion, Kreutz told reporters he wasn’t happy about getting to rest longer and said, “You’ve got to get your work in, so I’m glad to be back.”
There are two major reasons that Kreutz needs to be back o the offense. The first is that last year’s offensive line was ranked ninth from last in how many sacks they allowed with 44 and they also had a less than amazing running game, averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Although weak players in both the quarterback and running back position are partially to blame, the offensive line definitely has some room to improve.
Which brings me to the other reason Kreutz needs to be on the field. In an effort to boost the strength of the line, most of the line has been shuffled with new players being added in. Metcalf is a starter for the first time while rookie Chris Williams will be starting as well. Unfortunately, Williams is still out with a back strain. The sooner the Bears can get their entire offensive line healthy, the sooner they will know if the new lineup will work.
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Forte Earning His Starting Spot
Rookie running back Matt Forte is already impressing Chicago Bears coaches, teammates and fans with his skills and the season hasn’t even started. With the Bears dropping Cedric Benson due to, er, personal problems, Forte has found himself in a good position this season. He told the Rockford Register Star, “Everybody is looking for the rookies to step up. Running back is a position where you can make a lot of impact because it also affects the passing game. The better you run the ball, it’s going to help out the offense.”
And from the looks of things, Forte will be helping out the offense quite a bit. He is what teammates like quarterback Kyle Orton are calling “an all-around running back,” and the Bears couldn’t be happier to have him. They recently added veteran running back Kevin Jones from the Detroit Lions to supplement the position, but all eyes seem firmly fixed on Forte. The Bears are a little wary about putting too much faith in a rookie like they did to Cedric Benson, but Forte is proving that he has what it takes. He is blocking like a veteran, catching like a receiver and run with the best of them. Fans will be excited to see what he does this season, so get Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com and be there to witness it yourself.
Hester Signs New Contract
The Hester holdout is over. The Chicago Bears signed the special teams standout to a deal worth $40 million. One of the reasons it took the Bears camp so long to come to a deal was not knowing how to treat Devin Hester. The pay scale for a special teams player is lower, but the Bears are trying Hester out at receiver this season. Considering the deal, which signs Hester through 2013, the Bears have decided to consider Hester a wide receiver. He told AP, “I think the Bears have a lot of faith in me, and they feel that I do a lot of things on the offensive side of the ball, so they rewarded me.”
At training camp, Hester is already showing some promise at receiver, making the Bears’ confidence in their decision grow. Maybe the staff member to most benefit from the use of Hester is defensive coordinator Ron Turner. He told AP that Hester looks ready to pick it up on offense and is already further than he was last year as far as training goes. The Bears will definitely welcome any help they can get offensively, and hopefully Hester will be just what they need.
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Hester At Training Camp After Missing First Days
The Chicago Bears have tied up most of their loose ends when it comes to contracts and signed a variety of players from first-round draft pick Chris Williams to perennial powerhouse Brian Urlacher, but they still have one more to decide. There has been talk during the offseason about the Bears’ decision to move special teams standout Devin Hester to the wide receiver position, but Hester is also looking to up his pay. He surprised many by not showing up for the first days of training camp, but returned on Friday to start participating. While his agent, Eugene Parker, is reportedly in contract negotiations, no deal has been reached.
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub is happy to have him back and told Larry Mayer about having Hester back, “It’s great for him. I think it’s going to up-lift everybody, kind of like when [Brian] Urlacher came in during OTAs and lifted the whole spirit of practice. I think that’ll be the same thing when he comes.”
With the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Hester could potentially be fined thousands of dollars for the camp that he missed. Hopefully the Bears can work out a new contract soon because they will need all of Hester’s concentration to transition him into the offense. See how well he does this season yourself by getting Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.
Last Rookie Inks Deal
Left tackle Chris Williams didn’t have to tell the Chicago Bears to “show me the money” because the Bears were already ready to open their wallet to the first-round draft pick. With little time to spare before the first practice of training camp kicked off, Williams agreed to a five-year contract. The deal is worth $16 million and guarantees him almost $10 million. Williams said he wasn’t looking to hold out on the bears and put the pen where he mouth was on Wednesday. He told Larry Mayer, “If a man doesn’t have his word, he really doesn’t have much of anything. I told them I’d be in camp and both sides did the best they could to get me here on time.”
Williams was chosen 14th overall in the draft and the Bears seem to have big plans for him. He hails from Vanderbilt and plans to bring the same intensity he played with there to the Bears. His presence has meant a reshuffling of the offensive line and moving John Tait from left tackle to right tackle. The offensive line has been criticized in the past, but this year’s line looks to change all of that.
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Lovie Still Coy About Quarterbacks
The Chicago Bears’ quarterback situation is still up for grabs and head coach Lovie Smith refuses to get pushed into making a premature decision on who will fill the role. The struggle is between Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman. While Grossman seems to have the most potential for big plays, he also seems to have a propensity toward fumbles and interceptions. Orton may be the safer choice, but he isn’t going to put up any big numbers.
The Bears seem to be, like many other years, stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place when it comes to quarterback. Smith has set a deadline of when he will likely make a decision, telling the Chicago Tribune, “Going into the last week you’d like to have things in place. The third preseason game of the year (Aug. 21 against San Francisco), that’s normally the game you play the guys you plan on going to war with most of the time.”
Although the debate of who will be quarterback rages on, it is almost more interesting to look at the other positions that are getting shuffled around like the offensive line and running back. Since we have virtually the same quarterback situation we have been stuck with for a few years, the offensive line could provide the needed difference to make either Grossman or Orton more effective. With Kevin Jones and Matt Forte at running back, the running game could either be incredibly explosive or sadly lacking. Find out for yourself by getting your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.
Urlacher Holdout Over
The Chicago Bears have extended the olive branch to Brian Urlacher and a very expensive olive branch at that. Urlacher has been pushing for a new contract with a higher pay and has so far rejected any offer from the Bears until now, when he signed the new contract. The deal features an added $18 million along with a $6 million signing bonus according to the Chicago Sun Times. The money is on top of the $57 million, nine-year contract that Urlacher signed in 2003. The new contract also locks Urlacher in until 2012.
At 30 years old, Urlacher has 15 interceptions in his career, 37.5 sacks and been invited to the Pro Bowl six times. It makes sense that the Bears would go the extra mile for Urlacher. Even in the Bears’ weakest seasons, Urlacher has given fans a reason to watch Bears football. He isn’t the type of player you let go over contract disputes. He had gained fame the way only a small group of Bears have before him and is worth keeping around. The Bears still have left to sign first-round draft pick and left tackle Chris Williams.
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Training Camp Prepares for Bears
The Chicago Bears are slowly trickling into training camp and Bourbonnais, Illinois this week and those involved are furiously preparing for their arrival. Training camp is held at Olivet Nazarene University and official begins at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The support team, managers and coaches have already started to filter in while the players will arrive on Tuesday. Olivet has hosted the training camp for the last six years, and year number seven looks to be just as great. Spokesman for Olivet Gary Griffin told the Daily Journal, “The Bears will always have good attendance. This is one of the top three camps in the entire league. We’ve heard that repeatedly from the media and the NFL.”
The Bears and their fans require more than just good organization, however. Last year, there were 135,000 pounds of ice bought, 5,760 hot dogs sold, 3,500 small Domino’s pizzas sold and 64 gold carts rented to name a few of the supplies needed to run such a successful camp. Griffin said, “It’s still hard work. This camp affects so many areas. We are dealing with players, coaches, visitors, residents and the ONU staff.”
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Williams on the Verge of Deal
The Chicago Bears are close to closing a deal with Chris Williams. The 6’6” 312-pound tackle was chosen in the first round by the Bears as the 14th pick overall. He is reportedly going to be offered a five-year contract that will guarantee him $9 million. Williams hails from Vanderbilt, where he gave up only two sacks in his last 1,558 snaps. He was also first team all-SEC as a senior. Out of the first round picks, only four have signed. His agent, Bill Johnson, told the Chicago Tribune, “We have exchanged dialogue and proposals. I respect the Bears’ diligence in working toward a timely resolution, particularly with training camp right around the corner.”
Williams is the last of the Bears draftees to sign, but there is a new monkey wrench now that the Bears have signed veteran running back Kevin Jones. Jones puts the Bears over the 80-man roster limit if they sign Williams. Two other Bears are waiting on contract extensions and they happen to be stars Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester. Hopefully, all of them will be signed soon, and you can see them by getting your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.