Dvoracek Looks Forward to Healthy Season

Defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek has an undeniable talent on the field, but he has struggled with injuries through every one of his three seasons with the Chicago Bears. Last year, he had a torn biceps that took him out of four games. Now, Dvoracek is fully healed and he is expecting a season sans injury.

The injuries have left Dvoracek determined to finish this season healthy. He said, “It’s frustrating and I’m sick of it, and that’s why I feel this is going to be a year of injury-free football. It’s obviously not the way I wanted to go about my career in Chicago, and as frustrated as I’m sure the fans and the media seem to get with me, I get just as frustrated. But that’s over. That’s already happened. I’ve been hurt. I’m healthy now and that’s how I’m looking at it. If I dwell on it, nothing good’s going to come of that. I’m just excited that I’m to a point where I’m healthy and ready to go and I have a great coach like Rod Marinelli to make me become the player that I’ve felt I always could be and that I’m going to be, so I’m just excited about that opportunity.”

Be there to see him this season with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 29, 2009 - Post a comment

Angelo Has Reservations About Jones

Pisa Tinoisamoa isn’t the only name coming up as a possible new addition to the Chicago Bears’ roster. Another name being tossed around is free agent wide receiver Matt Jones. General manager Jerry Angelo recognized Jones’ talents, but he still has some reservations because of Jones’ run-in with the law. The Bears have already had to deal with (read: get rid of) players with similar problems like Tank Johnson and Cedric Benson.

Angelo said, “Guys make mistakes, move on, and become better people. Some guys have patterns of bad behavior and continue to have those patterns. I’m not saying that about Matt Jones. What I’m saying is we have to do our homework. And then you have to look at what value that person brings to your football team irrelevant of his off-the-field issues.”

Jones has been with the Jaguars since he entered the league in 2005. Last season, he started 10 out of the 12 games he played in, tallying 65 receptions, 761 yards and two touchdowns. Angelo has already said he is ready to move forward with the current receiver corps, meaning Jones may find a home elsewhere. See the Bears this season with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 28, 2009 - Post a comment

Bears Still Pursuing Free Agents

The Chicago Bears aren’t quite done adding new talent to their roster. They were one of the teams after cornerback Roderick Hood, who eventually committed to the Cleveland Browns. Next in their sights is linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa. The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots are also looking at Tinoisamoa, so the Bears will have to put out a good offer to land the linebacker.

Tinoisamoa has been with the St. Louis Rams since he entered the league in 2003. He has been a top starter since that time. Last season, he started all 16 games and finished with 104 tackles, three sacks and two passes defended. Over his six seasons in the league, he tallied a total of 445 tackles, 10 sacks, 20 passes defended and seven interceptions.

If Tinoisamoa joins the Bears, he is speculated to play alongside Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. His addition would also cast doubt on the starting status of Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach. Tinoisamoa is familiar with head coach Lovie Smith’s defensive style as he played under Smith when he was a defensive coordinator at St. Louis. This season is sure to be an exciting one and you can get Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 27, 2009 - Post a comment

Turner Sings Cutler’s Praises

It has been awhile since the Chicago Bears added new quarterback Jay Cutler, but that doesn’t mean the buzz has died down around the Pro Bowler. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner is already licking his chops at the possibility of having Cutler at his disposal in 2009. Turner had nothing but rave reviews about Cutler, both about his athletic ability and his character.

Turner said, “We will have some designed movement plays. We’re moving the pocket with him, and then he has the ability to create things on his own when it’s not there-if the coverage isn’t what we wanted or if there’s a protection breakdown. That’s something the receivers will have to get used to and something we’ll work on definitely more than what we’ve done… His arm strength is rare. You don’t see that very often, and his ability to come in and learn [is impressive].  Really it’s everything-his demeanor around the guys, the way he’s been accepted, the way he’s handled himself coming in and saying, ‘I’m just one of the guys,’ yet he’s also showed great leadership.”

Turner helped turn quarterback Kyle Orton into s viable starter last season, and he will surely have even more success with Cutler. Be there next season with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 26, 2009 - Post a comment

CBA Discussed with NFLPA Director

Last week, the Chicago Bears were treated to a visit from DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association. He held separate meetings with the Bears coaches, players and front office personnel. The subject on everyone’s mind is the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is about to expire and will lead to an uncapped season in 2010 unless a deal is met. 28 NFL teams opted out of the CBA, and Smith is planning to travel around the country to understand why teams opted out.

He said, “I have the luxury of being the new guy. No one’s told me why they opted out. I read everything that you [media] guys read and have read everything that was said at the time. But other than what I’ve read, there have been no specifics. I don’t know if there has been any specifics about why they opted out, what factors led them to opt out, what financial conditions necessitated the decision, what analysis they employed in order to reach a conclusion that the deal wasn’t good for them.”

The former trial lawyer is used to having to prove his point, which may be the reason the NFLPA selected him to replace the late Gene Upshaw. See the Bears next season with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 20, 2009 - Post a comment

Angelo Not Ruling Out WR Addition

Could the Chicago Bears end up adding a proven receiver before the season kicks off? Jerry Angelo sure isn’t ruling out the possibility, even if he won’t confirm the Bears’ plans. One of the top wide receivers on the market it Plaxico Burress, who was let go from the New York Giants after legal problems. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said two teams were pursuing Burress, and Angelo has already said the Bears aren’t one of those teams.

He did say, however, “He could help any team. His play, his production speaks for itself. Everybody would love to have him on their team, including the New York Giants. But obviously, they are things that have to happen now for him to play in the league, get on with his life. There are a lot of hurdles to cross before you can really seriously sit here and use that as a viable option.”

Burress accidentally shot himself at a nightclub last November, leading to felony gun charges. Even if he escapes jail time, he could still be suspended by the league. The New York Jets are one team pursuing Burress. Even if the Bears don’t add anyone else, this will be an exciting year for the offense. Be there with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 19, 2009 - Post a comment

Smith Still Focused on Defense

Some have been wondering if the Chicago Bears will turn into a offense-focused team with the arrival of new quarterback Jay Cutler, but that is far from head coach Lovie Smith’s plan. Cutler may be a Pro Bowl quarterback, but Smith said, “I don’t think anything will change as far as our philosophy on winning football games. We have to be able to play great defense; not good defense, great defense. And we plan on doing that. Special teams are a big part of what we do, and then the offensive part comes into play. Most fans and most people in general want to know exactly how the offense will do, and we plan on winning games with our offense too.”

The comments don’t mean that Smith isn’t very impressed with Cutler. So far, Cutler has been at every offseason workout and has been turning into a leader in the locker room, according to Smith. The team’s president and CEO Ted Phillips has already noticed a difference in the team’s morale since Cutler’s arrival. This year is inevitably going to be an exciting one for the Bears. Make sure you are there with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 18, 2009 - Post a comment

Holmgren Sees Good Things for Cutler

The addition of new quarterback Jay Cutler has the entire league looking at the Chicago Bears differently, and the well-respected Mike Holmgren is now weighing in on what he thinks Cutler will be bringing to Chicago in 2009. He has room to talk, having worked with Brett Favre during his early days in the league.

Holmgren said, “”We played against Jay in Denver, it may have been his first start. He was a little wild, but he has really good ability. He can really throw it. And I didn’t begin to comment on how he’s developed and things like that because, but he went to the Pro Bowl. And he’s a young quarterback. And I know this, those guys are hard to find. They really are. If you have one then you have to cultivate it and build up a trust and ride that horse all the way. And it surprised me a little bit, to be honest. I think it’s a wonderful thing for the Bears. I think the Bears have always been a difficult team to play, and their defense has always been very, very strong. And they’ve always had some question marks over the years at quarterback, and this seems to have solved that problem. I expect it to be a very good thing for Chicago.”

See how right he is about the Bears next season with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 15, 2009 - Post a comment

Cutler Impressing NFL Analysts

Jay Cutler has completely flipped upside down how the NFL analysts look at the Chicago Bears for the 2009 season. One such analyst, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, took the Bears, who missed the playoffs last season, and ranked them number four in his power rankings. The rankings put the Bears right behind the Patriots, Steelers and Giants, teams that have all won Super Bowls in the past few seasons.

King said, “Cutler’s a big-time player, and I suspect we’ll find out over the next few years if he has nerves of steel and can win the big game… Every year I like to pick one team to make an illogical jump because or two teams always do. The Bears are my team this year. I think their defense is good enough and Jay Cutler will be a major difference-maker on offense.”

The Bears also bolstered their offensive line after adding Cutler, making sure he will be protected. With Matt Forte and Cutler as a pair, the Bears offense should look like it hasn’t in many, many years. This will be one of the best seasons to see in person, so make sure to get your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 14, 2009 - Post a comment

Vanderbilt Gives Bears Top Talent

Some colleges are known for being perennial favorites for the next big thing in the NFL, such as USC and the University of Michigan. The Chicago Bears have taken a slightly different route and looked at an unlikely school who obviously knows how to create top players: Vanderbilt. The Bears have five players from Vanderbilt on this year’s roster, and the names are pretty impressive. Jay Cutler is from Vanderbilt along with Hunter Hillenmeyer, Chris Williams, Earl Bennett and D.J. Moore.

General manager Jerry Angelo said, “I was told many years ago, by a true giant in this business, that when kids come out of those schools, they also take a quantum step in the league. They were more prepared to come into the league because they were more grounded, understood how to balance academic load with football load, needed less structure, meaning they could handle time and money better, because they had to balance football and school 50-50, vs. maybe 80-20 at some football-first programs. They’ve had to carve out ways to get better at football while maintaining a high academic standard. You know they haven’t hit their ceilings because they haven’t been able to devote the time yet to football that you can at the perennial football factories. If they have enough talent, and that’s the key, they play to their ceilings.”

The 2009 season is looking promising for the Chicago Bears, in no small part thanks to the players listed above. See all of them this season with Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on May 13, 2009 - Post a comment


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