Bears Shopping Season about to Begin
The NFL Free Agency signing period officially begins this Friday. Are the Bears gonna be buyers? Shortly after the season wrapped, Jerry Angelo said that the Bears had no major holes to fill and that he didn't expect to be in the bidding for any of the marquee guys. But this week the Sun-Times reports that the Bears will be taking a long hard look at Antwaan Randle El, and possibly a few others. That's great news, if I do say so myself. As previously discussed, Randle El would be a great addition to this franchise. By no means is he the best receiver in the league, and he's not even the best receiver on the Steelers (see Ward, Hines). But he IS a gamebreaker. The Bears clearly need a guy on offense that can make plays. Slot him along side Muhammed, Bradley, and Berrian, and all of a sudden the much-maligned receiving corps looks like one of the deepest in the league. No joke. So open your checkbook, Jerry.
A few other guys are worth taking a look at, specifically at Kicker. Both Adam Vinatieri and Mike Vanderjagt are available, and both would represent a massive upgrade over Robbie Gould. (I love ya under 45 yards, Robbie, but a trip to GNC for some “vitamins” might not be a bad idea.) Who wouldn't want Vinatieri? He's only won like three Super Bowls with his right leg. (Which is why I expect him to resign with New England.) Vanderjagt? Nah, he's an idiot. Actually, the market for kickers is unusually deep this year. Ryan Longwell and Joe Nedney are both available, and I think both would easily beat out Gould if given the chance.
The Bears could also use another Cornerback to light a fire under Peanut Tillman's ass. I'm not sure if they should break the bank on a Charles Woodson or Ty Law or anything, but there is some quality available. Will Allen of the Giants looks pretty good to me, and restricted free agent Ricky Manning, Jr. (Carolina) might be a steal if given the opportunity to sign. Elsewhere in the secondary, Angelo might want to take a look at Chris Hope of the Steelers. Mike Brown's time on the training table is starting to concern me, and Mike Green is not the answer. (If he IS the answer, I don't want to know the question.)
The usual suspects are available at QB this year, Frerotte, Couch, etc, so if Angelo's looking for a veteran backup, he might well be stuck with the one he's got. Jeff Blake. Speaking of Bears free agents, they don't have many. Hunter Hillenmeyer and Terrance Metcalf are the big “names”, and they aren't likely to draw a lot of interest from other teams. I would think Hillenmeyer is coming back, unless Angelo's got another linebacker up his sleeve. Metcalf, probably not after the Garza extension. And while we're on the subject of “not coming back”, it looks like former first-rounder Michael Haynes has played his last game in navy and orange. He just wasn't good enough to beat out Adewale Ogunleye or Alex Brown. Or Ian Scott. Or Tank Johnson, Alfonso Boone...you get the idea. The success of the defense this year really saved Angelo some wrath in regards to Haynes doing his best John Thierry impression. Expect him to be released or traded.
Finally, since I mentioned Tank Johnson, Angelo finally spoke to the media about Tank's altercation outside a night club a few weeks ago. It doesn't sound like he's going anywhere. Angelo said, “He's going to learn another lesson the hard way. But we like Tank. He's a good kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Yep, that sounds just like the guy who reportedly said, "You ain't the only one with a Glock. If it wasn't for your gun and your badge, I'd kick your ass." Yep. A standup guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Happy hunting this offseason. Go Bears!