Bears Release Moose; Extend Brown
I saw this headline on ESPN.com today, and my jaw just about hit the keyboard. For some reason, I thought they were referring to Mike Brown. Turns out it was Alex. Alex's extension is no less surprising, but it's a lot more warranted.
Alex Brown was benched this season in favor of Mark Anderson, and that was clearly a major mistake by the coaching staff. It seemed like a good move at the time, with Anderson collecting 12 sacks in part-time play in '06, but put into action it was not so hot. Anderson simply could not stop the run for crap. He's still an excellent pass-rusher, but he's more of a Simeon Rice type. Effective on passing downs only. When Brown was put back into the starting lineup for the last three games, there's no question that the defense was more effective. And with this signing only being a two-year extension, it shouldn't break the bank.
As for Moose, I can't say I didn't see this one coming. The Bears will end up releasing Moose with two years left on his five-year deal. Some people would look at the raw numbers and call this signing a mistake. Not me. As mediocre as Moose was these last few years, he was a tremendous step up for the team when the Bears signed him in 2005. He instantly gave the receiving corps legitimacy, when they had absolutely none. (Let's put it this way, Bobby Wade and David Terrell were the leading receivers in 2004.) He was a professional receiver, and the other "receivers" on that '05 roster were Justin Gage and Bobby Wade. Bums through and through. Moose put a rookie Kyle freaking Orton on his back and led an offense that was good enough to reach the playoffs. So signing Moose was a good move, even if the length of the deal and the amount of money paid per catch didn't quite add up.
The only thing curious about this move is the status of Bernard Berrian. Are the Bears going to franchise him? If Ron Turner is coming back, re-signing Berrian is now a must. You can't have Devin Hester be your most experienced receiver on the roster. If so, next year will make the '04 Bears look like the '89 Niners.
UPDATE: The Bears also decided to release Fred Miller and Darwin Walker. The Miller release was a no brainer, as he was basically a turnstile all season (though he was productive his first two seasons.) But at 35, it's not likely that he'll get better any time soon. As for Walker, his signing was a massive bust. He signed a 5-year deal at the start of camp, and it seemed he should have been able to step right in for the departed Tank Johnson. He did anything but. Injured most of the year, he just didn't get the job done. Here I wonder if the Bears trainers have done there due diligence, on both sides. Did they a) check him out fully before giving him the 5-year deal, and b) check him out fully before granting his release? If it really was just a few nagging injuries, maybe he could have returned to being productive. He's not that old. Oh well, it seems the Bears are on a mission to clean house, and that mission includes wiping away every ineffective part of the miserable 2007 Bears. Miller, Walker, and Moose fit that description perfectly.