Bears Re-Sign McGowan; "Hester Rule" Shot Down; and Ocho Cinco
The NFL Owners Meetings are going on this week, and a pair of rules that directly affect the Bears were discussed:
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The "untouched fumbled snap from under center" rule, which helped the Bears
win a game against Philly, was overturned. If you don't remember, an Olin Kreutz snap slid past Griese untouched (while Griese was under center). Philly recovered and returned it to the six. But hold your horses. The Ref called back the play on account of an obscure rule stating the QB must touch the ball under center for the snap to be valid. The coaches didn't know the rule and neither did the announcers. But nevertheless, it WAS the rule and it helped the Bears win the game. But the other day they over-turned the rule. That sloppy snap happens again this year, and the Bears will lose the ball. Something to note with Grossman coming back next season.
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There was a proposal that would have prevented teams from intentionally punting out of bounds (to avoid dynamic returners like Hester.) They voted that proposal down, though, so look for Hester to get about one returnable ball every two weeks. Way to showcase your league's talent, NFL!
In other news, the Bears re-signed Brandon McGowan for one-year, $1.4 million dollars and have an offer sheet out to Rashied Davis. I'm all for both moves. McGowan was pretty solid at the end of last season (2nd on team in tackles over last 4 weeks), and at the minimum he's a good backup/Mike Brown insurance. I'd still draft a safety, though.
As for Davis, the offer is only for $900 grand, and I don't see anybody matching it. I like the offer, though. He knows the system, and he knows the routes. That's more than Booker, Lloyd, or Hester can say; and the Bears will need all the experienced route runners they can find next season.
Also, forget about Ocho Cinco. Chad Johnson was interviewed on SportsCenter last night and I remembered how much of a moron he is. I suppose he can catch a football well enough, but he can't articulate his way out of a wet paper bag. And he annoys the crap out of me. I can imagine what he's like in the locker room. "What, that's it?" "Nothing, I mean, I don't know." Thanks, Chad.
Bear down.