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Chicago Bears Linebackers: Need To Adjust Without Urlacher
Published: September 17, 2009
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Fans braced for the worst when word broke out after the Bears’ Week One loss to Green Bay that Brian Urlacher would have to have surgery on his wrist the following day.
Their fears were realized when following the procedure, it was announced that Urlacher’s season was finished after only one game. Not exactly what they wanted to hear since many were also still fuming at Jay Cutler’s sub-par debut.
Those fans who quickly let their emotions get the best of them were already declaring the season over after one game. Perhaps they forgot that football is a team sport that doesn’t revolve around one superstar athlete. They must have also forgotten that there were a lot of games left.
Now that they have cooler heads, it’s time for them to look at who can fill the gap created by Urlacher’s absence.
To help fill that void, the Bears signed linebacker Tim Shaw, who had just been cut by Jacksonville.
An immediate move was needed because Pisa Tinoisamoa had also suffered an injury in the Green Bay game and it wasn’t known at the time if he’d be ready for the next game against Pittsburgh. However, Shaw is far from the cure that ails the linebacker corps.
Hunter Hillenmeyer was named to replace Urlacher up the middle for the time being after years of starting on the strong side. When Urlacher went down with an injury in 2004, Hillenmeyer started all seven games in his place. Five years later, he returns to the position as a more seasoned player.
He hasn’t been selected to multiple Pro Bowls like the man he’s filling in for or fellow corps member Lance Briggs, but if he does just enough, it may not matter whether or not No. 54 is in the game.
Despite the presence of Shaw and Hillenmeyer, that doesn’t mean the Bears still aren’t looking at other linebackers who are without a team. The most notable example is their drawing interest in Derrick Brooks, a 14-year veteran and 11-time Pro Bowl selection who knows Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo from when all three were with Tampa Bay.
Brooks has just signed on to become an analyst for ESPN, but the Bears are one of several teams trying to pry him away from his new job in Bristol.
Although he’s been an outside linebacker during his career, Brooks has said he would have no problem moving to the middle. He’s 36 years old and past his prime, so any team that picks him up would be taking somewhat of a risk. As of this writing, Brooks has not signed anywhere yet.
Should any more starting linebackers be shelved at any other time this season, the Bears have other backups willing to step up.
Nick Roach started nine games for the Bears last season, so there’s experience with him. Jamar Williams has played most of his career on special teams and made only start on defense, but he needs to be ready in case he is called to be amongst the middle unit again.
Again, even though one of the recognizable names in football has been forced to call it a season, by no means are the Bears a dead team walking. Of course, players have to step up when asked if the team is going to meet the high expectations of this season.
That definitely includes the linebacker corps, which will be depended on largely for success. It’s the time for those unknown outside of Chicago, and now, they must seize it.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Bears O-Line: Don’t Hype Them Yet
Published: August 24, 2009
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Bears fans who watched the team’s preseason victory over the New York Giants will be quick to point out the success Jay Cutler had in his home debut.
One scoring play in which he was not involved was Matt Forte’s long touchdown run.
A lot of the credit on that play deservedly goes to the offensive line.
For the rest of that first half though (there’s not much to write about the second half), some fans will talk about how great the offensive line was, and therefore, is.
Don’t get me wrong when I talk about how good it was, but those fans are basing their projections on one game.
A preseason victory no less.
If you’re ready to crown this O-line the best in football, consider this: the Giants were missing six defensive starters on Saturday due to injuries, including two on the D-line.
One of the players out for New York was linebacker Antonio Pierce.
Going back to Forte’s run, Frank Omiyale, who is likely to win the starting left guard job, threw a nice block on Pierce’s replacement.
A good block by a projected starter on a backup linebacker should be expected.
Forte even made a statement to back up this idea. ”Everybody made some nice blocks on that play; I never got touched,” he accounted.
The fact that Giants safety Kenny Phillips was also held out of the game should also be considered when reading Forte’s description of his philosophy and what followed once he got an opening: “Once I get to the second level, I am looking for the safeties to see where they are because once you make a safety miss, that’s when you make a big play. The safety was already out of position, so I just cut up the field and beat him with speed.”
The Bears’ line could well be one of the top ones in the NFC, but once again, this is only the preseason.
How long Orlando Pace will hold up given his recent injury history is anybody’s guess.
This is practically Chris Williams’ rookie season as he didn’t play until the end of last season.
Really, the only constant on the line is Olin Kreutz.
That said, there’s no reason to call this O-line top-notch yet.
When the games count, we’ll see what it’s really made of.
After all, Jay Cutler can’t be the QB Bears fans are hoping to get if the line doesn’t do its job.
