Trade Rumors and Free Agency
There has been a lot of speculation lately that the Chicago Bears are looking to trade former first round pick Greg Olsen. Why they would even consider this as an option is mind blowing. As we have seen from several other teams, a big receiving tight end can be a huge threat offensively and can cause all sorts of problems for opposing defenses. Just look at guys like Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis even. Now please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that Greg Olsen is the next Tony Gonzalez but why can't he be? In fact they're both listed as 6 ft. 5 in. and Olsen is just 1 pound heavier than Gonzalez so they're build is basically the same. But I digress. With Mike Martz now running the offense it doesn't sound like Olsen will have such a big role right? Well, I disagree. Jay Cutler is known to love his ends as he has shown in Denver with Tony Scheffler (who by the way is also 6-5 250) and now with Greg Olsen. Olsen's numbers have been increasing every year since he joined the league and there is no reason why that should change. The Bears have previously used Olsen as a receiver in the slot and Mike Martz can easily find ways to use his talents. So maybe Olsen sees a little less of the field than he's used to because of his inability to block thus making his numbers slide a little. If you use that argument I'll buy it. But to trade away a guy with as much receiving talent as Olsen, is a move that could haunt this team for a while.
I do agree the Bears need an earlier pick than the one they currently have (3rd round 11th pick or the 75th pick overall) but why not move a guy like Devin Hester? I know I've talked about this before but it make more sense to me to trade Hester than Olsen. With the emergence of Devin Aromashodu at the end of last season plus the remarkably acrobatic catches that Earl Bennett made several times this year and the speed and talent of Johnny Knox, Hester, the converted cornerback doesn't sound like he's going to be needed that much.I would be shocked if the Bears couldn't work out a deal to get a least a second round pick out of him if not for his receiving talents, then his returning abilities.
Let's talk free agency. While Julius Peppers is a huge name and a high priority for the Bears, I'm not sure its the best move for the team. Don't get me wrong, if they do sign Peppers it would be the best free agent signing of this team since Jerry Angelo took over as GM. However, for the amount of money Peppers will demand, would it be a good idea to try to go after two lesser named free agents instead? Perhaps Aaron Kampman from Green Bay, assuming that he has fully recovered from his ACL tear and with the left over money maybe try to go after recently released safety Antrel Rolle from Arizona. We know that the Bears need to address defensive end, safety and offensive line, so this may be a good route to take.
Speaking of big name free agents on the market, how about Brian Westbrook? Now I know future hall-of-fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson is out there, but LT is going to want a starting running back's salary and with the way he played last season, I don't see him getting it. Both running backs are the same age and height, but LT is 18 pounds heavier than Westbrook and has been in the league for a full year more. I think it would be easier to convince Westbrook to accept a back-up role than LT. Both backs have excellent hands and will fit in perfectly in Mike Martz's system but if Westbrook is cleared of all his concussions issues, I can see him being more of a threat than the great LT.
You may call me crazy for even suggesting to bring in a running back, but lets be honest, Forte needs a back-up to help him carry the load -especially if he struggles again- this season. Think about who is lined up behind him: Kevin Jones? Can't stay healthy, Garrette Wolfe? Really? Adrian Peterson? He should only play special teams. Kahlil Bell? I haven't seen enough of Kahlil Bell to say anything, and 40 rushes for 220 yards is a 5.5 yards per carry average, but would you rather Brian Westbrook of Kahlil Bell?
Let's talk something else. Let's talk Blackhawks hockey. After watching several Blackhawks players compete in the Olympics, one thing became very clear to me. Goaltending can make or break your entire season. Now I've heard rumors that the Hawks have finally realized that they need a seasoned veteran and are looking in to players such as Florida's Tomas Vokoun and Montreal's Jaroslav Halak. All I have to say is, PLEASE! Christobal Huet has proven time and time again that he is not worthy or able of taking us deep into the playoffs and Antti Niemi just isn't ready. Vokoun would be a great pick-up but he's 34. Halak is just turning 30. The main problem will be Huet's ridiculous contract which has him making 5.6 million for the next 2 years. Pay attention to the the trade deadline which is March 3rd at 3 p.m. Eastern time, it could be the the most important hour for the Blackhawks this season.
I do agree the Bears need an earlier pick than the one they currently have (3rd round 11th pick or the 75th pick overall) but why not move a guy like Devin Hester? I know I've talked about this before but it make more sense to me to trade Hester than Olsen. With the emergence of Devin Aromashodu at the end of last season plus the remarkably acrobatic catches that Earl Bennett made several times this year and the speed and talent of Johnny Knox, Hester, the converted cornerback doesn't sound like he's going to be needed that much.I would be shocked if the Bears couldn't work out a deal to get a least a second round pick out of him if not for his receiving talents, then his returning abilities.
Let's talk free agency. While Julius Peppers is a huge name and a high priority for the Bears, I'm not sure its the best move for the team. Don't get me wrong, if they do sign Peppers it would be the best free agent signing of this team since Jerry Angelo took over as GM. However, for the amount of money Peppers will demand, would it be a good idea to try to go after two lesser named free agents instead? Perhaps Aaron Kampman from Green Bay, assuming that he has fully recovered from his ACL tear and with the left over money maybe try to go after recently released safety Antrel Rolle from Arizona. We know that the Bears need to address defensive end, safety and offensive line, so this may be a good route to take.
Speaking of big name free agents on the market, how about Brian Westbrook? Now I know future hall-of-fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson is out there, but LT is going to want a starting running back's salary and with the way he played last season, I don't see him getting it. Both running backs are the same age and height, but LT is 18 pounds heavier than Westbrook and has been in the league for a full year more. I think it would be easier to convince Westbrook to accept a back-up role than LT. Both backs have excellent hands and will fit in perfectly in Mike Martz's system but if Westbrook is cleared of all his concussions issues, I can see him being more of a threat than the great LT.
You may call me crazy for even suggesting to bring in a running back, but lets be honest, Forte needs a back-up to help him carry the load -especially if he struggles again- this season. Think about who is lined up behind him: Kevin Jones? Can't stay healthy, Garrette Wolfe? Really? Adrian Peterson? He should only play special teams. Kahlil Bell? I haven't seen enough of Kahlil Bell to say anything, and 40 rushes for 220 yards is a 5.5 yards per carry average, but would you rather Brian Westbrook of Kahlil Bell?
Let's talk something else. Let's talk Blackhawks hockey. After watching several Blackhawks players compete in the Olympics, one thing became very clear to me. Goaltending can make or break your entire season. Now I've heard rumors that the Hawks have finally realized that they need a seasoned veteran and are looking in to players such as Florida's Tomas Vokoun and Montreal's Jaroslav Halak. All I have to say is, PLEASE! Christobal Huet has proven time and time again that he is not worthy or able of taking us deep into the playoffs and Antti Niemi just isn't ready. Vokoun would be a great pick-up but he's 34. Halak is just turning 30. The main problem will be Huet's ridiculous contract which has him making 5.6 million for the next 2 years. Pay attention to the the trade deadline which is March 3rd at 3 p.m. Eastern time, it could be the the most important hour for the Blackhawks this season.
posted by Aharon Friedman | 2:20 PM
4 Comments:
I agree with you about Olsen, makes no sense to trade him.
I must say that just because Olsen's numbers seem to be increasing every year, it does not mean he is at the top of his game. Also, a trade can create a closer sync between team members and Olsen's replacement. Thus, the move to trade him has the potential of turning the slacking Bears gameplan around.
The most important position that needs to be filled is the quarterback spot. Perhaps the biggest downfall of the Bears last season was the lack of quarterback skills in their quarterback lineup. Much like hockey, the player who drives the game is usually the one central figure and in the sport of Football, that would be the quarterback position. With that in mind, the Bears should be focusing more on filling the quarterback position with a veteran of rookie quarterback who has proven himself to 'play through the pain.'
A good balance between the defensive line and the offensive line is the key to the Bears success next season. Obviously any trade would create some change, and with that comes the re-adjustment process. The best thing the Bears could do at this point is pick up a veteran player like LT who has proven time and time again that he can lead his team to victory. The only downfall to this choice is that LT has of late not shown his full potential and it could be risky to bring him onto an already unstable team. However, with great risk comes great reward, and at this point the best option for the Bears with their draft pick position in mind, is to pick up a good veteran player that has the potential to lead the Bears to a winning season and back to a Bears team that once had a defense that made other teams resent playing them.
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