Thread: The Bears are who we thought they were.

This off season, Emery needs to go after OL in the draft AND a QUALITY free agent. Not a bum. Not an old geezer like they did with Orlando Pace. Get a guy with some tread left on the tires.

And yes, maybe this is the year they have to go with oline in the 2nd and 4th round too. We need a decent LB in the 1st to be Urlacher's eventual replacement.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

This off season, Emery needs to go after OL in the draft AND a QUALITY free agent. Not a bum. Not an old geezer like they did with Orlando Pace. Get a guy with some tread left on the tires.

And yes, maybe this is the year they have to go with oline in the 2nd and 4th round too. We need a decent LB in the 1st to be Urlacher's eventual replacement.

I wouldn't go for a MLB in the first round. We need more offensive players, and fast. We need another good wide receiver in the first two rounds. We need another offensive lineman in the first two rounds. Hell, we probably should try drafting two offensive linemen in this draft within the first four rounds like someone said earlier. As long as Lovie Smith is coaching, we will always be beholden to the defense, so it's going to be up to Emery to grab as many talented offensive players as is humanly possible. We are not far from competing for a Super Bowl, but we need more solid offensive linemen, young offensive linemen, and more wide receivers from this draft.

I can't overstate the necessity enough that we need to sign one of the three big left tackles in free agency this year (Long, Bushrod, and Clady). Carimi needs to get through his one year grace period of growing pains and get better in a hurry. His suckage is so bad that instead of having to chip on just the left side of the line for Webb, we're also having to do it for Carimi as well. The only two linemen who are blocking well or at least doing a decent job are Lance Louis and Roberto Garza. I think Louis has the potential to become a Pro Bowler one day, and as for Garza, he was already a Pro Bowl Alternate in his first season as a center.

I've talked to one of the other members of these message boards quite extensively about this undeniable fact, but Tice has to either be demoted back to offensive line coach or fired altogether. He's the worst play caller at offensive coordinator I have ever seen. He runs when he needs to pass, and he passes when he needs to run. His basic strategy is to run up the middle on first and second down, get into shotgun and run or pass out of it, and then hope we don't have to drop back and punt or turn the football over. I knew before this game on Monday night that we wouldn't win simply because we were going up against the best defense in the National Football League, but I didn't realize just how bad our offense, most specifically, the offensive line, could be. Aldon Smith absolutely school the left side of the offensive line, and the other three members of the line didn't do so well either.

Bottom line: we're going to be very lucky to win 9-10 games this season with the putrid play of this offensive. As it turns out, the defense had no answer for what Colin Kaepernick threw at them, and that opened up the running game because we were dropping back deep into coverage on every play with the threat that Kaepernick was going to chuck one deep on us. Our coaching has to get better; our basic fundamentals of the game are pathetic.

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

I am hoping that against lesser competition that we will not look as bad. If we make it to the postseason though.... well, that could get ugly again.

The only game I see us perhaps winning hands down is against the Cardinals, but then I remember that they have a pretty good defensive unit as well. There are no "gimmes" the rest way except for them and maybe Detroit. Seattle is pretty good and has a good defense. Even the Cardinals have a good defense. We will not beat Green Bay, and I highly doubt that we beat Minnesota this year. So, at best, I really think we'll finish 9-7 and finish just shy of the playoffs. We just don't stack up well against good teams. In fact, we've only beaten one good team this year, which was back in Week 1 against the Colts.

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

Yeah. None are easy. Just easier. Hopefully that is enough.

Do I think we can beat the Vikings? I think we can. We'll have to give Webb and Carimi plenty of help, though. Most of their sacks come from one source, Jared Allen. If we can double team him and maybe have someone chip on that side of the line, I think we might have a chance. But Tice is going to have to get more creative with the playcalls. I can almost tell you what is coming every down judging strictly on his tendencies.

Originally Posted by MPBears68

JABF, before Sunday's eye-opening crow-eating shitfest I was thinking along those lines. My priorities have changed significantly since. How could they not? It's obvious now that the total suckitude of the OL is threatening the season, losing games, destroying the offense, and killing our QBs. No sane person could deny it.

Sorry, but a 1st round MLB just fell a few notches on my priority list. Urlacher has been playing better and better over the last few weeks and even though he's never going to be back to his old self, he's still damn good. We need to get another 1-2 years out of him and I think we can.

The OL needs 2 new starters way more than the D needs a new MLB prospect. Open your wallet, Ginny, because the only we are getting a good LT for next year is to buy one and it won't be cheap (whatever it takes cap wise, it must be done...trade/dump Hester, not joking one bit). And then use the 1st round pick on the best interior guy available. It wouldn't surprise or bother me if both the 1st and 2nd round picks were used on the OL. It's been an eyesore for so long.

Hate to say it and I do like Shea a lot, but hindsight is 20-20 and we should have used this year's 1st on DeCastro or Cordy Glenn instead. At least then we'd have one less glaring hole to fill.

You're right. I'm wrong on this. We do need to shelf the "LB in the 1st round" idea. That's sad, because it sure looks to me like Urlacher has lost considerable speed and quickness. He's also missed some easy tackles.

But we're in such a horrific hole with this oline, that we're in full-blown crisis mode.