Bears Blitz

Published by Bob Warja on March 31, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Alex Brown, who informed his teammates last week that he thinks he will be traded or released, used his Twitter account to send a message to his fans.

“I am extremely grateful for my time as a Chicago Bear and I wish the Bears the best,” Brown tweeted. “I am glad that they gave me an opportunity to realize a dream I had as a child. I appreciate the fans but as we all know this is the nature of the business. Bear down!”

While the loss of Brown seems motivated purely by money and is not a football decision, there are other issues facing the Bears’ organization as it prepares for what could be the final season for Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo.

For one thing, will Pisa Tinoisamora be brought back? He is a productive player with good speed and range, when healthy, but that’s the big “if”. His durability is in question as he played in only two games for the Bears last year.

Still, the man can play and since the team did make him a contract offer I think it’s simply a matter of time before he signs with the Bears.

And, speaking of Brown, who will help soften the blow of his impending departure? Well, if Henry Melton shows improvement that would certainly help. While he seems to lack strength, the coaches are high on him.

If they can get solid contributions from fellow second-year player Jarron Gilbert, that would help too, but there are no guarantees.

Meanwhile, the safety position remains a liability for the Bears. Kevin Payne can deliver a pop but he can’t cover anyone. Craig Steltz and Josh Bullocks don’t inspire confident either.

Danieal Manning can cover, but it’s tough to forecast his role.

Simply put, the Bears have to get an experienced safety in camp while drafting or trading for a young guy who can provide some continuity at a position that has been shaky since Mike Brown’s injured tenure with the team.

As I wrote before, if they use some of the payroll savings from losing Brown, who looks to be more of a release candidate than a trade chip now, to sign or trade for a safety, that would help add some logic to his departure.

But if they simply pocket the savings then it’s a stupid move, especially in an uncapped year.

As for the tight end position, Greg Olsen reported to camp so that’s a good sign. But really, the tight end has been little more than a blocker in Mike Martz’s previous schemes, so how he and Dez Clark fit is a bit of a mystery.

One thing that is certain is that Brandon Manumaleuna will make the team. Meanwhile, both Clark and Kellen Davis are in jeopardy, though the Bears did pay Clark a roster bonus recently.

As for the latest on the draft, the Bears have a lot more needs than draft picks at this point, as they don’t even select until round three.

The offensive line, particularly in a Martz pass-happy system would be a logical place to start, along with safety.

With Orlando Pace gone, Chris Williams moves to his original position on the left, while Frank Omiyale probably plays the right side.

But with Olin Krutz starting to show decline, it would probably behoove the Bears to draft a center and they are said to be interested in New Mexico center Erik Cook,

Regardless, Mike Tice has a huge job on his hands as he tries to transform the O-line from such a miserable performance last season.

Alex Brown might be the news of the day, but there is never any shortage of problems facing our Bears.

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