As the Bears’ Tight End Situation Turns
Published by John Hatelak on April 12, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
This is an offseason that just keeps giving storyline after storyline.
Will Martz and Cutler find a connection, and live happily ever after? (organ note) Daaaaaaaaaaah!
Will the young receiver group be able to adapt to the complex Martz-timing offense? Daaaaaaaaaaah!
Will Matt Forte’ rebound from a sub par sophomore year, and give the Bears one of the best one-two running back punches in the NFL? Daaaaaaaaaaah!
Will Rod Marinelli be able to have enough control over the defense to find some very necessary tweaks? Will he be able to find effective tweaks? Daaaaaaaaaaah!
I could go on and on. Honestly I could fill an article with just soap opera type questions. If only I had the actual organ theme notes to accent my questions after I ask them.
But the one that’s got my attention most at the moment is this whole tight end thing.
Currently they have six listed tight ends on the roster, and if you count the recently acquired Eddie Williams via Washington cut casualty, who’s listed as a full back, but more then likely will be used as an H-back, that’s seven tight ends.
I guess we’ll avoid any tight ends in the draft this year.
First, lets get Brandon Manumaleuna out of the way. He’s the only sure thing at tight end. I won’t go into why since we all know that by now.
Let’s get to the rest of the individuals involved in this melodrama.
We have Richard Angulo, who, at first blush, may cause you to immediately write off as just a guy added for competition, and has really no shot at making the team. But, when you find out that Mike Tice actually encouraged him to sign with the club, and fits the Martz power blocker mode of tight end, this guy may be a dark horse, but not as big a surprise to make the team as one would have originally thought.
Then there’s Kevin Brock who is a nice sized tight end with good measurables out of Rutgers (6’5″ 255 pounds, 4.6 40). He was first released at camp by the Panthers, and then was picked up and cut by two more teams till the Bears picked him up and added him on the practice squad in late November of ’09.
The Bears have since signed him to a future contract. He should be cut or re-added to the practice squad, which is unlikely.
Eddie Williams was actually a pass catching tight end at Idaho, where he played so well he was named team MVP in ’08, his senior season. NFL.com described him on his combine page as a player who, “looks like a fullback and plays like a wide receiver.”
Here he’ll be an H-back so that pass catching ability will come in handy. Obviously he’s a guy they thought highly enough of to pick up, and sign despite having a roster loaded with tight ends. A guy who can block, and catch passes out of the back field? Sounds like a Martz kind of guy to me.
Desmond Clark was given a half a million dollar roster bonus the same day the Bears went on their monumental spending spree. So you figure he’s got to be a sure bet to make the roster right? Wrong! As a matter of fact I’ll be shocked if he actually made the team.
He’s been an amazing warrior for us, and produced more than one could imagine when he was first signed. But his age, injury issues, and a loaded roster full of tight ends probably makes him the odd man out.
He’s a good blocker, but not a power blocker. He’s best at chipping, and then releasing down field to either catch a ball as a hot read, or block down-field on backers, and DB’s for long running, or passing gains. That’s what wide receivers are for in Martz’s eyes.
Tight ends need to go toe to toe with defensive ends around here. The fact Clark missed voluntary workouts should be an indication of his inevitable release or perhaps even his announced retirement. The money he got was probably good will severance pay that the Bears like to do to keep a good rep around the league with its labor force.
One of the reasons I believe Clark is gone is because of Kellen Davis. A guy I like, and have liked since he was drafted. He’s big, has ball skills, being an ex basketball player he should be wonderful in the red zone (being 6’7″ doesn’t hurt), a soft pair of hands, and is a willing blocker.
You have to love a guy who goes out of his way to announce his desire for a rematch with the Vikings, because he can’t wait to give All Pro defensive end Jared Allen what for. Try that one Olsen. I’ll get to him in a moment. But I don’t see this guy getting cut. I think he showed a lot last season, and he has the trust of quarterback Jay Cutler. He’s young and an Angelo draft pick. He stays.
Now to Olsen.
Recently he surfaced via twitter to state how he never wanted to be traded, and how it was all the media’s fault, and he’s feeling good about his role with the team. This after a month of speculation that he wanted out, and the Bears wanted him out just as much. Being it took that long for him to answer to the allegations that he asked for a trade wreaks of suspicion.
Now, since it’s looking less likely that the Bears will be able to move him, as he, and perhaps the team first thought, and he has a good chance of staying, it is now time for him to do some PR work. I’m guessing he thought so highly of himself that he expected teams to be lining up to trade away a king’s ransom for his so called pass catching services.
What a splash of cold water reality this must have been for him.
Maybe that gets him hungry? Maybe that gets him to work on his blocking, and he rises to the all around tight end status like Jason Witten of the Cowboys? And maybe the banks will forgive all our high financial debts and wave off all our remaining loans to help us get through these dark financial times.
I expect the Bears to beg, plead, and bargain their collective tushy’s off to move Olsen during a draft day move that could land them in the second, or maybe even first round of the draft to get their much needed stud free safety.
Hello Bill? Jerry here.
But if that doesn’t go down he will be back, and Martz will find a way to use him. Can you say big nonathletic H-back/slot receiver who can’t block? Have fun with that Mike.
My guess is if Olsen is gone Williams, Davis, and Manumaleuna are your tight ends. If not, add Olsen, subtract Williams and try to sneak him to practice squad.
Soap Opera concluded.
Well till Cutler’s next pick, and the facial expression break down, and how that makes him a bad leader, and how we should have kept Orton because he is better debate anyway. Can’t wait for that one.
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