Boomer’s Mailbag 1-29-11
A couple of days ago I wrote a little post to thank everyone for joining me for this past season and to encourage folks to stick with us through the offseason. I also asked for topics to cover during the offseason and my pleas were answered with a lot of nice notes from some loyal readers with some great questions. I figured I’d like it up and go with it in a feature I’ll call Boomer’s Mailbag for lack of a better title.
If I don’t single your question out, it’s nothing personal. I’ll try to get to as many as I can and give you as much insight as I can. If you want to get in on the next Mailbag segment, just send me a note with the Subject Line Mailbag to beargoggles.boomer@gmail.com. So, let’s dive into the mailbag after the jump.
Ryan asked:
"heres a couple of things I would like to get your take on, but mostly I was wondering what you think of Logan Mankins situation in New England and if he doesn’t sign, if we’d spend the money to get an All-Pro gaurd at an OBVIOUS position to fill. The other one is Nnamdi Asomugha, I was very dissapointed in Tim Jennings play vs the Packers and Charles Tillman is getting older, and not near the CB that Asomugha is. What is your take?"
I know that the free agent questions will be coming fast and furious this offseason. Whenever you get thisclose to a Super Bowl, everyone want a quick fix. There’s one really big question that hangs over any and all free agents and that’s the upcoming CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) wherein the owners will lock out the players. While there will be a draft, no players are allowed to be traded and it’s unsure what the parameters for free agency will be under the terms of the new labor agreement. I’m not trying to cop out on the answer, but it’s really hard to speculate about who the Bears might bring in when you don’t know the rules.
With all of that said, Mankins is clearly a top free agent target. He’s a Pro Bowler and would definitely help shore up the interior O-line. Check out this short post about Mankins for another take on it.
As far as Nndami, there are a couple of problems. #1 is the price tag. A top CB will command BIG bucks and the Bears are pretty deeply invested on the defensive side of the ball. #2 problems with Asomugha is that he’s not a prototypical Cover-2 corner. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, because he’s a lockdown corner, but if Lovie’s around, I doubt they go after him.
Zach asked:
"With Cutler obviously getting killed all season long and then the “final blow” coming in the championship game why hasn’t the bears been working on there offense line? It seems that in the draft the past couple of years they always go for skill positions, yes we need those but I feel that a strong offensive line will make any skill position better. So I was just wondering if you could let me know if the Bears are going to work mostly on the offensive line or at least the offensive side of the ball?"
The Bears’ offense clearly has some catching up to do to get to the level of the defense and the best place to start is the O-line. I would be stunned if the Bears didn’t address the offensive line multiple times throughout the offseason through the draft, free agency and even possibly another trade. Kreutz and Garza are getting longer in the tooth, Omiyale is a swing lineman at best and Webb and Williams appear to still be projects. The Bears need to start grooming replacements for Kreutz and Garza as well as improve the play up frontWe’ll talk about the offensive line a lot during the offseason, but rest assured, this will be addressed.
Paul wanted to know:
"Do you think the Bears would consider signing Nhamdi or V jacks ?"
I already touched on Nnadmi above, but V-Jax (that’s Vincent Jackson for those not in the know) is a compelling possibility for Jay Cutler and the offense. He’s a big body and would immediately be the #1 wide receiver on the team by a healthy margin. VJax brings some baggage, which might complicate things on offense. I will say that I’d much rather see the Bears fill their need at wide receiver with a proven or at least experienced player. We’ve been watching young wide receivers try to develop for the last couple of years and frankly, we don’t have time to keep watching and waiting and hoping.
Ryan couldn’t get enough and asked another question, in 27 parts.
"Hey Boomer, I sent you an email regarding key free agents Nnamdi Asumagha and Logan Mankins and the possibility the Bears will spend the money to get them. I was also wondering if the Bears would pursue Albert Haynesworth if he was released from the Redskins. I think his career could be revived in Chicago under Marinelli and the attention being on Peppers.Haynesworth will be back in a 4-3 defense he loves so much. Also, other big name free agents I think could help with the Bears would be Sidney Rice, Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks, Ray Edwards and Haloti Ngata.One last thing I can think of, at the moment, is which free agents do you think the Bears will be bringing back. Key players such as Caleb Hanie, Rashied Davis (I like his special team play), Devin Aromashadu, Dezmond Clark, Olin Kruetz, Anthony Adams, Matt Toeania, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Corey Graham and Daniel ManningWhich, if ANY, key free agents this season could you see the Bears pursuing? I would like to see them pursue any of the above mentioned, any others you have in mind? Also, which players do you see the Bears bringing back for next season?"
Ryan, thanks to you my mailbag is overflowing. You’ve given me enough material in this question to fill about 5 posts. Let me just touch on the Albert Haynesworth thing in this mailbag and we’ll look at outside free agents as well as Bears free agents in some upcoming posts, so you’ll have to stay tuned.
As far as Haynesworth goes, I would think that it’s unlikely that the Bears go after him. The Bears are one of only about 15 teams that run a 4-3 defense so it makes to think that the Bears could be a possibly landing spot. He also showed he still has something left in the tank when he helped the Redskins beat the Bears in Soldier Field back in October. I think part of it would be the money and/or giving up picks to acquire him. Check out this post o CSN Washington for their Top 5 Destinations for Albert.
Remember, you can get featured in the next Mailbag article if you send your e-mails with Mailbag in the Subject line to beargoggles.boomer@gmail.com.