Starting cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher are both becoming question marks week-by-week for their availability on Sundays.  Vasher has a wrist injury and Tillman appeared at Halas Hall today with his arm in a black sling after a shoulder injury that took him out of Sundays game.  Tillman’s replacement, Trumaine McBride, injured his shoulder later in the game and had to come out.  Safety Danieal Manning suffered hamstring troubles and will also miss practice time this week.  Oh, and don’t forget safety Brandon McGowan has already been put on injured reserve earlier in the season. 

The Bears are a leg injury to Mike Brown away from complete disaster at the secondary.  This is not a good way to go into a game against the Vikings and former teammate Bernard Berrian.  The Bears could be forced to put second year corner Corey Graham and Marcus Hamilton, just signed from the Tampa Bay Bucs a few weeks ago as their starting corners. 

Tillman and Vasher are still holding on to hopes of playing this Sunday, but neither are 100% and would have to play through the pain.  This Sunday could be a repeat on last Sunday when the Bears did a great job of stopping the run but appeared helpless stopping the pass.  The front four on defense will have to work twice as hard to get at the quarterback and create havoc.  If the Vikings pass the ball a lot, they may force the Bears to take linebackers of the field (their strength) and put an extra corner on the field (their weakness). 

The more I see of this Bears defense, the more I think we need to start talking about talented safeties coming out of college and entering next year’s draft.  Coaches are making due with safeties and corners selected in fifth and sixth rounds of the past few drafts.  Some have some talent but none are particularly ready to take on a starting role on their own.  As good as the Bears defense may be, it lacks an intimidating presence at safety to put next to Mike Brown.  Kevin Payne has emerged as a solid starter with his solid tackling and good coverage, but he cannot take on the load himself.  After a couple injuries this defense gets thin very fast in the secondary. 

The one bright spot is the Vikings commitment to the run and Adrian Peterson may force them to stick with the run and keep a more balance attack.  The Bears defense can handle stopping the run and will certainly look for payback after Peterson torched them last season.  However, at some point the Vikings will have to go to the air and if the Bears cannot find a way to put pressure on either the quarterback or the receiver, this could be an ugly game. 

Luckily the Bears still have some depth at the position.  In training camp the starting nickel back was Danieal Manning but by the end of camp he had been beaten out by McGowan for the position.  Manning will have an opportunity to step up and prove that the job should have rightfully belonged to him.

Manning already knows the position well and should not have too difficult of a learning curve to get back into action.  However, the Bears are debating the options of using Manning or leaving linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer on the field to concentrate on shutting down the run.  The problem is leaving too many linebackers could leave the secondary exposed to big passing plays.

The other element comes from opponent Tampa Bay starting former Bears quarterback Brian Griese on Sunday.  Whether the Bears go with a nickel back or an extra linebacker could dictate how difficult they want to make life for Griese on Sunday.  Griese had some mild success in Chicago but lacked consistency.  The Bears defense may contest his ability to make throws on the run.  Griese’s biggest drawback is his lack of mobility and the ability of Manning or Hillenmeyer to reach the quarterback may make the difference of which gets more playing time.

The injury to Devin Hester still remains a mystery.  He simply ran out of bounds and held his side with extreme discomfort and has been held out of practice.  Hester made an appearance at practice today but did not participate.  He told reporters he plans to play on Sunday but his availability remains unknown.

The other rumor on the block is the Bears and Lovie Smith may be interested in pursuing free agent safety John Lynch.  Smith has experience with Lynch when they both were in Tampa Bay and he might have interest in bringing him in.  In that case, Lynch would give another talented and able body to help shore up the secondary in McGowan’s absense.  The Bears took a gamble last year on Adam Archuletta and it blew up in their face.  Regardless, the Bears may take another gamble with another aging safety and see if he has any gas left in the tank.

The never ending injuries to Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher last season forced every able body to take a turn at cornerback and safety.  The return of a healthy Tillman and Vasher should allow McGOwan to concentrate on the safety position and improve the achilles heal of last year’s defense.

McGowan played in 14 games last season and started 9 games.  He finished with a career high 80 tackles and 2 interceptions.  He has all the makings for a fan favorite after making the team as an undrafted free agent two years ago in minicamp.  He played three games his rookie year but tore his ACL.  In his second season, he had to wait until the seventh game to return and promptly tore his achilles.  Last season was his first full year with the team and he responded by finishing sixth on the team in tackles.

He’s still a young player with a lot of upside and an ability to learn quickly.  If McGowan can step up and make an impact for a full season he may heal some of the pain from watching Adam Archuleta get burned deep for big plays. 

McGowan also gives the Bears an insurance policy at safety, where they have had serious issues with injuries almost every year.  Mike Brown is one of the best safeties in the game but no one knows it because he can’t keep himself of the injury list.  A full season of McGowan learning the craft of the position could give the Bears a good long-term solution.  The weakness on offense makes returning the defense to one of the most feared lineups in the league a priority.  A one year contract gives McGowan an audition to show the organization he fits into their defensive scheme. 

According to my handy Bears Media Guide, here are the list of players with expiring contracts:

Brandon Ayanbadejo

Obagemi Ayanbadejo

Bernard Berrian

Lance Briggs

Ruben Brown

Rashied Davis

Antonio Garay

John Gilmore

Rex Grossman

Leon Joe

Dante Wesley

Brandon McGowan

I’m completely amazed that all the attention has gone to Rex and Lance and people have forgotten all about Bernard Berrian. He has consistently proved himself to be the number 1 receiver on this team, even though he lines up next to Mushin Muhammed. Moose may be the more seasoned veteran, but Bernard has become one of the prime deep threats in the league. It would be foolish to let him go. The Bears have the opportunity to let Briggs go and use Jamar Williams in his place and see how well he can hold up. There is no receiver on this roster who can come close to replacing Berrian’s ability. Devin Hester may have more blazing speed but has a long way to go to learn the offensive playbook and show the solid hands we have in Berrian.

I initially felt the Bears should make Briggs a priority, but if it comes down to money, which it always does, I’d rather have Berrian. I love Briggs, but the reality is that he doesn’t make many big, flashy plays. He has become a Pro Bowler because of his solid tackling skills combined with a defense designed to flush the ball towards the linebackers. When Briggs was picked up in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft with the 68th overall pick, he was not highly regarded. It was because he flourished in the Bears defense that he became so popular. Nothing says that Briggs can flourish in another defensive scheme or that another drafted linebacker couldn’t replace him. I worry that because Briggs does not make many flashy plays that he may become a bust in his next destination. Only time will tell if I’m right, but unless he ends up with a great opportunity to play in New England or San Diego, I think he might be exposed and asked to do too much.

I will expose myself a little more and make the argument for Rex Grossman’s return. The thought of Kyle Orton and Brian Griese battling for the starting job next year is troubling. Neither quarterback gives you the hope of making the playoffs that Grossman can. He may make bonehead plays but he also makes spectacular plays that propel his team to victory. Orton or Griese could get the Bears to 8 or 9 wins, but I think with Grossman at the healm they could reach 11 or 12 wins. He is a risk taker and exactly what the teams needs to get back at the top.

As for all the rest, hopefully the Ayanbadejo boys will give the Bears a discount for signing the brothers and giving Obagemi a chance after his early season troubles. Leon Joe has been nothing short of a bust and a big disappointment. Ruben Brown will have to decide if he wants to retire or let his arm heal for another go around for a run at a Super Bowl. I don’t think anyone will really notice if Rashied Davis leaves after a houdini act of playing a big role last year and disappearing this year. Antonio Garay doesn’t even deserve me finishing his sentence. John Gilmore is a good player and contributor but is odd man out at tight end where the Bears have a deep pool of talent. Dante Wesley is cornerback and that’s about all anyone knows about him. Brandon McGowan will likely disappear and become a die hard Bears fan trivia question and joke when referencing back to the secondary on 2007 team. He’ll represent for defense what Bobby Wade represents for inept offenses of previous years.

So it comes down to only a few names. Berrian, Grossman, and Ayanbadejo. Briggs would be a welcome sight back next year but I doubt the Bears will make the investment. Jamar Williams looks too good and the Bears have too many needs in other spots on the field. Whether Briggs plays on Sunday or if he allows Williams to put on another great audition for a starting spot could be the spotlight for their game against the Saints.

Cedric Benson made approximately $620,000 for his base salary with a $4 million signing bonus for this season. He missed out on an additional bonus of $1.7 million by falling 26 yards short of 700 yards rushing. Since when does 700 yards rushing amount to a $1.7 million bonus? Were the Bears expectations for this season really that low?

Better Bet

The more motivated and talented Adrian Peterson that is willing to block and catch passes will make a base salary of $595,000 this year. I guess hard work isn’t as important as draft day hype.

Where’s Waldo?

You’d have to put Nathan Vasher in a striped shirt, glasses, and a cane to find him. I get the feeling the Bears have known for a while the season is done and are not willing to risk putting one of their long term investments at corner on the field and make his injury worse.

Broken Record

I really can’t express enough how bad that Chris Harris trade looks right now. The Thomas Jones trade couldn’t be avoided, but trading Harris was harsh and didn’t bring much in return. After seeing Trumaine McBride and Brandon McGowan play it really makes you appreciate how special Harris was coming right out of college and contributing on the field. It was too much of a gamble not to keep an insurance policy in case Adam Archuleta didn’t live up to expectations.

Moral Victory?

What’s left to play for? Pride and self-respect and nothing more. It would almost be worse if Kyle Orton came out and played well because it will make an even bigger mess of our quarterback situation.

Beat The Packers!

It’s pathetic but it’s basically all we have left. Beating the Packers and possibly having an effect on their home field advantage would be the only high point to end this season. However, considering that is the second to last game of the season, the seasoning ending game at home against the Saints will be nothing more than an excuse for me to eat buffalo wings and drink beer.

Viking Invasion

The dominance in Minnesota of the Other Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor combination makes me raise a serious question. Will the Bears defense be completely humiliated and just embarrassed? Stop laughing, that’s a real question.

Too Early?

I’m sure I’ll write several articles about this later on, but I just want to air it out now before anybody else. The first round draft pick should always be used for offensive lineman when needed. There are several examples of quality quarterbacks and running backs never being drafted and turning into Pro Bowl players such as Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, and Willie Parker. I’ve yet to see an example of a walk-on offensive lineman. It is a position that requires players of a certain size, skill, and pedigree that is almost never lost on talent scouts. Offensive Tackle should be the primary concern for the Bears come draft time, everything else comes second.