Brown heads to a Kansas City Chiefs defense that ranked 31st in the league last season.  He will compete for a starting spot against Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page. Check out what the Chiefs might expect from Brown when he’s at his best:

Thanks for the memories #30!!!

• Word over the weekend that starting right tackle John Tait is thinking retirement. This leaves ‘rookie’ Chris Williams and undrafted free agent Cody Balogh as the only tackles signed to the roster. Methinks free agent tackle John St. Clair’s price tag just went up.

• The Bears cut ties with wide receiver Marty Booker and veteran safety Mike Brown. Book was largely ineffective in his return to the Bears last season, but did make this highlight reel catch against the hapless Lions earlier this season:

• Meanwhile the oft-injured Mike Brown spent more time in recent years on the sideline than on the gridiron. I’ll never forget the back-to-back INT returns for scores in overtime games back in 2001. I was at the Cleveland game and had all but given up. Check out this Best of Brown list here. Thanks for the memories Brownie!!

These departures  highlight a few of the areas where the Bears need to add depth during this offseason. Hopefully GM Jerry Angelo can make better adjustments to his draft plan than his coaching staff can make to their game plans. If not, it could be a rough 2009 season.

• Meanwhile, over on the Free Agent QB carrousel, add former Buc Jeff Garcia to the mix.  I’ve never been a fan of Garcia from back in his days in San Francisco and the journeyman signal caller certainly is not the long term answer, but if he’s looking for a place where he could start right away…
• Over at the Tribune, David Haugh suggests including face-of-the-franchise middle linebacker Brian Urlacher in a trade to get  Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin here.  A few years ago, I probably would have gotten in my car and driven down to Tribune Tower to slap David silly.  It’s not such a crazy idea now, but I guess my only thought is that the Bears might be selling low.  ‘Lach for Boldin straight up – take it and don’t look back.  Urlacher and their first round pick for Boldin and I might be more hesitant.

I’ll be “out of the office” for a couple of days as Mrs. Boomer will be delivering the newest Bears fan within the next day or two, so most likely the next time I check in, it’ll be as “Papa Bear” Boomer.  Wish us luck!

UPDATE:  As reader Bruce correctly points out, Simms finished the season with the Titans, so they have exclusive negotiating rights with him.  Jerry Angelo can only do what the rest of us can; sit around and hope Simms doesn’t sign with the Titans and enters free agency on February 27th.  Thanks Bruce!

If Jerry Angelo plans to add Chris Simms to the Bears QB mix, he’d better get with it.  Vaughn McClure reports in his Huddle Up blog that Simms is leaning toward signing with the Tennessee Titans.  (more…)

“Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian’s anticipated switch to agent Drew Rosenhaus became official Wednesday, and in the wake of the move, the National Football League Players Association is investigating false rumors about Roosevelt Barnes, Berrian’s former agent, that fueled the change…”

“He becomes the seventh Rosenhaus client in the Bears’ locker room and the fifth to switch to the Miami-based agent since Adewale Ogunleye joined the team in 2004…

“Barnes had represented Berrian since he was a third-round pick from Fresno State in 2004. Berrian turned down the Bears’ five-year extension offer in June that included $8 million guaranteed and is expected to be one of the top free-agent wide receivers in a weak class for that position.”

Well, that’s not good. Hopefully, Berrian will be re-signed without breaking the bank, but Jerry Angelo will definitely have his work cut out for him. We may have to let him walk.

More on Rosenhaus:

• Berrian goes to Rosenhaus in agent-gate – Chicago Sun-Times
• Drew Rosenhaus’ Wikipedia Page
• THE MAIN ATTRACTION: THE FUTURE OF SPORTS BIOPICS? – Epic Carnival