Chicago Bears Weekly Wrap-up

With this Chicago Bears offseason full of activity, there's been plenty to debate. This week is no different with news about the NFL overtime and two defensive mainstays being shown the door.

-If you haven't heard, the NFL overtime rules have changed. I won't annoy you with a giant rant on the subject, but I didn't think it needed to be changed. Others did, so it has been altered. I'll direct you here to all the pertinent information on the subject. 

Now, what is interesting about the way the rule was changed was the lack of coaches present for the decision. Most NFL head coaches were at a golf tournament in Orlando while the owners voted overwhelmingly 28-4 in favor of the new rules. New Orleans' Sean Payton was among the most vocal against the change, saying owners sneaked it in "the back door." He told Peter King "I'm probably going to have to spend a half hour explaining it to my wife."

I say to Sean: Who gives a **** that your wife won't understand the rule right away? I'm in no way implying that she doesn't know football, I assume quite the opposite in fact. The only real concern is that YOU understand it. 

Relating this to my beloved Bears, Lovie Smith was also adamant against the change. Why am I not shocked that Lovie Smith was against change? Oh wait, because he's stubborn and never changes. Pfft.

-Corner Nathan Vasher was released last week, to no one's real surprise.

Vasher got a hefty contract after one relatively good season, but was never this team's number one corner. He was making too much money to be a dime corner and not physical enough to be a nickel corner. He just didn't fit on this team anymore. That leaves Smith's defense with very little depth at the position, so at least one of the few draft picks we have will be spent in on cornerback.

-It was also reported today that the Bears are actively shopping defensive end Alex Brown in a trade or will end up outright releasing him. 

This comes as a bit of a shock. Brown has never been a dominating player, but he's been the most consistent defensive lineman the Bears have had in recent years and is a high-motor player with high character and good locker room support. Even if his $5.5 million dollar salary is high, I don't agree with releasing him. If the Bears could get a third round pick in exchange (which they won't), I'd certainly consider it. I won't say I'm angered by the notion of losing him, but it doesn't make sense to me on the field... yet.

As it stands I like Brown on the side opposite newcomer Julius Peppers. Brown plays the run very well and is known to make a big play now and again,  If he is traded or released, that leaves Mark Anderson and Israel Idonije as time-sharing replacements. 2009 draft picks Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton figure to factor in heavily to this year's defensive line rotation, so we;ll see where they end up. (But I'm not holding my breath after they red-shirted all of last year.)

If the speculation is true, this move can be boiled down to finances. After signing Peppers to that expensive deal, analysts say cuts could have been expected. Really? If you really look at the contracts the Bears just crafted, they're not outrageous and would still leave the team under any salary cap that would have existed this season. If you're telling me they're going to release Brown simply for the financial relief, I have a hard time swallowing that pill. However if the Bears are going to turn around and reinvest the money saved from cutting Brown and Vasher and turn it into another player or two, I can deal with that. We'll wait and see what these fiscally responsible Bears do next.