How Dare the Bears Get Rid Of A Player

Alex Brown is done as a Bear. Are the Bears worse without him? Probably. Is he the difference between the Bears winning the Super Bowl and not? No. One of the 3 dozen Tribune Bears reporters had to write a "How could the Bears get rid of a player that was a core piece of a team that hasn't reached the playoffs in three years - a team that needs to completely change everything about their roster, management and ownership" article.

To be clear: I like Alex Brown as a player and don't think the Bears are better without him. However, he really never was good enough to be the difference between and decent and good or a good and a great team. While he's a good player, he can be replaced.

Haugh: Sacking Alex Brown would throw Bears for a loss
by David Haugh
March 26, 2010

Somebody please tell me which McCaskey family member Alex Brown forgot to send a Christmas card.

Or did Brown take Ted Phillips' parking spot at Halas Hall or cut in front of Jerry Angelo in the lunch line?

Because the Bears' interest in trading or releasing Brown -- news broken Friday morning by Tribune reporter Brad Biggs -- cannot possibly be a football decision. That's absurd. It would trim $5 million off the 2010 payroll, sure. It would remove a $5.5 million salary off the books in 2011, yes. It even would make the Bears' average age younger on a defense getting gray around the temple.

But getting rid of Brown makes the Bears better as a football team? Let us hope nobody tries to insult our football intelligence by selling us that nonsense.

The Bears have made a roster decision: since they're getting rid of a player it has to be wrong. After stating it's wrong, Haugh lists a good reason to get rid of Brown- $10.5 million in salary that can be spent elsewhere.

Then of course there's the "how does this make the Bears a better team?" line. Dan Pompei loaned it out for this article.

NFL people lie all the time. So if you hear in the next month Phillips or Angelo or Lovie Smith try to explain how the Bears defense will improve without Brown, it will be one of the biggest whoppers they have tried to perpetuate in Chicago. This is no way to keep the offseason momentum going. In the context of a football game, this is throwing an interception while trying to run out the clock. Just dumb.

Apparently the Bears are getting rid of a 23 year old Reggie White and not a 30 year old average to above average defensive end who's best days (7 sacks in 2006) most likely are behind him.

Don't confuse this description of Brown as a perennial Pro Bowl player or an exaggeration of his skills. Brown never has been a regular double-digit sack guy and other ends have piled up bigger numbers. But if you care about chemistry and leadership and dependability and all the things Smith espouses, you pay Brown according to his contract because it's worth every penny. There isn't a more stand-up guy in the Bears' locker room or organization.

So you think people might think you're overreacting to this move? I don't believe it. You realize Brown is a average player, and you bring out the big guns. "Chemistry and leadership and dependability." He was on this team last year, right? A 7-9 team? Think how bad it would've been without him and his valuable chemistry and leadership and dependability.

Show up after any Bears' tough loss, when Brown is the one willing to honestly and eloquently face whatever problems surfaced the previous 60 minutes while many of his higher-paid and visible teammates offer grunts and excuses. That's difficult to put a price on that if you're the Bears

Obviously not. The Bears have put a price on this- less than $10.5 million over the next 2 years.

Gush all you want about the potential of Anderson and Idonije or Jarron Gilbert or the next draft pick to tease Bears fans. I'll take the production Brown offers all day, every day -- which is how often you get Brown's effort

Unless the new guy is better-- then you'll never think of Brown again.

The Bears like to wait for other teams to determine the market value of players. As Biggs reported in the Tribune, free-agent defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch just signed a four-year, $26 million contract with the Lions that included $11 million in guarantees. It's possible Brown would become a richer man if the Bears cut him loose. That's a good debate.

It actually seems like a boring debate. Well, we will give it a shot. Salary obviously equals talent. Think how good Brown would be if he made $12 million a year! Or if a team goes crazy and pays him $20 million a year (think Raiders). And I know Haugh would never complain about an organization spending money badly. Until Alfonso Soriano is hitting .217 in May.