Bears Season Never Ends

Lovie Smith spoke at the winter meetings and had some odd thoughts. This one is focused on him and not the writer (I'll get you later Mr Pompei).





Smith doesn’t see diminished role for Hester or Olsen
...

"I don't know whose plan that was," Smith said. "Mike had been here a few days, you kind of hit him with questions. He likes the potential of Devin as a full-time receiver. I don't see him (getting fewer snaps). Not right now.

Lovie is talking about new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Mike Martz had previously stated that he sees Hester as Az-Zahir Hakim in this system. Hakim was the slot/3rd receiver for the Rams, and his best year was 734 yards receiving and 4 tds. Not exactly a great full time receiver model.

"He's going to be a highly productive guy in any offense," Smith said. "He's faster than most tight ends out there. He can block the way most other tight ends can, but in the passing game he is a step ahead.

Lovie is talking about Greg Olsen here. The tight end in Martz' offense (as stated before) needs to block. Lovie says that Olsen can block like the other tight ends, which I really believe after the Bears spent $15 million ($6.1 guaranteed) on blocking specialist Brandon Manumaleuna/human wall (Note to self: check spelling or hope no one cares. Or no one ever reads this)

It wouldn't be a bad thing if we end up with a veteran this year," Smith said. "That has nothing to do with Caleb Hanie. We think he is a heck of a quarterback. But when you go with two quarterbacks, it is a little scary each week.

This is actually a good thought- just because quarterbacks under Martz tend not to last 16 games. And a viewing note: if Cutler gets hurt please change the channel and watch something else. Any pursuing offense will hurt your eyes, brain and soul.

Easy Picking

After my welcome post, I decide to check the Chicago Tribune Sports for some articles. This article on Greg Olsen written by Dan Pompei (who I regrettably forgot in the welcome post). So here goes: maiden voyage.

Bears foolish if they dump Olsen
by Dan Pompei

Explain how the Bears are better without Greg Olsen.

• That's your first line? Okay- they replace him with a tight end that can do one or more of the following: block, break a tackle, outrun anyone and/or outjump a defensive back
• Trade Olsen for draft pick. Draft player better than Olsen. Explanation finished. No need for the rest of the article. But he continues...
  

Martz wants his tight ends to be blockers first. Olsen is a receiver first. But that doesn't mean he can't have value in a Martz offense.

• Actually, that's exactly what it means. Martz even said in an interview on The Score that if a tight end can't block then they should just put an actual receiver in. No blocking = no playing time = no value in a Martz Offense.
  

It's true a tight end never has been a big producer under Martz. But Martz never has had a tight end like Olsen. When he coached Vernon Davis for the 49ers, Davis wasn't as far along as Olsen is. Davis just started finding his groove in 2009.

• Actually he's had a tight end like Olsen. He's a tight end better than Olsen. That tight end was Vernon Davis. Part of the reason Davis stuck around was because he could block - which really is the whole point.

Even if the Martz-Olsen marriage is destined to be a rocky one, it still doesn't make sense to trade Olsen now. There is a chance, some would say a good one, the Bears will have a completely new coaching staff next year.

• Well, if the marriage is going to be rocky and the coaching staff will be gone then why would they keep him? Martz' offense succeeding is the only chance Lovie & Co. have of staying. Olsen won't be used in this offense and has some of trade value. Of course it makes sense to trade him.

The Bears don't need to extend Olsen's deal just yet. They just need to keep him and throw him the ball.

• If its imperative that the Bears nurture and develop this 4th year player- why don't they extend him? If he doesn't progress, his trade value will be next to nothing- like those weird orange and black taffies on halloween. Nobody wants them. What are the odds of that happening in a Martz offense?
• Pompei wants the Bears to hoard-- hang on to things they can get rid when it makes little sense to do so. Like that thing sitting in your basement that you don't use (you know what it is). You might use it some day and get a lot of use out of it, but for now its just sitting in your basement getting engulfed by mildew. Then you hang onto other things and all of the sudden every room is full of empty boxes, cans, non-digital tvs, free dvd sets of Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip and then the police are evicting you from your home. Or perhaps I've killed the analogy. Back to the Bears: Olsen's still in good condition- put him on ebay and get what you can from it.
  

Thus endith the first real post.