Wednesday, February 13, 2008

How the off-season would unfold if Angelo was me

The first potential 2008 action is reducing Mike Brown's cap number. I hope that both sides have enough sense to see that the Bears need to keep Brown but that they cannot afford to pay him anything more than the veteran minimum this year. The easiest solution is to convert his current deal into a 2 year contract with the 2.4m he's due in salary this year changed into a roster bonus next year. Sadly if this can't be agreed the Bears and Brown will very likely part ways to the detriment of both sides. Until March 1 the only other action is waiting to see if NE franchise's Moss. I assume they will, but it's more fun to believe they wont in which case:
The Bears should be able to absorb a cap hit of up to 13m this season, and they should use every penny it takes up to there to lure Moss. However, it's going to take more than just money to bring Randy to Chicago. The Bears are also going to have to look like winners again, a tough task considering they're going to have to concede Briggs to afford Moss. This means they absolutely have to secure Michael Turner. They will probably also have to have Rex in the mix as well, but if they get Moss, Rex will surely follow.
If NE franchise's Moss the Bears have to turn to Chad Johnson as the best option. The good news is that he'll take less cap-room and the Bears have the players and picks to trade for him, ruling out their first pick of course. This option would also mean that the Bears could still make a run at Briggs. I have no idea if they have a chance to get him, but they couldn't afford not to try. Michael Turner is still essential and again, Grossman would come cheaper if Johnson's in the mix.
The next important move is to sign Marty Booker. He's a perfect replacement for Moose and if the other options don't work out he still has at least one year left of being an NFL 1WR, which would give the Bears flexibility in addressing this situation. Without Moss or Johnson they probably need to keep Moose and draft a WR with their 2nd pick. It's easy to see how important signing Michael Turner is in this situation and Grossman too becomes vital without Moss or Johnson. The Bears cannot afford to lose Briggs without getting Moss or Johnson!
The next logical move is to bring back Ruben Brown to stabilize the OL with a new LT on the way and a fierce RG competition brewing throughout the off-season. It would also make sense to look into bringing Mike Doss in as safety cover. He's probably better than McGowan and it's supposed to be weak safety class this draft.
I'm sure there are a lot of ways to go at LB if the Bears get Johnson or Moss, but it'd be cool to see Warrick Holdman in camp if there's an LB spot open.
Along with these additions the Bears need to cut or trade Archuleta, Bazuin, Griese, Ricky Manning Jr., Fred Miller, Darwin Walker and probably Terrence Metcalf. Also Moose, Maynard, Benson, Beekman, and Garza shouldn't be surprised to find themselves playing for their spots if they're still on the roster in training camp.
But before camp there's the draft. The first pick is easy, LT. The second selection should be a WR without Moss or Johnson. If they get one of them there are a lot of options. Joe Flacco has been getting a lot of press but the Bears could use more competition at G, CB, S, WR, RB, LB, DT as well as QB, which I think puts me out of the forecasting business until training camp.

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