The Bears have quietly fielded one of the NFL's elite blocking quintets the past several years but may have difficulty keeping it intact after this season. A heavy commitment was made to center Olin Kreutz this offseason, locking up the three-time Pro Bowler for six years. That made the release of left tackle Blake Brockermeyer inevitable, for financial and physical reasons.
After this season, left guard Rex Tucker is slated to be unrestricted, and the team will be pressed to find money to hang onto a fast-developing, tough interior blocker. Right tackle James Williams is into his 30s; right guard Chris Villarrial, while still very much on his game and a fit with the Bears' physical running game, is worth watching, possibly for an early extension if his level of play continues high.
The team loves second-year lineman Bernard Robertson, who currently the starting left tackle. He is the most versatile offensive lineman and someone who could swing into guard or stay at tackle. ...
Watch for rookie Roosevelt Williams, a third-round pick, to challenge seriously for the nickel back job. Williams has size, and there is a job opening after Jerry Azumah got a starting job at cornerback.
RECEIVERS ANALYSIS
The Bears may be committed to being a run-oriented team first, but last season they revealed some critical needs in the passing game that must be met for the run game to have opportunities.
The wideout group has undergone a complete makeover in a year, with Marty Booker getting a seven-year, $28 million deal that stamps him as the No. 1 receiver ahead of Marcus Robinson, whose back and knee injuries the past two seasons simply made him too much of a question mark to be factored into the plans with any certainty.
Robinson agreed to a restructuring that, among other things, allows him to be unrestricted if he catches 35 passes in '02. That all but assures his exit after this season since the Bears -- with Booker and David Terrell -- can't afford to give Robinson substantial free-agent money if he hits the target. He likely won't be brought back in any case if he can't grab 35.
Robinson is an excellent character guy who has built himself into a dangerous deep threat with his size and ability to shield the ball with his body. But his health is a concern, and he was missed sorely when he went down last year. ...
Booker broke out with 100 catches last year as he stepped into Robinson's lead role. Booker is a shorter, more physical wideout who will block a linebacker and has deceptive speed that has seen him turn receiver-screens into touchdowns over the past two years. He has upgraded himself enormously with study of small techniques both to get off the line and to eliminate drops that cost him and the Bears in '01. ...
Terrell needs to mature this year after a disappointing rookie season marked by poor practice habits and a lack of sufficient study for the NFL game. Terrell is the most talented receiver the Bears have but may never play to his physical talents unless he adds precision to his routes and gains the quarterbacks' confidence by proving he can get open in critical situations. ...
Dez White was a disappointment in '01 after turning in one of the better training camps. He continued to be plagued with drops but did flash some of the big-play ability that the Bears desperately want. Ahmad Merritt projects as a backup but can dramatically help himself with his excellent work ethic playing special teams. ...
Fred Baxter gave the offense a tight end with a smash-mouth mindset last year and is underrated inside the red zone, where he will 'body' a linebacker, sell the run, and find the seam. Hurting him has been the offense's failure to build the tight end's role sufficiently over recent seasons, so there is little pattern of success....
Dustin Lyman potentially is the best receiver among tight ends but has struggled to stay healthy in two seasons. He is a converted linebacker who is learning how to exploit seams, but he, like Baxter, needs more confidence-building with the QBs to become more of an option in the offense. ...
Luther Broughton was added from Carolina and will push both Baxter and Lyman. He is a solid H-back type in an offense that likes that role for tight ends, and offensive coordinator John Shoop is familiar with his work from Carolina.
After this season, left guard Rex Tucker is slated to be unrestricted, and the team will be pressed to find money to hang onto a fast-developing, tough interior blocker. Right tackle James Williams is into his 30s; right guard Chris Villarrial, while still very much on his game and a fit with the Bears' physical running game, is worth watching, possibly for an early extension if his level of play continues high.
The team loves second-year lineman Bernard Robertson, who currently the starting left tackle. He is the most versatile offensive lineman and someone who could swing into guard or stay at tackle. ...
Watch for rookie Roosevelt Williams, a third-round pick, to challenge seriously for the nickel back job. Williams has size, and there is a job opening after Jerry Azumah got a starting job at cornerback.
RECEIVERS ANALYSIS
The Bears may be committed to being a run-oriented team first, but last season they revealed some critical needs in the passing game that must be met for the run game to have opportunities.
The wideout group has undergone a complete makeover in a year, with Marty Booker getting a seven-year, $28 million deal that stamps him as the No. 1 receiver ahead of Marcus Robinson, whose back and knee injuries the past two seasons simply made him too much of a question mark to be factored into the plans with any certainty.
Robinson agreed to a restructuring that, among other things, allows him to be unrestricted if he catches 35 passes in '02. That all but assures his exit after this season since the Bears -- with Booker and David Terrell -- can't afford to give Robinson substantial free-agent money if he hits the target. He likely won't be brought back in any case if he can't grab 35.
Robinson is an excellent character guy who has built himself into a dangerous deep threat with his size and ability to shield the ball with his body. But his health is a concern, and he was missed sorely when he went down last year. ...
Booker broke out with 100 catches last year as he stepped into Robinson's lead role. Booker is a shorter, more physical wideout who will block a linebacker and has deceptive speed that has seen him turn receiver-screens into touchdowns over the past two years. He has upgraded himself enormously with study of small techniques both to get off the line and to eliminate drops that cost him and the Bears in '01. ...
Terrell needs to mature this year after a disappointing rookie season marked by poor practice habits and a lack of sufficient study for the NFL game. Terrell is the most talented receiver the Bears have but may never play to his physical talents unless he adds precision to his routes and gains the quarterbacks' confidence by proving he can get open in critical situations. ...
Dez White was a disappointment in '01 after turning in one of the better training camps. He continued to be plagued with drops but did flash some of the big-play ability that the Bears desperately want. Ahmad Merritt projects as a backup but can dramatically help himself with his excellent work ethic playing special teams. ...
Fred Baxter gave the offense a tight end with a smash-mouth mindset last year and is underrated inside the red zone, where he will 'body' a linebacker, sell the run, and find the seam. Hurting him has been the offense's failure to build the tight end's role sufficiently over recent seasons, so there is little pattern of success....
Dustin Lyman potentially is the best receiver among tight ends but has struggled to stay healthy in two seasons. He is a converted linebacker who is learning how to exploit seams, but he, like Baxter, needs more confidence-building with the QBs to become more of an option in the offense. ...
Luther Broughton was added from Carolina and will push both Baxter and Lyman. He is a solid H-back type in an offense that likes that role for tight ends, and offensive coordinator John Shoop is familiar with his work from Carolina.
