Bears on the Bubble

Mark Anderson: He starred as a rookie playmaker. In his second year, he'll need to contend for a starting spot and extended playing time. Does he have the ability to supplant either Ugunleye or Brown at defensive end? Or will he continue to contribute as a sub?

Cedric Benson: An injured shoulder in training camp recast his role as Option B, and after he regained his health, Benson flashed signs of power-back brilliance. But the No. 4 pick overall is expected to be more than just a strong second option. Can he continue to improve in Chicago's two-back rotation?

Mark Bradley: After demonstrating special talent in his injury-shortened rookie season, Bradley's sophomore campaign was frustrating and confusing. On the one hand, he got only 14 catches. On the other, he averaged 20 yards per catch and scored three times. If he can get back on track, the Bears have a potential pair of bookends in Bradley and Berrian. So mark 2007 as a watershed year for Bradley. If he catches on, then he'll replace Muhammad in 2008. If he doesn't, the front office won't wait for him.

Lance Briggs: That franchise tag keeps Briggs with the Bears for another season, but you have to wonder why they didn't just pay him and get him locked down under a long-term deal. Franchised players are always worth watching, because they can respond to the tag in odd ways.

Alex Brown: See Mark Anderson. Brown is a good player, but he isn't a true star at DE. Does he deserve to be the guy who gets to pressure the QB's blind side?

Mike Brown: A fan favorite. A smart guy. The No. 2 pick behind Urlacher in 2000. But can he come back from injury again and be all that he was? Can the team still plan around him? Brown has never gotten by on measureables, so this looks like a tough call in the offseason.

Ruben Brown: He's had a 13-year Hall of Fame career, and finished 2007 stronger than he started it, but will the Bears bring him back with a new contract? It depends on what's available out there (Hello, Eric Steinbach), but Angelo shouldn't expect that other teams will wait around for him to make up his mind. Brown is a legit left guard with at least another season in him.

Dez Clark: After three journeyman seasons with the Bears, Clark had the best year of his pro career in 2006. Yet everyone expects that Angelo will target a young tight end in the draft. My gut feeling is that Clark is one of the most under-rated players on the team, as his clutch catches and overlooked downfield blocking demonstrated. The Bears will add a tight end in April, but Clark will probably retain his starting job.

Dusty Dvoracek: Tommie Harris' college roommate impressed observers in mini-camps but broke down in training camp and spent his rookie year on IR. With the turmoil on the defensive line, Dvoracek remains an interesting option. But is he the real thing, or just a mirage?

Rex Grossman: If the Bears had played a normal season in 2006, lots of people might be talking about the progress demonstrated by this young quarterback. How he shook off two years of injury and rehab. How he was the league's offensive player for the month of September. How he became only the fifth Bear QB to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. Instead, he's mocked as the worst quarterback in Super Bowl history. How will he react to the way he's been treated in Chicago? Grossman could be good or bad in 2007, and I simply can't predict.

Tommie Harris: Two questions: Can he come back 100 percent from this freaky hamstring injury, and what happened to his production in the month prior to his injury?

Tank Johnson: For all his notoriety, Tank was just an OK player in 2006, and after all that sturm und drang, he's an RFA. Is he a better than average DT, or just another plug-in component?

Danieal Manning: Most years, the Bears' top draft choice would get lots of attention if he started 16 games. Danieal Manning was an afterthought behind Devin Hester and Mark Anderson. The question: Did Manning play because he was that good, or because nobody else was? He has incredible gifts, but he got blown up on some big plays all year, leaving a mixed impression. We know he's good. But can he be a franchise star?

Ricky Manning Jr.: The good news is that RMJ notched seven interceptions despite playing only as a nickel back. The bad news is that when we traded for him last year, we never got around to re-doing his contract. Now he's a UFA, and cornerbacks with his skills are hard to find. Keeping Manning for a second year is going to be expensive, but it's a must-do.

Fred Miller: He's almost the prototypical veteran at right tackle -- an aging player with average gifts and superb toughness who has made a career out of getting it right more often than not. He's physical and smart, but he just wasn't the kind of player who consistently delivered a big push on running plays. The thing with Miller is, he's only the second-best right tackle on the team (left tackle John Tait is playing out of position). If the Bears sign a right tackle, Miller faces competition. If the Bears sign a left tackle, ditto.

Adewale Ongunleye: When the Bears dealt for him, he looked like he might become a great defensive end. Now he merely looks like a good one. The Bears have three good DEs. Can one of them become great?

Ian Scott: Scott is a quality prospect at defensive tackle, and intelligent too. But will the Bears invest in him or will he move on as a UFA?

John Tait: Big John is in decent shape for a 32-year-old tackle, but he's really only adequate as a blindside pass blocker. Though he's played the left for two years because that's where the team needed him, he knows his best position is on the right. Will this be the year the Bears make a move for a big left tackle and move Tait to his natural spot?

Top Free Agent possibilities
LT Leonard Davis. A famous underachiever in Arizona, Davis is the former No. 2 overall pick in 2001. At 6-6, 365 pounds, "Big" is even big by NFL standards, and he's no slouch as an athlete. That said, he's as memorable for his false-start penalties as he is for his road-grader blocking style. In other words, he's the best tackle on the market and stands to cash in big on his potential... even if his performance suggests a smaller sum. But you don't have to go very far (Hello, Thomas Jones) to find former Cardinals whose careers improved as soon as they got away from Bill Bidwell. Does the Bears coaching staff have what it takes to get the goods out of this guy?

LG Eric Steinbach. The Bengals' guard is athletic and skilled and could even play tackle. But he's listed at less than 300 pounds and appears to be a notch below the elite level... which is probably why the Bengals are willing to let him go.

As expensive as these two might be, the Bears are expected to be about $27 million under the salary cap. That's probably enough to sign both these guys... particularly if they're not able to resign Ricky Manning Jr. And since both Davis and Steinbach are young players entering the prime of life for offensive linemen, even a big investment could pay off longterm dividends.

Imagine this line: Davis, Steinbach, Kreutz, Garcia and Tait. That's not just a moderate improvement -- that's a transformative event for the offense, upgrading three positions with two signings.

Bears draft needs
It's crazy to do this before the free agent signing period opens, but assuming the team signs at least one offensive lineman immediately, this is what we're looking at as our shopping list for 2007:

1. First-day developmental OL prospect
2. Cornerback (assuming Ricky Manning Jr. leaves town)
3. Linebacker
4. Tight end
5. Safety
6. Defensive tackle
   
7. Another linebacker

2007 Bears: After the flood

OK, so back in August I was more right than wrong, but... Geez, was I wrong. I predicted the Bears would beat the Colts in the Super Bowl. I predicted it in August. I predicted it in February. I was still predicting it in the fourth quarter of that demoralizing loss.

But now that's over, the pain is fading, and the 2007 off-season is underway. So let's set the table for what should be an intriguing year.

COACHING: Job No. 1 for the front office is signing Coach Smith to a long-term deal, and it needs to be a respectable contract. Something just shy of the super-star money that gets paid to legends who come back from the TV booth, and heavy on stability. If we're lucky, we'll get a decade out of Lovie.

By the way, letting DC Ron Rivera go was a painful move, but a good one. Two words: Panthers, Colts. Babich should be an appropriate replacement. The second-most important coaching contract on this staff? Wade Wilson, quarterbacks coach. Keep him, because he's the most important person in Rex Grossman's world right now.

FRONT OFFICE: Jerry Angelo deserves a long-term contract too. He's got his coach. Pair their destinies.

QUARTERBACK: Never in my life have I seen a successful young quarterback take the media whipping that Rex Grossman received before, during and after the Super Bowl. This isn't just a conversational topic, either: As media and fans, we're on the verge of destroying the best quarterback the Bears have had since Eric Kramer. Grossman should face an open competition for the starting job in training camp, but Angelo should resist calls to bring in yet another veteran free agent. Let the three QBs on the roster duke it out for the top spot this summer, and don't be surprised when Grossman emerges as the starter and a Pro Bowl selection. I think he has the ability to be a better than average quarterback, and that's saying a lot for a Bears signal caller.

RUNNING BACK: Looks like we'll have another year of the Jones & Benson show, and that's fine by me. Two backs are better than one these days.

WIDE RECEIVER: Don't look now, but Muhsin Muhammad has been fading for the past two years. I'm not anxious to do anything about that -- he's still a contributor and a leader. But we need to find out whether Mark Bradley has the stuff to make it as an eventual starter. Bernard Berrian is a keeper, and if Bradley can match his progress, then the Bears will go into 2007 four-deep at the position.

TIGHT END: Desmond Clark had a good year, but there's no doubt that we need to address this position early in the draft.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Expect a veteran free agent signing and at least one first-day draft pick. O-Line is one of the most over-rated positions on the squad -- and the oldest. Eric Steinbach of the Bengals is an intriguing prospect (so long as we keep him at his natural guard position), and left tackle Leonard Davis of the Cardinals would allow John Tait to move back to right guard. This unit needs an upgrade and an injection of youth.

DEFENSIVE LINE: The pass rush went on hiatus in October and seldom reared its fearsome head after a hot early start. Take away rookie situational pass rusher Mark Anderson and this unit was downright weak when it came to pressure. Obviously the key here is Tommie Harris, but the D-line was actually playing quite average football before his injury. I'm not saying the defensive line is weak, but there are question marks here. My gut feeling? The D-Line played strong in September, but when offensive coordinators got good tape on them, they got gameplanned into spotty performances. Chicago got great success by moving Anderson around in obvious pass rushing situations, but for the most part, this line got neutralized. This is actually the place where Angelo will have to make some important decisions early, since Alfonso Boone and Ian Scott are both Unrestricted Free Agents who will garner interest around the league, while celebrity bad-boy Tank Johnson is an RFA.

LINEBACKER: With two premiere players, it's easy to identify the linebacking corps as a strength. I call it a need area. Hunter Hillenmeyer is a serviceable starter, once you get past him there's really nothing much to talk about. Chicago needs linebacker depth and can't afford to look at this position as just another place to stash special teams talent. Here's hoping the Bears hunt up a veteran free agent for depth and invest in more talent in the draft. One final, crazy thought: I'm not convinced that Brian Urlacher wouldn't be a better player at the weakside.

CORNERBACK: I'm very happy with this situation... or I should be. Chicago comes in with three legitimate corners, plus talented depth in Devin Hester. None of the Bears' CBs have that kind of Ty Law/Champ Bailey shut-down skill, but they're extremely talented within a Tampa Two. The problem: Nickel Ricky Manning Jr. is an unrestricted free agent, and a better CB than most teams have at starter. What happens if his price creates conflict with the contracts for Tillman and Vasher? Can we even keep him?

SAFETY: Here's a wild card. What's Mike Brown's future with the team? As far as I'm concerned, a Bears defense with Brown and Harris would have shut down Peyton Manning on some of those third downs (just look at what Bob Sanders meant for the Colts), but that's pie in the sky thinking. Can Brown make it back? Can he make it through a complete season? Manning was an overlooked contributor as a rookie starter, and Chris Harris is only in his second season, but neither is a proven star, and Todd Johnson looks like a big hitter without much else right now (he's also a restricted free agent).

PUNT/KICK COVERAGE & RETURN: I don't think there's a better group of special teamers in the league than the combo of Brendan Ayanbedejo, Adrian Peterson, Dante Wesley, Israel Idonije and Patrick Mannelly. They get after opponents, make good decisions and give the Bears a fantastic weapon. Even without Devin Hester, these guys are difference-makers. And Hester is a game-changing performer.

PUNTER: Brother Maynard doesn't put up gaudy stats. Who cares? He's a reliable, effective punter.

KICKER: Robbie Gould was merely a short-range option as a rookie. In his second-year, he turned in an All Pro kicker, despite not having a great leg for the long bombers. What will he become in is third season?