Dec 25, 2011; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back James Starks (44) is tackled by Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) during the game at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The 2011 version of the Chicago Bears was an ugly team. QB and Head League Crybaby Jay Cutler actually had a lot to cry about. It’s hard to do well when you have a sieve-like offensive line and a well below-average group of wideouts to throw to, and the management knew it. Cutler has suffered injuries the past two seasons as a result.

What did they do about it? LOTS!

First, they traded with the Miami Dolphins a pair of third-round picks for troubled but highly dangerous WR Brandon Marshall, reuniting the pair from their days in Denver before idiot Head Coach Josh McDaniels dismantled the talent from his team en route to an 11-17 record before he was fired for his incompetence.

Miami’s loss is Cutler’s gain. Before I get too much further into things, let’s look at their 2012 draft:

1 19 Shea McClellin DE Boise State
2 45 Alshon Jeffery WR South Carolina
3 79 Brandon Hardin FS Oregon State
4 111 Evan Rodriguez TE Temple
6 184 Isaiah Frey CB Nevada-Reno
7 220 Greg McCoy CB Texas Christian

Second round pick Alshon Jeffery is a very big target to put opposite Marshall. They’re similar players with similar styles and builds, but concerns over what Jeffery’s actual playing weight is still abound. The Gamecocks had nobody at quarterback last year worth playing and that negatively impacted Jeffery’s stats from his junior season so the pick was a bit of a risk for DAAAA Bearsssss.

The potential is there for quite an improvement in the passing game with Jeffery and Temple’s Evan Rodriguez. The hope is that Rodriguez can take up the production that left with Greg Olson before the 2011 season.

RB Matt Forte has just been producing for everyone including fantasy owners. With his contract status having been in flux for ages, he recently said he’ll have no choice but to play in 2012. Finances aside, he is the steadying influence of this offense. He runs inside, outside, he catches the ball, and allows his coaches to deploy him depending on coverages and matchups to their advantage. He has rather quietly become one of the top backs in the game, having rushed for over 900 yards and caught over 50 passes each of his first four seasons. Put him down for 1500 yards from scrimmage and will continue to help move the chains. Did I mention he’s a threat for a breakaway run as well?

The biggest question overall is the offensive line. Tackle Gabe Carimi, their top pick in 2011, was injured for all but 2 games so it looks like they’ll at least have him to help, but they didn’t draft a single lineman on either side (unless you count Rodriguez as a ‘lineman’). One undrafted free agent they signed is Old Dominion’s James Brown. Brown was a late-round projection who didn’t make the cut when all the offensive linemen slid down in the 2012 draft so he was one of the “odd men out.” With the Bears’ OL situation, he could make the team as a reserve with some upside.

With that in mind, they signed Jason Campbell to back up Cutler, giving the Bears one of the best backup QBs in the NFL. Campbell’s career has been overshadowed by his up-and-down play, frustrating coaches with just enough “flashes of brilliance” as to be tantalizing, but he’s never really put together a great season. Part of the reason is that he’s one of those guys who had to deal with new coordinators year after year when he entered the league and that’s hard on anyone. If memory serves, going back to his college days at Auburn, after his 4th pro season, he’d had 7 different OCs in 8 years. Ouch. Still, he probably played better than he should have under the circumstances, has a big-time arm, and is an experienced starter. With Forte in the backfield and two giant WRs, the Bears offense could be dangerous with improved OL play.

Defensively, Brian Urlacher anchors the middle of the linebacking corps. Lance Briggs is to one side and is a good player in his own right. Veteran Geno Hayes from Tampa Bay rounds out a solid group there.

Top pick Shea Mclellin darted up the draft board with his high motor and versatility. DE Julius Peppers makes a formidable presence as one of the games top pass rushers and all-around disruptive defenders.

As for cover on the back end, they spent 3 draft picks on defensive backs. Granted, two were 6 and 7th rounders but they got some bodies to help there. This is the team’s weak spot so they better generate a pass rush other than Julius Peppers – which is why McClellin was drafted. He’ll be the key to improving this defense.

Come to think of it, the Bears’ defense is very similar to that of the Panthers….their LB corps is their strength, they have one star DE pass rusher and are looking to develop a rookie on the other side (McClellin for the Bears, Alexander for the Panthers) and the both need some people to step up in the secondary.

As always, Devin Hester must always be considered one of the most dangerous return men in the NFL.

For the franchise in general, so long as Forte doesn’t hold out in 2012, I’ll say they took….

One step forward. A vastly improved group at WR should breathe life into the offense, and added depth at QB was some necessary insurance for them. The OL and DB positions weren’t significantly upgraded so it’ll be at least another year before they can push the Green Bay Packers, maybe two.

Now if you think back to April 27 when the Chris Harris – Jamar Williams trade went down, many fans disagreed with the move, saying we were trading a starter for a backup. That looks to be different now, as Williams will most likely be taking Davis’ spot at the WLB position. Williams was drafted by the Chicago Bears to take the place of pro-bowler Lance Briggs in case they couldn’t reach a new contract.

Williams only has three starts since he was drafted in 2006. While the first two starts were average-at-best, the last start against the St. Louis Rams in Week 13 of last year, he came up with a total of 18 tackles. He took the chance he had and made the most of it by tackling Steven Jackson 13 times during the game.

While Jackson still had 112 yards for the game, it wasn’t at cost of Williams. Out of the 13 plays Williams tackled Jackson, he averaged only 2.46 yards a carry. So while losing Davis for the season is no doubt a huge loss, there are still players on the roster who can fill the position and play well.

Also during today’s OTA practices, they were experimenting with the linebacking core. James Anderson stayed where he has been since mini-camp at strongside linebacker, but Jon Beason moved to weakside linebacker in place of Davis, and Dan Connor took the place of Beason at MLB. It’s good to know they will experiment to make sure they have the best at each position starting this season.

With Beason, Anderson, and Connor being the most well-known to fans besides Davis, it’s good to remember Williams will turn out to be a great acquisition in time. We also have Eric Norwood; fourth-round draft pick out of South Carolina. With those five players, there’s no doubt that John Fox and Ron Meeks will find a great solution to the injury of Davis.

This posting is property of Cat Crave and the Fansided Network.

Hackett, as you all know by now, met with the Redskins and Buccaneers last week.  He then completed a swing through Charlotte yesterday.  He’s now headed back to Seattle to mull over the offers he received.

The Panthers haven’t been playing hard ball this offseason with players.  It’s worked in some cases and not in others.

Hackett will be interesting to watch since he might give the Seahawks the opportunity to match any offers he has received from the three teams who have met with him.

Maybe we’ll know something about where he will wind up in the next few days.

As usual, we have more news in today’s Quick Hits… (more…)