Indeed, it seems that Angelo, Smith and company are desperate. Just as long as we don’t have another 2000, when the Bears signed the likes of Phillip Daniels, Thomas Smith and Shaun Wooden to market-setting deals. What happened then? Smith and Wooden were busts, cut a year later, and Daniels while solid never lived up to his $22 million contract.

Enjoy free agency all. I’ll be watching, but unable to post for the next two weeks or so. Go Bears!

On Monday the Bears released veteran OT Orlando Pace.  Nice knowing you Orlando, but I kind of which this move came in the middle of the 2009 season instead of now.

Neal Hayes writes that there is buzz around the NFL that Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall will be in a Bears uniform by training camp.  Sure, I’d love to see Marshall on the Bears.  But tell me, exactly what in the hell do the Bears have left in trade value?  Next year’s #1 and 2 or 3?  Are we ever going to have picks in round 1-2 again?  Then again, with Jerry Angelo picking, maybe we would be better off if that happened.

And, to complete the trifecta, now Greg Olsen is rumbling that he wants a trade because Mike Martz’ offense does not require a TE with Olsen’s skills.  In my opinion, trading Olsen would be stupid because I don’t think anyone would give more than a 3rd rounder for him.  Angelo’s top picks have already failed from 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006, so let’s not give our 2007 first-rounder away.  Chances are after 2010 Angelo, Smith and Martz will be gone anyway, so why not keep him around?  Oh, wait, because Angelo, Smith and Martz are probably willing to throw away the future for the sake of their jobs in 2010.

Jensen also says that there was a buzz around the NFL Draft combine that the Bears would be major players.  And that Jerry Angelo and company will indeed make a run at Julius Peppers.

Not to forget, it is also thought that the Washington Redskins could be angling for Peppers as well, and if history is any indication Daniel Snyder’s Redskins will outspend any other team for the player they want.  (And it’s still funny that every move Snyder makes seems to haunt rather than reward him).

It’s possible that Peppers himself could command that $25 million up front himself.  And given the question marks surrounding his play, personally I’d be leery if the Bears neglected their other needs at safety, offensive line and guard to put all their eggs in Peppers’ basket.

But if anything it seems that Friday will be interesting.

The team that lands Peppers will most certainly have to go hog wild.  Don Pompei of the Tribune writes an accurate summation of the player today, predicting that Peppers will net at least $18 million per year with $40 million guaranteed.  That’s a lot of money for a guy who takes plays off.  One NFL personnel director interviewed recently stated that once Peppers gets his payday, he’ll never put up double-digit sacks again.

Back in 2004, the Bears were serious players for Tennessee defensive end Javon Kearse, until the Eagles outbid everyone and gave the player an eight-year $65 million deal.  And I was glad the Bears didn’t win that sweepstakes because as many predicted, Kearse was a bust in Philadelphia.  I’ve already watched my Chicago Cubs paralyze their future with stupid contracts thrown at the wrong players, and I hope to not see the Bears do it as well.

The free agency period opens at 11 p.m. Chicago time Thursday night.  It will be interesting to wake up Friday and see if the Bears have made any moves.  I will be unable to post further until mid-March, although I will be following the action.  Keep the comments coming!

At least it’s refreshing to not hear Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo say that Craig Steltz, Kevin Payne, or Danieal Manning are the answer at free safety.  Because they’re clearly not and never have been.

The fact the Bears raised ticket prices yet again during this clown car search of an offseason is ludicrous, but I know you guys have no choice but to suck it up and renew or flat out cancel. Now they’re getting close to $100 a ticket/game in an offseason leading into a year with a lame duck idiot of a HC, a clueless GM, and a front office run by people that show no regard for their fan base.

That pretty much sums it up.

I do realize that I’m lucky to have season tickets, and I know it’s my choice to pay what they’re asking or leave.  But I’ll say it again.  This is a tough economic climate.  I thank God that I do have a job, but many companies this year will be giving no salary increases, not even a cost of living increase.  Yet the Bears are raising the cost of my tickets 12%.  The way it’s going, next year they’ll get another 10, then 10 the year after, and I have to think at some point me of modest means will indeed be priced out.

I used to be proud to say I had the cheapest seats in the house at $68.  That’s no longer true.  Mine have been raised to $76 per seat while others are remaining at $68.

Bears CEO Ted Phillips often cites the fact that the Bears have to remain in the top 10 in ticket costs because they built the smallest stadium in the NFL in 2003.  Excuse me, but did I have anything to do with them choosing to build the NFL’s smallest stadium with a ton of premium skyboxes from which the Bears earn top dollar?

I’ll shut up now, because there’s nothing I can do about it.

On Monday afternoon, (now former) Bears director of Pro Personnel Bobby DePaul was “relieved of his duties,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  According to that article, not only was he relieved of his duties, but he was escorted from the building by security.

Most articles on the subject state that the timing is curious, given that free agency is upcoming shortly.  But this is the same team that allowed DePaul’s predecessor (Mark Hatley) to run a draft, then announce a month later he didn’t want to work for the Bears anymore and instead leave to work for the Bears’ arch-rival.

The Sun-Times article also alleges that DePaul was no favorite of Lovie Smith.  The one good thing about Smith slaying all his enemies and continuing to surround himself with cronies is that when he fails, he’ll have absolutely no excuse for who is responsible for the mess.

Former Seattle G.M. and Angelo associate Tim Ruskell is reported to be a contender to replace DePaul.

Why do I have a feeling that if Smith was asked to comment on the situation, he would say that we have to trust that he makes the right decisions for the organization?

As we know, despite experts feeling that this was finally his year, Richard Dent again failed to make the Hall of Fame in voting Super Bowl weekend.

Up until this year, even I thought that Dent for Hall of Fame may have been a stretch.  He was a great defensive end, no doubt, but there were a couple others of his era that had better statistics (Reggie White).  But now that those guys have made the Hall of Fame, and now clearly even the experts think that less qualified pass rushers are being elected (Fred Dean and Rickey Jackson), I can’t quite figure out what gives.

Or maybe I just needed one extra year for me to reflect on how good Dent really was.  Just last weekend I started watching a DVD of highlights of the 1990-1992 seasons I acquired several years ago and never had time to watch, and now I’m recalling how dominant he was.  The amount of passes he intercepted as a defensive lineman was remarkable.

So what do you think?  What’s holding this up?

But Profootballtalk.com today makes mention of Reggie Bush’s looming contract situation, and suggests how intriguing Bush might be to Mike Martz to fill the “Marshall Faulk” role from the greatest show on turf.  Bush’s career in New Orleans may have been less than stellar to this point, but Bush’s skills do remind you of Faulk’s, don’t they?

And it’s nice to dream, even though in all likelihood it won’t happen, isn’t it?

I was wrong.  After reading the leaders for passing yards (Peyton Manning), rushing yards (LaDanian Tomlinson), etc. etc. my eyes stopped on:

Punts: Brad Maynard 874

So there you have it.  The Chicago Bears led the NFL in the first decade of the new millenium in the number of punts they produced.

Why didn’t I expect that?