Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2016 15:41:25 GMT -6
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The Tribune's Brad Biggs answers your questions weekly.
What's with all the doubt and pessimism regarding Kyle Fuller that I’ve been reading? He definitely could have been a candidate to be cut after Week 6 in 2015, but after that he was quiet all season — usually a good thing for a cornerback. Granted, you’d like to see more turnovers. He graded out as the 37th-best cornerback on Pro Football Focus, which is pretty good considering how poorly he probably graded early in the season. That would make him a high No. 2 corner, which many thought he’d be. — Elijah, Chicago
So the media is guilty of doubt and pessimism, but you had him cut after six weeks last season? For starters, you’d have a difficult time finding front-office personnel, scouts and coaches who put stock in PFF grades. They do their own scouting, evaluating and grading. The Bears were not tested a ton in the air last season because they were so poor at stopping the run. Fuller had an up-and-down season, and I will agree he was better in the second half. But he has not played up to the status of the 14th pick in the draft, and ideally a cornerback selected that high would play on the left side of the formation. I don’t think anyone is ready to give up on Fuller yet, but the team wants to see more. Remember, the current regime has no stake in him, so he has to impress or the Bears brass will search for a replacement.
Will Ben Braunecker return to practice soon? Judging by the amount of time he has been out, I would guess his injury is a high ankle sprain rather than a low ankle sprain. If he gets cut at the end of the month, what are the chances the Bears will add him to the practice squad without him being claimed by another team? — Dan G., Allentown, Pa.
Braunecker did some limited work on the practice field Tuesday, the first time in weeks he has been active with teammates. He was really limited, but that’s a step in the right direction for the Harvard product. I’m not going to speculate on the specific nature of his ankle injury; I would only be guessing. Sometimes players can miss much more than a month with a high ankle sprain. He would be a good candidate for the practice squad and based on the time he has missed, he is probably a long shot for the 53-man roster at this point. I don’t know if any team would claim him. Remember, he wasn’t drafted, and to this point he has not put anything on tape in preseason. I’d like to see what he could do with an opportunity.
After watching Brian Hoyer through two games, I think he is truly broken after last year's playoff implosion. Could he be cut? — @steveoatms
The team could release Hoyer before the season, but it would come at a cost. The Bears signed the veteran to a $2 million, one-year contract, and he received a $500,000 signing bonus guaranteeing $250,000 of his $1.5 million base salary. So Hoyer would get a $750,000 parting gift from the organization if he were cut. Hoyer has not looked good in exhibition games, which is a little disappointing given his familiarity with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and the playbook. Would Hoyer look better playing with the starters? No question. He looked pretty sharp in practice Tuesday at Halas Hall, and hopefully for the team that carries over into Saturday’s exhibition game against the Chiefs.
I hope Connor Shaw gets more of a chance. I believe he's a better fit than Brian Hoyer. More mobile. What are your thoughts? — @hal_reid
No question Shaw is more mobile than Hoyer, and a lot of football folks will tell you good mobility is a quality they seek in a No. 2 quarterback. The offense isn’t going to run as smoothly with the backup running the show, and when plays break down, a quarterback with the ability to make plays with his legs becomes an asset. Shaw has an idea of what offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains wants to do. Keep in mind: A lot of the players Shaw has made plays against in the two exhibition games will be out of work soon — cuts are coming. Hoyer has a clear edge in experience, and the Bears have some money invested in him.
Of the injured Bears, who are the real concerns come the regular season? Pernell McPhee is a huge concern, no? — @davemigs_34
Any of the front-line players nursing injuries is going to be at least somewhat concerning with the regular season less than three weeks away. Pro Bowl right guard Kyle Long has not been in action since Thursday’s exhibition game against the Patriots and has a labrum issue in one of his shoulders. That’s problematic. While players can play through labrum injuries, it isn’t always easy to fight through them. It depends on the exact nature of the injury. At this point, I don’t believe McPhee will be ready for the start of the season. He remains on the physically unable to perform list, and it might be more of a question of how much regular-season time he will miss. Cornerback Bryce Callahan is out with a hamstring injury, and as the starting nickel would be the first player to get a look on the outside in the absence of Kyle Fuller. That brings us to Fuller, who had arthroscopic knee surgery last week but is walking around fine and could be back in the mix sooner rather than later. Kick returner Deonte Thompson is sidelined, and the other options on the roster for that job aren’t very exciting. The Bears are not the only team with injuries; it’s a rough, physical game.
Will Vic Fangio have more latitude with the depth at outside linebacker and the new pickups to be more aggressive and dynamic on defense? — @mvarga99
The goal of every defensive coordinator is to get creative and exotic once the unit has the base material down pat and can execute it at a high level. There’s no doubt Fangio wants to get to that point with the Bears. He had a terrific defense in San Francisco. The 49ers were nasty in attacking and disguising pressures and coverages, and they brought blitzes from all over the place. It was cool stuff, and he had the personnel to make it happen. With Pernell McPhee sidelined, I don’t know that the depth is where the Bears really want it at outside linebacker. They need to get him back in the mix because when healthy, he’s very good. Leonard Floyd gives Fangio a new toy, one we are still learning about. Floyd has speed that had been lacking in the front seven. But the Bears personnel is still inferior to what the 49ers had with the likes of Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman and a secondary that wasn’t great but was much better than what the Bears have — or at least much more experienced. The Bears defense is a work in progress, and it will be fun to see how it plays out this season. First, the Bears need to be much better at stopping the run, and with inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman and nose tackle Eddie Goldman — who should be better in Year 2 — I think that will happen. When you start playing well versus the run, it opens a lot of possibilities.
How many defensive linemen do you think the Bears will keep? I've been impressed by the three guys listed as third string. — @keenansaulter
The Bears kept five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster heading into Week 1 a year ago, so I think the target is probably five and maybe six this season. However, if injuries are still an issue at that point, the Bears might need extra bodies elsewhere, such as the secondary. That could put them at five D-linemen again. Eddie Goldman, Akiem Hicks and Mitch Unrein are roster locks along with third-round pick Jonathan Bullard. After that, I like Cornelius Washington, who returned to practice on a limited basis Tuesday. If the Bears go with six, maybe Will Sutton or Ego Ferguson figures into the mix. Keith Browner had a couple of flashy plays in the exhibition against the Patriots, but he looks like a long shot to me unless he shows a bunch more of that.
If Kyle Fuller's knee was an issue dating to OTAs, why wait until last week to address it and jeopardize him playing in the opener? — @jtbarczak
That’s a fair question and one I respect. Without knowing details of the decisions made along the way, I would say in most cases the team and the player are going to make surgery a last-resort option. If you think a player can play through something and it might improve, why opt for surgery first? Generally speaking, you want to exhaust alternatives before heading down that path. The good news for Fuller and the Bears is that the surgery determined it was a very minor issue for him. He should be better when he returns, which shouldn’t be too far off.
Will the Bears carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster? And who has the edge at No. 3: David Fales or Connor Shaw? — @qmsig
Do you see a third quarterback worth a spot on the 53-man roster? I don’t think the Bears will carry three quarterbacks on the 53, and more teams are trending in the same direction. The third quarterback almost never dresses on game day, so he can’t help you on Sundays. Fales and Shaw are practice-squad eligible, and I expect the team to carry a quarterback on the practice squad. Shaw has been getting more work, in my opinion, and has past experience with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
Was it me or did Mike Adams have a terrible game versus the Patriots? Does he have a real shot of being the swing tackle? What are your thoughts on Amini Silatolu? — @gallo07
Adams struggled in the game, no question. It looked like he didn’t have his legs under him, which isn’t a big surprise. Remember: Adams missed all of last season after back surgery and joined the Bears only recently. He needs to get back into shape and get a little stronger to be counted on. There’s a chance he can do that, and yes, he has a real shot of being the swing tackle. Silatolu did not play in the two exhibition games, but the Bears could bringing him along a little slowly given he is only nine months removed from a torn ACL. He could project as a backup option at guard. I don’t think he is in the mix at swing tackle. I’m looking forward to seeing him in game action.
What's up with Nick Kwiatkoski? Will he see the field this season? — @jimmyzee01
Kwiatkoski suffered a pulled hamstring at the outset of training camp and has been sidelined more than three weeks now. That’s a bad break for the fourth-round draft pick from West Virginia. At this point, it’s a possibility Kwiatkoski could be placed on injured reserve. The NFL changed rules regarding IR this season. Teams do not have to designate which player they would like to return when he is healthy. From 2012 through 2015, they had to make that designation when a player was placed on IR. So, it is possible Kwiatkoski gets back into the mix that way but way too early to speculate. Maybe he gets out on the practice field soon. We’ll have to see what shakes out this week and next.
What's the status of Will Montgomery? Could he be an option for the Bears at center? — @chicagosportsfa
After Hroniss Grasu suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Aug. 6, I checked in with Montgomery’s agent on his client’s status. He informed me Montgomery is well on his way to enjoying retirement. Best of luck to him.
Jay Cutler makes a lot of good throws but he doesn't seem capable of fully utilizing small, quick receivers such as Daniel Braverman. Cutler seems to hold the ball too long and isn't nearly as accurate with quick, short throws as someone like Tom Brady. Cutler either doesn't make the throw, throws too late or too high or has his passes swatted down. I'm not saying Braverman is the next Wes Welker, but with Cutler we'll never know. Is that fair? — Mike M., Chicago
To my knowledge, Braverman hasn’t been running routes with Cutler at quarterback in the preseason. So Cutler isn’t guilty of not utilizing the seventh-round pick from Western Michigan. Cutler did a nice job of getting slot receiver Marc Mariani involved during the second half of last season when Eddie Royal was sidelined. Nineteen of Mariani’s 22 receptions went for a first down. That’s pretty good production.
Copyright © 2016, Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Brad Biggs answers your questions weekly.
What's with all the doubt and pessimism regarding Kyle Fuller that I’ve been reading? He definitely could have been a candidate to be cut after Week 6 in 2015, but after that he was quiet all season — usually a good thing for a cornerback. Granted, you’d like to see more turnovers. He graded out as the 37th-best cornerback on Pro Football Focus, which is pretty good considering how poorly he probably graded early in the season. That would make him a high No. 2 corner, which many thought he’d be. — Elijah, Chicago
So the media is guilty of doubt and pessimism, but you had him cut after six weeks last season? For starters, you’d have a difficult time finding front-office personnel, scouts and coaches who put stock in PFF grades. They do their own scouting, evaluating and grading. The Bears were not tested a ton in the air last season because they were so poor at stopping the run. Fuller had an up-and-down season, and I will agree he was better in the second half. But he has not played up to the status of the 14th pick in the draft, and ideally a cornerback selected that high would play on the left side of the formation. I don’t think anyone is ready to give up on Fuller yet, but the team wants to see more. Remember, the current regime has no stake in him, so he has to impress or the Bears brass will search for a replacement.
Will Ben Braunecker return to practice soon? Judging by the amount of time he has been out, I would guess his injury is a high ankle sprain rather than a low ankle sprain. If he gets cut at the end of the month, what are the chances the Bears will add him to the practice squad without him being claimed by another team? — Dan G., Allentown, Pa.
Braunecker did some limited work on the practice field Tuesday, the first time in weeks he has been active with teammates. He was really limited, but that’s a step in the right direction for the Harvard product. I’m not going to speculate on the specific nature of his ankle injury; I would only be guessing. Sometimes players can miss much more than a month with a high ankle sprain. He would be a good candidate for the practice squad and based on the time he has missed, he is probably a long shot for the 53-man roster at this point. I don’t know if any team would claim him. Remember, he wasn’t drafted, and to this point he has not put anything on tape in preseason. I’d like to see what he could do with an opportunity.
After watching Brian Hoyer through two games, I think he is truly broken after last year's playoff implosion. Could he be cut? — @steveoatms
The team could release Hoyer before the season, but it would come at a cost. The Bears signed the veteran to a $2 million, one-year contract, and he received a $500,000 signing bonus guaranteeing $250,000 of his $1.5 million base salary. So Hoyer would get a $750,000 parting gift from the organization if he were cut. Hoyer has not looked good in exhibition games, which is a little disappointing given his familiarity with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and the playbook. Would Hoyer look better playing with the starters? No question. He looked pretty sharp in practice Tuesday at Halas Hall, and hopefully for the team that carries over into Saturday’s exhibition game against the Chiefs.
I hope Connor Shaw gets more of a chance. I believe he's a better fit than Brian Hoyer. More mobile. What are your thoughts? — @hal_reid
No question Shaw is more mobile than Hoyer, and a lot of football folks will tell you good mobility is a quality they seek in a No. 2 quarterback. The offense isn’t going to run as smoothly with the backup running the show, and when plays break down, a quarterback with the ability to make plays with his legs becomes an asset. Shaw has an idea of what offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains wants to do. Keep in mind: A lot of the players Shaw has made plays against in the two exhibition games will be out of work soon — cuts are coming. Hoyer has a clear edge in experience, and the Bears have some money invested in him.
Of the injured Bears, who are the real concerns come the regular season? Pernell McPhee is a huge concern, no? — @davemigs_34
Any of the front-line players nursing injuries is going to be at least somewhat concerning with the regular season less than three weeks away. Pro Bowl right guard Kyle Long has not been in action since Thursday’s exhibition game against the Patriots and has a labrum issue in one of his shoulders. That’s problematic. While players can play through labrum injuries, it isn’t always easy to fight through them. It depends on the exact nature of the injury. At this point, I don’t believe McPhee will be ready for the start of the season. He remains on the physically unable to perform list, and it might be more of a question of how much regular-season time he will miss. Cornerback Bryce Callahan is out with a hamstring injury, and as the starting nickel would be the first player to get a look on the outside in the absence of Kyle Fuller. That brings us to Fuller, who had arthroscopic knee surgery last week but is walking around fine and could be back in the mix sooner rather than later. Kick returner Deonte Thompson is sidelined, and the other options on the roster for that job aren’t very exciting. The Bears are not the only team with injuries; it’s a rough, physical game.
Will Vic Fangio have more latitude with the depth at outside linebacker and the new pickups to be more aggressive and dynamic on defense? — @mvarga99
The goal of every defensive coordinator is to get creative and exotic once the unit has the base material down pat and can execute it at a high level. There’s no doubt Fangio wants to get to that point with the Bears. He had a terrific defense in San Francisco. The 49ers were nasty in attacking and disguising pressures and coverages, and they brought blitzes from all over the place. It was cool stuff, and he had the personnel to make it happen. With Pernell McPhee sidelined, I don’t know that the depth is where the Bears really want it at outside linebacker. They need to get him back in the mix because when healthy, he’s very good. Leonard Floyd gives Fangio a new toy, one we are still learning about. Floyd has speed that had been lacking in the front seven. But the Bears personnel is still inferior to what the 49ers had with the likes of Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman and a secondary that wasn’t great but was much better than what the Bears have — or at least much more experienced. The Bears defense is a work in progress, and it will be fun to see how it plays out this season. First, the Bears need to be much better at stopping the run, and with inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman and nose tackle Eddie Goldman — who should be better in Year 2 — I think that will happen. When you start playing well versus the run, it opens a lot of possibilities.
How many defensive linemen do you think the Bears will keep? I've been impressed by the three guys listed as third string. — @keenansaulter
The Bears kept five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster heading into Week 1 a year ago, so I think the target is probably five and maybe six this season. However, if injuries are still an issue at that point, the Bears might need extra bodies elsewhere, such as the secondary. That could put them at five D-linemen again. Eddie Goldman, Akiem Hicks and Mitch Unrein are roster locks along with third-round pick Jonathan Bullard. After that, I like Cornelius Washington, who returned to practice on a limited basis Tuesday. If the Bears go with six, maybe Will Sutton or Ego Ferguson figures into the mix. Keith Browner had a couple of flashy plays in the exhibition against the Patriots, but he looks like a long shot to me unless he shows a bunch more of that.
If Kyle Fuller's knee was an issue dating to OTAs, why wait until last week to address it and jeopardize him playing in the opener? — @jtbarczak
That’s a fair question and one I respect. Without knowing details of the decisions made along the way, I would say in most cases the team and the player are going to make surgery a last-resort option. If you think a player can play through something and it might improve, why opt for surgery first? Generally speaking, you want to exhaust alternatives before heading down that path. The good news for Fuller and the Bears is that the surgery determined it was a very minor issue for him. He should be better when he returns, which shouldn’t be too far off.
Will the Bears carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster? And who has the edge at No. 3: David Fales or Connor Shaw? — @qmsig
Do you see a third quarterback worth a spot on the 53-man roster? I don’t think the Bears will carry three quarterbacks on the 53, and more teams are trending in the same direction. The third quarterback almost never dresses on game day, so he can’t help you on Sundays. Fales and Shaw are practice-squad eligible, and I expect the team to carry a quarterback on the practice squad. Shaw has been getting more work, in my opinion, and has past experience with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
Was it me or did Mike Adams have a terrible game versus the Patriots? Does he have a real shot of being the swing tackle? What are your thoughts on Amini Silatolu? — @gallo07
Adams struggled in the game, no question. It looked like he didn’t have his legs under him, which isn’t a big surprise. Remember: Adams missed all of last season after back surgery and joined the Bears only recently. He needs to get back into shape and get a little stronger to be counted on. There’s a chance he can do that, and yes, he has a real shot of being the swing tackle. Silatolu did not play in the two exhibition games, but the Bears could bringing him along a little slowly given he is only nine months removed from a torn ACL. He could project as a backup option at guard. I don’t think he is in the mix at swing tackle. I’m looking forward to seeing him in game action.
What's up with Nick Kwiatkoski? Will he see the field this season? — @jimmyzee01
Kwiatkoski suffered a pulled hamstring at the outset of training camp and has been sidelined more than three weeks now. That’s a bad break for the fourth-round draft pick from West Virginia. At this point, it’s a possibility Kwiatkoski could be placed on injured reserve. The NFL changed rules regarding IR this season. Teams do not have to designate which player they would like to return when he is healthy. From 2012 through 2015, they had to make that designation when a player was placed on IR. So, it is possible Kwiatkoski gets back into the mix that way but way too early to speculate. Maybe he gets out on the practice field soon. We’ll have to see what shakes out this week and next.
What's the status of Will Montgomery? Could he be an option for the Bears at center? — @chicagosportsfa
After Hroniss Grasu suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Aug. 6, I checked in with Montgomery’s agent on his client’s status. He informed me Montgomery is well on his way to enjoying retirement. Best of luck to him.
Jay Cutler makes a lot of good throws but he doesn't seem capable of fully utilizing small, quick receivers such as Daniel Braverman. Cutler seems to hold the ball too long and isn't nearly as accurate with quick, short throws as someone like Tom Brady. Cutler either doesn't make the throw, throws too late or too high or has his passes swatted down. I'm not saying Braverman is the next Wes Welker, but with Cutler we'll never know. Is that fair? — Mike M., Chicago
To my knowledge, Braverman hasn’t been running routes with Cutler at quarterback in the preseason. So Cutler isn’t guilty of not utilizing the seventh-round pick from Western Michigan. Cutler did a nice job of getting slot receiver Marc Mariani involved during the second half of last season when Eddie Royal was sidelined. Nineteen of Mariani’s 22 receptions went for a first down. That’s pretty good production.
Copyright © 2016, Chicago Tribune
