NBC Sports' Ross Tucker breaks down free agency
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Mon, 11 Mar 2013|
NBC Sports Network's Ross Tucker breaks down what the Bears may do in free agency, despite having limited cap room - 3/11
Transcript
NFL free agency starts in earnest tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM local time that's what teams can start signing players for the latest inside before the madness begins let's go to the NBC sports network studios bring in former NFL lineman Ross Tucker does great work for NBC it's serious accident as well. Aren't our local club the Chicago Bears does not have a lot of flexibility as of this very moment. Under the salary cap so my first question to -- is Brian Urlacher or Nick Roach you can't have both if you're Phil Emery what do you do. Well that's itself what I I would say Urlacher auto water two year deal and then draft his replacement. And try to get that guy. Conservative trying to ship over the next couple years may be reduced to one year partnership and then be ready to go. -- the Bears offensive line has been a huge problem. For the past two or three seasons we have been screaming for them to upgrade the line make -- consistently said. We don't need to work fine well and ended up being their undoing how to make fixed it would no salary cap room. A couple things number one I think that they can sign Brandon Moore. To a contract that's not gonna be too exorbitant in terms of money. You know he's played Illinois they need -- right guard in the worst way. I don't think he'll be able to afford. Your -- bush rod but just getting a right guard in there we go a long way -- blue don't realize this but. Most the time. Especially in that offense you're gonna slide the protection the left side to Roberto Garza. You slide the back side you know right guard that can pass protect and that is brand more. On -- two years -- to me. That then this is it this right now. If they win now teams it's a tough thing for trust me to come in. When you look at the cornerbacks who looked at Briggs and Urlacher. You look at Jay Cutler his contractual situation they need to try to win now. How quick can someone becomes assimilated into an offensive they said. Okay we're gonna sign -- push -- or whoever it might be how quickly can they step in and be a factor. That's that easy partner of the playbook and know what to do is the easy part because. Chris go all the teams from the same place is just different nomenclature. Different language the tougher part. Is starting to get continuity and chemistry when your line mates you guys next you know the best upwards of lines are the Lions have been together the most. Because they know what the other guy's gonna do help the same thing they can actually issue out dummy calls and try to throw the defense off their sent. That's why you see those teams have been upwards of lines. They keep those guys together I'm not exactly sure what the Bears during the last couple years you've been those guys together me in fairness they have put some resources into it. Like Chris Williams like -- careening unfortunately. Good bad or good player that they made poor choices so. If you try. To fix a problem. And you have bad players that you draft but just compounds the issue. Spot let's talk about Percy Harvey and he's moving on the Vikings are going to be players and it would appear in free agency the Bears have a guy who's been somewhat disgruntled. In Devin Hester who's a style of player like Percy -- What would the market be for Devin Hester out there and how much money that the Vikings are willing to spend on free agent receivers. Why I think we all know now that the Vikings have to get a receiver I think they wanna get a veteran and pair him up with a young guy and they do have -- right. Well I think it's kind of a poor man's Percy Harvard based upon how they used his skill set last year I do think that they're gonna make a push. For Greg Jennings because they wanna give. Christian Ponder a reliable veteran receiver and out of those 21 round picks my guess would be one of those. Would be a wide receiver as well I don't think that they want a guy like Devin Hester -- -- be quite frankly there's a huge market for Devin Hester. But ministers I'd say that you consider the fact that Leodis McKelvin. Of the Buffalo Bills got a four year twenty million dollar contract. Based primarily. On his special teams that means that somebody out there might think it's were taken a flyer on Hester but consider this. You can go out and get a guy like Josh Cribbs in free agency without had to give up any draft choice compensation. I talked to Hunter Hillenmeyer not too long -- former bear and he said if you think they're gonna win ten games when you have a coaching change in the system change. He's certainly hard pressed to do what they did under Lovie Smith the 2012. So -- two part question a wrap this up with you is how good do you think the Bears a -- and what would you do long term would Jay Cutler. I think that the Bears can win double digits I think they probably will win double digits this year I think they had some significant coaching issues. The last couple years -- of the delay games and the penalties I think that will be improving I think that will be. What enables them to get double digits for Jay Cutler if I'm mark dressed men and Phil Emery. I take a wait and see approach this year perhaps. Try to extend them at some point during the year I'm not convinced. That Jay Cutler once to a contract right now and like maybe it does put -- the Bears. I'm not ready. To pull the trigger on the twenty million dollars a year that Joseph Flacco got maybe after the year or maybe even during the year things are progressing very nicely. For him for us.
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ST Cubs 05-22Let's talk about Matt Garza last night Chris you've covered baseball long time he looks like the guy who is healthy. Ready to go and if he continues to throw like that. He's gonna bring up pretty good package your absolutely he's probably their most marketable player and this is a team that stuff when going to be selling at the deadline so I think that brought him back at a good time he's gonna get a few starts. Get a few runs and runs through the rotation. And I think you're gonna see the scouts start to stack up for these out a lot of their last night yeah he's he's as good as gone and been incredibly inconsistent and he was great last night but if you his trade value is. Gone down every time he's been except for a few occasions I mean he's either injured or he implode or whatever the case may be a Philly is trade values is down. Actually well it's going to be interesting to see how much his trade value is because it's so hard to find good starting pitching a lot of teams will take a chance and overpay for starting pitching but defense is on the market to. Unfortunately in the of the other people are not a lot of the Marty that's a thing of what do who becomes available may be July 1. Maybe there aren't that many guys and guards as market value shoots up because he might be the best guy out there and they know they can get a from the Cubs sell a team that needs a starting pitcher to put you over the top. That always happens in baseball teams overpay all the. I'm OK so whoever cub rotation. Is around August 1. Probably Travis Wood because they're paid him nothing Smart Jeff. So far for sure I I was gonna ask you about that than just some he confuses me because. They haven't done a long term deal this is the last year of his deal right and he's not a free agent he's not freedom but but I he would I don't know they've worked on something but he that he confusing because he's a Jim Hendry hold over. And I'm not sure worthy but I don't think IA did evaluate and I. Not I guess they've overvalued him I think that they see a lot more than once there I don't think he's the top of the rotation guy debris of two. I think he's an that best of three maybe four he's been inconsistent to me he's like Jon Garland. He's gonna have a couple of good outings he's gonna have a couple of terrible outings he's gonna be about a 500 pitcher his ERA is looking better. He's he's made he's really developed as a pitcher you know they know what to do with the when he first came up. But he hasn't shown that consistency where you can say this guy can be our race he's gonna be a guy who could win twelve or fifteen games and moved. The let it get Garza goes up for the next seven weeks. And pitches like an ace well that's item two point nine. I don't think did this season their long term plans that this is there were a rebuilding this gonna take a few years I don't think that Matt Garza is the guy that they're gonna. Garza was outstanding last I mean pitch phenomenally well but the bullpen again. Ridiculously. Bad so today Shawn Camp with a sprained ERA I mean told the is on the fifteen day DL level what happens. Awfully yes that give up a grand slamming on the did I I hate when that I mean I want someone to explain it I'm not sure fire unveils claim. But in the sixth inning when don't put men on base he went right to the bullpen it said OK this is the game right here. I'm using my best guy James Russell. He used them for one to get back to seven pitches. That was a questionable strike three or ball they call little ball you look like the guy might just want. Any blitz him and they really Shawn Camp in the face the world. I don't understand that you know he's got a sprained isn't all the Cubs he could pitch through it you know he's not healthy. James Russell is your best reliever. You use it for one batter you giving you bring in a guy who's pitching injured I don't understand it. Is it safe to question dale claims handling of the bullpen is the guy for how many outings ran Carlos Marmol out there in the ninth inning absolutely shelled. And any run a mile but in his defense playing devil's advocate. doesn't use Marmol he camp we'll you they tell you right now but I let's not you don't Rondo before you know it's another they finally got Smart use Kevin even though it probably blows up at some point at least you gotta try some camera on the same guys out I was the president be in a way about their last at I thought I thought they should run him a perfect situation for him to be go two innings and you know maybe pitching in the eighth inning to announce. We talk about this team rebuilding I'm not so sure that the manager when this team gets to be the team that they want so you next what a rip off that would for that poor guy not having to put up with this and though you don't want now that we're good we're we're gonna go something else now I wouldn't be shocked if if if they if they struggle which it looks like they're going to struggle again. That they make it's OK there's a guy whose contracts up at the end of this season. Joseph Girardi. If he doesn't go back to the Yankees I'm so assuming he will but if he didn't for he's a free agent his out there. how do you not go to that guy go. Come home. Well you know that Joseph would be interested in that and I know your big Joseph Girardi guy. I I think that's a place they look and if the Yankees don't do what the Yankees have to do every year. Then that could be a possibility definitely upon he's pretty analytical through the need kind of by the numbers by the books chemical engineering major mean that's the deal right up there priority not questioned us.
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PFT's Florio talks Urlacher on SportsTalk LiveThey knew it was probably didn't come as a surprise to you it certainly didn't the Chicago bear fan base Brian Urlacher hang him up after thirteen stellar seasons what your take. On Urlacher is career. Well. He's got to be considered as one of the all time great Chicago Bears defenders and and likely addition of the hall of fame at some point it's gonna be tough on that first ballot though because right now Ray Lewis Ronde Barber. Possibly Randy Moss all in that mix for the first time in 2018 along with Urlacher but he'll get there eventually and he's been a cornerstone. For the Bears defense for so long it really. Is going to seem strange without him on the field but not as strange as it would have been. To see him playing for someone else I told you rank the all time best middle linebackers in football former bear GM Jerry Angelo said today. He'd go butkus Ray Lewis Urlacher. How would you stack them up. I don't know that I would give that third spot to Urlacher there's a guy named Jack Lambert who played pretty tough middle linebacker back in the 1970s there's a lot of guys that would be easy to overlook. Lot of great middle linebackers over history but a lot of them who deserve to be in the hall of fame and guys like Urlacher who likely will be all right explain to the younger generation. Who tweeting at me all day that they would take Urlacher over Dick Butkus why they are probably misguided. While Urlacher is extremely athletic and he was able to play sideline to sideline and cover receivers he gets the ball and make the tackle but there was a certain. Toughness and grit about Dick Butkus and of course this was in an aero when. Football players were allowed to be tougher and allowed to be greedy here and allowed to hit harder and allowed do a lot of the things that today's players aren't able to do. But but this was a different breed at a different time and it would be it would be intriguing to see a guy like that let loose on. On today's NFL. When you look at a great history of Chicago Bears if you looked at a mount Rushmore or greatest members of the bear franchise. Obviously George Walter Payton are locks one to who gets the other two spots. When you raise an intriguing part because pro football talk we're going through that process for every team. In the month of June and we've been taking nominations at and I reached that same conclusion Paulus and Peyton definitely on it beyond that. It it I'm do you put Mike Ditka on it what do you do about members that Bears defense from 1985 his Buddy Ryan get consideration given. His role in putting that team together Sid locked when you feel like he needs a spot there he's the best quarterback in franchise history all due respect Jay Cutler so. It's not going to be an easy process to fill those final two spots. I would not looking at the Bears going forward new coach GM in his second year no Brian Urlacher. How did they move or what type of team you think they have a 2013 I don't Vegas as over under on wins eight and a half. And that could be a little charitable a lot of change with the Bears no one really knows how mark is gonna perform. As an NFL head coach he's got years and years as an assistant coach. He's been a successful head coaching candidate. He's been out of the game at least the NFL game for the last eight years. There's a lot of skepticism about whether or not his methods will work certain irony there too because everybody assumes Chip Kelly. Eagles head coach had zero connection to the NFL at any point in his life is gonna show up and be one of the great head coaches in the game. I trust deserves a little bit of consideration for his background in its history. To possibly being able to hit the ground running and lead the Bears to a good record just nobody really knows how this is all gonna play out it's gonna make for a an season for Bears last one for you last year the Bears had Jay Cutler arguably the second best quarterback in franchise history they added the greatest single season performance by a wide receiver in the history of the franchise. And their offense grasp how good do you think they'll be offensively. And how good you think the league defensively. What coaching is gonna have a lot to do with the offense and I like the fact that they have tried. Aggressively. To improve the offensive line as the offensive line goes so goes the rest of the offense but the schemes the plays. Trying to design. Attacks that take advantage of your players' strengths and minimize their weaknesses that's going to be important for mark trust On defense you have to feel like there's going to be a step back with Urlacher gone with Nick Roach gone. And you just don't get the sense that this is a dominant Bears defense. And maybe the pendulum is gonna swing to the offense to pick up some of the slack.
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