The Bears plan to save the offense next season seems to be to turn loose Devin Hester. Lovie Smith has repeatedly compared him to Steve Smith, and thinks another offseason and training camp learning how to play the position could make Hester the game-breaking playmaker the Bears offense so desperately lacks.
While it’s nice to see the coaching staff realize something so painfully obvious, this plan, in itself, will not work. The Bears offense needs to be completely overhauled, or at least as much as is possible in one offseason. It’s not just the quarterback position that needs improvement, it’s also everything else.
We’ll get to the most pivotal area the Bears should improve, the running game, at another point, but lets focus on the receivers for a second.
Bernard Berrian is clearly the best available free agent receiver, and Mushin Muhammad could and should be cut. If the Bears aren’t able to bring back Berrian, their number one receiver is….Mark Bradley? Sheed Davis? Hester? If Berrian does come back, they obviously still need at least one or two more new, good pass catches. Drafting one is a possibility, but rookie wideouts can never be counted to contribute right away.
So what should the Bears do? Trade for disgruntled Bengal Chad Johnson, who is talking like he’s ready to leave town. Via AOL Fanhouse:
"I was labeled selfish and a cancer, and it hurt," he said. "Fingers were pointed at me this year. If the team and the organization wants to further itself (make the playoffs), I think you need to get rid of the problem.
"It hurt me. To do me that way and not to have my back. Things were said, and nobody came to my defense."
Do the Bears quarterbacks always suck because they have bad receivers, or do the receivers suck because they have bad quarterbacks? Bring Johnson in and that question will be answered. I can care less about all the celebrating, Chad Johnson is a beast. He turned 30 years old last week (which is relatively young), but is going as strong as ever, putting up 93 catches, 1,440 yards and 8 touchdowns this season.
What would it take to get him? In the NFL, players are almost always traded for draft picks, so let’s throw out any player swap scenarios. Last year the Patriots got Wes Welker for a second round pick and Randy Moss for a fourth round pick. If Johnson wants to leave, it could hurt his value like it did for Moss. One problem is that the Bears could have a lot of competition for Johnson, as there have been rumors of him landing in Miami and Eagles fans have already set up a website dedicated to bringing him in.
Here’s what I’m thinking: Chad Johnson for a second and third round draft pick. Depending on your vantage point, this offer probably seems either ridiculously low or kind of a lot, but I think it’s fair. More then anything, the Bears should do whatever it takes to get him, as long as it doesn’t mean giving up their first and second round picks.
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Comments
Chad Johnson is my favorite football player in the league. He's a fantastic reciever and makes football fun. What's wrong with a player having fun on the field?
Totally down with that trade. His first TD catch as a Bear would be awesome because I imagine he'd have something amazing for his first Windy City TD celebration.
But, that said, I'm told he lives in Florida, so I imagine that gives the FL teams a built in advantage when it comes to landing him.
Maybe not, though.
Chad Johnson is the most exciting player in the NFL. He is an amazing player and has the spark the Bears need to get their offense going. I am going to start to mail Ocho Cinco a bears jersey every week telling him to come.
Chad Johnson is the most exciting player in the NFL. He is an amazing player and has the spark the Bears need to get their offense going. I am going to start to mail Ocho Cinco a bears jersey every week telling him to come.
Lets face it, he's not coming here. How good could he possibly be in Chicago when we don't have a consistent quarterback, our o-line is probably the worst in the NFL, and Benson can rush for more than two yards without doing a little dance and falling face first into the ground. If he did come here, I don't think it would even help the Bears. They're about 3-4 years away from being a good team (realistically speaking.)
Well that's why I said you need to revamp the entire offense this offseason. Bring in two or three good olinemen, CJ and one other decent receiver, turn loose Hester, get another RB to split carries with Ced Ben, and that could be an ok offense. And stop being such a Negative Nancy, ya puss. Urlacher is one of the 5 best linebackers in the NFL, Tommie Harris is the best DT in the league, and Vasher and Tillman may be the league's best corner tandum. They can win soon with a real offense, which, I realize, is harder to acquire then I make it sound.
And if the Bears can't do any of these things, they should literally give it Hester every play. Run him up the middle, or to the sidelines, throw him screens, slants, posts, and bombs. Honestly, if he's all they have, you might as well use him.
Philly had the garbage picking field goal kicking philidelphia phenomenon, Chicago needs this:
You mean tie that little bastard up. Man would I love a piece of that!
If the Bears picked up Chad Johnson He would be great. Him and Hester both in there! Hester and Johnson are both fast and explosive players and rex can throw when he knows someone can catch. Even if Rex cant get the ball to the players hester and johnson would both find ways to get that ball. They both are ball magnets. I say pick up Johnson asap.
I'd rather have his gold teeth than have that attention whore on the Bears.