DBrian Urlacher tackles Green Bay Packers running back James Starks at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears 35-21. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Urlacher is a demon, a monster and a Packer-killer, but that’s why this Green Bay Packers fan will miss seeing him hunting along the line of scrimmage and tracking down running backs.

OK, now put down your pitchforks and douse those torches … any fan of the game of football has got to appreciate what Urlacher has done to promote the league and make the Chicago Bears one of the best franchises – but of course not quite up to the level of the Packers.

We’ve all called Urlacher’s name out when the Bears have played the Packers – most of the time with an expletive either in front or behind his name. That’s a part of football – a great part of football. And I will miss it.

Ryan Grant is tackled by Brian Urlacher in the second half of a 2011 game at Soldier Field. The Packers defeated the Bears 27-17. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

How can one not appreciate watching a guy like Urlacher the past 13 years? Like Charles Woodson, he was an icon, a classy guy who loved to play. And like Woodson, he’s also been on the outside looking in – a hall-of-famer without a team and certainly in the twilight of his career. Will he end up anywhere? Is it time to hang them up? If it is, I will miss him.

Like Woodson, the two of them want to play and both of them still feel they have what it takes to compete and be a contributing member of an NFL team. Whether any of the 32 teams in the league think the same way is highly doubtful, but there’s been talk he might end up in Minnesota. If he doesn’t, I will miss him.

I will miss Urlacher’s intensity and determination. It seemed like every time he played the Packers he would come up with a huge play. Well, it wasn’t every game, but he had a few of his bigger moments when playing Green Bay.

In fact, I came across this post recently - “Brian Urlacher’s Greatest hits — 2000-13″ that I would like to share with you. Of the top 10 greatest moments of Urlacher’s career as determined by the Chicago Sun Times, 50 percent of them were against the Packers. Here ya go … take a look and remember … but also remember that the Packers’ record against the Bears from 2000-13 was 18-9. So, though Urlacher did his job in disrupting the Packers during his career, his record against Green Bay wasn’t so great.

I will miss him and will miss watching the Packers have their way with a player of his caliber.

Brian Urlacher’s Greatest Hits — 2000-13

Dec. 23, 2007: Returned an interception of Brett Favre 85 yards for a touchdown to put the finishing touch on a 35-3 rout of the Packers at Soldier Field.

Jan. 23, 2011: With the Bears trailing the Packers 14-0 in the third quarter of the NFC Championship Game, Urlacher intercepted Aaron Rodgers at the Bears 6 and might have gone all the way for a momentum-changing touchdown had Rodgers not tripped him up at the Bears 45 for a 39-yard return.

Sept. 27, 2010: In a 17-17 tie with the Packers with 2:27 to go, Urlacher forced wide receiver James Jones to fumble after a 12-yard gain to midfield. Bears cornerback Tim Jennings recovered and Robbie Gould kicked a 19-yard field goal with four seconds left to give the Bears a 20-17 victory at Soldier Field.

Sept. 19, 2004: With the Packers driving to take the lead on a first-and-goal play from the 2-yard line in the second quarter, Urlacher stripped the ball from running back Ahman Green in the backfield and Mike Brown returned the fumble 95 yards for a game-changing touchdown as the Bears ended a seven-game losing streak against the Packers with a 21-10 victory at Lambeau Field. Urlacher had 14 tackles (10 solo) in that game.

Dec. 4, 2005: En route to winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, Urlacher had 16 tackles (13 solo), including one tackle-for-loss and two pass-breakups in a 19-7 victory over the Packers at Soldier Field for the Bears’ eighth consecutive victory after a 1-3 start.

Here’s Urlacher’s interception of Brett Favre in 2007 …

Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley (88) against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Vikings defeated the Packers 37-34. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers neared what was a massive decision that would affect their cap space dramatically for next season. Ted Thompson knew this decision would impact what they do in this year’s NFL Draft and how they approach the rest of the offseason. Thompson also knew that the decision to keep or cut Jermichael Finley was huge and has been talked about a lot.

However, there is one obvious right decision that the Packers should have made – and they made it today …

The Packers kept Jermichael Finley.

There is no tight end on the free agent market right now better than Jermichael Finley. Tyler Eifert would be an upgrade but he will not fall to the Packers while Zack Ertz will probably not be an immediate upgrade.

Jermichael Finley played better near the end of the season and even though he struggled in the playoffs, Finley showed that he deserves a second chance for the Packers this upcoming season. The Packers also have plenty of cap room to improve the roster right now and Finley will be a free agent next offseason anyway.

Dec 30, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at MetLife Stadium. New York Giants defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 42-7. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

The Packers will still have the cap space to make some moves which should include cutting Cedric Benson and replacing him with Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw is still not that old at age 27 while Benson is a risk to be injured again and no longer needed, especially if Bradshaw becomes a Packer. Brian Urlacher could be a possibility to provide some depth at inside linebacker. His leadership would also be a big boost to the locker room but it seems unlikely that Urlacher would come to Green Bay.

The Packers can now focus on a tight end later in the draft instead of the first round. So just what are the Packers draft options at tight end?

Dec 20, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs tight end Gavin Escobar (88) runs for a first down after making a catch during the second quarter as Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Jordan Johnson (6) defends at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

In the second round, the Packers could look at drafting San Diego State TE Gavin Escobar. Escobar isn’t too far behind Zack Ertz on a lot of people’s draft boards and his ceiling is extremely high. Escobar has good speed and jumping ability for a tight end but I’m still not completely sold on Escobar.

Florida’s Jordan Reed is another potential fit in the second or third round and would be a good pick for Green Bay. Reed is fast for a tight end but he isn’t really much a blocker. If there is one player he reminds me of, it would be former Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark. Clark and Reed are both not as big as an average tight end but have great speed and can work out of the slot. The Packers do already have D.J. Williams so Reed might not be much of a fit.

December 27, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins tight end Joseph Fauria (8) celebrates after scoring during the second quarter against the Baylor Bears in the Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

A late round possibility is UCLA tight end Joseph Fauria who has the best ceiling of any in this draft. Fauria is 6-7′ and has so much room to grow and become an elite tight end. Fauria isn’t the fastest tight end but he can get up and get the ball due to his impressive ball skills and great arm length. Fauria might not be the fastest, but his speed makes him a big play threat.

Fauria also has one of the highest ceilings of any player in the draft and could be a big time tight end by 2014. Remember, Jimmy Graham was not a starter from day 1 in New Orleans. Instead, Graham developed behind veteran Jeremy Shockey before starting in New Orleans and becoming arguably the best tight end in the NFL.

Jermichael Finley could play the Jeremy Shockey with Fauria being the next Jimmy Graham.

May 23, 2012; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) throws a pass during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

FantasyCPR, our fansided.com brethren, is hosting a series of team previews that should interest all National Football League fans.

They began the series with a Q&A with Keith Myers of 12th Man Rising, another fine site under the fansided.com umbrella.

Fantasy fans and fans in general will be interested in following this series diligently put together by FantasyCPR’s Zach Thompson.

This particular posting will be of interest to Green Bay Packers fans because it focuses on the Chicago Bears.

Anyway, you can go directly to the site here or you may just continue reading the posting below.

Chicago Bears – Fantasy Football 2012 Preview

The MLB All-Star break is always a good time to start your fantasy football preparations. We’ll have plenty of coverage  here at FantasyCPR leading up to preseason and  the highly-anticipated kickoff to the regular season.

Today we’re joined by Boomer from Bear Goggles On who helps us preview what we can expect from “da Bears” as they head into a tough season in the ultra-competetive NFC North.

Zach Thompson, FantasyCPR: Thanks again, Mike, for helping us with our season previews. We’ll start with the obvious one… The Bears looked good last year and appeared to be on their way to the playoffs before injuries completely derailed their season. Should we expect any lingering effects of either Matt Forte or Jay Cutler’s injury? And will the Bears O-line be able to keep Cutler upright

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: I don’t expect any lingering effects from the injuries to Forte and Cutler.  By all accounts, Jay has been zipping the ball around during OTA’s, showing no signs of damage from the broken thumb that ended his 2011 campaign.  Even though Forte has not been in camp with his contract status up in the air, he is always in top shape and I expect this season to be no different.

The offensive line question is another story.  The Bears didn’t make any significant moves this offseason, either in free agency or through the draft, to address one of their most glaring weaknesses.  This one still scares me a bit.

Z: Will Jay Cutler be a top 10 QB statistically this year?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On:  There’s no reason to believe Cutler can’t get to that upper echelon of quarterbacks now that the Bears finally put some weapons around him and scrapped Mike Martz’s offensive playbook filled with 7-step drops that the Bears offensive line couldn’t block.

Z: I’ve been surprised at the lack of love given to the newly-acquired Brandon Marshall. Do you think he’ll be a top-10 receiver this year?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: No question.  Marshall and Cutler were an elite duo in Denver and I expect them to pick up where they left off.  The Bears added Jeremy Bates and quarterbacks coach and de facto passing coordinator, so hopes are high for Marshall in the Bears offense.  He’ll get a ton of targets and should catch 90+ balls if things go according to plan.

Z: Would you rather have Brandon Marshall on your fantasy team or Hakeem Nicks?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: I’d take Marshall since I think he’s a better receiver and since there are fewer weapons around Marshall compared to Nicks, who has to compete with Victor Cruz for touches.

Z: Brandon Marshall or Jordy Nelson?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Marshall.  Nelson is 2^nd or 3^rd option in Green Bay.

Z: Brandon Marshall or Steve Smith

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Marshall. I think the Panthers and Cam Newton come back down to earth this season.

Z: Just one more, Brandon Marshall or A.J. Green.

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Marshall since he’s got a stronger track record than Green, who might suffer a sophomore slump in 2012.

Z: I agree with you on all of those. I might consider Smith over him, but I want to see what the Panthers are doing during camp, but other than that I’m liking Marshall over all those guys. Who do you think will be the #2 wide receiver in Chicago?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On:  That’s a great question.  Everyone in Bears camp has been pumping up Devin Hester now that he’ll be moved into the slot.  I think that Earl Bennett will emerge as the #2 in terms of targets.  Look for Alshon Jeffery to be a red zone threat as the season progresses.

Z: Will the Bears use the TE much as a receiver and if so who do you think will emerge as Cutler’s favorite target in that role?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Kellen Davis has been getting some preseason hype as a super sleeper TE for the Bears.  He’s 6’7”, so he should be able to get some red zone TD’s.

Z: Matt Forte seemed to wear down a little at the end of the year even before the injury. Who will serve as the Bears backup RB and will they use him in any kind of a rotation?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: I expect Forte and Bush to be sort of a lightening and thunder attack.  For all his success that Forte has had, he hasn’t been good in short yardage and red zone.  That’s where Bush will excel.

Z: The Bears D/ST is always one of the top units in all of fantasy football. Do you think they’ll take a step forward or backward this year?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Their defense is definitely on the decline with their top stars on the wrong side of 30, but with a Lovie Smith defense, it’s always about takeaways.  The Bears will continue to be opportunistic and should still be a top fantasy producer.  When you add Devin Hester and special teams to the mix, I think they’ll still be a top fantasy option.

Z: Last one, give me your realistic expectation for the Bears this season, and then your perfect scenario. How far can Lovie Smith and Da Bears go?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Realistically, I have the Bears at 10 or 11 wins this season and making a strong run in the playoffs. In a perfect scenario, Cutler stays healthy and he and Marshall live up to the hype while the defense gets another year out of Urlacher, Briggs, Peppers and Tillman and the Bears return to Super Bowl glory.

2011 second round draft choice Randall Cobb should contribute more to the Packers receiving game in 2012. Raymond T. Rivard photograph.

Round 2
Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky

Randall Cobb fulfilled an immediate short-term need for the Packers: A kick and punt returner who actually scared teams with his potential. He performed fairly well, but his real value will be as a wide receiver. At the time the Packers chose Cobb, their wide receiver position, though stacked, was not built for the long-term. It looked like James Jones would depart via free agency, Jordy Nelson was coming off a hot playoff run but wasn’t locked down with a long-term contract, Donald Driver was mostly likely playing in his last season and Greg Jennings’s contract was up after the 2012-13 season.

With that much unknown about his ultra-important receiving corps, Thompson wasn’t about to pass on Cobb. Now that the receiving corps is in a bit of a different state – Driver is most likely not coming back in 2012, Jones is locked-in as the Packers’ No. 3 receiver, Nelson is the No. 2 and Jennings is the No. 1, at least through this year – Cobb will be apprenticing for the slot receiver role which so often goes to Jennings. If Jennings does leave via free agency, the Packers will have come out on top with this draft pick. If Jennings stays, the Pack will devote many more plays to get this guy on the field as much as possible.

Brandon Saine was thrust into the lineup when rookie running back Alex Green went down with a knee injury. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Round 3
Alex Green, RB, Hawaii

Thompson took a look at his running back situation after the 2010-11 season, decided that Brandon Jackson wouldn’t be re-signed (despite this awesome move he put on Urlacher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cjyuZQv80U ) and worried that Ryan Grant’s injury won’t allow him to play at the same level as he did in 2010. With James Starks as his only “sure thing,” Thompson went offense again and grabbed a back early in the 2011 draft.

We didn’t learn much about Green and his ability to run in the NFL during his rookie season. An injury early in the season prevented him from taking advantage of late season injuries to Ryan Grant and James Starks. Instead, Brandon Saine, an undrafted free agent known more for his catching ability than running ability, actually graded out better on yards after contact than Grant and Starks and now with Grant expected to depart the Packers, Green and Saine will battle in training camp for the backup running back spot. Still looks like a good pick, especially because it seems like Starks has cold streaks from time to time.

See part III about the 2011 Packers draft tomorrow …

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The Packers will finish out the regular season and their run through the playoffs up until the Super Bowl in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field.

Ok, so you think the Packers have it bad.

Yes, they’ve been visited by that injury bug, especially this past weekend along the offensive line.

But, in my estimation, those are things that tend to take care of themselves, given time and a team deep with talent.

“Next guy up,” is what Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. It’s a simple philosophy that he proved was effective last season and hopes to make work again this year as he moves players around on the offensive line to patch together a unit that will be charged with protecting Aaron Rodgers from the likes of Julius Peppers, Brian Uhrlacher and Ndamukong Suh over the next two weeks of the regular season.

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(more…)

Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo are three of the league's most overrated quarterbacks. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

So now that we must wait until at least Monday for any more news about whether we we are going to have an NFL season, I thought I’d take a few potshots of my own and focus on three of my “favorite” players.

So, here we go…

Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez …

Just what do they have in common?

Well, other than the fact that they play for NFL teams in the three biggest markets, to me they are three of the league’s most overrated players. (more…)

It's a travesty that Brian Urlacher was left off the top 10 list put together by Dhani Jones. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

This week, Dhani Jones, that pretty good lookin’, fairly good linebacker put together a really ugly list of what he thought are the top linebackers in the NFL … a list where he placed himself seventh.
Really?
Well, he’s been a pretty decent player for the Giants, Eagles and Bengals for the past decade or so, but the top 10?
What’s even more astonishing is that Chicago Bears’ longtime linebacker, Brian Urlacher, isn’t even mentioned in the top 10!
Really? (more…)

Chicago Bears
The Bears brought in a franchise quarterback during the offseason in Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos in a massive trade.  The Bears now have a face to the franchise on offense to go with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs on defense.  Although I said that Bears receivers are bad a few posts ago (a statement I still stand behind), Cutler makes them a bit better, while the presence of Cutler takes the pressure of Matt Forte and the running game.  So would you throw Vick in this mix?

The Bears already have one gimmick player on offense in Devin Hester.  Hester is the main decoy on many plays and the Bears love to use his vertical speed to stretch the defense and give the coordinators headaches.  Adding Vick would give the Bears two potentially explosive players on offense at the same time.  Putting Vick into the offense without a full offseason and training camp to get everything to work between him and Hester would be a burden for Cutler, who’s learning a new system, and the offense in general.

Also, owner Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith are classy guys.  While I think Vick should be allowed back in the league as soon as commissioner Roger Goodell can approve of him and I don’t think he’s a threat to society, Angelo and Smith would want to avoid any backlash.  Vick could really work in Chicago, but I feel that Angelo and Smith wouldn’t run the risk of the backlash and something going wrong.

Detroit Lions
It doesn’t seem like things can get any worse for the Detroit Lions.  With last year’s debacle, there is really nowhere for the Lions to go but up.  With Matthew Stafford and revamped linebacking corps, there is hope in Detroit for a few wins here or there.  But would Vick be a fit in Detroit?

The first thing you have to look at his playmakers.  Who are the Lions playmakers?  Stafford isn’t even the starter yet, as he’s behind Daunte Culpepper.  Kevin Smith guaranteed the playoffs this year for Detroit and he does give them a steady option at running back, but he’s nothing too special yet.  Calvin Johnson is the closest thing the Lions have to a star player.  After Johnson, there’s a mess with Keary Colbert, Ronald Curry, Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, and rookie Derrick Williams.  Those guys are all going for the spots behind Calvin Johnson.  Is there room for Vick in here?  I’d say yes.

The Lions could definitely use Vick’s playmaking ability.  However, Stafford is the quarterback of the future and coach Jim Schwartz wants to use Culpepper as the stop gap.  Vick would be relegated to a Wildcat role and basically be a gimmick player.

Image-wise, the Lions can’t really get that much lower after the 0-16 season.  Getting Vick would show that they are serious about making an attempt to get better.  But then again, they might look as a risk for getting their reputation dumbed down even more.  They could use his talent, but will stay hands off, as there is enough work to do on that team already.

Green Bay Packers
First off, I don’t see Vick in a Green Bay Packer uniform.  Sure, if he was more of a traditional quarterback, I could definitely see Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy run the risk and sign him to back up Aaron Rodgers if Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn can’t improve.  But the fact that Vick is all over the place with his play, I don’t see it happening.  Vick could also serve the purpose of a Wildcat in the Packers offense, but the team has been prolific enough the last few years that they should (and will) stay with what works.

Also, I can’t see Vick meshing too well in Green Bay.  He’s done his time and deserves to be back in, but Green Bay doesn’t seem to be the town to take him.  This is a big year for the Packers, so anything to upset the balance could gain the ire of the stockholders, which the team does not want.

Minnesota Vikings
Finally, the Minnesota Vikings.  There are three reasons why I think the Vikings are the least likely to land Vick in the division: 1) Brett Favre; 2) Percy Harvin; 3) Tarvaris Jackson.

Favre.  Right now, the Vikings are waiting for Favre to notify Brad Childress and the team whether or not he will be returning to football and joining the Vikings on July 30 (or sooner).  If the Vikings get Favre, it can give them a quarterback that can hand off to Adrian Peterson and get the ball down the field and make plays if necessary.  No need for Vick there.

Harvin.  Harvin fills the role of Minnesota’s Wildcat.  He can run with the ball, he can catch the ball, and the Vikings have had him throwing in practice.  If he can do all that, why do they need Vick?  Plus, they’re waiting on Favre; why wait on Vick too?

Jackson.  The Vikings have been dealing with the mobile quarterback with shoddy decision making over the past few years with T-Jack.  Vick is an exponentially better version of Tarvaris, but do the Vikings and their fans really want to go through this ordeal all over again?  I don’t think so.  Small chance of Vick in Viking purple.

Lions, Bears, Packers, Vikings.  That’s the order (from most likely to least likely) of teams in the NFC North going after one Michael Vick.

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