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Archives for 2010-2011 Schedule

Week One NFL Power Rankings, Chicago Bears Edition

8th September 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Power Rankings     

Here are the Week one Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:

ESPN: #21 (Last year: #23)

Analysis, I’m not buying the Mike Martz-Jay Cutler marriage so far. Are you?

Pro Football Weekly: #18 (Last year: #23)

Analysis, Serious concerns about development of the offense.

NFL.com: #27 (Last year: #23)

Analysis, Jay Cutler will be much better, but will the running game and offensive line improve too? It also hurts to have defensive uncertainties in this division.

CBS Sports: #22 (Last year: 24)

Analysis, Jay Cutler will be under a ton of scrutiny. Can he handle it? Can he co-exist with Mike Martz? Or will this be a disaster and the end of Lovie Smith?

Fox Sports: #21 (Last year: #23)

Analysis, With Peppers hopefully sufficiently motivated, Brian Urlacher healthy and Jay Cutler trying to do his Kurt Warner impression under Mike Martz, the Bears are hoping for a big playoff push in 2010. The biggest key may be RB Matt Forte getting help with Chester Taylor signed to give him a hand in carrying the ball.

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Bears Captains And Practice Squad Announced

6th September 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears announced their team captains yesterday and the players picked to be captains should come as no surprise to fans.

Center Olin Kreutz, LS Pat Mannelly, MLB Brian Urlacher, QB Jay Cutler and DE Julius Peppers were named the team captains for the 2010-2011 season.

In other Bears news, eight players have been signed to the practice squad.

WR Juaquin Iglesias

WR Greg Matthews

OL Levi Horn

OL James Marten

OL Edwin Williams

DE Barry Turner

FB Eddie Williams

LB J.D. Folsom

Six of the eight players actually appeared in preseason games for the Bears. OL Edwin Williams was added when the Bears released RB Brandon Minor after the fourth preseason game and LB J.D. Folsom was added yesterday.

Iglesias, Marten, Folsom and Eddie Williams have the biggest chance of being promoted to the active roster because of their experience.

Iglesias is still liked by Bears coaches, Marten is a big tackle, who could provide good depth, Folsom is a big linebacker who can help out on special teams and Eddie Williams, well he is a fullback and the Bears don’t have one on their current roster.

Look for the starting lineup for Sunday’s game to be announced in the next couple of days

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Recap: Bears Announce 53 Man Roster, Some Surprise Moves Made

5th September 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears announced the list of players they cut to get down to the 53 man roster. My prediction of the 53 man roster from a couple days ago was close, but I made some errors.

I honestly did not think some of the draft picks from last year would be cut. Especially in favor of some undrafted players who were on the practice squad last season.

One of last years third round pick, DE Jarron Gilbert was on the hot seat coming into training camp. Gilbert showed no reason why he should take Henry Melton or Corey Wootton’s spot. Gilbert not making the roster was sort of surprising because of his draft status, but I guess Angelo couldn’t put up with his failures anymore.

The Bears decided to keep three quarterbacks, four running backs, five receivers and four tight ends. Juaquin Iglesias was the sixth receiver and the Bears obviously didn’t see his value as a receiver or as a special teams player. So the other third round pick from last year, Iglesias, was unable to beat out Earl Bennett or Rashied Davis for that fifth and final receiver spot.

Keeping a fourth running back in Garrett Wolfe instead of keeping a sixth receiver in Juaquin Iglesias was simply for special teams purposes. Clearly Garrett Wolfe has proven to be a solid special teams player unlike Iglesias who wasn’t the best tackler.

Iglesias still has practice squad eligibility, so don’t be shocked if they bring him onto the practice squad sometime soon.

Another surprising move made by the Bears was the decision to let G/C Josh Beekman go. Beekman, a fourth round pick out of Boston College in 2007, was at one point said to be Olin Kreutz’s replacement. The 27 year old Beekman started 20 games in three seasons for the Bears, playing at both left guard and right guard. With Lance Louis and Roberto Garza locking down the guard spots that made it tough for Beekman to stay on the team.

Beekman needed to prove his worth and the Bears didn’t see his value because they decided to keep this years 7th round pick J’Marcus Webb and this years training camp stud, guard, Johan Asiasta. The Bears believe in those two and they believe in Roberto Garza playing center if Olin Kreutz goes down.

Beekman will definitely be scooped up by a team looking for depth at guard because he is a nice player to have on the bench. Too bad the Bears didn’t see his worth because he still does have talent and he could possibly be a solid player.

The last surprise move made by the Bears was letting special teams standout Tim Shaw go. Shaw made 30 special teams tackles a year ago, but never really fit into the Bears defensive scheme. With the Bears signing veteran Brian Iwuh this off-season, they figured Iwuh could take Shaw’s spot on special teams and provide solid depth on defense.

This move might make some Bears fans angry, but you can’t just keep a guy if he is only one-dimensional. I guarantee you won’t even notice Shaw missing on special teams. Iwuh should be just as good.

Other players cut included: Dan LeFevour, Freddie Barnes, Cornelius Brown, Levi Horn, Kevin Malast, James Marten, Greg Matthews, Quentin Scott, Kelvin Smith, Woodny Turenne, Barry Turner, Tim Walter, Aaron Webster, Eddie Williams, Mick Williams and vested veteran Richard Angulo.

Expect for the Bears to try to bring back some of these cut players to the practice squad over the next couple of days.

Tell me if you agree with the moves the Bears made to get down to 53 players.

Link:

Here’s a look at the 53 man roster.

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Afalava Among Players Cut By Bears

3rd September 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

No one really expected safety Al Afalava to make the roster after his poor performance in the preseason. But the sixth round pick from last season made 53 tackles, two sacks and forced one fumble in 13 starts. Afalava showed he can make good plays at times, but most of the time he just wasn’t in the right spot.

Unfortunately, the Bears brought back Chris Harris, moved Danieal Manning back to safety and drafted Major Wright in the 3rd round. So, the number game really hurt Afalava and he might get a shot somewhere else if he proves his worth.

Former Bears safety Kevin Payne found home in St. Louis. Why can’t Afalava do the same?

As much as didn’t like Afalava last season, I wouldn’t have minded him as a backup this season. According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN, Josh Bullocks will get that last roster spot over Afalava.

Bullocks, a seasoned veteran, is a nice backup who makes less noticeable mistakes than Afalava.

Other cuts made by the Bears are as follows: LB Kevin Malast, TE Richard Angulo, WR Freddie Barnes, CB Cornelius Brown, CB Woodney Turenne, S Quentin Scott and C Tim Walter.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a source says the Bears will let special teams stud Tim Shaw go. He led the team in special-teams tackles last season with 30.

Look for more cuts coming later today and tomorrow afternoon.

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Bear Down: Predicting The 53-Man Roster

1st September 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears 2010 team might be the most talented in years. Will we see a Windy City revival?

Will find out in week one when the Bears take on the Detroit Lions.

Who will be on the opening day roster you might ask. I will predict the 53 man roster, tell you who will make the team, who won’t make the team, and who might surprise some people  this year.

QB

1) Jay Cutler- Clearly the number one quarterback

2) Caleb Hanie- He is working hard to make a week one return, if he can’t Todd Collins will make the team.

Others:

Todd Collins- At age 38 he might not have much left in the tank. With the Bears signing him and giving him an $100,000 signing bonus that lets them decide easier. He is no guarantee to make the roster.

Dan LeFevour- The sixth round pick has shown why he is a project, expect for the Bears to put him on the practice squad.

RB

3) Matt Forte- Forte looks rejuvenated and ready to go, I hope he plays well because I have him on my fantasy team. In all honesty, he looks healthy and destined for a good season.

4) Chester Taylor- Taylor is one of the best backups in the NFL and he will be pair very well with Matt Forte.

5) Kahlil Bell- Bell showed last season that he has potential, but he has been disappointing to say the least this preseason.

Others:

Garrett Wolfe- Wolfe has dissapointed since he landed in the Windy City, he surprisngly has turned into a solid special teams player, but with the talk of him being traded expect him to be on another team this season.

Brandon Minor- It’s a shame Brandon didn’t get a shot because he is a very talented runner. Should earn a spot on the practice squad

FB

Will Ta’ufo’ou/Eddie Williams- I don’t expect the Bears to carry a fullback, instead they will carry four tight ends and have them switch off at H-Back during games.

WR

6) Devin Hester- In Mike Martz’s offense, Hester is destined to have a breakout year. He was doing really well last season until he suffered an injury. Expect him to be a real weapon in his third full season as a wide receiver.

7) Johnny Knox- This guy is a real player. No one thought a fifth round pick from Abilene Christian could do what he did last season. One of the fastest players in the NFL, Knox should really thrive in Mike Martz’s passing attack.

8) Devin Aromashodu- He didn’t really get his shot until the end of the season because of an injury he suffered during week one. Cutler loves D.A. because he is such a big target, watch out for him to be a go to guy in the redzone.

9) Rashied Davis- The veteran receiver didn’t get much playing time last season. He has thrived this training camp, he could be used a lot more than last season. He just needs to improve his catching because he has caught a lot of catchable balls in the past.

10) Earl Bennett- Bennett has been hit with the injury bug this training camp, so he is out of sync with the offense. He is a very consistent receiver, so he should get into the mix once he recovers.

11) Juaquin Iglesias- Does anyone really know what this guy can do? A third round pick last season, Iglesias is trying to earn playing time, he scored a touchdown last week against Arizona, but will he make the team. I think he will, with Mike Martz running the offense, I’m pretty sure he would like to carry a sixth receiver.

Others:

Greg Matthews- A big receiver out of Michigan could find a spot on the practice squad.

Freddie Barnes- A fast receiver out of Bowling Green could land on the practice squad.

TE

12) Greg Olsen- The fourth year tight end is very talented, expect him to do well even though analysts expect him to disappear in the Mike Martz led offense.

13) Brandon Manumaleuna- Manumaleuna, considered the best blocking tight end in the NFL, is basically another offensive lineman out there.

14) Desmond Clark- The 33 year old is probably not going to be back in Chicago next season, but if he can stay healthy he could still have a couple more seasons with another team in the NFL.

15) Kellen Davis- A big kid with lots of potential, should get some looks in red-zone plays.

Others:

Richard Angulo- The veteran spent time with offensive line coach Mike Tice in Jacksonville, but its a numbers game and Angulo doesn’t have the numbers on his side.

Offensive Line

16) Chris Williams- He needs to protect Cutler pretty well this season in order for this offense to be successful

17) Roberto Garza- The veteran makes the move to left guard, but he should be fine because he has been pretty steady for the Bears

18) Olin Kreutz- Still one of the elite centers, Kreutz is a real leader in the locker room and on the field.

19) Lance Louis- He played TE at San Diego State and was used as a tackle in training camp last season, but now he will be the starter at right guard for the Bears. The microscope will be on him all season.

20) Frank Omiyale- Frank the “Tank” makes the transition back to his natural position at right tackle. He didn’t get the job done last season at left guard, so putting him back in his comfortable spot should make him a solid player, hopefully.

21, 22, 23) Josh Beekman, Kevin Shaffer, J’Marcus Webb should all be solid backups at their offensive line positions.

Others:

Johan Asiasta, James Marten, Levi Horn, and Tim Walter- The Bears are expected to keep two offensive linemen on the practice squad, expect Asiasta and Marten to get those spots.

DE:

24) Julius Peppers- Obviously this guy is the starter on the right side of the defensive line, but he will be used on the left side as well. I’m looking for big things out of this guy.

25) Mark Anderson- Listed as the starter at right defensive end spot, should get hits on the quarterback like he was used to doing during his rookie season in 2006.

26) Israel Idonije- Idonije should get his playing time in the rotation, he is a beast on special teams and he could even be used at defensive tackle.

27, 28, 29) Corey Wootton, Henry Melton, Jarron Gilbert- Wootton should get his shot because he is so athletic and he is healthy again. Melton can play both defensive end and defensive tackle, so he should be a solid option of the bench. Gilbert hasn’t been healthy this training camp and he isn’t in great standing with GM Jerry Angelo, but his draft status should help him snag a spot on the team.

Others:

Barry Turner- An undrafted rookie from Nebraska could take up a spot on the practice squad.

DT:

30) Tommie Harris- He was surgery free this off-season and has looked like his old self. With Peppers on the line with him that could open him up for more pressure on the quarterback.

31) Anthony Adams- He has always been a solid undersized nose tackle. Expect the same out of him this season.

32) Matt Toeaina- He has drawn rave reviews from Bears coaches this training camp, he has sat on the bench for the last two seasons and it seems he might finally get the shot he deserves.

33) Marcus Harrison- A former third round pick by the Bears, Harrison has been given a shot to shine, but hasn’t done much with that. He is still in the rotation, but he won’t be in the starting lineup very much this season.

Others:

Mick Williams- An undersized rookie out of Pittsburgh might land a spot on the practice squad.

LB:

34) Brian Urlacher- Having #54 back is nice, but will he be the same Pro Bowl type player, hopefully. He looks to be in the best shape of his life, if he can’t be steady this defense won’t be very good.

35) Lance Briggs- Always a solid player, he quietly had one of his best seasons last year without Urlacher on the field. Ryan Matthews trucking during the first game of preseason worried me, but he knows he is better than that.

36) Pisa Tinoisamoa- Injuries are a big problem for Pisa, but if he can stay this line-backing could be the best in the NFL and one of the best ever in Chicago.

37) Hunter Hillenmeyer- A great backup to Brian Urlacher, expect him to be solid on special teams as well.

38) Nick Roach- He was in the race for the starting job against Pisa, but hurt his knee. He should be back for week one, but not starting instead being used on special teams.

39) Brian Iwuh- A nice backup in Jacksonville, will be the same here in Chicago.

40) Tim Shaw- One of the best special teams players in the NFL, should be even better this season for coach Toub.

Others:

Kevin Malast, Kelvin Smith- Malast spent last season on the practice squad and the Bears would like to put him there again. Smith was clearly just a camp body.

CB:

41) Zack Bowman- Has been moved to the right side to cover the number one receivers and looks to be ready for another big year.

42) Charles Tillman- Looks to be healthy, Peanut should expect a big year on the left side.

43) Corey Graham- The starting nickelback as of now, but he is being challenged by second year man D.J. Moore.

44) D.J. Moore- See Graham, Corey.

45) Josh Moore- Fourth round pick out of Kansas State, is a nice player to have for depth.

46) Tim Jennings- Once was a big part of the Colts defense, now a sixth corner for the Bears, he isn’t a lock to make the team.

Others:

Cornelius Brown and Woodny Turrene- Brown has looked solid returning kicks this preseason, but not so much in pass coverage. Turenne spent last season on the practice squad, but Brown could challenge him for that spot. I think it will be between the two for that spot.

Safety:

47) Chris Harris- He seems glad to be back and the Bears are happy he is a starter once again. Look for big things from #46.

48) Danieal Manning- Has been bumped around in the secondary, if he disappoints at safety look for the Bears to put him back at nickel-back where he played pretty well last season.

49) Major Wright- The Bears are high on the third round pick out of Florida, he has the biggest shot of taking Daniel Manning’s starting spot.

50) Craig Steltz- He has played sparingly in his time with the Bears and he seems to be a nice bench player.

Others:

Josh Bullocks, Al Afalava, Aaron Webster, Quentin Scott- Bullocks has the best shot of these four of snagging a spot on the roster, but he will likely be on the bad end of the numbers game. Afalava has been awful this preseason, kind of like he was last season. Lastly, Webster and Scott seem to be nothing more than camp bodies.

51) Robbie Gould- The starting kicker once again.

52) Brad Maynard- The starting punter once again.

53) Pat Mannelly- The starting long snapper once again.

The Bears must go from 75 players to 53 players this Saturday. That means they have to cut 22 players. Tomorrow night’s game against the Browns  for those players who are on the fringe.

Check out Bush League Tees where you can find awesome vintage tees of the Sweetness and Ditka.

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Bears Game Recap: Preseason Game #2

22nd August 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Game Recap     

The Chicago Bears didn’t really look like a team ready to compete with NFC North powers Green Bay and Minnesota last night.

The defense allowed Raiders QB Jason Campbell to complete his first five passes for 89 yards. Campbell threw for another 81 in the first half.

The offensive line gave up five sacks, four given up by left tackle Chris Williams. Williams, who came into the season with high exceptions didn’t look like the player, who shut down All-Pro DE Jared Allen in week 17 last season.

The offensive line seemed to give Jay Cutler plenty of time on most of the plays because Cutler completed seven of 15 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown. But Chris Williams just got out played by DE Kamerion Wimbley who brought Cutler down four times.

The receivers and tight ends seemed to be in sync with Cutler. Johnny Knox caught a 22 yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter from Cutler on a fourth down. Greg Olsen had three catches, Devin Hester, Kellen Davis, and Desmond Clark all had one catch.

Chester Taylor looked very good catches balls out of the backfield.

Lowlights:

Clark took the role of snapper on punts and field goals and didn’t look like he could be in the role ever again. Lets just thank goodness this was preseason.

WR Eric Peterman fumbled a punt return and the ball took a Raider roll where they scooped it up for a touchdown.

RG Lance Louis allowed DT Tommy Kelley to sack Jay Cutler, but if he held up his block their could of been lots of yards gained.

Brian Urlacher left the game after the first series with a calf strain and he didn’t return. Just precautionary but you would like to see 54 on the field obviously.

Highlights:

RB Matt Forte five carries for 109 yards, but he broke away for an 89 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Forte made one move and was on his way to the endzone with his apparent blazing speed.

TE Desmond Clark caught a beautiful throw from backup QB Dan LeFevour in the second half.

CB Charles Tillman had three tackles and intercepted a pass. Seems like Charles could be back to his old form on the right side.

Defensive ends Israel Idonije, Julius Peppers and Mark Anderson all looked sharp. Peppers had a sack, Anderson had a sack and Idonije had a fumble recovery.

Rookie QB Dan LeFevour struggled completing only three of ten passes for 39 yards and an interception.

Next Game:

The Bears play Arizona next Saturday night at 8:30 ET.

Hopefully they can fix some mental errors they seemed to make against Oakland.

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Was Trading LB Jamar Williams A Mistake?

28th April 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears had the best depth at linebacker in the NFL with Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Jamar Williams and Tim Shaw, but not anymore. Jamar Williams was traded yesterday to Carolina for SS Chris Harris, who will be back for his second stint in the windy city.

The Bears still have backups in Hillenmeyer and Roach behind Briggs, Urlacher and Tinoisamoa, but they had to shed some salaries because the three linebackers behind them were making more than the average backup would. Jamar Williams was the guy the Bears thought was disposable.

Jamar Williams almost became a starter in 2007, when it was reported the Bears were going to trade Lance Briggs to Washington and Briggs was adamant that he would never play in Chicago again. That never happened and Williams spent four seasons in Chicago where he played in 51 games, starting three games.

Jamar Williams and Nick Roach were the promising young linebackers who were considered to be solid replacements for the crafty veterans.  I mean who knows how many more seasons Brian Urlacher has left and Lance Briggs isn’t get any younger.

On the other hand, I’m pumped that Chris Harris is back in the orange and blue, but some reports say the Panthers were ready to cut the starting safety. So, for the Panthers to get the versatile Williams in return is a pretty good deal for them. Williams is expected to be in the mix at weakside and middle linebacker positions in Carolina.

Williams had this to say after the trade was official:

“You know I’m looking forward to it,” Williams, who was traded to the Panthers for Chris Harris, told the Tribune Tuesday. “When you’re on a team and you never really get a chance to show what you can do, then you go somewhere else, you always want to show your former employer what you can do.”

“And as for Chicago, it was a great place for me to start my career. I was able to learn from Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, two Hall-of-Fame linebackers. It was a lot of fun. But it was time for me to get on the field, and it was just hard for me to get on the field in Chicago. I’m just happy the Bears were able to get something done so both parties were happy.”

Final Thoughts:

We never really saw what Jamar Williams really could have been. He showed flashes last year in his 19 tackle game against St. Louis, but he was really nothing more than a special teams player here in Chicago.

Good luck to you Jamar I hope to see you succeed in Carolina, but I just hope we didn’t trade a possible replacement for our aging veterans. October 10th we will see what you are as a starter in Carolina.

all quotes from www.chicagotribune.com

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Was Trading LB Jamar Williams A Mistake?

28th April 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears had the best depth at linebacker in the NFL with Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Jamar Williams and Tim Shaw, but not anymore. Jamar Williams was traded yesterday to Carolina for SS Chris Harris, who will be back for his second stint in the windy city.

The Bears still have backups in Hillenmeyer and Roach behind Briggs, Urlacher and Tinoisamoa, but they had to shed some salaries because the three linebackers behind them were making more than the average backup would. Jamar Williams was the guy the Bears thought was disposable.

Jamar Williams almost became a starter in 2007, when it was reported the Bears were going to trade Lance Briggs to Washington and Briggs was adamant that he would never play in Chicago again. That never happened and Williams spent four seasons in Chicago where he played in 51 games, starting three games.

Jamar Williams and Nick Roach were the promising young linebackers who were considered to be solid replacements for the crafty veterans.  I mean who knows how many more seasons Brian Urlacher has left and Lance Briggs isn’t get any younger.

On the other hand, I’m pumped that Chris Harris is back in the orange and blue, but some reports say the Panthers were ready to cut the starting safety. So, for the Panthers to get the versatile Williams in return is a pretty good deal for them. Williams is expected to be in the mix at weakside and middle linebacker positions in Carolina.

Williams had this to say after the trade was official:

“You know I’m looking forward to it,” Williams, who was traded to the Panthers for Chris Harris, told the Tribune Tuesday. “When you’re on a team and you never really get a chance to show what you can do, then you go somewhere else, you always want to show your former employer what you can do.”

“And as for Chicago, it was a great place for me to start my career. I was able to learn from Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, two Hall-of-Fame linebackers. It was a lot of fun. But it was time for me to get on the field, and it was just hard for me to get on the field in Chicago. I’m just happy the Bears were able to get something done so both parties were happy.”

Final Thoughts:

We never really saw what Jamar Williams really could have been. He showed flashes last year in his 19 tackle game against St. Louis, but he was really nothing more than a special teams player here in Chicago.

Good luck to you Jamar I hope to see you succeed in Carolina, but I just hope we didn’t trade a possible replacement for our aging veterans. October 10th we will see what you are as a starter in Carolina.

all quotes from www.chicagotribune.com

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With The 75th Pick The Bears Select….Major Wright

23rd April 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears got what I consider their biggest need at the #75 selection in the third round with FS Major Wright from the University of Florida. Wright is the right choice at #75 considering how many cornerbacks and safeties were picked in front of him.

These four players where picked in front of Wright in the third round:

South Florida cornerback Jerome Murphy — St. Louis, No. 65
Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey — Detroit, No. 66
Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis — Tampa, No. 67
Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett — Packers, No. 71

Wright, 5-11, 206, has decent speed. Wright ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He was part of a three safety rotation at Florida. Wright appeared in all 41 games in his three year career, with 33 career starts at free safety…Collected 165 tackles in his career, eight interceptions, ten pass breakups, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock called Wright, who entered the draft following his junior season, “an undervalued safety who is physical, makes plays and may be a better pro than collegian.”

NFL.com analyzes his strengths and weaknesses. Here’s what they had to say:

Positives: “Wright is a nice combination of size and strength at the safety position. Plays with toughness. Is a productive, smart player. Very instinctive coming up quickly in run support. Has been a durable performer. Is a good tackler who can come up and really lay the wood.”

Negatives: “He only has average coverage skills, shouldn’t be relied upon to often in man, and may struggle to contain receivers over the middle or athletic tight ends. Doesn’t have the agility.”

Wright figures to challenge Josh Bullocks and Craig Steltz for the free safety spot. He might actually win the starting job considering he played for the Gators where the players are more ready for the NFL then other schools.

Wright is no Nate Allen (USF) or no Taylor Mays (USC), but he may be the player the Bears desperately needed. His play sounds alot like Mike Brown and they are almost the same height and weight. Mike Brown is 5’10″207 lbs while Major Wright is 5’11″ 206 lbs. He is a more natural free safety then Craig Steltz or Josh Bullocks so that could give him the advantage.

all quotes from nfl.com

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With The 75th Pick The Bears Select….Major Wright

23rd April 2010 by under 2010-2011 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears got what I consider their biggest need at the #75 selection in the third round with FS Major Wright from the University of Florida. Wright is the right choice at #75 considering how many cornerbacks and safeties were picked in front of him.

These four players where picked in front of Wright in the third round:

South Florida cornerback Jerome Murphy — St. Louis, No. 65
Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey — Detroit, No. 66
Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis — Tampa, No. 67
Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett — Packers, No. 71

Wright, 5-11, 206, has decent speed. Wright ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He was part of a three safety rotation at Florida. Wright appeared in all 41 games in his three year career, with 33 career starts at free safety…Collected 165 tackles in his career, eight interceptions, ten pass breakups, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock called Wright, who entered the draft following his junior season, “an undervalued safety who is physical, makes plays and may be a better pro than collegian.”

NFL.com analyzes his strengths and weaknesses. Here’s what they had to say:

Positives: “Wright is a nice combination of size and strength at the safety position. Plays with toughness. Is a productive, smart player. Very instinctive coming up quickly in run support. Has been a durable performer. Is a good tackler who can come up and really lay the wood.”

Negatives: “He only has average coverage skills, shouldn’t be relied upon to often in man, and may struggle to contain receivers over the middle or athletic tight ends. Doesn’t have the agility.”

Wright figures to challenge Josh Bullocks and Craig Steltz for the free safety spot. He might actually win the starting job considering he played for the Gators where the players are more ready for the NFL then other schools.

Wright is no Nate Allen (USF) or no Taylor Mays (USC), but he may be the player the Bears desperately needed. His play sounds alot like Mike Brown and they are almost the same height and weight. Mike Brown is 5’10″207 lbs while Major Wright is 5’11″ 206 lbs. He is a more natural free safety then Craig Steltz or Josh Bullocks so that could give him the advantage.

all quotes from nfl.com

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