Bears will spend on wideouts now
NFL teams are usually lying when they say a release is for salary cap reasons. Quality players stick; underperformers don't. That was the case Monday when the Bears released Muhsin Muhammad, but extended DE Alex Brown's contract.
Muhammad wasn't that expensive to keep, but he was taking away playing time from younger options like Devin Hester and Mark Bradley. He's turning 35 and only caught forty passes last season. He will probably find a slot role somewhere, possibly back in Carolina, but he needs to be a role player, not a starter.
The move indicates that the Bears will likely spend big bucks at receiver this offseason. They will either spend it to retain Bernard Berrian or bring in a free agent like Jerry Porter or Donte Stallworth. I don't think a first-round pick is the answer with their lack of experience.
The Bears paid Muhammad huge bucks in 2005 after one of the most random seasons in NFL history. Muhammad broke 900 yards only once in the last seven years, but he was the number one fantasy receiver when he did it in 2004. I don't think the deal worked out poorly for Chicago. He dropped too many passes, but Muhmamad was a steady performer at a thin position for two playoff teams. It was just time to move on.
Comments
Well Muhammed was a good receiver. I don't remember him dropping a lot of passes.
I guess the Bears are going with youth. They need to resign Berrian, who has great potential. He can catch the ball. And, he made a great catch toward end of game vs. Denver, I believe.
The perennial problem is, The Bears need to find a QB who can throw the ball to these receivers w/o getting sacked, fumbling it away, or throwing interceptions. Unless Rex Grossman makes a great improvement--The QB search gets serious.
Posted by: rich kagan | February 18, 2008 07:47 PM
I recall quite a few passes he dropped last year. He also had a hard time getting open. When a wr's best attribute to a team is blocking it's time to go. He'll be easy to replace, unlike briggs.
Posted by: steve l | February 18, 2008 08:56 PM
Yeah, Da Bears will do so in order to continue justifying their pick of Rex Grossman, whom they will stupidly re-sign. What they really need to do, if I were GM, is spend money on o-line free agents and Michael Turner.
Posted by: Mario | February 19, 2008 12:18 AM
Well, now they need to use any money they free up getting rid of Moose, on Berrian and signing Michael Turner. And they really need to find a way to hang onto Briggs, he is too good to let him just leave via free agency.
Posted by: Nick | February 19, 2008 11:45 AM
i like berrian but the price is too high for a wr who cant block. i'd prefer for angelo to sign djhackett or earnest wilford for less as a possession guy and let hester run the go routes, even though i think he may get spread too thin with his roles, draft a wr on the second day. either way, run the 2te set more, then wr isnt as big a priority. if the money isnt spent on briggs then it should be on faneca or flozell adams. bring back rex, send him to the surgeon for finger extensions. please ja do not draft brohm or ryan. 1,2 ot, rb if briggs didnt get in the backfield twice vs the seahawks late in that playoff game the bears would have been one and done after a bye 3 straight playoff appearances. hes not replacable. we need to keep mike brown - dont let him be the next great player to rehabilitate his career in new england
Posted by: aw | February 19, 2008 02:36 PM
one more thing. i will be surprised if the offer angelo made to bb will be big enough to get him to sign. considering that hester will be breaking the bank soon, i dont see angelo devoting a ton of cash to the wr spot here
Posted by: aw | February 19, 2008 02:54 PM
This team collapsed so quickly. They have so many needs that it is hard to see how they can be competitive for a couple of years. QB, O line, running back, receivers, d backs, and Gasp!, Linebacker. Urlacher is showing his age. This team could go to the bottom and stay there for a couple of years.
Posted by: Ron | February 19, 2008 03:54 PM