EvilJester99 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 According to the Score, the Bears have signed Ruben Brown to a 3 year deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Cool. The Trib had said this morning that is pretty much was a done deal. But I still wish we would find some sacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 Cool. The Trib had said this morning that is pretty much was a done deal. But I still wish we would find some sacks. Sacks??? Aren't those overrated?? How stupid was Greg Blache?? I couldn't believe he said that last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Sacks??? Aren't those overrated?? How stupid was Greg Blache?? I couldn't believe he said that last year. Its too bad he was so dense, because the players would have run through walls for him. If he would have had a clue, he would have been an incredible D coordinator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 linky Thursday, April 1, 2004 Bears continue to revamp line By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com Free agent guard Ruben Brown, the eight-time Pro Bowl performer released by the Buffalo Bills last month, has agreed to join the Chicago Bears on a three-year contract. The nine-year veteran represents the latest high-profile addition to the revamped Bears line, joining former Kansas City right tackle John Tait, acquired as a transition free agent two weeks ago. Brown is expected to net about $1.5 million in guaranteed funds in the contract and there reportedly are escalators that can increase its value. Brown, 32, will move into the right guard spot, after having played left guard virtually his entire career with the Bills. Former right guard Mike Gandy will now compete with the untested Qasim Mitchell for the starting spot at left tackle. Rex Tucker, who missed all of 2003 with an injury, is expected to return to his spot as the starting left guard and the line is anchored by standout center Olin Kreutz. During his brief fling in free agency, Brown visited with Detroit officials and his agents spoke to several other teams as well. Notable is that Brown is represented by the same agency that handles Tait's negotiations. There are mixed opinions as to how well Brown is playing at this point of his career. Some scouts feel he still has a couple of productive seasons remaining. Others suggest that the former Bills star has been in decline for the last few campaigns. The former University of Pittsburgh star, chosen by Buffalo in the first round of the '95 draft, was chosen to the last eight Pro Bowls. He has played in 136 games and has started all of them, five times appearing in all 16 contests and never making fewer than 13 starts in a season. Brown started the first 15 games in 2003 and then missed the season finale with that the club termed "personal problems." Sources said that Brown essentially begged off because he was allegedly depressed about the Bills' poor play and failure to earn a playoff spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Brown is pretty f***ing good. Damn, Bears O-Line is getting pretty f***ing good. Tait and Brown just in one offseason, plus Kreutz too. If they get a good receiver or two, Rex could have some fun this year. Also, I think this all but guarantees that they will be drafting D-Line in the first(and maybe second and third) round(s) this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Very good move. They replace Villy with him, nice, very nice. Villy got more money too. Brown is older and probably on the downside, but he's still a very good guard and a great addition for a million a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubsSuck1 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Damn, Bears O-Line is getting pretty f***ing good. Tait and Brown just in one offseason, plus Kreutz too. If they get a good receiver or two, Rex could have some fun this year. Williams, Woods, Clayton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scwible Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Very nice pickup for the bears. From what I read on Nfl-Fans, the Bills fans hated him for some odd reason, saying he only made the pro-bowl due to his name. I highly doubt that, even though he is older, not a bad pickup for the price. Plus the help it does for the O-line should be great. Shaping up to be a good off-season for the bears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxfest Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 I like this signing alot for the money . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWSGuy406 Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Damn guys - the right side of our line is just going to dominate opposing lines. Tait, Brown, and Kruetz. Now, if Tucker can come back to his form of two years ago, we have a great offensive line. Let the rest of them battle it out for that LT spot. That is the only part of the line that frightens me right now - LT. We should have our way with many teams, as far as running the ball is concerned. I think A-Train can be really dominant if Lovie gives him a chance - hell, he got 1000 yards last year behind that awful O-Line, he'll tear it up behind a real good O-Line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Damn guys - the right side of our line is just going to dominate opposing lines. Tait, Brown, and Kruetz. Now, if Tucker can come back to his form of two years ago, we have a great offensive line. Let the rest of them battle it out for that LT spot. That is the only part of the line that frightens me right now - LT. We should have our way with many teams, as far as running the ball is concerned. I think A-Train can be really dominant if Lovie gives him a chance - hell, he got 1000 yards last year behind that awful O-Line, he'll tear it up behind a real good O-Line. A-Train? Did you forget we signed someone by the name of Thomas Jones to be the starter? I don't think you pay Jones that much money to be a back up. WHo the hell cares about the A-Train anyways. Just average at best. Nice back up though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 A-Train? Did you forget we signed someone by the name of Thomas Jones to be the starter? I don't think you pay Jones that much money to be a back up. WHo the hell cares about the A-Train anyways. Just average at best. Nice back up though. I think he would be a good third-down back. The problem with Jones is that he is no superstar either. I hope one of them steps it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Good signin for da Bears if he doesn't quit on em like he did with da Bills last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Are you guys sure this signing isn't another April Fools Joke??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 I think he would be a good third-down back. The problem with Jones is that he is no superstar either. I hope one of them steps it up. I think Jones can be a superstar in this offense. Did you think Holmes was a superstar before he was signed by the Chiefs? If you recall Preist Holmes was an undrafted FA by the Baltimore Ravens. Why was he undrafted? He ran 252 times for Texas with an average of 5.1 YPC. He won the USA Today Fabulous Freshman honorable mention honors. As a senior in 1996, Holmes had 59 carries for 324 yards with 13 TDs, the sixth highest single season TD total in school history. Pretty damn good to go undrafted at a damn good school and conference, even if he was a backup. They thought so much of him after his 1000 yard season that still split time between he and Errict Rhett. The year after that they saw so much in him that they drafted Jamal Lewis in the first round. Holmes had a tendency to get hurt, missing seven or more games in two of his four years with the Ravens. Also, at 5 feet 9 inches and 213 pounds, Holmes was not as physical as the successful running backs, however that doesn't seem to matter in this system. After that year Holmes was let go and he was not very highly sought after to be anyone's starting running back. He was left out there waiting for someone to offer him a contract as others were pursuing Tiki Barber and Charlie Garner. Holmes signed a free agent contract with the Chiefs in 2001 worth roughly $10 million over five years. Very low contract offer from the Chiefs but had no negotiating leverage as they were the only team willing to offer him a featured back role. Obviously the coaches the Bears have know what type of RB is needed to fit into this system. They don't think A-Train is the back that can do this, but they do think Jones is. After seeing them hand pick Faulk and Holmes for their offenses and having each of these backs go off in their system I think they know what they are doing. Train is a good back up to have, especially at the price he is coming at. However, he is not a starting back in this system. He just doesn't fit. Thomas Jones with the explosive speed and catching ability fits this system a lot more. He is much more like Preist Holmes and Marshall Faulk than A-Train is. We will see if Jones can become a superstar in this offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Okay, so basically what I gathered is Priest Holmes was underrated before he went to KC. I do hope Jones becomes a star, I really do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Okay, so basically what I gathered is Priest Holmes was underrated before he went to KC. I do hope Jones becomes a star, I really do. Yeah, that and he wasn't a superstar when he was signed by KC. You could have used this same quote "he is no superstar either" for Preist Holmes 3 years ago as well. However, that seemed to work out for KC. Just as everyone underrated Holmes before KCs signing the same may be said about Jones in a couple years. This offense makes superstars out of their RBs. Hopefully it will do the same for TJ. It will not do it for A-Train and I certainly hope A-Train is not a 3rd down back. That would be awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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