Bears Sign WR Muhsin Muhammad

[witesoxfan]

I dont want it turning into a Rams type situation where your starter plays well but you cant keep the high pick RB on the bench even though the starter is playing well.

 

Faulk was doing just fine and then they realized "Oh, we gotta give Jackson some playing time too." and that pretty much f***ed them up. Jackson is a great talent and a wonderful RB but if it aint broke dont fix it.

 

The Bears running game was fine, so, dont fix it. Also, I beleive TJ missed one or 2 games last year which also provides a decline in #'s.

 

And it also provides a reason for concern. Health is not guaranteed

[GoodAsGould]

ummm it might be just me but last year when playing Jackson easily outperfomed Faulk so i dont think that was their problem.

[SoxFan1]

Background on Johnson:

 

LB, 6'4, 23o, U of Texas

 

An aggressive, speedy and explosive linebacker who established himself as one of the nation’s premier defensive players … earned the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player and the Butkus Award (nation’s top LB) ... was a finalist for the Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player), the Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman) and the Lott Trophy (defensive player of the year) in 2004 … was the only defensive player among the 10 finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award … earned unanimous first-team All-America accolades ... was a unanimous selection as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 … named the preseason National Defensive Player of the Year by Lindy's, Athlon and Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook … tabbed a preseason first-team All-American by Street & Smith's … picked as the top NFL prospect entering 2004 by Lindy's … also rated as one of the Top 10 prospects for the 2004 Heisman Trophy by that publication … projected as the nation’s top outside linebacker entering 2004 by The Sporting News … earned a spot on the prestigious Playboy Preseason All-American Team for the second time in 2004 … was one of three Butkus Award finalists in 2003 … was the only returning player among that group … projected by many as a first-round NFL draft pick, but elected to return for his senior year … is the first player in Texas history to be honored as a Butkus finalist and was a semifinalist for the award in 2002 … in 2003, was UT’s first consensus first-team All-American LB since Jeff Leiding in 1983 … tabbed first-team All-America by The Associate Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation … earned second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News … a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection … played in 50 career games, including bowl games, and started 40 overall … tallied 458 career tackles (No. 3 on UT’s career list), 281 solo tackles (No. 4 on UT’s career list), 65 TFLs (No. 1 on UT’s career list), 10.5 sacks, 39 QB pressures, 29 PBUs (UT record for LBs), nine interceptions (No. 1 on UT’s interceptions by a LB list), 11 forced fumbles (T-No. 3 on UT’s career list) and five fumble recoveries … averaged 21.7 yards per return on his nine career picks … recorded 24 career double-digit tackle games and led UT in tackles 23 times … in 18 career games against Top 25 opponents, has posted 175 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 31 TFLs, four interceptions, nine PBUs, 19 pressures, three caused fumbles and a fumble recovery … started all 12 games in 2004 and posted 130 tackles (73 solo), 19 TFLs, 10 pressures, eight PBUs, nine caused fumbles (No. 1 on NCAA single-season list), two sacks and a blocked extra point … forced a fumble on one out of every 14.4 tackles in 2004 … earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in 2004 … started all 13 games in 2003 and recorded 125 tackles, 20 TFLs, two sacks, 10 pressures, nine PBUs, four interceptions (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season INT by a LB list), one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries … six of his seven turnovers forced in 2003 either resulted in scores or set up short touchdown drives … his 20 TFLs in 2003 rank seventh-best nationally among returning players in 2004 … started all 13 games and registered 120 tackles, 13 TFLs, two sacks, 10 pressures, 10 PBUs and four interceptions (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season interceptions by a linebacker list) en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2002 … also earned a spot among the Butkus Award semifinalists list (just the second player in UT history to earn that honor) … saw action in all 13 games, including two starts as a true freshman … named the Defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl after recording nine tackles, a sack and an interception that led to UT's first go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter versus Washington … The Sporting News' National Freshman of the Year (2001) … earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America … named the Big 12 co-Defensive Freshman of the Year … a second-team all-conference and Defensive Newcomer of the Year selection by the Houston Chronicle … led all Big 12 freshmen in tackles (83) and sacks (4.5) and ranked second in TFLs (13) … ranked second nationally among all true freshmen defenders in TFLs and sacks and fourth in tackles … finished the year in third place on UT's freshman sacks list, fourth in TFLs and eighth in tackles … his TFLs and sack totals rank first all-time among UT freshman linebackers … a Parade All-American who once posted 30 tackles in a high school game ... ran a 10.5-second 100 meters as a prepster.

 

2004 Nagurski Trophy Winner (Best Defensive Player) and Butkus Award Winner (Best LB).

 

B-E-A-S-T!!!!!!!!

[whitesox91403]

The Bears also had a passing offense in 2001. I wouldn't give up on Jones yet, at his best, he has shown he can easily rack up 100 - 150 yards rushing and is a pretty damn good receiver too. And A-Train isn't going to get a starter's job elsewhere, there's too many damn good RB's in this year's free agency.

 

DBAHO, I agree with you with all the good backs in free agency and A-Train not getting a starter's job. But, I would say that you need 2 good backs on your team for depth issues. The Bears had that and they screwed Train around. Now, they have to draft a RB to have this again, where with The Muhammed signing and a Train resigning, they could have taken this LB or someone else at 4 and been that much better.

[TheBigHurt35]

I'm being cautiously optimistic about this one. While Muhammad's coming off of a stellar season, he's only had about three "really good" seasons in his nine-year career and has been plagued with hamstring injuries over the past few years. In other words, he ain't exactly Marvin Harrison. He also needs a competent QB to get him the ball.

 

That said, I give props to Angelo for addressing this need. The Bears were in desperate need of a competent WR. I wouldn't mind them releasing Terrell and going after another wideout in the draft.

[witesoxfan]

DBAHO, I agree with you with all the good backs in free agency and A-Train not getting a starter's job. But, I would say that you need 2 good backs on your team for depth issues. The Bears had that and they screwed Train around. Now, they have to draft a RB to have this again, where with The Muhammed signing and a Train resigning, they could have taken this LB or someone else at 4 and been that much better.

 

From the end of your post, I get the sense that you think the Bears will for sure take a running back at 4. I don't see it.

 

I am seriously wondering what is wrong with taking a back in the 2nd round or beyond. The top 10 RB's in this year's class are all pretty solid, and more are pretty damn solid(Marion Barber III, JJ Arrington, Kay-Jay Harris, Frank Gore, Cedric Houston, Ryan Moats...along with a lot of others)

 

If you are the Bears, you do not have to take an elite back in this draft, considering how deep it really is. All you need to do is get a guy who can run the ball well, and could start if Jones went down...that is all.

[hammerhead johnson]

From the end of your post, I get the sense that you think the Bears will for sure take a running back at 4.  I don't see it.

 

I am seriously wondering what is wrong with taking a back in the 2nd round or beyond.  The top 10 RB's in this year's class are all pretty solid, and more are pretty damn solid(Marion Barber III, JJ Arrington, Kay-Jay Harris, Frank Gore, Cedric Houston, Ryan Moats...along with a lot of others)

 

If you are the Bears, you do not have to take an elite back in this draft, considering how deep it really is.  All you need to do is get a guy who can run the ball well, and could start if Jones went down...that is all.

 

We have the opportunity to draft an elite RB. We've been mediocre at that position ever since the Neal Anderson days.

 

Brown or Benson combined with Thomas Jones would be a beautiful thing. That's the best case scenario from my perspective.

[Purdue129]

I think I said something on here that we'd never be able to draft a WR like Muhsin, but it happened ... glad to be proven wrong

 

 

let's just say no to Warner

[TheBigHurt35]

We have the opportunity to draft an elite RB.  We've been mediocre at that position ever since the Neal Anderson days. 

 

That won't happen. Why would you want to draft a RB when you already have Jones and A-Train? Jones was pretty damn good earlier in the season when Grossman and Tait were healthy. The Bears are fine at RB. What they need is a veteran QB. What's Jeff Garcia up to these days?

[southsider2k5]

That won't happen.  Why would you want to draft a RB when you already have Jones and A-Train?  Jones was pretty damn good earlier in the season when Grossman and Tait were healthy.  The Bears are fine at RB.  What they need is a veteran QB.  What's Jeff Garcia up to these days?

 

Anthony Thomas is gone. They told him at the end of the season he wasn't coming back to Chicago.

[AddisonStSox]

That won't happen.  Why would you want to draft a RB when you already have Jones and A-Train?  Jones was pretty damn good earlier in the season when Grossman and Tait were healthy.  The Bears are fine at RB.  What they need is a veteran QB.  What's Jeff Garcia up to these days?

 

Train is gone.

 

Garcia will join back up with Mooch in Detroit.

[EvilJester99]

I would love to see the Bears sign another FA WR b4 its all said and done... like Burress or the one I would want more than any of them is Lauvernes Coles...

[TheBigHurt35]

Train is gone.

 

Garcia will join back up with Mooch in Detroit.

 

Well, then they're going to need to sign a veteran QB (Warner, perhaps?). Grossman can't stay healthy and the Bears can't afford to be without a respectable backup again. What they DON'T need is another RB, as Jones played very well during the early part of last season, when they had something resembling a balanced offense.

[TheBigHurt35]

I would love to see the Bears sign another FA WR b4 its all said and done... like Burress or the one I would want more than any of them is Lauvernes Coles...

 

Coles is rumored to be going back to NY in exchange for Santana Moss. And they need an effective QB before spending tons of cash on a #2 WR like Coles or Burress.

[knightni]

Grossman can't stay healthy

 

What do you mean "Grossman can't stay healthy"?

 

Does he have an injury history, other than last year's leg injury, that I don't know about?

[AddisonStSox]

Well, then they're going to need to sign a veteran QB (Warner, perhaps?).  Grossman can't stay healthy and the Bears can't afford to be without a respectable backup again.  What they DON'T need is another RB, as Jones played very well during the early part of last season, when they had something resembling a balanced offense.

 

Chad Hutchinson is this team's #2 QB. The Bears organization is very, very high on him and they think with one full pre-season under his belt, and a new and less complicated offensive playbook with Ron Turner and he'll be ready to rock. I loved what I saw last year from Hutchinson and there is no doubt in my mind he can succeed in the NFL. It's just that he was always on his ass after getting knocked around because of our shotty o-line. Jeff George looked very crisp in practice last season and it would not suprise me to see him asked back to camp. This team does NOT need Kurt Warner by any strech of the imagination.

 

They bear DO need another RB. Are you satisified with Adrian Peterson if Thomas Jones goes down? I'm not. Brock Forsey is gone, Train is gone and you're left with Peterson and some other scrub on the depth chart. I'm sorry, but a RB will most certainly be drafted this year. Hopefully, they wait until the later rounds and grab one of the talented backs farther down the rankings. This is a very, very stacked RB class and names like Moats, Morrency, Gore, Harris, and McLendon will all be around in the later rounds.

[AddisonStSox]

What do you mean "Grossman can't stay healthy"?

 

Does he have an injury history, other than last year's leg injury, that I don't know about?

 

He has no history of injury.

 

In fact, last year's knee injury was an extreme rarity in Grossman's career. He's always been healthy. I don't know what he's referring to.

[EvilJester99]

Didn't Grossman break a couple fingers in his 1st year of playing... in which was 3 games total I believe??

[knightni]

Dec 28, 2003 2:20PM ET

Grossman leaves game with injured finger

THE NEWS

 

Bears’ quarterback Rex Grossman left their game against the Chiefs in the first half with an injured middle finger on his right hand. FOX is reporting that the finger is not broken, but his return to the game is unlikely. Kordell Stewart has replaced Grossman under center.

 

If this is the one you mean, it didn't look serious.

[EvilJester99]

Yeah thats the one. Even if he didn't break it, it did prevent him from playing more than 3 games. Hell he has only played what 6 games in 2 seasons?? Not very good. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. I think he has great talent.

[TheBigHurt35]

Chad Hutchinson is this team's #2 QB.  The Bears organization is very, very high on him and they think with one full pre-season under his belt, and a new and less complicated offensive playbook with Ron Turner and he'll be ready to rock.  I loved what I saw last year from Hutchinson and there is no doubt in my mind he can succeed in the NFL.  It's just that he was always on his ass after getting knocked around because of our shotty o-line.  Jeff George looked very crisp in practice last season and it would not suprise me to see him asked back to camp.  This team does NOT need Kurt Warner by any strech of the imagination.

 

Hutchinson sucks. He got beat out by Quincy Freakin' Carter in Dallas and has started a whole 17 games during his three-year career. IIRC, he was surfing out in California when the Bears called him last fall. Here are Chad's career numbers...

 

17 games, 2466 yds, 11 TDs, 11 INTs

 

Jeff George is an old fogie who can't read defenses and is also a locker room cancer. Why do you think that he hasn't played since 2001?

 

I'll take Kurt Warner over those two losers any day.

 

They bear DO need another RB.  Are you satisified with Adrian Peterson if Thomas Jones goes down?

 

Funny, the Chargers are satisfied with Jessee Chatman, should Tomlinson go down. The Patriots are satisfied with Kevin Faulk, should Dillon go down. The Jags are satisfied with Greg Jones and LaBrandon Toefield, in the event that the oft-injured Fred Taylor gets hurt. The Giants have decided to roll the dice on Ron Dayne if Tiki Barber were to get injured.

 

The Bears need a competent, veteran QB more than they need another backup RB. Hell, they need a competent #2 WR more than they need a second backup to Jones. I have no problem with them signing a RB, as long as they don't waste an early draft pick him. If they draft a RB before the third round, Jerry Angelo should be fired.

 

Hopefully, they wait until the later rounds and grab one of the talented backs farther down the rankings.

 

There are very few talented backs in the later rounds of the NFL draft. Adrian Peterson is a better option than anything that they'd be able to get after the third round.

 

He has no history of injury.

 

In fact, last year's knee injury was an extreme rarity in Grossman's career.  He's always been healthy.  I don't know what he's referring to.

 

Oh, really?

 

Yeah thats the one. Even if he didn't break it, it did prevent him from playing more than 3 games. Hell he has only played what 6 games in 2 seasons?? Not very good. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. I think he has great talent.

 

He has great talent indeed, but he's also been as soft as a sponge in his limited NFL action.

Edited February 28, 2005 by TheBigHurt35

[Punch and Judy Garland]

actually, some have stated (sorry can't remember who in the media) that were it not for it being week 17, grossman would have missed about 3 weeks with that finger. He's not injury prone yet, but if he gets hurt this year, its time to ring in another young guy. Not yet though.

[TheBigHurt35]

actually, some have stated (sorry can't remember who in the media) that were it not for  it being week 17, grossman would have missed about 3 weeks with that finger. He's not injury prone yet, but if he gets hurt this year, its time to ring in another young guy. Not yet though.

 

Grossman suffered a torn tendon in that finger and was not cleared to even throw the ball until the end of February of 2004. Yeah, that's a pretty serious injury in my book.

[CWSGuy406]

Grossman suffered a torn tendon in that finger and was not cleared to even throw the ball until the end of February of 2004.  Yeah, that's a pretty serious injury in my book.

 

If you wanna call a guy injury prone based on two injuries in his 6 years of football (college and pro), then that's fine.

 

But I won't.

 

And Hutch isn't terrible. I'm not going to call him a number one, but I'll be a lot more confident in our team with Hutch as our number two than a lot of other guys in the NFL. In fact, I'm super-confident in Grossman-Hutchinson-George-Krenzel as our four guys, Krenzel being on the practice squad (or someone drafted and brought in).

 

EDIT: And one more thing. My position on the draft hasn't changed one bit. Grab Derrick Johnson, and watch this defense become one of the top five in the NFL -- this year.

Edited February 28, 2005 by CWSGuy406

[TheBigHurt35]

If you wanna call a guy injury prone based on two injuries in his 6 years of football (college and pro), then that's fine.

 

But I won't.

 

"Six years of football?" That's got to earn the Misleading Quote of the Day award. :rolly All it really shows is that Rex can stay healthy in college, but not in the pros.

 

So, Grossman tears a tendon in his finger in his thrid game in 2003 and isn't even allowed to throw the ball until the end of February (meaning it's a 10-week-minimum injury) and then destroys his ACL while scrambling into the endzone in week three of the following season, yet he's not injury-prone? He's only played six games in two seasons in the NFL and has suffered two major injuries in that time, yet he's not injury-prone? Whatever...

 

Grossman's a talented QB and could really help the Bears down the road IF HE CAN STAY HEALTHY. So far, he's done nothing to suggest that he can. Therefore, I would be in favor of picking up a veteran QB (Garcia, Warner, Harrington, McMahon, etc.) to back Grossman up when... errr... if he gets hurt again. Because if he does suffer another major injury next season, the Bears are toast if Hutchinson, Jeff George , and Krenzel are their only other options. Just look at how poorly Hutchinson played this past season (57%, 903 yds, 4 TDs, and 3 INTs in SIX starts... that's terrible!).

Edited February 28, 2005 by TheBigHurt35