tshannon@rush.edu (thomas r.

"Safety Wanted"

Sunday, June 22 2003 @ 12:19 PM CDT
Contributed by: Pixote
<http://www.nflfans.com/bears/users.php?mode=profile&uid=88>


By: Grouchy Bear
Mike Brown, who should be signing a contract with the Bears soon, still
needs a partner in crime so to speak.
There have been many safety tandems in history that created havoc for
offenses in the NFL, but most Bear fans might think of Fencik and Plank as
the most memorable in Bear history.

Mike Brown, who has played like a future Hall of Famer since coming to the
Bears, can not do it all himself at the safety position.
Mike Green, who got the nod last year at SS when Tony Parish signed with SF
49ers, who was a solid nickel back the year before, seemed lost at times.
But in his defense he was learning on the job and he was second in team
tackles last year. But even this stat can be misleading.
Many fans feel that he is not the answer at SS. Bobby Gray, who showed
promise in camp and the preseason, was put as a back up to Green when the
season started. Jauron and CO. deemed it better to start a veteran instead.
Three games into the season Bobby was lost for the season with a wrist
injury.
This year the Bears brought in some new talent to challenge Green and Gray.
Todd Johnson from Florida, who stands out among the rookies at safety, looks
to be the best bet to make the roster. Todd played both FS and SS in
college. Many believe he will back up Brown at FS but could see time at SS.
Then there is a wild card here, Charles Tillman who was drafted as CB by the
Bears, could also get a shot at the safety position if things don't work out
at CB. (The CB position is another headache we won't get into right now.)
There are two other rookies I didn't mention, Cameron Worell and Julius
Curray, who could possibly make the roster or the practice squad.
Somebody must step up and be that partner Brown desperately needs and Bears
and fans want. I would like to see those "Who's your Daddy" hits we are so
accustomed to, and it would also be nice to see several INT's by our SS (I
don't want to get too greedy).
The Bears must not look only for this season but for the future. Heaven
forbid if Brown goes down for the season, what then? Jauron and CO. are
going to make that difficult decision of who to keep and start. Hopefully
the players will make that decision easier. It is going to be very
interesting this year in camp.
In closing I will say that Mike Green did not fair well in passing downs but
could improve with a season at SS under his belt. Gray, who impressed me
during camp, hopefully can come back strong this year and show the coaches
that he is a starter.
Yours Truly Grouchy "ZEN" Bear
http://www.nflfans.com/bears/article.php?story=20030622121907568

--
Quote of the Day for Sunday, June 22, 2003
He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I
ever met.
-- Abraham Lincoln