Chicago Bears Offer Redemption for Two Underachievers

The Chicago Bears are one of the oldest and proudest franchies in the N.F.L. with a great legacy and now two former high first round draft picks will have an opportunity to succeed in what is considered one of the best fan bases in the entire league. Last season, Chicago surprised, by playing well enough to seriously contend for the Superbowl. But to say this off-season has been interesting, would be a major understatment.

The Bears this off season have traded perhaps their best pass catcher (Greg Olson) as well as cut Brandon Manumaleuna before adding former Steelers Tight End Matt Spaeth (9 receptions last year and 36 in his four year career, despite starting 13 games last year). After that peculiar move, the Bears went a little stranger today when they signed two underacheivers (or busts) when they picked up Roy Williams, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.

The former Detroit Lions player played with Martz in Detroit where he had his finest season 82 catches and 1310 yards in 2006, but hasn’t eclipsed 850 yards since that year and really struggled with the Cowboys the last two years. Combining for 1126 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two seasons prompting the Cowboys to cut him, to which he essentially replied “I’d cut me too”.

Williams, though offers the Bears something they lack from their starting wide receivers and what they lost with the traded Olson: size. Roy Williams is listed at 6’3 and 215 pounds, which could provide a nice complement to the speedy Devin Hester and Johnny Knox.

The next move the Bears made is puzzling. They jumped at signing former Ohio State Buckeyes standout and New York Jets bust Vernon Gholston. Gholston’s career numbers are embarassing. Gholston was so bad that I can’t even find him in the NFL.com’s player search to point out just how bad his numbers were. (That link is the results for when I searched for “Vernon”).

The terms of the deal are not yet known, but Profootballtalk speculates that’ll be at or near the league minimum.

The Bears had a surprising season last year, and so far are the clear winners of most peculiar off-season. What’s more to come for the Bears? Stay tuned.

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