Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor

[tower912]

none of this matters because
A) The Lions are close to signing Burleson and Vanden Bosch. That EASILY makes them the front runners for the Division

B) Since the cap is gone a lot of teams will be acting differently. Teams are going to dump the players that are overpaid and under performing without much worry. You're going to see an over saturated free agent market. Most teams are going to spend a WHOLE lot less on free agents. With the exception of a few players that will be ridiculously over paid, most players will see 1 year contracts at a cut rate.  You could even see a baseball type thing where teams keep a team salary less than last years minimum to save as much money as possible before going into the lockout.

C) the bears still suck

Looking for teal.
As a Lions fan, I can assure you that is not enough to make them the favorites of the conference.    These two signings, plus drafting Suh might get them to 7 wins.    Desperately need secondary help, offensive line help, a running back, and somebody to lift the voodoo injury curse they have been under for the last 30 years.

[Ari Gold]

KVB is overrated. And I hope you are trying to channel Jay Bee in an attempt to be funny.

Yes, yes I was. but with CJ, Burleson could have a huge upside
Granted if I ever had the chance. there is a lot of potential in Oakland and Detroit football. I loved to have a chance to run those organizations

[Jay Bee]

Looks like the Packers are the slight consensus as of right now.

Are these currently offered odds by someone that include the uncertainly of whether the Vikings will have their QB back?  Once Favre says, 'one more year!' and we have another stellar draft, we'll be a clear Consensus just like last year.

The combination of a Twins World Series in October / Nov and the Vikings Super Bowl in Feb will have the Twin Cities rockin!!!

[damuts222]

Both are in for physicals with the Bears currently could be a presser this afternoon announcing their signings. (per Jay Glazer)

[MU B2002]

Are these currently offered odds by someone that include the uncertainly of whether the Vikings will have their QB back?  Once Favre says, 'one more year!' and we have another stellar draft, we'll be a clear Consensus just like last year.

The combination of a Twins World Series in October / Nov and the Vikings Super Bowl in Feb will have the Twin Cities rockin!!!

While you are at it, let's throw in a Cup win for the Wild, an NBA title for the Twolves, and of course another Frozen 4 for the U.

[damuts222]

6 years, $12 million/year, not sure on guaranteed money.

[TallTitan34]

Chester Taylor immanent as well according to the Sun Times.

[Hards Alumni]

The Bears really signed Peppers for 6 years?

wow.  Enjoy that Chicago.

Waste of money.

[GOMU1104]

Yawn. Do they play OL?  Do they play QB?

[MU B2002]

The Bears really signed Peppers for 6 years?

wow.  Enjoy that Chicago.

Waste of money.

Total length is irrelevant.  In my uneducated opinion this will like be torn up after 2-3 seasons and his non-gauranteed money will go poof.

[DegenerateDish]

Peppers deal will be signed within the hour. Don't know the total years, but $45 mil guaranteed the first 3 years. Essentially this will be a 3 yr guaranteed deal front loaded.

In an uncapped NFL, this is actually a very good signing. We'll see if it pans out, but good work by the Bears front office.

Love the Taylor signing. Fresh legs, has proved he can carry the load before. Great 1-2 punch with him and Forte.

[damuts222]

The Bears really signed Peppers for 6 years?

wow.  Enjoy that Chicago.

Waste of money.

 I find it hilarious hearing all of the things about Peppers being overrated and so on. He gets double teamed and still gets double digit sacks, remember Brett Favre getting nailed last season repeatedly against the Panthers. Then the argument between Childress and Favre about taking him out because Peppers was single handedly beating him up. Good luck Packers O-line, since Clifton si now gone as well.

[MU B2002]

Yawn. Do they play OL?  Do they play QB?

Bears don't need a QB.  Cutler will be in the Probowl this year, unless his OL gets him killed.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

I find it hilarious hearing all of the things about Peppers being overrated and so on. He gets double teamed and still gets double digit sacks, remember Brett Favre getting nailed last season repeatedly against the Panthers. Then the argument between Childress and Favre about taking him out because Peppers was single handedly beating him up. Good luck Packers O-line, since Clifton si now gone as well.

"He kind of gets a bad rep because maybe he doesn't get a sack per game," Panthers safety Chris Harris, a former Bear, said of Peppers. "He is the most dominant defensive player in the league, so he's going to get double-teamed. He's not going to get to the quarterback all the time, and people equate sacks to how hard he's working. It might not look like he's working because he does it so easily."

[BME to MD]

Their are other families that own teams and are in tne same position:

Arizona Cardinals = Bill Bidwill (1972)
Buffalo Bills = Ralph Wilson (1960)
Detroit Lions = William Clay Ford, Sr. (1964)
Oakland Raiders = Al Davis (1976)
Tennessee Titans = Bud Adams (1960)

And, like the Bears, they are all not very good.  Your point about family ownership hurting the bears is valid, it's just they are not alone.

I was more focusing on teams whose owners wealth was derived essentially from the team alone and you are right that I missed Bidwill, Wilson, and Davis.  Adams and Ford are wealthy regardless of their teams though so they should be able to tolerate more risk than the Bears and the three you pointed out.  But at the same time I believe that Bidwill, Wilson, and Davis are essentially single owners who have made the NFL their life's work - as George Halas did.

[GOMU1104]

Bears don't need a QB.  Cutler will be in the Probowl this year, unless his OL gets him killed.

He throws the ball to the other team quite a bit, as well.

[jmayer1]

Peppers deal will be signed within the hour. Don't know the total years, but $45 mil guaranteed the first 3 years. Essentially this will be a 3 yr guaranteed deal front loaded.

In an uncapped NFL, this is actually a very good signing. We'll see if it pans out, but good work by the Bears front office.

Love the Taylor signing. Fresh legs, has proved he can carry the load before. Great 1-2 punch with him and Forte.

$45 million guaranteed is a lot to committ to a DE who just turned 30.  IMO, the Bears might have been better off trying to spread that money around and fix a few more of their many holes.

[DegenerateDish]

Peppers signing will have a huge effect on the Vikes and Pack. With Clifton possibly going to Washington, the Packers have to draft an OT with their first round pick. I realize they were leaning OT any way, but they better hope their guy falls to them now. Tough spot to be in.

I wonder how Bryant McKinnie feels right now. Peppers absolutely owned him in that Sunday night game last year. If you're a Pro Bowl left tackle, and you get benched, that's not a good thing.

[DegenerateDish]

$45 million guaranteed is a lot to committ to a DE who just turned 30.  IMO, the Bears might have been better off trying to spread that money around and fix a few more of their many holes.

In the "old" NFL, you're right. This would have been a borderline terrible signing. In the "new" NFL, it's not, it's a great signing. They basically will have him for 3 years, again, with no salary cap. I posted this a while ago, but teams like the Vikes and Pack are going to have a difficult time in this new NFL. They just don't have the revenue streams to long term compete with teams like the Bears (it's just fact).

Agree there are plenty of holes to fill, but elite defensive ends don't show up on the open market that often (Pack fans know this all too well with the Reggie White signing). Not that Peppers is Reggie White at this stage, but if you can get an elite DE (and have to pay a lot for it), you do it, especailly when it's a need.

[damuts222]

 Plus it sounds as if the Bears are shopping Greg Olsen around since in Martz' offense they don't foresee using him much. Probably for a second rounder or an offensive lineman. There not done, there in it for Ryan Clark at safety.

[Ari Gold]

Peppers got a bad rap because he's in Carolina and they've been a pretty bad team for awhile. Hard to get noticed that way

Wonder if the bears are banking on a Super Bowl before the lock out

With Jared Allen, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Julius Peppers in the division, packers are screwed unless they bulk up the o line

[Moonboots]

Love the Taylor signing. Fresh legs, has proved he can carry the load before. Great 1-2 punch with him and Forte.

Peppers signing is good as long as he stays motivated.  I think Marinelli ill take care of that. He's got at least two, maybe three, good years left.

Not a fan of the Taylor signing.  Good pass blocker, but someone neglected to tell the Bears that the problem with their running game last year was a garbage offensive line, and to the best of my knowledge Taylor doesn't have the natural ability to overcome that.

[LON]

Plus it sounds as if the Bears are shopping Greg Olsen around since in Martz' offense they don't foresee using him much. Probably for a second rounder or an offensive lineman. There not done, there in it for Ryan Clark at safety.

Is Martz going to be there after next year?

[damuts222]

Is Martz going to be there after next year?

We will see, as a Bears fan I still don't see them as being better than 9-7 or 8-8 and who knows what is required for Lovie not to be fired?

[GOMU1104]

I posted this a while ago, but teams like the Vikes and Pack are going to have a difficult time in this new NFL.

Vikings...Yes

Packers...Not so much