Defense Wins Championships

[revrew]

Big signings right off the bat:

ILB Mercury Brennan, a 6'1, 249 run stuffer who has been playing with the Giants. Rated 60/60 and 84 in run D, he will give Dexter Lucas a solid backup and may even slide over to SLB. Surprisingly signs dirt cheap.

DE Shannon Lincoln, a 6'5, 286 pass rusher who has been playing for the Bengals. Rated 55/55, Lincoln had 7.5 sacks, 23 hurries and 26 knockdowns last season and will ensure depth for the Bears' pass rush.

S Joseph Mayes, a 5'11, 195 ballhawk with solid tackling fundamentals. Rated 51/53, Mayes may play 4-4 safetybacker or FS, depending on what happens in the draft.

Other quick signings: G Mel Giles (35/35), WR Dusty Kennedy (27/33), OT Eric Hesse (41/41 - boost over 40 after signing)

With the signing of S Joseph Mayes, Keevil loses his luster. Offer withdrawn.

[nfg22]

Just letting you know I have been following along and this is very enjoyable. I want to see more sacks though!

[revrew]

Originally Posted by nfg22

Just letting you know I have been following along and this is very enjoyable. I want to see more sacks though!

Thanks! And you're not the only one ... FA hasn't been very helpful, with so little elite talent. I may have to start trying to trade more.

[revrew]

Mid-Stage signings:

DT Glen Wilkerson, a 6'4, 299 fan favorite rated 42/55, Wilkerson has tremendous strength and shows excellent potential at run-stuffing. He could step in and start now in our base D, but is better suited to long-term rotational player.

CB Butch Garcia, a 5'11, 191 physical corner rated 50/50, Butch specializes in punishing the hitter and BnR. His 67 zone rating fits us too, and he's an outstanding punt/kick returner. This is a big signing for our special teams, and his ratings are solid enough to step in should a starter go down to injury.

Other mid-stage signings: WR Ian Cooley (38/38) , G Mike Kennedy (29/40), DT Roosevelt Taylor (44/47), S Ben Martin (37/44 and mentor), QB T.J. McCargo (23/23, mentor), TE Scott Jeffries (39/39).

With the signings of DT Wilkerson, S Mayes, DE Lincoln, LB Brennan and CB Garcia, we have secured all our big targets in FA. The question now is whether we will wait for a safety to fall in the draft or try to move up to grab a DT.

[revrew]

Late-stage signings:

OLB Omar Duffy a 6-1, 229 mentor in only his 5th year. Rated 53/57, Duffy has fantastic play diagnosis and great stats against the pass. A former 2nd-team all-pro, Duffy should play SLB in the dime for us. Our OLB corps is very deep now, and we might even consider trading one of last year's guys with the new talent coming in (alas, "deep" talent is code for no elite talent, just a bunch of serviceable guys, but hey, we're deep!)

Other late-stage signings: FB Winston Norton (26/40), WR Courtney Fleming (36/36, kick returner)

[revrew]

Fans and followers: I hate to do this to y'all, but my family and I are about to go on a big, 2-week family vacation to Florida. This will be the last family vacation we likely ever go on all together, as we expect my oldest daughter to be married next year. But this means I'm away from my computer until Oct. 25 and won't be doing any updates.

But when I return ... the draft!

[sterlingice]

Boooo!

(just kidding... mostly)

SI

[Coffee Warlord]

What you should totally do if you win a Super Bowl with defense is do a complete 180 with the team, and flip flop the rules - no defense, only offense.

[revrew]

I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK! If work doesn't completely swamp me, I'll try an update later today. If not, this weekend.

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

What you should totally do if you win a Super Bowl with defense is do a complete 180 with the team, and flip flop the rules - no defense, only offense.

I hear the concept, Coffee, but I fear that would be WAY too easy. Get a QB, a couple of BPR wideouts, and it's all over. Easy, peasy. Beating this game with defense, however, I thought would be a greater challenge.

[sterlingice]

Hooray

SI

[revrew]

At the top of the draft, there are 3 (defensive) uberstuds:

DT Mo Shaw
DT Kelly Himes
CB Zach Starks

Unfortunately, I can't seem to trade into the top 3, so we need some offensive players to grab headlines, so we have hope of trading up high enough.

If we're forced to keep our (21st) pick in the draft, the value charts say the following may be worth it:

S Zach White
ILB Kelvin Lofton
CB Dan Pretko
S Neil Speer

If we have to pick up a guy based on potential, his combines suggesting a breakout candidate, the following would be a decent choice:

S Louie Whiting

As the draft begins, we hope offensive players will start gobbling Top 10 draft spots, so we have a shot at landing one of our top targets, likely one of the DTs or S Zach White.

[revrew]

1.1 New England takes ....

And, of course, New England, who already has one of the best DTs in the game and is desperately in need of offensive talent ... takes DT Mo Shaw.

Cold man, cold.

I mean, he's best player in the draft, purely from talent level, but ouch.

[revrew]

1.2 - A QB!
1.3 - CB Zach Starks falls - no surprise there
1.4 - DT Kelly Himes is taken, and that's the last of our 3 uberstuds.

Dang. I tried furiously to trade up with Miami for that 1.4, but I couldn't get them to bite. And I'm not trading the world for a DT, no matter how badly I want him.

We switch gears now to see if we can land an elite safety, our second top priority in this draft.

[revrew]

A run on offensive players gives us hope, and ILB Kelvin Lofton falls at 1.13, which is OK. But the chance to grab a top safety is leaving me to wonder if we should trade up.

Yikes! A safety goes at 1.15! But it's neither White, Speer or Whiting. Whew. Now, I'm definitely nervous. Trading up just a few is starting to look appealing.

[Coffee Warlord]

Don't be weak!

[sterlingice]

It can't take this long to wait for a player to drop (or not drop)

SI

[revrew]

So, time for reader input ...

The situation:
We sit at 1.21, and 1.16 is on the clock. We're looking for an elite safety, preferably one who is strong against the run, with solid zone, BnR bars. We already have a pair of elite CBs, though position leader and top stud Barry Westbrook is in his 10th year.

The following potential targets are still on the board:

S Zach White - only 17% developed, but has 3 reds, 2 blues. Agility is stunning. 2nd strongest safety in draft (blue bar), but shows a run defense bar of about 50. Bars are nearly maxed out everywhere else (except KR/PR). Looks like uberstud, but ... a bit low on runD and would be an extreme conflict with CB Barry Westbrook.

S Louie Whiting - 52% developed, 1 red (agility), 3 blues. Strongest S in class, but runD bar doesn't reflect that. Bars are in fact mediocre at best. Scout says VU, volatility 74. Punishing hitter bar at about 60. Yes, I expect him to boom some, but will he ever be elite?

CB Dan Pretko - Red in dash, 3 blues, including PSpec. Strongest CB in class, plus has size to convert to S if we want. Bars very solid.

CB Rusty Davidson - Top rated CB left. Red in dash and agility, 2 blues. Top PSpec in class. Bars show strong in zone, but mediocre overall. Though combines, volatility 88 and scout rating VU suggest he could boom as well.

Zach White is clearly the most talented (per combines) player left on the board, perhaps in the whole draft. But that conflict has me a bit nervous. Pretko is an interesting prospect, as he could be a top corner or could convert to be that safety we're looking for.

So what do we do here, faithful readers? Trade up to get the guy we want? Or wait to see who falls? And if we trade up, who do we take?

[sterlingice]

As a resident reader who knows nothing about FOF:
Sounds like White is great but not really a great fit for the team you're building. Aren't run stuffing safeys key to your system and if he's great but doesn't have that- how good is he for you? And what would it cost to move up?

SI

[revrew]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

As a resident reader who knows nothing about FOF:
Sounds like White is great but not really a great fit for the team you're building. Aren't run stuffing safeys key to your system and if he's great but doesn't have that- how good is he for you? And what would it cost to move up?

SI

Astute observation, but there's some reason to believe that bar is masked and may be higher. Or not. Always a risk involved.

I'll experiment with what it would cost to move up...

[revrew]

Turns out it would cost only only 1.21 and S Charlie Guillen, who is a solid player, but doesn't have a decent zone rating and we were hanging on to for trade bait.

[sterlingice]

I like impulsively buying shiny new toys! Why not?

SI

[revrew]

Trade made. Chicago on the clock.

But after much deliberation and hair pulling, I just couldn't pull the trigger on Zach White. His high volatility, low developed percentage and conflict with team leader were just eating at me. Plus, as sterlingice pointed out, I don't want mediocre 4-4 safety on run defense; I want a stalwart on run defense. (Please don't make me regret this one, White. Just be a bust, OK?)

That decision made, I looked at the remaining group. It seemed best talent available was one of the corners. And if he could make the transition to safety, all the better.

That said, with the 1.16, Chicago selects:

CB Dan Pretko - 6'0, 202 pounds out of Illinois. Pretko is a physical specimen, ran a 4.39 40 and still benched 16 reps.

Given his size, we immediately switch him to strong safety, where initial ratings put him at ...

[Coffee Warlord]

30/41. :P

[revrew]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

30/41. :P

Not funny, Coffee. Not funny. In reality ...

38/82! Whoot! With a low volatility (if that actually means anything), hopefully he will simply develop out nicely and finish a 75/75 or so. His initial bars put him at 75-80 in run defense, the same on Zone D, the same on punishing hitter, with maxed out endurance. PERFECT for our 4-4 safetybacker.

Meanwhile:

CB Rusty Davidson falls at 1.18
S Zach White at 1.20 to Atlanta (we'll keep an eye on him, but initial rating is 38/77, his only weakness on run defense)
S Neil Speer, who we also looked at but decided didn't fit, went at 2.6
S Louie Whiting went at 2.10, with a rating of 28/41, but I have him pegged as a boomer. We'll watch him, too.

[revrew]

At 2.23 we have the following options:

CB Blaine Covington - Highest available CB. 3 blues, affinity match. His bars are lower than his combines, but with big punishing hitter bar, high volatility, scouted at VU, he could be breakout candidate. Doesn't look like star material, however.

WLB David Winslett - One red (agil), 2 blues. Huge run stuffing bar, would make perfect goalline WLB. No special teams. Definitely a decent choice, but is it worth it in the 2nd to take a guy who will rarely ever see the field?

CB Courtney Murphy - #5 CB left on board, 6'2, 205, affinity match with 4 blues. Not strong enough, I don't think, to play safety, but he specializes in run defense and zone D. Has very solid bars, including both PH and INT. If those bars hold, and his combines suggest they will, would make excellent dime/backup CB who could start in injury situations.

DT Mel Thomas - #8 DT left, 3 blues, including bench press and dash. Well rounded bars, with pass rush strength the highest. Not a dominant force vs. run, however, and his agil rating is black.

Frankly, these are some solid choices. Any of the 4 would make a good player, but in thinking about fit, I'm leaning toward Murphy or Winslett.

[Coffee Warlord]

I don't remember your DT situation, but I'm leaning Murphy or Thomas.

[revrew]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I don't remember your DT situation, but I'm leaning Murphy or Thomas.

Your instincts are spot on. Those are the best 2 players here, most likely.

But as good as Thomas may be all-around, he's just not special in either the runD or pass rush, and I picked up some FA DTs who I may want to try out, as they have better run-stuffing strength.

Again, I'm left with the problem that I have a whole team of solid players rated in the 50-range, but too few elite players. This is especially true at DT, and I fear Thomas would be just another decent player where I already have several decent players.

Meanwhile, if Murphy can be a 50-rated CB, that would be some good depth that I'm missing right now. We're thinner at CB than DT.

[revrew]

With the 2.23, Chicaco selects:

CB Courtney Murphy - a 6'2, 205 CB out of UCalifornia who ran the 40 in 4.47 seconds and shows good awareness for the ball. Our coaches are saying this is a kid we ought to consider moving to safety, saying it may improve his ratings. We'll consider the option. His rating now is estimated at 20/53.

[revrew]

CB Blaine Covington goes at 2.31
OLB David Winslett falls at 3.7

But at 3.22, Mel Thomas is still on the board! Again, he may be more depth than we need, but this is an easy decision.

With the 3.22 selection, Chicago takes:

DT Mel Thomas - a 6'1, 279 pound left defensive tackle out of Tennessee. Our scouts predict him at 25/49, but his strength and bench press reps suggest he may have room to grow.

[revrew]

Fourth round, we can take offensive player if we want, and there's a pair of intriguing possibilities at positions we're very weak:

WR Maurice Peppers - Blue, 4.43 speed and a decent BPR bar. Blue 26 solecismic and an OK RR bar. Seems like a slam dunk. Bars suggest the kid could be solid for a 4th rounder. But he's green in agility (which the bars don't show) and only 19% developed.

TE Ted Tillman - Blue on dash and Pspec, 1 rep short of blue on bench. He's got great looking bars on blocking, long snapping and ST. Bars look like a 2nd round pick ... except ... his RR and adjust to ball are abysmal. Not zero, but bad. He'd block for us but rarely ever see a pass. In an AI-coached offense, is that good or bad thing?

[revrew]

Our selection at 4.21:

WR Maurice Peppers - a 5'11, 185 widout out of SMU with 4.43 speed. Rated 20/57 by our scouts, he would be a huge boost to our receiving corps if he holds anywhere near those ratings. Not bad for a 4th round pick.

Fairly content with our roster and seeing Tillman still on the board in the 5th, we floated a trade past Miami that would send our late 5, 6, and 7 to the Dolphins for their high 5th. To our surprise, they bit!

So with the 5.4, Chicaco selects:

TE Ted Tillman - a 6'2, 254 Hokie out of VaTech, Tillman is a skilled blocker, special teams ace and sure-handed receiver. Our scouts suggest he could be rated as highly as 26/61. Yes, I'll take that in the 5th. Very nice.

Draft concluded!

[revrew]

ATTENTION READERS:

I'm considering a new house rule for this dynasty.

The late FA period is a sudden bonanza of defensive talent. I could sign elite secondary help that would render this last draft virtually irrelevant. In any MP or IRL environment, there's no way this kind of talent infusion would suddenly just appear on the market, and us with $28 million in cap room to play with. Just wouldn't happen. Yet there it is. I can sign a 73-rated corner and a 78-rated safety with a 100 rating in stopping the run.

On the other hand, if I sign these guys, we'll see the quality of our defensive roster soar, and we'll see just how good an all-D team can be.

Is it fair to sign these guys? Just mow down our poor rookies because better vets were miraculously available? Or shall I create a house rule that only URFAs can be signed in late FA?

[Coffee Warlord]

Up to you.

Though part of me thinks you're already trying to do the almost impossible, why not enjoy a little luck in the late free agent market?

[revrew]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Up to you.

Though part of me thinks you're already trying to do the almost impossible, why not enjoy a little luck in the late free agent market?

OK. All-out effort to win. So be it. Bring on the uber-secondary.

[Coffee Warlord]

YOU FOOL!

[wishbone]

I'll agree with taking any steps to build the defense. I will say that when I have tried "defense-first" dynasties my teams were very inconsistent. Common to see win totals of 7, 14, 12, 4, 6, 10 with 2 Superbowl wins. Riding a great QB/WR dynasties would be 12, 15, 16, 13, 15 wins every year with 5 Superbowl wins.
My point is, take what you can get on defense and see what it looks like in a 5 year stretch.

[revrew]

Late FA signings:

WLB William Shedd - 36/56 - A very strong run defense specialist who may have some breakout potential, but we picked him up primarily for his 80/88 ST rating

FS Marvin Schwartz - 79/79 - Though we'll probably move him to SS to take advantage of his 100/100 run defense rating. Also a 92 in zoneD, ST 88, interceptions 73, endurance 78 ... oh, man. Talk about shiny new toy! Don't know if he'll play SS or 4-4 safetybacker.

TE Patrick Alabaso - 36/40 - A receiving specialist, long snapper and strong affinity match. Picked him up to replace our current long snapper, but he may be more than that.

WLB Isaac Larkin - 52/52 - A perfect 100 in run defense, he'll slide into our goalline package

MLB Bucky Beaver - YES, that's really his name! - Rated 56/74, he's not a specialist but very, very well-rounded. Will likely be our backup at both MLB and SLB.

CB Donny Meadows - 67/73 - specialist in zoneD, BnR and run defense. PH rating of 98, INT rating at 75/84. Oh my. Lions and Tigers are now Bears, oh my. He'll likely bump Dexter Craig from the starting spot. At 6'0, 200lbs, he's exactly the physical kind of corner that this defense is built around.

A pair of O-lineman who may be upgrades.

Suffice it to say, I've never even seen a defense that looks this loaded before training camp. Yes, we're starting a 2nd-year QB. Yes, we don't have much cohesion built up right now. Yes, we still don't have the stars at DT I'd like. But oh, jeez. This is a D.

[revrew]

Training camp report:

Owie, owie, owie. Several of our veterans on defense took big hits, and I'm suddenly a lot less confident. Still, with the FA additions, we're upgraded overall. Here are the 2nd year players post-camp:

DE Doug Conley 55/71 --> 60/71
DT Shawn Foreman 43/58 --> 47/57
QB Fernando Windsor 28/42 --> 33/42

Rookies:

1.16 SS Dan Pretko 38/82 --> 45/82 - Yup, he's a stud, far and away the best S in the draft. Good call. Zach White, our other option with the first pick, remains unsigned. Louie Whiting, another safety we considered for his boom potential is indeed booming; he stands at 34/47 right now.
2.23 CB Courtney Murphy 20/53 --> 23/49
3.22 DT Mel Thomas 25/49 --> 27/48
4.21 WR Maurice Peppers 20/57 --> 21/49
5.4 TE Ted Tillman 26/61 --> 28/54

[revrew]

Preseason #1: at Cincinnati

We outgain them on the ground and in the air, but in the second half last year's QB Hardy Holleran comes in, takes 3 sacks and fumbles all 3 times. Oh, it's going to be a pleasure to cut his a$$.

Defensively, rookie SB Dan Pretko (that's SB for our hybrid "safetybacker" position) leads the team with 6 tackles, while 2nd year DE Doug Conley does a nice job harrassing the QB.

Still, can't make up for Holleran tossing this one down the drain. Chicago loses 21-13.

ROSTER NOTE:
After his abysmal performance in the first preseason game and last year's record of untimely turnovers, QB Hardy Holleran has been released from the Chicago Bears. Nine-year vet Wade Chandler (24/35) was signed to take his roster spot.

Preseason #2: vs. JAX

2nd year QB Fernando Windsor continues to outshine his more veteran peers, putting up a 99.3 passing rating in this game to go with his 87.8 last week. But ineffectiveness in the endzone hurt us.

On defense SB Dan Pretko again led all tacklers, while both team's pass rush was ferocious. Doug Conley led the Bears with 1 sack, 1 block, 1 hurry and 5 knockdowns.

But in the end, it was K Rusty Schafluetzel who came through in the clutch, booting 4/4 including one from 52 yards out to give us the win, 19-14.

[UK Rookie]

Been reading from the start and enjoying it very much.

Smart move to relax the sighning of stud FA defensive players as it`s an attempt to with a Championship with a great defence to fit your Nikel Scheme afterall.

[revrew]

Originally Posted by UK Rookie

Been reading from the start and enjoying it very much.

Smart move to relax the sighning of stud FA defensive players as it`s an attempt to with a Championship with a great defence to fit your Nikel Scheme afterall.

Thanks!

Preseason #3: at Pittsburgh

Bears struggled all day to put points on the board, and backup QB Wade Chandler's pick 6 dropped us further and further behind. But then 2nd-year QB Fernando Windsor comes in and leads the Bears to 2 FGs, a TD and 2-point conversion. WR Tyrone Lee, whom coach inexplicably benched in the first 2 preseason games, rips it up, catching 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards (and the 2-point).

On defense 2nd-year DE Doug Conley wins player of game for 2.5 sacks, a hurry and 3 knockdowns. He's having an incredible preseason. The defense surrenders only 173 yards total on the way to a 20-17 victory.

Preseason #4: vs. HOUSTON

We outgained them in this one, but backup QB Wade Chandler's 4 turnovers (2 fumbles, 2 INTs) were disastrous. Yikes. Looks like he may be a downgrade from Hardy Holleran. We may scout the post-preseason waver wire to see if there are any better options. On a positive note, WR Tyrone Lee is again the star, catching 7 of 12.

On defense, rookie SB Dan Pretko leads the squad with 10 tackles, but the guys just can't overcome the turnovers and lose a close one, 14-13.

[Travis]

Just found this thread and went from start to current. Great read and looking forward to keeping up with it from now on.

[revrew]

Originally Posted by Travis

Just found this thread and went from start to current. Great read and looking forward to keeping up with it from now on.

Thanks! And welcome aboard!

SEASON OUTLOOK:

Offense:

Our fortunes rise and fall on the back of 2nd year QB Fernando Windsor. The 4th round draft pick out of Clemson is the only capable signal caller we have, but he's shown promise.

Thankfully, he'll be helped out by lightning fast RB Kelly Hayes, a 232-pound ball of lightning who boasts a career 5.32-yard-per carry average. If only the coach will hive him the d%&$ ball, he could carry this team far.

The receiving corps is a bit jumbled and untested, and coach's decision to move explosive receiver Tyrone Lee to the slot is not sitting well with this GM. Lee can take over a game at times, but perhaps his inconsistencies are going to limit his field time.

Defense:

MLB Dexter Lucas leads an outstandingly deep squad of young and seasoned players, including stars in the making DE Doug Conley and SLB Bucky Beaver (Yes, that's his real name). Beaver is a former MLB moved outside, so he has a lot of learning to do. How fast he picks up the job could be a major factor in this year's success.

But the real stars in this defense are in the secondary. CB Barry Westbrook boasts 15 INTs over the past 2 years and all-pro honors both seasons. Last year's also stud, CB Dexter Craig actually moves to the bench to make room for new addition CB Donny Meadows. All 3 CBs measure taller than 6' and weigh in at more than 200 pounds. Newcomer FS Marvin Schwartz is one of the best in the biz, and keep an eye on rookie SB Dan Pretko, a converted corner who nonetheless tackles like a load of bricks and will be manning the 4-4 defense's most critical position. It's a bold move, but the talent is there if the kid can grow up fast.

The biggest question, however, may be at DT, where the talent is deep and solid, but solidly mediocre. While we're juggling to find the right combination of talent, we wonder whether or not teams will continue to run all over us, as they did last year.

Outlook:

The schedule is both good and bad. The Bears play the AFC South, which last season was the worst in football, but also play the NFC West, which was one of the best. Seattle, which won the SuperBowl a few years ago, came in LAST in the West last year. Preseason pickers like Green Bay to win the NFC North this year, but the defense that led last season's 10-6 Bears has only gotten better. Could Chicago pull the spoiler? Or at least make the playoffs? A winning record is our goal, a trip to the playoffs is our hope.

[revrew]

Game #1: Detroit (0-0) at Chicago (0-0)

The fresh-faced rookie needed help today, but he sure didn't get it from his receivers. WR Tyrone Lee showed why coach is unhappy with him, leading the team with 8 targets, but only pulling down 2 passes. RB Kelly Hayes, however, raced for 115 yards on 18 carries, the team as a whole rushing for 5.56 per clip.

The defense today was stout up front. Very stout. Detroit struggled, rushing for only 2.81 per carry, for 59 total yards. The pass rush hurried Lion QBs 15 times. MLB Dexter Lucas led the team with 11 tackles.

Despite outplaying Detroit, turnovers and a missed field goal kept the game close, sending it to overtime. In the end, however, RB Kelly Hayes busted one loose for 20 yards and a game-winning TD. Chicago wins, 16-10.

[revrew]

Game #2: Chicago (1-0) at Houston (0-1)

A very rough start for QB Fernando Windsor with a pair of INTs in the first quarter. But his running backs came to help, and he settled down. Still not a good passing day for the youngster, but RB Kelly Hayes was on FIRE, rushing for 155 yards on an 8.61 per rush clip. WR Tyrone Lee appears to be doing just fine in the slot, leading the team in targets again. This time he caught 5 of 6 for 42 yards.

This game belonged to our defense, however, which held the Texans to 61 yards on the ground, led by SLB Bucky Beaver (Yes, that's his real name), who led the team with 6 tackles and added a sack and pass defensed as well. But when they went to the air, it was RDE Doug Conley who did the real damage with a sack, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. In the end, it was too much for the Texans, who couldn't complete hardly anything over 10 yards, and the Bears roll to an easy win, 30-3.

[UK Rookie]

Hi Revrew,

Any chance of a starting player line-up for your Bears,with maybe ratings,age and top attribute for each player.

It would help me,and I`m sure other readers.

Cheers.

[revrew]

Originally Posted by UK Rookie

Hi Revrew,

Any chance of a starting player line-up for your Bears,with maybe ratings,age and top attribute for each player.

It would help me,and I`m sure other readers.

Cheers.

Sure! I had been hesitant to do that because, frankly, some of the offensive player really stink. Offensive line ... who cares? But I can still see how it helps the immersion factor, so here goes. By the way, when you see an extra player listed below (such as 3 CBs or 3 DTs), it's because that third player is a rotational or specialty package player.

QB
Fernando Windsor, 2nd yr, 37/42, strengths in timing and accuracy

RB
Kelly Hayes, 4th yr, 42/42 (signed before he boomed to above 40), speed, speed, and more speed, with a 78 elusive rating

FB
Winston Norton, 2nd yr, 31/41, run blocking specialist

TE
Marty Benton, 3rd yr, 40/42, getting downfield
Patrick Alabaso, 3rd yr, 42/42, RR, longsnapper

WR
Ian Cooley, 8th yr, 38/38, 6'3, avoid drops
Donnell Ellis, 5th yr, 34/34, BPR and avoid drops
Tyrone Lee, 7th yr, 36/36, BPR and RR

LT
Eric Hesse, 7th yr, 42/42, pass blocker

LG
Mike Kennedy, 34/40, pass blocker

C
Deon Parrish, 9th yr, 39/39, run blocker

RG
Mel Giles, 6th yr, 36/36, well-rounded mediocrity

RT
Jermaine Steverson, 37/37, run blocker

P
Fred Preston, 9th yr, 76/76, solid all bars

K
Rusty Schafluetzel, 9th yr, 81/81, EVERY bar is between 80 and 85

LDE
Ben Erickson, 8th yr, 57/57 (after a big TC drop), run defense is 90

DT
Timothy Emmons, 6th yr, 54/56, decent run defender with good pass rush strength
Glen Wilkerson, 5th yr, 47/55, same strengths as Emmons, only not as much so
Shawn Foreman, 2nd yr, 47/57, more rounded than the others, better pass rusher, but not quite as strong in RunD

RDE
Doug Conley, 2nd yr, 65/71, 6'6, 291-lb beast with a 91/98 rating in pass rush technique
Lincoln Shannon, 9th yr, 48/48, but pass rush technique at 89

SLB
Bucky Beaver (Yes, that's his real name), 3rd yr, 50/75, pass rusher, zone defender, decent against run, pretty much a stud in everything

MLB
Dexter Lucas, 4th yr, 84/84, RunD of 100, play diagnosis of 100 - need I say more?
Mercury Brennan, 6th yr, 60/60, solid backup against run, much weaker v pass

WLB
Isaac Larkin, 4th yr, 53/53, runD 100

SafetyBacker, or SB
Dan Pretko, rookie, 47/82, all bars in the 30/80 range, except INT 51/62, Punishing Hitter of 86/86

CB
Donnie Meadows, 4th yr, 70/70, specialist in zone and BnR with great PH
Barry Westbrook, 10th ry, 63/63, INT specialist with 93 rating
Dexter Craig, 8th yr, 51/51, Zone defender - all 3 top CBs are 6', 200 lbs or more

SS
Joseph Mayes, 6th yr, 55/55, run defender, 75 play diagnosis
Kelly Macklin, 8th yr, 47/47, run defender, 80 in PH

FS
Marvin Schwartz, 3rd yr, 83/83, run defense 100, zoneD 100, INT 77, he's a stud

[Coffee Warlord]

My QB is a winner!

[revrew]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

My QB is a winner!

Or...not

Game #3: Chicago (2-0) at Dallas (2-0)

RB Kelly Hayes struggled in this one, and QB Fernando Windsor faced pressure all day long. The youngster was sacked 5 times, hurried another 8 times and had a pair knocked down. Add a pair of drops as well, and the offense was struggling.

On defense, their RB caught 9 of 11 for 104 yards and a score, something we can fault poor performances on the day from youngsters SB Dan Pretko and SLB Bucky Beaver (Yes, that's his real name). Our strongest performance came from MLB Dexter Lucas, who led the team with 11 tackles and a half sack.

The Cowboys nickeled and dimed us all day, resulting in a loss, 21-9.

[revrew]

Or, maybe he is ...

Game #4: San Francisco (2-1) at Chicago (2-1)

Hello! QB Fernando Windsor comes out of his shell and puts up 3 TDs, no picks and a 117.2 rating. With WR Tyrone Lee on the bench due to injury, RB Kelly Hayes becomes the go-to receiver, grabbing 6 of 8 and 2 TDs.

On defense, the team played as a team, no big stats to report, but keeping the 49ers stymied on 3rd down gave us a 10-minute time of possession advantage. SS Joseph Mayes led the team with 8 tackles.

Props to the offensive line, who after a horrendous game against Dallas, doesn't surrender a sack and allowed Windsor to shine in a victory, 27-13.