I think he's more likely to break the bank than not. He's the best WR available in a really bad market for them, he's going to end up with solid/good numbers on a team with no QB or running game, and Drew Rosenhaus is his agent. All it takes is one team to overpay for him, and that's what free agency is anyways.

Free agency wise, Alan Faneca (Pitt) is going to be on the market, but he's a guard and is likely to get a monster signing bonus. We really need a RT, and I haven't seen that list yet, but the reason guards have really been making bank of late is because teams aren't letting their OT's get away. Faneca would be a great addition, but he'd cost you Briggs and probably Berrian, and the Bears may just turn to an inhouse option - Metcalf/Beekman at a fraction of the cost.

I think that's a fair assessment of Berrian. He's a good NFL WR, but I don't call him a go to guy by any means.

When I say "go to guy" I mean on the Bears. I'm just saying he's our best option.

"Go to guy" and #1 our two different things. Every team has a go to guy. It just means it's the teams best wide out.

The Lions and Cardinals are rare teams that have two #1's

I agree - he's clearly our best option on the WRing corp.

i think the bears have many more pressing issues than the contract status and pay of berrian.

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Numero Uno on the Bears doesn't mean much. If Olsen gets better and O-line improves can't we insert someone cheaper and he could possibly put up the same type of numbers? Maybe minus the greta plays, but make all the plays Berrian dropped and quit on?

You'll have to pay if you want my thoughts Mc Neil!

It depends on his asking price. Given the long-lasting ramifications on the salary cap, over-paying for a mid-level talent just because he looks like the best option is foolish (the same goes for Rex). While elite receivers are hard to find, guys like Berrian are a dime a dozen. As Frank Costanza said, the Bears have numerous holes to fill and if they re-sign Briggs their resources will be limited. I'd target a running back & the O-line.

My Thoughts on one Bernard Berrian

I went into this season thinking Bernard Berrian was going to distinguish himself as one of the Top 5 WR's in the NFC. As with about everything else this NFL Season, I was dead wrong.

Berrian can't get the needed first down.

Berrian doesn't get it done in the red zone.

Berrian lacks any type of leadership and rarely takes responsibility for something that went wrong on the field.

All he does is wait, pray, and hope for the big plays. That's why he likes Rex. He at least is given the opportunity to do so. I think Berrian is a "Me" guy and doesn't get the big picture. The game I went to he had like 3 drops all in which he had the shrug the shoulders attitude. No urgency. No will to win displayed for the fans. Maybe that's different in the locker rooom, but I'm not getting that vibe.

The Cold Hard Truth...

This Bears team is extremely weak in almost every offensive position and their defense has some of their own issues. They will not be knocking on Superbowl 43 or 44's door. With that said, play and sign for the future. Do not sign Berrian to a long term deal when that money can be better spent elsewhere in the next couple of years unless the price is right.[/i]

If I'm Jerry Angelo I'm signing Devin Hester to a 7 year extension right now. Lock him up now. F Berrian.

Berrian is a nice complimentery receiver. He is NOT a #1 and is not worth the $7-10 million / year he will command in the open market.

I say save the money and try to resign Briggs. We can find receivers in the draft or through trade. (like NE did to get Welker)

In the case of Berrian's #s versus the rest of the league, I'll just ignore them and trust what I see from watching the games....a decent, certainly not top tier, wide receiver.
I wouldn't give any of these guys big money either but they've managed to put up "Bernard Berrian-type" numbers as well:
Owen Daniels 51 catches, 624 yards, 1 TD
Ike Hilliard 51 catches, 606 yards, 1 TD
Roddy White 52 catches, 774 yards, 3 TDs
Bobby Engram 67 catches, 814 yards, 3 TDs
Shaun McDonald 53 catches, 650 yards, 4 TDs
Kevin Curtis 50 catches, 793 yards, 4 TDs
Bernard Berrian 54 catches, 733 yards, 3 TDs

Stop paying big money to mediocre talent just because that's what's available this year...sometimes you have to go young for a year before somebody better is available the next year. And sometimes that young player breaks out and you find something in your own organization that you were too stupid to see before.... and sometimes you just suck!

Good stuff Mike.

I think those number comparisons are all fine and dandy. But they're pass happy offenses in Seattle, Detroit and Philly.

I never said that Berrian is a "MUST SIGN" guy, I was just answering Mac's initial question - what his 'market value' is. The Bears would definitely be better served resigning Lance Briggs and getting an ass kickin' left tackle in here, shift Tait to his natural position - right tackle, and then upgrading one of the guards. Look how much the left side of the Minnesota offensive line has helped that team.

Bernie blows as a fantasy player. I took him in the 4th round in the Mackey Tops draft and was laughed at. They had him projected as the 10th best WR in the NFL and expected 1200 yards and 11 touchdowns from him. He does have better stats than my second pick in Marvin Harrison..Pussy

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"You can't put a bounty on a man's head"!

+1

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@audioidkid

Maybe, but maybe it's more accurate to say that they're just better at it than the Bears. The Bears have attempted 391 passes this year for 2609 yards. Detroit: 405 for 3045, Seattle: 406 for 2893 and Philadelphia: 387 for 2790. Besides the fact that the guys I listed aren't what you'd call the #1 or "go to" guy on their teams....and I'd guess if Berrian were on those teams he'd do no better than the guys I listed. The fact that we always hear that the #s aren't as good because we're not a passing team is ridiculous. #1, we don't run either. #2, if we ARE going to run and we're not gonna use the alleged talent of Bernard Berrian, than why pay for it?

He's in the top 5 for priorities on this offense in the off-season...but he's not #1, #2, #3, or #4.

So did Troy Aikman hockey boy.

Grid, before considering Tait a messiah at RT replacing Miller, I'd like to see the medical and coaching staff take care of his chronic holdingitis problem first. I'm too lazy to add up the negative yardage that holding calls on Tait have costed.

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

Yea, I wouldn't bank on any of these guys on the line right now.

if you're still in it by this week, play him against the Saints. He will most likely have a career day, like most of the second rate WR's that have this year against that practice squad D. bleh....I've got him sitting on my bench right now, if i make it to the last week, he is hella starting.

Here's Moose's contract numbers. This will be his third (and hopefully final) year with the Bears:

Muhammad signed a six-year contract that can be worth as much as $30 million. It includes $12 million in total guarantees, and the first three seasons are worth $16 million.

So we paid $16Million for what he gave us.

Does former Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey fall into this category? I know he sucks as a head coach but as an offensive coordinator, I thought he did farely well with the Cowboys.

Actually he was the head coach in Dallas and sucked.

He did well as the Steelers O-Coordinator though if I'm not mistaken.

sign Berrian...IF the deal is right. I would try and keep the years and guaranteed money low. What is his value on the open market? Don't over pay.

Moose goes away next year for sure. He had the obvious drop yesterday, but IMO he could have caught that long ball from Rex if he keeps running. It hit him in the hands anyway. Lucky that the illegal contact call was made. A good receiver makes that catch.

I thought he took over for Norv Turner when he left but I'm probably mistaken. Whatever. My point was that I thought he did fairly well as an O-Coordinator. I know he sucked as a head coach.

Here's his body of work:

University of Florida(GA)
Troy State(DB)
Air Force Academy(DB)
Air Force (DC)
Troy State

Denver Broncos(ST)

Birmingham Fire
Samford

Pittsburgh Steelers(WR)
Pittsburgh Steelers(OC)
Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins(OC)

Georgia Tech

Yet (with our woeful QBs) Berrian has more yardage than ANY #1 WR on fifteen other NFL teams: Buffalo, Miami, Minnesota, NY Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Houston, Jacksonville, KC, Oakland, Chargers, Giants, Carolina, Tampa and the Niners.

So how the fuck is he a #2 WR at best? Look at the NFL landscape Nas - it sucks.

He's NOT worth Top 10 WR money though. Top 15-20 at best imho.

Yikes!

He'll get his #1 money, the numbers are there and so are the dopes with nice cap rooms and desire to devise intricate and generous signing/roster bonus schemes. Isn't he a Rosenhaus client? It's worth pointing out though, that the Redskins who are notorious for pulling this garbage are just as bad, if not worse, than the Bears.

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.