Isn’t It Time for Ron Turner To Think outside the Box?
Published by Victor Ferenzi on April 19, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Say what you will about the New England Patriots, but one thing is clear: they get the most out of every player they have. Isn’t it time the Bears did the same?
The Bears boast an unusual amount of underutilized talent. Every year we have questions about the Bears’ offense, and every year we go into the season wondering who will step up and fill the roles needed to field a typical, supposedly, west-cast offense. My question is, why do we have to be typical?
The Bears may not have the best tight end in the league, but they have the best group of tight ends. Clark is going to toe the line in typical tight end fashion, but Olsen is truly a gifted, versatile player who needs to be used in different situations. Ditto for Kellen Davis, who is as much of a physical, athletic freak as anyone in the league.
Adrian Peterson has been a staple of our special teams play for several seasons and we have all seen what Forte can do, but what about Wolfe and Jones?
Jones is a former first round pick who suffered devastating injuries two years in a row before being released by Detroit. Jones has stated that he would have argued that he was 100 percent last year, until he had another offseason to recover and to truly see what 100 percent could be. We know that injuries such as the ones he sustained often take two years to fully recover from, but could we see the return of the Kevin Jones, who rushed for over 1100 yards in 2004?
Wolfe is clearly undersized, but we have heard rumors of using him as a flanker for several seasons, only to see him get the occasional carry between the tackles. Wolfe has the kind of speed and agility that had people wondering (unrealistically) if he could win the Heisman while playing for a school like NIU. Wolfe may never be a Pro Bowl running back, but teams like San Diego have shown us what both small backs, and backs from NIU, can do.
We also have several players who are extremely athletic and have been flexed around to multiple positions on defense and special teams. Israel Idonije, Joey LaRocque, and Nick Roach come to mind.
Fullback Jason Mckie has been used in the passing game, but in a fashion that is very much vanilla and has become predictable.
Everyone is caught up in who is going to compliment Hester at receiver, and while I would love to get a great receiver, couldn’t we have been doing more to free up Hester all along?
The Patriots utilize linebackers in one of the best passing games in the league, yet before Moss came to town, you would be hard pressed to call any of their receivers a number one on most NFL rosters.
The Dolphins have had success using the wildcat, not because it is a great scheme, but because it gives them the most opportunities to get their talent on the field.
The Bears of the past would bring in Refrigerator Perry to clear running lanes and occasionally carry the ball (Brian Urlacher has even caught a touchdown pass for the Bears), but how have they been utilizing unique talents lately? John St. Claire was the target of several passes over the last couple of years, hardly the stellar athlete you need to get more touches.
With the amount of athletic talent on the Bears team, when are they going to make adjustments to use more of them? When will they decide to create mismatches instead of trying to fit the mold? As each new season approaches, we hear the talk, we see flashes in preseason, only to see the same-old predictable playbook come the regular season.
Old and predictable are great qualities in a Swiss watch or a geyser, not in a playbook. It is time for the Bears to stop looking like a team that thinks the forward pass is a trick play, the T-formation is long gone, and it is time to move on. Stop waiting for talented players to fit the traditional mold, and start drawing up new plays that can utilize the unique talent we have and catch defenses off guard.
