“After my evaluation, these are the changes I thought were necessary,” Smith said. “Getting rid of Bob Babich was not a part of that. Bob’s duties have changed, like all of our guys duties have changed. But no one is in the same position that they were, defensively, last year. So there weren’t any scapegoats. The guys I thought didn’t need to be here anymore, we needed to go a different direction from, we did that. The ones that stayed, I think these guys all bring something to the table.”
All Entries Tagged With: "Rod Marinelli"
Splitsville?
Harris, once a model citizen and defensive cornerstone, has now officially become an overpaid, overrated pain in the hind end.
Coach Lovie Smith sent as strong a message to Harris as the soft-spoken coach is ever known to do when he benched Harris Sunday, then told reporters Monday, “There isn’t anything wrong with Tommie. Tommie didn’t play this week. It was more a coaches’ decision as much as anything. He has had some soreness. He didn’t practice all week. I thought we had better options.”
(Harris is making comments) like a player either itching for another suspension or someone who wants out of his contract. And the Bears seem to be acting more and more like a team that might just be considering it, as wild as that may have once sounded. The Bears paid Harris a $40 million extension two offseasons ago, and a $6.67 million roster bonus last February, in the hopes that his career would return to form under new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli . Another $2.5 million roster bonus is not due until June 1.
But not only is Harris not helping the team — and hasn’t since the Super Bowl season — he now appears to be hindering it.
Does it make sense to cut loose a 26-year-old three-time Pro Bowler who still has more raw talent than most, even though we rarely see it anymore? It does when the player becomes a source of division. It does when the head coach chooses to sit him for a key game while admitting he could have played. It does when the evolution of his position, the key spot in Smith’s Tampa 2, is held up while everyone stands around and tries to figure out if he is ever going to return to form again.
Melissa Isaacson-ESPN Chicago.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
Tom Loxas | Oct 26, 2009 | Comments 0
‘Healthy’ Tommie Harris out
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said Thursday morning on WSCR-AM (670) that defensive tackle Tommie Harris ”is healthy.”
Popularity: 9% [?]
Tom Loxas | Oct 24, 2009 | Comments 0
Marinelli: Harris pretty healthy
Brad Biggs latest had Rod Marinelli deeming Tommie Harris “pretty healthy” and ready to go.
The new defensive line coach and assistant head coach chatted with Thomas George at NFL.com and said Harris was not 100 percent last season when missed one game by injury and didn’t consistently play at the dominant level the team had been accustomed to seeing at the center of the defense.
Harris had five sacks, one behind team leader Alex Brown, and nine tackles for loss, third on the defense. But statistics are never the best measure for Harris’ performance. It’s about him being a disruptive force on the line, one that commands a double team often. When he’s doing that, those around him are much better.
“Tommie is strong, motivated, bright, perfect for the system,” Marinelli said. “He was banged up last year. He seems pretty healthy. He’s done it. This group is going to compete. It is exciting to see them come together.”
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | Jul 23, 2009 | Comments 0
Marinelli: Tommie Harris elite
Vaughn McClure reports that Rod Marinelli, the team’s new assistant head coach/defensive line, still views Tommie Harris as a dominant player regardless of any drop-off in numbers. Harris himself, says he is ready to devote himself fully to getting his knee to where it needs to be.
“His takeoff is exceptional,” Marinelli said. “His explosion out of his stance and his power … I mean, he is so powerful. And he has such great instincts.
“To me, he’s an elite player. I think Tommie is one of the few real under-tackles in this whole league who can really dominate from this position and create a great pass rush.”
Harris is eager to work with Marinelli.
“He’s an amazing teacher more than a coach,” he said. “He breaks the game down, and it has moved from checkers to chess.”
Harris realized the Bears were not playing games when they suspended him one game last season for skipping knee treatments, the most noticeable blemish on his résumé. With sincerity, Harris vowed to use that experience to better himself on and off the field. His resurgence might hinge on the health of his knee.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Harris limited during training camp and the preseason after general manager Jerry Angelo said, “We don’t want to waste any mileage that players have in the off-season. The wear and tear comes during the season, not the off-season.”
“I miss being in practices with my teammates,” he said. “But I believe it will help me in the near future.”
Popularity: 7% [?]
Tom Loxas | Jun 10, 2009 | Comments 0
Angelo excited about D-Line
When asked about giving new money to defensive lineman Adewale Ogunleye and Israel Idonije, Jerry Angelo basically said they have to earn it. Angelo also said he was excited about the way those two were working and the defensive line altogether.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | May 18, 2009 | Comments 0
Bears add TE Gaines
The Bears were in the market for a blocking TE. They have their man in Michael Gaines. Gaines, played for Rod Marinelli in Detroit, and loved his visit to Halas Hall.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | May 11, 2009 | Comments 0
Gilbert could play end
Jeff Dickerson writes that the defensive line is already buying in to Rod Marinelli’s coaching. One player that the Bears hope to see blossom under Marinelli is Jarron Gilbert. Dickerson says the Bears would like to try Gilbert tackle, but could use his skills as a outside pass-rusher.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | May 04, 2009 | Comments 0
Pompei: Potential steals for Bears
Dan Pompei blogging on the draft says the Bears may have found a potential pro-bowler in Jarron Gilbert. Gilbert needs some work, but could blossom under Rod Marinelli. Pompei also thinks the Bears may have gotten a steal in cornerback D.J. Moore (who had a poor workout that hurt his stock) and that Jauquin Iglesias could have been a good pick in the second round, (let alone the third) where the Bears grabbed him.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Tom Loxas | Apr 26, 2009 | Comments 0
Interview: Chicago Tribune’s Dan Pompei
Chicago Tribune NFL writer Dan Pompei answers some questions in the wake of the Jay Cutler deal, and the upcoming draft.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | Apr 11, 2009 | Comments 0
Anderson the next Simeon Rice?
Rod Marinelli may have a pet project, Mark Anderson. Anderson was a pass-rush phenom as a rookie in 2006 with 12 sacks, and only 2 since then. Marinelli sees some parallels with his former pupil in Tampa Bay, Simeon Rice.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | Mar 19, 2009 | Comments 1
Marinelli: Detroit male reporters “ladies”
Brad Biggs reports the new Bears assistant head coach had some words for members of the Detroit press. Namely one word for three male reporters, “ladies”.
As Tom Kowalski of Booth Newspapers and MLive.com reports, Marinelli referred to three Detroit reporters as “ladies” and basically motioned for them to hit the path. The three reporters who approached Marinelli were male. Kowalski was joined by Nick Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press and John Niyo of the Detroit News.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | Jan 20, 2009 | Comments 0
Lovie takes over d?
Lovie Smith apparently has moved Bob Babich back to linebackers coach, despite Babich retaining his defensive coordinator title. What duties will Rod Marinelli really have?
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tom Loxas | Jan 13, 2009 | Comments 2