May

12

The Mike Brown Saga One of Heartbreak for the Bears

Posted by Rob Chiusano under Chicago Bears 

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With the season right around the corner the Bears have quietly made a solid effort to fill some much needed holes on both sides of the ball. With every ones focus on receivers to go with Cutler-mania we have overlooked a very much needed area that needs to be addressed a.s.a.p….safety.

Has the absolute jubilation of the Cutler trade erased the fact that Jerry Angelo has decided to part ways with Mike Brown? The 2000 draft not only gave us our face of the franchise Brian Urlacher, but it also gave us our spiritual and emotional leader Mike Brown.

I know all too well how the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league, and with Mike’s string of injuries over the last 4 years I can see on paper how releasing him might make sense. You can always replace a safety, but you cannot always replace a leader. Mike has lead by example on the field and in the locker room sice his arrival in 2000.

There’s an old saying, “don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” is that what the Bears have done by not signing Mike? You need a safety, but you wont sign a safety, I guess I’m lost here Jerry. When you play the game with reckless abandon injuries happen, Mike always played without a net.

In 05 Mike was a pro bowler despite missing the last few regular season games and an early exit in the playoff game against Carolina. The Super season of 06 he caught a bad break by being on the bottom of a pile which lead to that rare foot injury, only after another patented Mike Brown TD return.

Let’s not forget the 2007 season opener in San Diego, Mikes having another monster game. Interception, fumble recovery, QB sack, and then after a dead ball, he gets thrown down from behind tearing his acl, thus ending his season. I still remember that interview of him crying & saying how it breaks his heart not to be playing and missing more games.

Last season he misses a game and a half, including that all so important Houston game, and now #30 is just a memory. With Brandon Mcgowan getting signed by the Patriots, we are left with Daniel Manning, Kevin Payne and a late round draft pick to fill a huge void where Mike Brown used to stand. Call me crazy but I think ill take Mike at 75% rather then those 3 at 100%.

Manning is a solid player, but I question his concentration at times. The same with Kevin Payne, the kid can flat out lay the wood, its his tackling that makes me pull out what little hair I have left. So many times last season he hit when he should of wrapped up and it sprung ball carriers for long gains. Whether it 85’ or 05’ our D is best when we gang tackle.

Hopefully Rod Marinelli can re-install Lovies proven philosophy, 1st man in secures the tackle, everybody else rips at the ball. As a Bears fan they not always do things I agree with, but I’m in for the long haul. Even though it plain breaks my heart that Mike Brown is a free agent and not a Bear, we’ll make do with what we have, and who knows maybe there’s another magician waiting in the wings.


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Comments

2 Responses to “The Mike Brown Saga One of Heartbreak for the Bears”

  1. Bruce DePirro on May 12th, 2009 11:09 pm

    I’m with you all the way on this. Mike Brown is the soul of the defense. When he is playing their run defense is so much better. I understand his history of injuries, mostly bad breaks, and the Bears need to solidify this position. But the fact of the matter they have not. They went out and signed Bullocks and Earl. Are you kidding me? Bullocks could not get on the field for the worst secondary in the league last year and Earl did not play because of injury. It seems to me they could have worked out a short term deal 1-2 years.

  2. Robert Doyle on August 2nd, 2009 2:49 am

    Mike Brown is the truest warrior in the NFL. Angelo is a damn fool for not resigning him. I’d take Brown at 30% over anyone else that we have at 100%. He is the truest definition of a “Chicago Bear.” I wish him nothing but the best in everything he does.

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