Brian Urlacher stood near midfield on a warm evening last month during Bears training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. He said that, come what may, the Bears defense will always be easily identified. He said it like he meant it, which is certainly Urlacher's way
"We're never going to change,'' Urlacher said. "I mean, this is how we play and what we do. We're physical. We're hungry. We get as excited about defending the run as we do the pass. And we've always got a history to live up to around here.''
Well, the spirit may be willing but the tools are now certainly weaker for this Bears defense
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
I think we've found our slogan (and theme song!) for the 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a disappointing end to the 2008 regular season, including a somewhat embarrassing 31-24 loss to the Oakland Raiders -- at home -- to close out the campaign and fall short of the playoffs, the Buccaneers cleaned house this offseason. Enter a new head coach, new defensive coordinator, two new offensive coordinators, new quarterback, a number of veterans cut loose, and a couple of big additions through free agency and trade. A lot of moves, but will they be enough to get Tampa Bay back into the postseason?
Future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks has stated numerous times he's not ready to retire. After being released this past offseason by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- with whom the 36-year-old had played his entire 14-year career -- Brooks couldn't find interest from anyone. Well, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Brooks has finally received some interest.
We tend to forget that there are human beings behind statistics -- the touchdowns, the passes, catches and tackles. The victories, mistakes and losses. Then Steve McNair, once a powerful, influential football player, but also a husband, father of four and a friend, was gunned down.
As the shock of his sudden death staggered friends and fans, the details quickly became muddled and disturbing. Why was McNair shot multiple times, including twice in the head? Who was the 20-year-old woman, found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head, lying near McNair's feet in the former quarterback's rented Nashville condominium?
The Tennessee Titans' signature player and a beloved figure in the Nashville community, gone at age 36.
Send your NFL questions (along with your name and location) to NFLFanHouse@gmail.com. Each Thursday, we'll answer the best -- or, if nothing else, most entertaining -- in our NFL Mailbag.
Excluding Brett Favre, which remaining free agent can play the biggest role in 2009?
The easy answer (INCLUDING Brett Favre!!) is Plaxico Burress. He's a high-ceiling, high-impact wide receiver. You saw the way the Giants' offense missed him at the end of 2008, and we've seen a handful of teams express interest in him -- even though nobody knows if he's going to play in 2009. If he is allowed to play, he's your answer. But it looks increasingly likely that he'll be suspended for at least part of the season, if not all. So in the non-Burress division, I have three veterans who could make an interesting impact in the right situation:
At his best, Glover was one of the better defensive tackles in the game thanks to a quick first step that allowed him to beat bigger and stronger offensive linemen (he was only 6-foot-2, 290 pounds). With the Saints in 2000, he led the NFL with 17 sacks, starting a string of six straight Pro Bowl appearances.
He carried that success over to the Cowboys, but Dallas' switch to a 3-4 defense left him trying to play nose tackle in a system that didn't fit him nearly as well. Eventually the Cowboys pushed him aside, bringing in Jason Ferguson to provide more bulk in the middle.
Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.
Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.
Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
What started off as a promising season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned into an embarrassing finish, as the team lost its final four regular season games in 2008, missing the postseason for the third time in four years. When all was said and done, it was enough to cost head coach Jon Gruden his job, while the team said goodbye to several starters, including Derrick Brooks, Jeff Garcia and Cato June.
After releasing Cato June and Derrick Brooks to open the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quite a need for some help at the linebacker position. Apparently, they're not only willing to scour the free-agent market, but also think outside the box -- or blindly throw darts at the wall, depending on your perspective -- when it comes to improving the position.
On Wednesday, the team signed free-agent linebacker Angelo Crowell, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, to compete for the strongside linebacker spot. The Buccaneers also plan to move safety Jermaine Phillips to weakside linebacker.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Geno Hayesdidn't have a particularly good Saturday evening, as his 19-year-old girlfriend allegedly stabbed him in the head with a pair of scissors, and then followed that by stabbing him in the neck with a knife, according to Josh Poltilove of the Tampa Tribune.
Hayes' girlfriend, Shevelle Bagley, has already been released from custody after having bail set at $25,000. Hayes was released from the hospital after being treated for a "superficial wound" to his head.
Brian Urlacher stood near midfield on a warm evening last month during Bears training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. He said that, come what may, the Bears defense will always be easily identified. He said it like he meant it, which is certainly Urlacher's way
Future Hall of Famer 
We tend to forget that there are human beings behind statistics -- the touchdowns, the passes, catches and tackles. The victories, mistakes and losses. Then 
Send your NFL questions (along with your name and location) to 
After six Pro Bowl appearances and 13 seasons, well-traveled defensive tackle 
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call 
After releasing 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker 
