FanHouse ObafemiAyanbadejo

Yesterday on the FanHouse we discussed some curious offseason decisions made by the Chicago Bears. This morning the theme continues with the news that they've released fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The Bears signed Ayanbadejo after the Cardinals released him for violating the NFL's steroid rules. He was suspended for the first four games of the season but participated in training camp and played in exhibition games. Ayanbadejo wasn't taken totally by surprise.

"I knew that this was possible," he said. "I definitely didn't expect it to happen. I thought I'd be able to come back and maybe just contribute, then see how things went. I'm disappointed 100 percent, but I have nothing negative to say about the opportunity the Bears organization gave me."

In the interim the Bears signed fullback Lousaka Polite to back up starting fullback Jason McKie and activating Ayanbadejo would have required them to release another player. With a defense ravaged by injury, the Bears don't have a player to spare to make room for a non-starter who would only contribute to their special teams. Those units, led by Brendon Ayanbadejo, have been the sole bright spot of the first four weeks.

Was the signing a favor to his Pro Bowl brother? Since being with the Bears allowed him to serve his suspension and didn't cost a roster spot that doesn't seem all that far-fetched. Are the siblings going to continue with their online reality show with the now-anachronistic title Bears Brothers? That remains to be seen but a strange season for the Bears continues to confound.

Do you ever find yourself wondering what Brendon and Obafemi Ayanbadejo are like when they aren't on the field? Probably not but if the feeling should strike sometime in the future you now have an outlet to satisfy your curiosity. The brothers, each of whom play for the Chicago Bears, are the stars of their very own reality series, creatively named Bears Brothers, which is available on the web.

The show isn't without its merits. There's a trip to the barbershop with several other current and former Bears that illustrates the battering NFL players take for their paychecks. Wideout Rashied Davis shows off several fingers mangled by catching balls which proves Rex Grossman throws hard if not accurate passes. Former Bear Bryan Copeland shows what happens when you tear your quad. It rolls up into a grotesque ball on the upper part of your leg so if that's your sort of thing take a look.

That barbershop scene also features Obafemi discussing his release from the Cardinals, he felt they were shady in their dealings with him, but doesn't touch on why they released him. He tested positive for taking a banned substance before getting cut and the Bears signed him, probably as a favor to his Pro Bowl brother, before he got suspended for four games. That's surprising since he did an admirable job of owning up to his mistake when the suspension was handed down and its a far more interesting topic of conversation than what happened to a missing tube of Chapstick.

Otherwise it's a pretty typical reality show, which is to say not something that I'd spend a lot of time watching.

There will be a ton of cuts across the league tomorrow as teams begin to trim their rosters. The Arizona Cardinals will be no different and there are a few men that appear to be on their chopping block. Darren Urban of the East Valley Tribune speculates that fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo, guard Milford Brown and nose tackle Kendrick Clancy could be among those released.

Ayanbadejo shouldn't come has much of a surprise but Clancy sure does. He was a "prized acquisition" last year after a career season in New York but injuries limited him to only 11 games. While he is still listed as the first string nose tackle, the recent addition of Alan Branch (Draft) and the sudden motivation shown by Gabe Watson certainly threaten his job security. I suppose his release would be a smart move from a salary cap standpoint, but that shows a lot of trust in two unproven youngsters.

The potential release of Milford Brown would also be for salary cap reasons. He's expected to make $2.35 million this season despite being reduced to a reserve role. That seems awfully expensive for a back-up and you can almost guarantee that he will no longer be with Arizona by tomorrow evening.

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