FanHouse Chicago Bears

If the NFL's owners and players can't negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement by March, then 2010 season will be played without a salary cap. This is not a desirable eventuality for either side, though there are certainly some individuals on each side who might have reason to think it is. Bears tight end Desmond Clark, who apparently has his own internet radio show, recently outlined the reason he thinks it'd be a bad idea.

Clark's comments (excerpt after the jump) raise an interesting issue, but it's not one the players' union can be very happy about him raising. Because by raising it, Clark is playing right into the hands of the NFL and its owners as they attempt to employ a divide-and-conquer strategy against the players in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

After Jay Cutler was traded to the Bears because he wouldn't cooperate with the Broncos, some in the NFL community -- notably former Bears head coach Mike Ditka -- suggested that Cutler's attitude in Denver showed he wasn't a good leader.

But one of Cutler's new receivers, Devin Hester, begs to differ.

There appears to be some communication problems coming out of Denver.

First, owner Pat Bowlen tells wide receiver Brandon Marshall that he will trade him, according to Marshall's agent, Kennard McGurire. Now, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said he expects to see Marshall in training camp, according to the Denver Post.

What a mess.

It was only a matter of time. Jay Cutler is now the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. The Bears lack a proven No. 1 receiver. Brandon Marshall was Cutler's favorite target last season for the Denver Broncos. Marshall is unhappy about his current contract situation in Denver. Add those four sentences together and what comes out? A "rumor" about Marshall being traded to the Bears -- who do have the cap space to take on Marshall and give him a raise.

Now, let us take this all with a grain of salt at this point. The Broncos still insist Marshall is not going to be traded, and the linked discussion of Marshall-to-the-Bears was kick-started by a fan email. Still, the idea makes too much sense from the Bears' perspective to completely ignore.

"Retired" quarterback Brett Favre can't seem to escape the headlines. With all the talk about his second unretirement in as many years, it makes sense that players on potential Favre opponents would start weighing in.

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs is the latest to chip in his two cents. He's fully supportive of Favre's rumored comeback to Minnesota.

Of course, Briggs doesn't hope for a Favre comeback so he can watch Favre wing touchdown passes.

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For the second time in the past four years, the Chicago Bears are the first NFL team to agree to terms with every single one of their draft picks. Defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert -- of YouTube pool-jumping fame -- and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias have both inked four-year deals with the Monsters of the Midway, according to a Bears press release. Dollar figures were not disclosed.

The task of signing the picks was likely a bit easier on Jerry Angelo and company, considering they didn't have a first- or second-rounder. Still, there have only been 30 draft picks in all of the NFL who have signed, and the Bears have nine of those guys. That's no small feat in efficient negotiating by the front office.

In 2003, Pisa Tinoisamoa led the 12-4 St. Louis Rams in total tackles as a 22-year-old rookie. His defensive coordinator was Lovie Smith. After five seasons apart, the two will once again be working together in 2009, as the Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with the linebacker.

At first glance, due to the hulking presence of Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, you might think there's no way the Bears need a linebacker. Tinoisamoa does, however, represent an upgrade to the serviceable yet unspectacular duo of Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach at the strong side linebacker position. It will be a two-down job on many possessions, as Urlacher and Briggs never leave the field.

When the Bears acquired Jay Cutler almost two months ago, it became required for all journalists and bloggers alike to spew on and on about how awful Chicago's receiving corps is. CBS' Clark Judge still can't stop doing it, for example. The next chapter in the Bears Offseason Reporting Handbook is to try and connect every single available receiver to the Bears via free agency. Just as quickly as a name pops up, though, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo shoots it down.

The latest example in a long line is cocaine addict former Jags wideout Matt Jones. The talented yet troubled receiver caught 65 passes for 761 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season. Angelo, staying true to form, doesn't seem interested.

Rex Grossman seems nice enough. But the NFL scrap heap is littered with swell guys who couldn't keep their jobs. There are worse fates -- like being David Carr, the former first-overall pick with a ridiculous nickname, who is just passable enough to make the 53-man roster every summer, but will never see the field except for preseason and blowouts -- but it also means that Grossman's NFL days might be behind him.

At 28, he should be entering his prime. Instead, the Bears' 2003 first-round pick is sitting on his couch wondering if he'll get another chance. On the upside, Byron Leftwich and Dante Culpepper were in the same predicament a year ago. Now they're both in line for starting gigs, and Leftwich even got a Super Bowl ring as a backup last season.

In a cost-cutting measure after the NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals released cornerback Roderick Hood, despite being only a year removed from his 5-interception campaign. It doesn't appear the 27-year-old is going to have a tough time finding work for this upcoming season. In fact, he'll likely be able to land a starting job.

According to Pro Football Talk, the Rams have made a formal contract offer to Hood, but that's not where the interest ends. Next, he's off to Chicago to visit the Bears, and the Lions and Browns are also interested.