Offensive line still big question
The questions about the offensive line's ability to protect the quarterback still haven't been answered as the Bears begin preparation for the regular-season opener next Sunday.
Jay Cutler was sacked five times, while playing just the first half against the Raiders in Game Two. The following week he was dropped four times in 21/2 quarters against the Cardinals, and in the last preseason game, backup Todd Collins, playing the first half with the first team, was sacked just once.
Improvement? Maybe. But the spotlight will continue to focus on that group, which figures to have new starters at four of the five positions compared to opening day 2009. A year ago left tackle Chris Williams was at right tackle and left guard Roberto Garza was at right guard. Right tackle Frank Omiyale was at left guard and right guard Lance Louis was on the bench. The only constant is center Olin Kreutz. The shuffled line hasn't jelled yet, but it must soon. That group is the key to the offense.
"Offensive linemen are at a premium," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo conceded. "But it's not that you have to have five all-stars. You have to have five guys who are god enough to play well together. That's the key to good offensive line play. The continuity of having those same five play together is critical. That's what we need to do."
Final cuts begin: Al Afalava's rollercoaster ride with the Bears ended with his release on Friday.
After being drafted in the sixth round last year out of Oregon State, Afalava was a training camp sensation who, as a rookie, played his way into the starting lineup on opening day at strong safety. He started 13 games and was seventh on the team with 70 tackles but fell out of favor late in the season and was not impressive during this year's training camp or preseason.
Linebacker Tim Shaw, who set a Bears record with 30 special-teams tackles was also released. Two other linebackers, Kevin Malast and Kelvin Smith were let go, along with wide receiver Freddie Barnes, a graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School. Rounding out the day's 10 cuts were tight end Richard Angulo, cornerbacks Cornelius Brown and Woodney Turenne, safety Quentin Scott and center Tim Walter.
The Bears roster stands at 65, leaving 12 more cuts to be made by 5 p.m. today, when all NFL rosters must be trimmed to 53.
Looking ahead: Just before the Bears capped off a winless preseason Thursday night with a 13-10 loss to the Browns, general manager Jerry Angelo weighed in on the relevance of the exhibition slate.
"I've seen teams go 0-4 and have great seasons, and I've seen teams go 4-0 and have bad seasons," Angelo said. "So let's not overrate it. It's important, yes, but the season is when you get the real identity of your team, and we feel good about that, and we'll just see when we play Detroit."