Bears sign C Chris Spencer to 2 year deal

red222 · Post #1 » by **red222** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:09 pm

So Seattle C Chris Spencer tells my boy that he might be a Bear soon. We'll soon see...
http://twitter.com/#!/mikecwright

BIGGIEsmalls 23 · Post #2 » by **BIGGIEsmalls 23** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:34 pm

ESPNChiBears Dickerson and Wright
No doubt Angelo will explain Olin Kreutz decision. JD
21 minutes ago

ESPNChiBears Dickerson and Wright
Jerry Angelo will address media at 5:30 pm CT. JD

http://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=ESPNChiBears

red222 · Post #3 » by **red222** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:37 pm

Bears agree to terms with Chris Spencer on 2-yr deal.
https://twitter.com/#!/BradBiggs

BIGGIEsmalls 23 · Post #4 » by **BIGGIEsmalls 23** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:40 pm

The Bears saw what us fans saw.....Olin no longer had the physical tools to perform. They felt loyal to him just like us fans did, but it's time to move on.

Chewie · Post #5 » by **Chewie** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:54 pm

Wow. Spencer is going to immediately walk into the locker room as "Olin Kreutz's replacement". Kreutz was a big locker room guy and leader and it's unfair to Spencer but it is what it is. Spencer has had injury issues aplenty between shoulder and thumb surgeries along with a herniated disk. Let's see what Tice can do with him.

Totally agree with Kreutz's skills have deteriorated but I would've preferred better than Spencer. If we didn't want Olin, why did we even make him an offer?

Post #6 » by **emperorjones** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:34 pm

Kruetz had nothing left. Spencer is an upgrade at Center that can move to guard for us next year if the staff decides we need to draft or sign a Center for the future next year. This is an upgrade. Why make an offer to Kruetz? Because they felt he had value, but not as much as he did or Beats fans.

I for one am very happy with this move and all the moves thus far except for letting Manning go.

BIGGIEsmalls 23 · Post #7 » by **BIGGIEsmalls 23** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:34 pm

emperorjones wrote:Kruetz had nothing left. Spencer is an upgrade at Center that can move to guard for us next year if the staff decides we need to draft or sign a Center for the future next year. This is an upgrade. Why make an offer to Kruetz? Because they felt he had value, but not as much as he did or Beats fans.

I for one am very happy with this move and all the moves thus far except for letting Manning go.

I definitely agree.

Post #8 » by **Nolan** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 2:14 am

emperorjones wrote:Kruetz had nothing left. Spencer is an upgrade at Center that can move to guard for us next year if the staff decides we need to draft or sign a Center for the future next year. This is an upgrade. Why make an offer to Kruetz? Because they felt he had value, but not as much as he did or Beats fans.

I for one am very happy with this move and all the moves thus far except for letting Manning go.

Totally agree. I like Spencer, Barber, Williams and Okoye, they all address our needs.

red222 · Post #9 » by **red222** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 4:57 am

BREAKING: Chris Spencer signed a two-year deal with the #Bears worth $6 million, not including incentives, according to a league source.
http://twitter.com/#!/skjensen/status/97883585004056576

kyrv · Post #10 » by **kyrv** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 6:43 pm

Chewie wrote:Wow. Spencer is going to immediately walk into the locker room as "Olin Kreutz's replacement". Kreutz was a big locker room guy and leader and it's unfair to Spencer but it is what it is. Spencer has had injury issues aplenty between shoulder and thumb surgeries along with a herniated disk. Let's see what Tice can do with him.

Totally agree with Kreutz's skills have deteriorated but I would've preferred better than Spencer. If we didn't want Olin, why did we even make him an offer?

Seems the Bears put loyalty first, they were willing to greatly overpay Olin for a final year and then retire nicely as a Bear. I can't imagine they would have thought he would turn down 4 million dollars.

So maybe the right football move for the wrong reasons :lol:

and also bad timing with the short training camp but everyone has a short camp and many teams have new coaches, so you do what you have to do I guess.

I think the Bears players will have a good whine and cry for a few days and by the time the first exhibition game comes they'll be fine.

Many Bears on the team have never played with Olin.

Many Bears on the team have only played with Olin for a year or two.

The NFL is a transient league, the tearful players will get over it soon, again after some gnashing of teeth.

LoveDaBoo · Post #11 » by **LoveDaBoo** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 8:17 pm

For < $4M, Olin is a glue guy. Any more than that, and he's a glue-factory guy.

Chewie · Post #12 » by **Chewie** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 8:25 pm

kyrv wrote:
Chewie wrote:Wow. Spencer is going to immediately walk into the locker room as "Olin Kreutz's replacement". Kreutz was a big locker room guy and leader and it's unfair to Spencer but it is what it is. Spencer has had injury issues aplenty between shoulder and thumb surgeries along with a herniated disk. Let's see what Tice can do with him.

Totally agree with Kreutz's skills have deteriorated but I would've preferred better than Spencer. If we didn't want Olin, why did we even make him an offer?

Seems the Bears put loyalty first, they were willing to greatly overpay Olin for a final year and then retire nicely as a Bear. I can't imagine they would have thought he would turn down 4 million dollars.

So maybe the right football move for the wrong reasons and also bad timing with the short training camp but everyone has a short camp and many teams have new coaches, so you do what you have to do I guess.

I think the Bears players will have a good whine and cry for a few days and by the time the first exhibition game comes they'll be fine.

Many Bears on the team have never played with Olin.

Many Bears on the team have only played with Olin for a year or two.

The NFL is a transient league, the tearful players will get over it soon, again after some gnashing of teeth.

Sure - I have no doubt the players will get over it. They really don't have a choice. But if Spencer is garbage in terms of calling the protection schemes and Cutler is getting killed and the holes aren't there for the RBs, the blame is going to start with Spencer - deserved or not.

Kreutz has taken less money in prior years to stay with the Bears so I don't consider him to be disloyal, either. Olin had his final number and the Bears had theirs. I think if the front office *truly* wanted Kreutz back, they would've met the number or at least split the difference - it's not like we have cap issues here. And if Olin *really* wanted to come back, he would've done the same. If Olin ends up retiring, we'll know the fire just wasn't there. Rarely do players get the opportunity to leave the game on their own terms.

BIGGIEsmalls 23 · Post #13 » by **BIGGIEsmalls 23** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 9:25 pm

Chewie wrote:
kyrv wrote:
Chewie wrote:Wow. Spencer is going to immediately walk into the locker room as "Olin Kreutz's replacement". Kreutz was a big locker room guy and leader and it's unfair to Spencer but it is what it is. Spencer has had injury issues aplenty between shoulder and thumb surgeries along with a herniated disk. Let's see what Tice can do with him.

Totally agree with Kreutz's skills have deteriorated but I would've preferred better than Spencer. If we didn't want Olin, why did we even make him an offer?

Seems the Bears put loyalty first, they were willing to greatly overpay Olin for a final year and then retire nicely as a Bear. I can't imagine they would have thought he would turn down 4 million dollars.

So maybe the right football move for the wrong reasons and also bad timing with the short training camp but everyone has a short camp and many teams have new coaches, so you do what you have to do I guess.

I think the Bears players will have a good whine and cry for a few days and by the time the first exhibition game comes they'll be fine.

Many Bears on the team have never played with Olin.

Many Bears on the team have only played with Olin for a year or two.

The NFL is a transient league, the tearful players will get over it soon, again after some gnashing of teeth.

Sure - I have no doubt the players will get over it. They really don't have a choice. But if Spencer is garbage in terms of calling the protection schemes and Cutler is getting killed and the holes aren't there for the RBs, the blame is going to start with Spencer - deserved or not.

Everything that I enlarged has been happening the last two seasons while Olin was our starting center.

kyrv · Post #14 » by **kyrv** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 10:20 pm

LoveDaBoo wrote:For < $4M, Olin is a glue guy. Any more than that, and he's a glue-factory guy.

I'm not sure if I'm more stunned that the Bears offered him 4 million - or that he said no.

I guess given the shorter training camp, and their loyalty, it was okay to offer it, but wow he got pulverized a lot last season, sadly.

Chewie · Post #15 » by **Chewie** » Mon Aug 1, 2011 11:59 pm

BIGGIEsmalls 23 wrote:Everything that I enlarged has been happening the last two seasons while Olin was our starting center.

I hear ya. Hopefully it doesn't get even worse.

kyrv · Post #16 » by **kyrv** » Tue Aug 2, 2011 4:29 pm

Chewie wrote:
BIGGIEsmalls 23 wrote:Everything that I enlarged has been happening the last two seasons while Olin was our starting center.

I hear ya. Hopefully it doesn't get even worse.

It could be worse, but I think it would have been worse with Olin, he's been in pretty big decline. So I wouldn't even compare Spencer to Olin last year, the fair comparison to me is Spencer to an even worse Olin.

If healthy though Spencer *should* be better than Olin was last year. Not that that is really acceptable for a team expecting to make the playoffs and keep their QB alive.

Post #17 » by **Icness** » Tue Aug 2, 2011 8:33 pm

Once upon a time Spencer was great. Then he got hurt. And hurt. And hurt. Last year he was finally durable...and not even close to the player he was at Pitt.

He is more passive than Kreutz in his blocking style, more of a reactor than an aggressor. If you want to say that's good for this offense, I'm inclined to agree because watching Kreutz try to attack Suh or Raji was like watching a 12-year old trying to block Lebron's shot. I've always respected Spencer's ability to make calls. But he simply, physically cannot exert enough base strength after his back issues. You remember how Orlando Pace just couldn't get enough strength from his shoulder after the injuries? That's Spencer with his back, though not as extreme and not as exposed because he plays inside.

Two extended stats to consider:
Seattle led all teams in % of runs that resulted in tackles for loss
Only the Bears and Titans had a higher percentage of runs by RB where the tackle was made by a DT, which is as good a judge of interior OL run blocking as anything.

In short, the Bears sacrificed leadership and cohesion for at best a minor upgrade and a few hundred thousand $$. Having said that, IMO Kreutz was part of Cutler's leadership issues (intentionally or not) and Spencer has youth on his side while Olin was done 2 years ago.