http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3655 Recent articles about Charles Tillman en-us Do you think the Chicago Bears will trade Ricky Manning Jr? Yes, it sure seems like he is the odd man out. Ricky Manning Jr. signed with the Chicago Bears in 2006, he set a career high, and he tied for the team lead and tied for 10th in the NFL with five INTs In the postseason he had a big INT against the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoff. Became first Bears defensive back since Jerry Azumah (12/30/01) to record 2 sacks in one game (12/17/06 vs. TB Bucs). Last season, Ricky Manning Jr. played in every regular season game, but failed to record an interception. He was the starting nickel back for the whole season. The Chicago Bears are looking to use former first round pick Danieal Manning at nickelback because of the emergence of Brandon McGowan and Mike Brown coming back. Besides the obvious starters Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher, the Bears have two second year pros in Corey Graham and Trumaine McBride. Don't forget this years fifth round pick Zackary Bowman. If they do move Ricky Manning Jr, it might work out like Chris Harris in last years training camp. Chris Harris started 15 games with the Panthers last season, recorded one INT and eight forced fumbles. All the Chicago Bears got in that trade was a fifth round pick. I still am upset at that trade. So, if they move Ricky Manning Jr. it could turn out the same as Chris Harris's last year in training camp. It never hurts to have to many bodies and we all the know the Chicago Bears get alot of injuries. It looks Ricky Manning Jr. who is signed through 2010, might get sent packing sooner than later. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:51:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292706 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292706 I believe when Charles "Peanut" Tillman and Nathan Vasher are healthy, there's not a better cornerback tandem in the NFL. They are simply the best Their ability to create turnovers is the main reason i chose them. In 2005, Nathan Vasher had 8 Int's and Charles Tillman had 5 Int's tied for the NFC lead with 13 combined interceptions with Carolina's Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas. I think losing Vasher last season was a big loss to the defense, because the games he did play in he made a huge impact. Also, Charles Tillman seems to try hard every single down. Since Vasher and Tillman have played together, which began in 2004. they have combined for 30 int's. WOW! Those are amazing stats. I believe that Tillman is very underrated because of all the other great players on that defense. The only other top cornerback tandems that are almost as good as Tillman and Vasher are: Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer of the San Diego Chargers, Champ Bailey and Dre Bly of the Denver Broncos, and Al Harris and Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers. You could even throw in new Eagle Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown as a good cornerback tandem. In the end, if both stay healthy they are the best corneback tandem in the league and I hope to see that next season when they get on the field. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:38:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292606 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292606 This is another part of our best of players with dreads series. Enjoy! 1.Bob Sanders Colts 2.Atari Bigby Packers 3. Al Harris Packers 4.Brandon Meriweather Patriots 5.Rashean Mathis Jaguars 6.Asante Samuel Eagles 7. Reggie Nelson Jaguars 8. Mike Mckenzie Saints 9.Greg Wesley Chiefs 10.Michael Griffin Titans 11.Usama Young Saints 12.Jack Williams Broncos 13.Terry Cousin Bears 14.Dunta Robinson Texans 15.Marcus Trufant Seahawks 16.Cedric Griffin Vikings 17.Adam Jones (when he had them) Cowboys 18.Leigh Bodden Lions 19.Chris Houston Falcons 20.Charles Tillman Bears Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:01:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282121 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282121 The Chicago Bears accounced this morning that they have given defensive tackle Tommie Harris a 4-year extension.  Although the organization declined to comment on the amount of the contract, the deal is speculated to be worth about $40 million with $18 million guaranteed.  The deal would make Harris the highest paid defensive tackle in franchise history and in league history.  Harris is considered one of the most dominant young defensive tackles in the game and in the last year of his rookie contract.  If allowed on the free agent market, he would have landed a huge deal in a new city.  With that type of leverage the Bears didn't have much of a choice other than to award him with their biggest contract ever.  The Bears will probably have to do the same in the coming weeks as they try to sign an extension with already legendary returner Devin Hester.  The deal also allows Harris to still test the free agent market when he will have a high demand.  When this extension runs out he will still be 29 years old and may command a contract even more lucrative than the one he just signed.  Harris has already been to 3 straight Pro Bowls in his 4 years in the league and has established himself as a force in the middle of the field.  Offensive lines usually have to devote a double team to Harris, leaving linebackers free to roam the field, a key to success for Brian Urlacher.  Harris has also had some issues with injuries but always bounces back at full strength or is willing to play injured to help his team.  In the week 3 matchup last year against the Cowboys, Harris injured his knee and opted to play out the remainder of the season on a bad knee rather than take time off.  The move also ensures the Bears have a strong core on their defense that will be around for at least the next few years.  Tommie Harris joins Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher, and Alex Brown in the list of long-term players.  For more NFL news please visit:  FanSided Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:57:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280410 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280410 With Training Camp fast approaching I wanted to put the spotlight on the Bears that will have to step up or prove themselves in their respective position. QB:  Rex Grossman This one goes without saying.  The Bears brought him back with a 1-year deal to try to once-and-for-all slay his demons and show that he can compete in the NFL consistently and not just show flashes of greatness followed by a game-ending interception. RB:  Matt Forte Isn't this what every rookie dreams of when they are drafted?  The starting spot has basically been handed to Forte, now he has to step it up and show that he deserves it.  Coaches have been raving about his skills during OTA's but things are different with the pads on.  The organization is holding its breath for the first few weeks of training camp to see how the youngster runs routes when he's being chased down by Urlacher and Co. in full contact drills.  If things don't turn out well, the Bears may become big players on the running back market. WR:  Brandon Lloyd There is a lot of attention being paid to Devin Hester but all Hester really needs is the ball in his hands and he can create his own plays.  It appears the real score for the Bears on the free agent market was landing Lloyd out of Washington.  Word from the Bears is he looks great in drills so far this summer and he appears to be distancing himself from the pack as the number 1 receiver.  If he has a strong training camp Lloyd may be able to resurrect his career as a top wide out. TE:  Greg Olsen Olsen has put together some flashy plays and has an incredible ability to go up and get after the ball.  Bears quarterbacks need to look to him more often and hopefully will rely on him now that he has more experience.  The Bears resigned Desmond Clark so Olsen will platoon for playing time.  Both players are known for their good hands and ability to spread the field, but Olsen has blazing speed and incredible height to go along with it.  Olsen has done everything right so far, he just needs to get more familiar with his quarterbacks and make sure they don't forget to look for him. OT:  Chris Williams Ok rook, time to show us what you got.  Chicago is not known for their great first round draft picks so Williams will have a lot of pressure on him to perform and perform well.  Reporters and fans will be on his every step to see if maybe, just maybe, a first round draft pick will come through.  He'll have a lot of veteran mentors on the line and hopefully he'll be up to the task. OG: Terrence Metcalf Entering into his seventh season in the league he has seen some short stints as a starter but the team has never had full faith in him.  Now that Rueben Brown has departed, the job is his to lose.  He will have to show coaches that he is ready to be a part of the offensive line and hold his own.  Given his contribution in the past I think he's ready to be in the spotlight full time.  C:  Olin Kreutz Kreutz has long been considered the cog holding the Bears offensive line together and their undeniable leader.  However, last year there was a sudden drop off in his productivity and he didn't look like his normal self.  As a result the entire offensive line looked unprepared and confused all season.  The success of the O-line starts and ends with Kreutz.  He needs to get back into his old form if this offense is going to have a chance to move the ball. DE:  Mark Anderson After a flashy rookie season, Anderson was given the opportunity to start at end over veteran Alex Brown and he folded under the pressure.  His inability to handle the run distracted him from focusing his energy on being a great pass rusher.  The Bears decided to resign Brown to a longer deal and put him back on the starting line for his experience to contain running backs.  Anderson will return to his 3rd down role as a pass rushing threat on the edge.  If Anderson can't find his rookie spark, he may find himself replacable down the line. DT:  Matt Toeaina I had a hard time with this one because the real attention will be paid to Israel Idonije, who has put his time in as a special teamer and is trying to win a job as starting DT.  However, I'll be particularly interested in watching the development of Toeaina.  When the Bears were thin at the position towards the end of last season, they signed Toeaina and he burst into the backfield making plays against the Minnesota Vikings on Adrian Peterson.  Any kid that can shed a block and chase down Peterson in the backfield is someone I want to keep an eye on.  It may have been a fluke burst of adrenaline so he could make the team, but if not……you never know. LB:  Brian Urlacher Urlacher may be the face of the defense but he also is admittedly playing with an arthritic lower back and coming off surgery on his neck this offseason.  Eyes will be on Urlacher the first time he participates in contract drills to see how that back neck and back are going to hold up.  It appears the neck is healed, but he will likely have to play the rest of his career dealing with an aching lower back. CB:  Nathan Vasher There is a reason why they call him "The Interceptor."  Vasher was injured most of last season and you could see how his absense had an effect on the team.  When he returned to play a couple games the defense had a different swagger and more confidence in their play.  Vasher also turned up with an interception.  He's got a nose for the ball and when healthy and paired up with Charles Tillman, they can shut down opposing receivers.  He needs to be healthy and get back to form for this defense to return to dominance. S:  Mike Brown If you have never seen Mike Brown play I cannot even begin to describe him to you.  He is to the Bears what Mark Prior was to the Chicago Cubs.  He is not only Pro Bowl caliber, he is possibly a Hall Of Fame caliber player that has been sidelined by injuries his entire career.  When he is on the field the Bears defense looks almost unstoppable.  He will stop the run(101 tackles his rookie year), cover wide receivers, and has a knack for coming up with interceptions(14) and returning them for touchdowns (He is the franchise leader with 7 defensive TD's).  He is the total package.  When he plays the Tampa Cover-2 defense is running at it's best and will give an opposing quarterback nightmares.  Last season he played in only one game and had to be taken off the field with an injury.  After the game he broke down in tears in frustration over his career.  He wasn't sure if he would return but he agreed with the Bears to give it one more shot.  Every Bear fan and player prays that Brown can stay healthy and make a huge difference on this defense.   Oh, and please be sure to visit our new Fan-Sided Main Page!:  FanSided Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:11:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279702 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279702 Remember way back when? The Bears were in the Super Bowl and their elite defense carried them there. It seems almost as long ago as the Cubs' last World Series win. Fortunately for us, it wasn't 1908 — it was 2006. Safety Chris Harris and any defensive tackle that bothered to line up next to Tommie Harris (Boonie, Ian Scott, Tank) are the most notable defensive absentees from our Super Bowl run. Sure, you could throw Todd Johnson and Cameron Worrell in for giggles, but the last three drafts and free agent signings have produced enough quality special teams players to keep that unit among the league's best for years to come. Barring injury, the Bears will have the best defense in the National Football League in 2008. Notice, I didn't say, "among the best" or "top 10". I'm talking about the absolute, hands-down, top defense in the entire mother-effin' NFL. On a side note, I apologize if the point was, in any way, diluted by use of the word "effin'." Left End Dan Bazuin has fully-recovered from the knee injury that kept him out of play in 2007. He is the type of high-motor, try-hard player that the Bears like. Draft pick Ervin Baldwin has drawn comparisons to Mark Anderson for his pass-rushing ability. Wale Ogunleye starts. Back-ups: Dan Bazuin, Ervin Baldwin. Right End Last year, Mark Anderson was given the starting job but a sprained knee put him on injured reserve as the regular season came to an end. Alex Brown was impressive in all the opportunities he received in the Bears' regular-rotation scheme. The Bears rewarded him with a new contract through 2011. Regardless of who starts, both men will see plenty of playing time. Brown starts. Back-up: Anderson. Tackle Tommie Harris is about to be uber-rich, son. The perennial Pro Bowler will be a mainstay in Chicago and if he can walk, he will start. Dusty Dvoracek has played in one of the 32 games since he's been a Chicago Bear. Now, my math ain't too good but dat must be somethin' like 3 %. The good news is he's healthy now. Izzy Idonije has made the permanent switch to tackle and third-rounder Marcus Harrison could make an immediate impact. Anthony Adams and Matt "Catch a tiger by its" Toeaina played relatively well last season. Harris and Harrison start. Back-ups: Dusty, Toeaina, Izzy and Adams. Weak-side Linebacker The biggest surprise of the offseason had to be the re-signing of Lance Briggs. I had emotionally detached myself from him in preparation for his departure. Had he gone, I might have crashed my 1997 Geo Prizm into a pole and left the scene. Luckily, no other team was biting and now Briggs is all ours once again. Jamar Williams played admirably in Briggs' absence last year. Briggs starts. Back-up: Williams and Okwo. Middle Linebacker Is he or isn't he hurt? This will be the big question about Urlacher's health going into the season. He underwent "minor" neck surgery and battled an arthritic back but says he's fine. I believe him, I think. Either way, he's the man. Urlacher starts. Back-up: I don't even know. Strong-side Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer has been solid, if not somewhat spectacular, over the course of the last few years. He's often lost in the shuffle with Briggs and Urlacher receiving the glory, but Hillenmeyer does a great job in doing what he's asked; taking on blocks, shedding blocks and redirecting the play to his more celebrated counterparts. Hillenmeyer starts. Back-ups: Williams and Okwo. Cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. has less of a chance than the poor chap he pummeled in the Denny's parking lot of making it to the regular season. If his sub-par performance last year wasn't enough, the emergence of Trumaine McBride and drafting of Zack Bowman should be reason enough to say "don't let the door hit you in your ass on the way out." Corey Graham impressed enough as a special-teamer last year to stick. Peanut Tillman and Nate Vasher start. Back-up: McBride, Bowman and Graham. Free Safety If Mike Brown stays healthy he will (fill in the blank). Reasonable options that cross my mind include: have a Pro Bowl season, be all over the field, decimate receivers coming through the middle and my personal favorite; carry the Bears to the Super Bowl. Mike Brown starts. Back-up: Danieal Manning. Strong Safety I love Craig Steltz and we will be a much better team because of him. Will he start right away? He could. But he'll have to beat out Kevin Payne first. Payne played well in limited time and can contribute as a special-teamer, too. It's a coin toss but I gotta go with my gut. Steltz starts. Back-ups: Payne and Brandon McGowan. Gosh, did you really just sit through all of this bull? You deserve some kind of prize. Really, you do. Tell you what: I'm going to promise that "Blog Down, Chicago Bears" will continue to offer you the mother-effin' (second reference) best in Chicago Bears rumors, news, analysis and opinion as long as you leave a comment or two. Special Teams up next. Nah, fuck it: Gould, Maynard and Hester start. Sun, 11 May 2008 17:40:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265792 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265792 The Chicago Bears were in a must-win situation and found a way to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-20. Mon, 08 Oct 2007 04:08:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/30179 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/30179 Recap of the week four matchup between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Who's better? Rex Grossman or Brian Griese? Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:12:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29115 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29115 The Chicago Bears had an abundance of defensive starters on this week's injury report, and this morning got both good and bad news as some will play, and some will not. Among the players that are inactive for today's game are Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman. With this, they got a little good news as Tommie Harris will play along with offensive linemen Ruben Brown and Fred Miller. Some other good news for the Bears is that while both of the Bears corners are out, the Lions will be without rookie WR Calvin Johnson. Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:02:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29066 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29066 Recap of the Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:03:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28298 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28298 Week 3 matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 05:06:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28012 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/28012 The defensive back position in Individual Defensive Player (IDP) fantasy football leagues is about as unpredictable as they come. Since DBs usually don't rack up many tackles, points scored rely heavily upon turnovers- interceptions to be more specific. Compounding the problem with DBs is the fact that quarterbacks often avoid throwing risky passes when they know a quality DB is lurking in the area. So unless you are able to land a top DB like Champ Bailey or Adrian Wilson, your best bet is to go with a DB that accumulates plenty of tackles. Often times it is the defensive scheme that allows DBs to get tackles or a weak linebacking corps so it important to keep surfing the waiver wire to see who will emerge as a solid fantasy DB ala Antoine Winfield. Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:13:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23861 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23861 In-Depth article featuring the Chicago Bears Defense for the upcoming 2007 season. Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:00:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22616 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/22616 At the Super Bowl, one of the most interesting phenomenon was the sheer number of people wearing jerseys. At any sporting event, the percentage of people wearing jerseys is higher than in normal life...football being the highest from my informal survey. But when a big game hits, the percentage shoots up. Well, at the Super Bowl, I think the percentage was around 75%. And after starring into the sea of jerseys for several hours, I came up with a few rules for correct jersey wearing by fans...I'll admit I stole one from a magazine, but I'll cope to that. Wed, 14 Feb 2007 20:15:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/10035 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/10035 The Colts have the best passing attack in football. But the Bears' pass defense is also elite, and it better win this match-up if the Bears plan to compete with Indianapolis on Sunday. Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:13:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/9211 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/9211