Bear Week 2: Welcome to Mel Tucker, Interim Coach

[pbmax]

Tretter is an undersized, rusty player.

He is 6' 4", 307.
Sitton is 6' 3", 318
Lang is 6' 4", 318
Taylor is 6' 3", 327

Undersized? Nah.

Rusty, unprepared, not actually a Guard? All much more possible.

[Patler]

Martellus Bennett questionable for Sunday:

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ib-injury.html

The Chicago Bears are in wait-and-see mode with Martellus Bennett.

The Bears' top tight end sustained a rib injury earlier this week in practice and is now listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Packers. Bennett has become more of a go-to target for Jay Cutler in the passing game, and not having him this Sunday would be a huge blow to the Bears' offense.

[BZnDallas]

Martellus Bennett questionable for Sunday:

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ib-injury.html

So if he does play, Dix needs to stick him in the side... Blow him up basically, or cream him when he's coming down the seam.

Do these jokes ever get old?

Can we get a poll question?

or

[Harlan Huckleby]

He is 6' 4", 307.
Sitton is 6' 3", 318
Lang is 6' 4", 318
Taylor is 6' 3", 327

Undersized? Nah.

Rusty, unprepared, not actually a Guard? All much more possible.

I was listening to an analyst in past couple days who just interviewed Tretter, maybe it was Silverstein, maybe Tauscher. Tretter's actual weight is 298, and he is not a powerful guy. He is fine at center, but lacks ideal strength or bulk at guard. This isn't my opinion, it came across the wireless.

Wait a sec, maybe this insight came from McGinn & Dunne podcast. Ya.

In pregame show two weeks ago, Larry McCarren was asked if Tretter could function at other positions. (Now we're into the grey area of my short term memory.) McCarren said Tretter is certainly best suited for center. He also thought Tretter would be better at guard than tackle.

[Patler]

225 lb. bench press results at the combine:

Tretter - 29 reps
Sherrod - 23 reps
Bakhtiari - 28 reps

Tretter weighed in slightly heavier than Bakhtiari at the combine, but obviously both have changed since then. Tretter mostly performed better than Bakhtiari in drills at the combine. The common thread in all evaluations of Tretter were that he had very good football smarts, recognized things quickly, etc.

Physically, he might be at a disadvantage, but they lived with Bakhtiari last year and I think Tretter is a similar player.

[KYPack]

I was listening to an analyst in past couple days who just interviewed Tretter, maybe it was Silverstein, maybe Tauscher. Tretter's actual weight is 298, and he is not a powerful guy. He is fine at center, but lacks ideal strength or bulk at guard. This isn't my opinion, it came across the wireless.

Wait a sec, maybe this insight came from McGinn & Dunne podcast. Ya.

In pregame show two weeks ago, Larry McCarren was asked if Tretter could function at other positions. (Now we're into the grey area of my short term memory.) McCarren said Tretter is certainly best suited for center. He also thought Tretter would be better at guard than tackle.

We are thin, Harlan.

Think the kid can play both T spots at the same time?

Or is it both guard spots?

[Guiness]

We are thin, Harlan.

Think the kid can play both T spots at the same time?

Or is it both guard spots?

I don't care, 298lbs, Tretter is NOT the one who is thin!

If one of the two guards can't go, it will be interesting to see how the OL get shuffled. Does Taylor get the start, or do they go with Tretter? Taylor is a much more stout, butRiv that didn't seem to help him much last week.

I bet Lang and Sitton are fighting like hell to get on the field. OL tend to HATE missing time, I remember Rivera was always proud to be out on the field defending Favre no matter what kind of shape he was in. I got a text last night from a friend who's son is in grade 10, kid is 6'4" and 230 or so, size 14 shoes, starting LT and team captain on the varsity team.
They're undefeated and the second round of playoffs are this week-end. We got snow this week, field was a mess and he hurt his knee in PRACTICE. He's out, maybe for the season. I bet the kid is beside himself.

[pbmax]

Tretter may not be able to perform at Guard. While I don't think his body type is the problem (even at 298), playing Guard is light years different than playing tackle, which is his other position. You have a very short space to work in and you must be quick but not overcommit. Because while that DT isn't as fast as the DE, you get unsquare to him, you are going to get blown past or knocked on your keister. Unless you are Linsley or Wells strong, its over.

Colledge, Sherrod and even Lang are tackle types who can get in a bad way at Guard at times by taking a false first step/move.

As bad as Taylor is it can get worse. But Taylor is bad enough it might be worth finding out what Tretter can do there.

[Harlan Huckleby]

We are thin, Harlan.

Think the kid can play both T spots at the same time?

Or is it both guard spots?

For damage control purposes, Tretter is a good option at any position. From what I've read, he's extremely athletic, very good at blocking linebackers. That tells me he will at least compete and stick with his man for a few seconds.

I'm saying if the Packers have to go with Tretter and "Open Lane" Taylor at guard, it could be a weakness inside.

[Harlan Huckleby]

225 lb. bench press results at the combine:

Tretter - 29 reps
Sherrod - 23 reps
Bakhtiari - 28 reps

You youngsters have no perspective, no sense of history. Reggie White was famous for his poor performance on the bench press. He was an epic bull rusher, it's about strength through the torso and hips, innate sense of leverage. T-t-t-t-t-timing - getting opponent off-balance. Did I mention more than 50 times that I was a wrestler? Hey, Reggie was a wrestler too, come to think on it - at least for one magical night.

BTW, I heard somebody on TV say that Bahktiari is the smallest LT in the NFL. He's kind of a freak.

McCarren thought Tretter could be an excellent guard if he put on some bulk.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I bet Lang and Sitton are fighting like hell to get on the field.

They'll both play. Fat Mike is just giving us something to talk about.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Can Fat Mike play G or T?

[pbmax]

You youngsters have no perspective, no sense of history. Reggie White was famous for his poor performance on the bench press. He was an epic bull rusher, it's about strength through the torso and hips, innate sense of leverage. T-t-t-t-t-timing - getting opponent off-balance. Did I mention more than 50 times that I was a wrestler? Hey, Reggie was a wrestler too, come to think on it - at least for one magical night.

BTW, I heard somebody on TV say that Bahktiari is the smallest LT in the NFL. He's kind of a freak.

McCarren thought Tretter could be an excellent guard if he put on some bulk.

Reggie White held the Eagles team record for the bench press for several years.

[Maxie the Taxi]

One of you guys is making things up. My guess is Harlan.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Actually he made have good endurance in bench press. What I am remembering is that he could not lift much weight.

http://www.answers.com/Q/How_much_could_Reggie_White_bench_press

"Some players who knew him said in the mid 400's His natural strength and heart made up for what he lacked in the weight room."

I'm remembering many stories about Reggie White was not strong in the weight room.