I was not.

To me, this season was completely thrown away by the Bears front office, and it exposed the problems that GM Jerry Angelo continues to ignore. Angelo has something very special in Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, yet he continues to waste their talent by not supplying other offensive weapons around them.

Who does Cutler have to throw to? I am not content with the Bears’ number one receiver being Earl Bennett, or Devin Hester, or Roy Williams, and neither should Angelo; yet there hasn’t been any shred of news about the Bears seriously pursuing a proven receiver. 

A good enough, but not dominant defense plus two great players on offense is not going to lead to a Super Bowl.

Say what you want to about Cutler, but the kid goes out game after game and fights for a win and gets killed on the field doing it. This season he made the offense look as good as I’ve ever seen them, leading the team to a five game win streak, a 7-3 record, and a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

You can’t bring in a BMW but then give it four flat tires, yet that’s exactly what Angelo and company did, and it showed once Cutler and Forte went down.  The lack of planning and complete lack of trying to build players behind the starters showed in the last five games and would usually get a head coach or GM fired, but I doubt Lovie or Angelo are going anywhere.

Fans now have to sit back and hope the Bears front office begins to address the very clear needs of the team. It’s time to stop ignoring them.

The Bears’ faults last season were very obvious and plain to see. The numbers don’t lie. The Bears were ranked 21st in points per game, 30th in yards per game, 28th in passing yards per game, and 22nd in rushing yards per game.

Add the fact that Jay Cutler, for the most part, was running away from defenders, looking like a chicken with his head cut off because his offensive line seemed to forget their job every single snap, and you can see why the offensive numbers are so bad.

The offensive line also couldn’t open any holes for Matt Forte to run through, limiting the effectiveness of the ground game.

On the defensive side the same story was being played out over and over again. No one doubts the potential of the Bears defense. They are phenomenal in the defensive line and linebacker positions, ranking second in the league in rushing yards allowed last season. But once again, the pass defense performed below average, ranking 20th in the league, allowing an average of 224.2 passing yards per game.

So has Jerry Angelo or anyone in the Bears management done anything to solve the obvious problems that plagued the Bears last season?

I don’t see it. In fact, I see a far worse Bears team compared to last season. One word can sum up the Bears free agency moves (or lack thereof): confusion.

It wasn’t until Friday that the Bears made a splash and reportedly will sign former Cowboys wide receiver, Roy Williams. Williams’ only season in which he garnered over 1,000 receiving yards was in 2006 with the Detroit Lions. That also was the only season Williams played all 16 regular season games, so staying healthy could be a problem; but it’s nice to see the Bears going after a semi-proven receiver instead of believing that Devin Hester is going to the number one receiver they want him to be.

But that single signing still doesn’t make up for the fact that the offensive line is practically the same players. What fans wanted was a signing of a proven offensive lineman to at least give us some security in that unit, but it seems Angelo and management  are content with developing the players they have now, which worries me a little even though there was some sign of improvement late last season.

But the potential loss of Olin Kreutz at center could really harm the offensive unit. Kreutz isn’t as good as he once was, but there’s no denying the presence and experience he brings to the field and to the offensive unit every game. Losing him would only hurt the Bears and make this free agency experience much worse.

And then there’s Greg Olsen. Olsen was a first round draft pick in the 2007 draft. Immediately, Olsen began producing for the Bears. In four seasons Olsen had 1,952 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. His best season came in 2009 when Cutler first joined the team. Olsen led the team in receptions (60) and touchdowns (8).

And then Mike Martz came into town. Martz’s system is known not to favor offensive tight ends, and so Olsen’s numbers dropped significantly; not because he played worse, but because he didn’t get the attention in Martz’s system compared to Ron Turner’s. Still, Olsen played a huge part in the Bears winning their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, catching three passes for 113 yards and one touchdown.

Fans loved Olsen and for good reason. He is an offensive threat on the field but he can also be a blocking tight end as well. He’s not perfect, but he’s the best draft steal the Bears have had recently, behind only Forte.

So to trade him to the Carolina Panthers for a third round pick not only seems completely stupid but also insulting.

Do I understand that his abilities aren’t going to be maxed in Martz’s system? Yes, but that doesn’t mean you get rid of a great talent. You could always find a way to fit him in the offensive gameplan. But if you must trade him away, AT LEAST get something for him. I can say with 99.9% certainty that a third round pick will not be half as good or productive as Olsen was.

Angelo is right there with Jim Hendry of the Chicago Cubs in general managers who get lucky with some good signings but know how to completely screw everything up.

The season is still young, but I can’t help feeling a little pessimistic towards this new Bears season. Could things change for the better? Sure, but knowing Angelo’s very conservative stance, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

I was not expecting to hear anything about Jerry Angelo.

I presumed he was still on vacation until September 1st, until football commanded his attention. The GM for the Bears was one of the most despised in the city, where falling on ill favor is not that easy. Fans, while loyal and passionate, are usually comfortable here. It is hard to find a terrible rant about a sports figure in Chicago. Jerry Angelo, however, was on the verge of finding Windy City protesters at his house.

The Bears’ 2008 season proved nothing, except that the Bears had a franchise that desperately needed help. Questions popped up everywhere and it seemed that we would have to wait for the draft to have any of those questions answered.

The I hear on 670 the Score immediately upon getting into my car, “The Sun-Times website is reporting that the Bears got Jay Cutler.” Terry Boers stays on the mic reporting the story, while Dan Bernstein clearly pushed the rolly chair back from the mic and said, “Good GOD!” You would think that a stripper walked into the studio with a huge cardboard check, with his name on it.

The news about Cutler coming to the Bears was shocking, an amazing franchise move, something warranting exaltations.

But I paused.

I paused because of my not-so-emotional connection to the Bears. I am a transplant, and while I love the team and the city, my mind immediately began to dissect the pick, the pros and cons. Here’s what I got:

PROS

1. Jerry Angelo is alive and cares about his job. In fact, he has an eye for football talent; in fact, he actually seems to understand the amazing loyalty of Chicago’s fans and will try to reward that by performing the duties of a competitive GM.

All kidding aside, this was huge for Angelo.

On ESPN radio The Afternoon Saloon declared April 2 “Jerry Angelo Day”. The GM has never been a fan favorite but won over hearts by making a decision that will help the franchise in the long term.

2. Jay Cutler. Dude is All-Pro. He’s up and coming at 25 and has proven his competitive edge in the AFC West with a team that struggled last year with injuries and a brutal defense. Finally a quarterback will actually hold the football for the Bears whose major value is not the jokes you can throw around about his neck beard or errant passes.

3. The fans get a shot of life at long last. Bears fans weren’t thrilled about the future of the franchise at the end of last season. The McCaskeys couldn’t hide behind the accidental NFC championship in 2005 and Brian Urlacher. Moves needed to be made, so they were.

CONS

1. When I think of Cutler, I think of the highlight reel of him hitting Brandon Stokely in the slot, Eddie Royal deep, and Brandon Marshall in the end zone. Then I thought about Rashied Davis tripping on poorly run routes, Devin Hester apologizing to Lovie on the sideline cause he can’t run anything but a streak, and Greg Olsen dropping balls.

Who the hell does Cutler throw the ball to?

Yes, Brandon Lloyd showed some talent last year and barring injury maybe he’ll do it again. Of course you hope that Hester and Olsen improve with a talented QB placing the ball or else they’re just more dead weight waving around their two handed “U” on MNF. I understand that things will have to build around him but with a great running game you hope that Cutler doesn’t waste that deadly arm on pitching the ball to Matt Forte 35 times a game.

2. The cost was monumental. It is a fact that the Bears have a terrible history with first round picks but you must understand the value of those picks for two years is humongous. You can kiss that chance at grabbing Jeremy Maclin or some other first round caliber receiver you desperately need (I won’t even consider Crabtree or Harvin, because that’s just unreasonable…)

Forget replacing the aging and injured line. Last year’s 1st rounder, the OT Chris Williams went down with a flimsy back before he even saw the inside of Soldier Field and now you got to look to the later rounds to find that kind of talent again. I’m sure it’s out there, but the Broncos certainly now have a monopoly on it.

3. The buildup could hurt. Let’s remember, Cutler had one All-Pro year. Yes, he is talented. Yes, he can play. Is he Jesus? Well, if you’re going on looks alone Kyle Orton was just as close to this team’s personal Jesus. The reality is, we know nothing yet and if it proves to be a whole lot of not-that-great then this city will have blue balls for the next decade.

4. IF JAY CUTLER IS INJURED OR HIS DIABETES ACTS UP, REX GROSSMAN IS REQUIRED TO PLAY QUARTERBACK, DUE TO THE LOSS OF KYLE ORTON. REXTASY REMAINS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE FOOTBALL, FOLKS.

Are we excited? Damn right we are.

Football season has new blood in this city. Enough blood that I might start inviting people over to watch the games again because it’s worth getting excited about. Unfortunately, Jay Cutler hasn’t even been fitted for his jersey, and has a lot riding on him.

It was a great day in Chicago. For a city that has never had a quality QB, at least not a consistent one, loyalty was rewarded and fans are thrilled. Well done, Mr. Angelo. Perhaps if the Bears go 11-5 this year and win the division with Cutler, April 2nd 2010 will be Jerry Angelo Day. We’ll have to wait and find out, though, and now fans are happy to wait.