By David HaughTribune Columnist
I am a Rex guy.
I accept that.
When Rex Grossman played for the Bears, I am not sure there was a Chicago media member more supportive of Grossman. I point that out for context more than a point of pride.
I criticized Grossman after things went bad for good in 2007. But, overall, I thought Rex had more to do with the Super Bowl season than many people in town ever wanted to admit. And somewhere in an In-box, I still have the hate e-mail to prove it.
Covering Grossman from 2003-2008 in Chicago also exposed me occasionally to Dan Grossman, Rex's father, who ripped Bears management in Tuesday's Tribune. He has ripped me, ripped my colleagues, ripped his son's coaches. He's a smart, opinionated guy. He's combustible. He's also a dad.
Objectivity is one of the first casualties of fatherhood.
So nothing he told Fred Mitchell about Bears management bothered or surprised me. Strip away the emotional residue expected from the father of the most polarizing Bears player ever, and all the comments about Bears management shouldn't be dismissed.
A respectable man who knows sports, Mr. Grossman landed some blows.
Indeed the Bears have been historically unable to surround their quarterbacks - particularly Grossman and perhaps now Jay Cutler - with elite weapons. But - and this is the key point - they were not unwilling to try during Rex's time in Chicago. The Bears tried to give Grossman the proper equipment to succeed, but the parts they got for him were faulty. In the end, so was he.
Grossman was drafted in 2003 and immediately became the franchise's quarterback of the future. After Lovie Smith was hired in 2004, the team swung a shrewd deal to sign restricted free-agent tackle John Tait to anchor the offensive line. That was after they signed Thomas Jones in free agency to fit the new offensive scheme tailored around Grossman's talents.
In 2005, the Bears invested $30 million to sign wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, a veteran other teams coveted at the time. Later that offseason, they devoted a No. 1 draft pick to a running back, Cedric Benson, who was supposed to help form a playmaking triangle of Grossman-Benson-Muhammad for years to come. It was more like the Bermuda Triangle of potential.
That doesn't factor in the hope built around the potential of wide receiver Bernard Berrian, an eventual $42 million free agent who developed with Grossman's help.
The point is, it hasn't always been the Bears' philosophy that has been flawed. It has been the failure of players counted on to perform better than they ever did as a Bear.
Objectively, Rex Grossman turned out to be one of those players. There was more Bad Rex than Good Rex. But when it comes to Bears management, it has been more about bad judgment than bad intentions.
That deserves criticism.
Maybe, as Mr. Grossman pointed out, the emphasis on the passing game has been lacking. But during most of his son's time in Chicago, the Bears had a defense capable of dominance and an offensive line that helped establish a running game good enough to win the NFC in 2006.
That offensive line and defense simply stopped functioning at a high level in 2007. Neither unit really has recovered since.
That has had more to do with the struggles of Rex - and now Jay - than any flawed philosophy by Bears management.
Indeed the Bears have been historically unable to surround their quarterbacks - particularly Grossman and perhaps now Jay Cutler - with elite weapons. But - and this is the key point - they were not unwilling to try during Rex's time in Chicago. The Bears tried to give Grossman the proper equipment to succeed, but the parts they got for him were faulty. In the end, so was he.
Grossman was drafted in 2003 and immediately became the franchise's quarterback of the future. After Lovie Smith was hired in 2004, the team swung a shrewd deal to sign restricted free-agent tackle John Tait to anchor the offensive line. That was after they signed Thomas Jones in free agency to fit the new offensive scheme tailored around Grossman's talents.
In 2005, the Bears invested $30 million to sign wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, a veteran other teams coveted at the time. Later that offseason, they devoted a No. 1 draft pick to a running back, Cedric Benson, who was supposed to help form a playmaking triangle of Grossman-Benson-Muhammad for years to come. It was more like the Bermuda Triangle of potential.
That doesn't factor in the hope built around the potential of wide receiver Bernard Berrian, an eventual $42 million free agent who developed with Grossman's help.
The point is, it hasn't always been the Bears' philosophy that has been flawed. It has been the failure of players counted on to perform better than they ever did as a Bear.
Objectively, Rex Grossman turned out to be one of those players. There was more Bad Rex than Good Rex. But when it comes to Bears management, it has been more about bad judgment than bad intentions.
That deserves criticism.
Maybe, as Mr. Grossman pointed out, the emphasis on the passing game has been lacking. But during most of his son's time in Chicago, the Bears had a defense capable of dominance and an offensive line that helped establish a running game good enough to win the NFC in 2006.
That offensive line and defense simply stopped functioning at a high level in 2007. Neither unit really has recovered since.
That has had more to do with the struggles of Rex - and now Jay - than any flawed philosophy by Bears management.
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Steve, you sound like one of those lousy people who bash Rex just to be bashing. I try to look at the Rex situation from all angles. Rex had potential. He had a solid arm. Not as strong as Cutler but not as weak as Orton. He had several great games during the superbowl run in 2006. I've notice a lot of "bear fans" have a hard time admitting that. All those blowout victories were not just because of the defense and special teams. The offense was explosive in most of those blowout wins. and Rex played a huge part in that. Now.... Rex demise began with the Arizona game. Remember B4 that game, some people was considering him for MVP. After that game began the goodrex/bad Rex thing. he was up and down since then. But in typical Chicago fashion, instead of supporting your players, the fans and local media tend to cling to the negative. So every throw was under the microscope. That, my friends, is a lot of pressure! I remember the game against the Cowboys on sunday night football in 2007 Rex was boo'd so bad you would've thought he was Charles Martin reincarnated! it was embarrasing how the team performed that night, but more embarrasing as a fan how the fans treated "their" quarterback. After that, Rex was horrible in my opinion from then on. I think he wanted to leave and who can blame him? I just hope the same thing don't happen to Jay. I am a Bears fan, and I hope we don't run another good player out of town.
HAH, All the Haters are now circling the wagons saying they like Gross Man... Look Grossman is not a good QB, he was too short, heaved his passes like he had to put everything behind it to get it 30 yards, and could not hold on to the ball, this is when he wasn't hurt, btw.
Also, to all the crybabies that say Brees is shorter.. 2 things
1) Grossman, I think, is generously listed as 6'1
2) Brees is a FAR better QB than Rex in EVERY category.
When you are a short QB you better be DARN good.
Brees is a GOOD QB.
Rex is Average, maybe slightly above average at best, meaning lack of size is more pronounced...
Not to mention I do not see Rex starting anywhere.. if he was a good QB a team that needed one (49ers anyone) would have had him come in to compete for a starting job.. has anyone done so? NO.
I feel for Daddy Grossman, I do, no one wants to hear the talk about Rex that their family has had to endure, but if you son is not a good QB then it is what it is.. He was a good QB in College, but then again how many good college QB's came to the NFL only to not live up to expectations?
He got paid ALOT of money by the Bears.. so how exactly did the team 'wrong' him??!!