Thoughts on two NFL moves Thursday:
The Bears cut Nathan Vasher
This is somewhat of a surprise because the Bears' initial offseason plan did not include releasing Vasher. What made him expendable, clearly, was the acquisition of Tim Jennings--a player the Bears believe has more ability than Vasher.
With the way Vasher has played the last three years, it won't be a surprise if he is not on a roster on opening day. At one point Vasher was a fine player who was a critical component to the Bears defense. He fit the Bears' scheme perfectly. He benefitted from an effective pass rush. And he made plays.
But he dropped off dramatically after signing a five year contract worth $28 million in new money. His dropoff had more to do with injuries than the contract. He never was the same player after missing 20 games in two seasons with a groin tear and a broken hand.
Some players can come back from injuries without losing much. Vasher was different, probably because he wasn't very fast to begin with. He apparently couldn't afford to lose any of the speed he had.
Rex Grossman signs with the Redskins.
This is a significant move for Grossman, and an opportunity to resurrect his career. It is completely plausible that he will be the starter for the Redskins on opening day, but it is less plausible that he will thrive in Washington.
Here's why: Grossman was brought to the Redskins on the recommendation of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the son of head coach Mike Shanahan who was Grossman's offensive coordinator with the Texans last year. The younger Shanahan saw good things in Grossman in practice, and clearly believes Grossman has talent.
The new Redskins staff has no allegiance to incumbent quarterback Jason Campbell. So Grossman obviously will have a fair chance to beat him out.
If Grossman wins the job, it might not be so easy to keep it, however. The reason it doesn't appear he'll have much help from the supporting cast. The Redskins' blocking and the Redskins' receivers are suspect, at best.
But all Grossman can hope for at this point is a chance.
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I don't think Vasher's decline had to do with either. He never liked to tackle, which is a problem for a defensive player at any position. Once opposing offenses realized that, he was toast.
Vasher's problems seem far more mental than physical. This is yet another failure of Lovie Smith & Co., who cannot develop players and don't make the best with what they have. Why the organization keeps incompetents like Smith, Angelo, and Phillips is beyond me. They seem to be willing to spend money, so why not spend it on people who will actually make the Bears into a perennial contender?
Rex is just not that good a QB. I think Campbell will beat him out for the starting spot. Vet you should drop the man-crush you have on Rex, it's not healthy.
Vasher- Another Bears player who fell apart after a big money deal.
aaron, go back to the pack, i know you said just a thought, but its a stupid one, hey, heres a better thought, you get under center, and everyone laughs at you while you get carted off the field after one hit.
If Rex starts.... Maybe we can play the 'Skins like 10 or 11 times next season and Lovie can keep his job in 2011. Just a thought.
I Think Rex will do very well there with Shanahan. The bears cared more about the D and the run then they did anything else when he was here. In fact, this is the first time in a long time they have made good strides to help the QB and i know Cutler will be great, just like he was in Denver. Yeah hes going to throw pics, people will just have to get over it, if you cant, then you should find another team, for alot of people, Cutler will be the best QB they will see in there life time for the Bears. But i do hope Rex comes out swinging and dos great, and when hes done, i would REALLY love to see him spit in the face of every Chicago fan that treated him the way they did, and the same for Cutler. Yeah JC, that would include you. With the way most fans are here in Chicago, the bear fans do not deserve a good QB, and i hope you realize some day, they will NEVER have 22 starting pro-bowlers on the team at one time.
If there's a way to do it, Jay Cutler will find a way to throw an interception to Rex in that game.
Hope Rex gets a real opportunity. WOuldn't it be cool if he's the starter against the Bears when they meet this season?
BS, he tore his groin? He strained his groin and never recovered after 3 years of rest?? Most guys take a few weeks, some Advil, rest and ice. He got a fat contract and went down. A groin pull has never been a career killer. Plus he broke his hand, you mean he broke a finger. Vasher was a piece of crap, who got the big money and then quit. His groin didn't force him to make arm tackles or get out of the way of running backs so he could avoid contact.