Hall of famer, Merlin Olsen is dead at 69.  Old timers would remember him as a lineman for the Rams, others for his acting career and still others for his promotional spots.

When you first look at Peppers’ contract with the Bears you will see the first 3 years are guaranteed, but if you look closer you see that 2011 and 12 are guaranteed for “injury only” as per Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com.  From my perspective this is fantastic news.  If Lovie and Angelo get canned, the new sheriff can dump Peppers if he doesn’t perform up to his contract.  Peppers might view it as a second shot at free agency in 2011, but with an impending lock out…I can’t imagine it’s a good thing from the players perspective.  Where else is he going to go and get that kind of money?  The bears over paid…but potentially only for a year.

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Last word on the Peppers deal

Posted by Mike Florio on March 9, 2010 9:11 AM ET

Our item from last night regarding the ability of the Bears to pull the plug on the Julius Peppers contract after one year, making it essentially a one-year, $20 million contract with a team option on the rest, has created a stir.

But the info is legit.  The Bears can declare the move a mistake and avoid the rest of the deal with no guaranteed money beyond what he received in 2010.

Multiple sources have pointed out that the decision to guarantee the money for injury only and not for skills arises from the reality that guarantees for injury and skill must be immediately funded.  As one source pointed out, the Giants used the same tactic with quarterback Eli Manning.

The difference?  The chances of the Giants choosing to cut Eli Manning before the money guaranteed for injury only comes due are slim.  In Chicago, a decision to part ways with Peppers after one season is far more possible.  If Halas Hall gets cleaned out after the coming season, the better adjective will be “probable.”

Amid these realities, we’re told that Peppers has received every assurance that all guaranteed money will be paid.  Apart from the fact that the Bears can get in hot water for making promises beyond the pages of the signed contract, any such promise in completely unenforceable.

Besides, the supposed assurances that Peppers will be with the team over the long haul are coming from a regime that might not be employed when the time comes to make the decision.

Finally, we have been reminded that the 2011 roster bonus of $10.5 million is due to be paid before a lockout would be imposed.  On the surface, it’s a shrewd move by the Peppers camp.  At a deeper level, however, it could make the Bears more likely to cut Peppers before the 2011 roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed on February 10, 2011, if they have any doubt whatsoever regarding Peppers’ abilities and/or effort.

Am I the only one that doesn’t give a rats ass about athletes off the field?  I don’t care if they cut the heads of puppies in their spare time…anything they do that is illegal is a matter for the police, not something I give a damn about it.  I want them to perform on the field, I want to watch them try to kill each other…what they do after that is someone else’s problem.

But there are people that do care I guess…or that show enough interest that the media keeps writing about it.

Angelo and Lovie are doing their best to bring the bears to the level of the lions.  The signing of TE Manumaleuna pretty much cements Olsen’s departure.  Martz wants a blocking TE instead of a pass catcher.  JFC.  I’m pretty disgusted.

Maybe I’ll be proven wrong and these moves they are making will send them to the playoffs…but I’m hoping not.  I’m really hoping they have another season right in the crapper then dismiss Lovie and Angelo.  I’m sure the 2011 season will be ham-stringed by a lock out anyhow.  Good time to clean house.

Early reports are that peppers signed…lovely.  Also chester taylor, which is a great pickup imo.

/me sighs…can’t wait till next year!

Today marks the start of free agency in the NFL.  Early rumors have the bears targeting both Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor.  I’m all on board the Chester Taylor train, I think he’s quite a good running back that on the right team could shine.  He’s 30+ with light mileage on him.  I’ve thought for years that a tandem approach to the running back position is the best option.  A combo of him and Forte in the back field could give the bears a pretty good running game.

I said the other day that I wasn’t on board the Julius Peppers band wagon, and I’m still holding on to that postion.  It seems to me the mentality of the bears when it comes to peppers is pretty similar to the vikings when they picked up jared allen.  The huge difference between the two teams is the vikings had/have a killer offensive line…the bears do not.  Peppers might shore up the defensive line a bit, but the bears need to be spending their money upgrading their offensive line.

They are without a pick until round 3 and if the bears are going to improve their team they will need to do it in free agency.  I’ve been on wax saying this is a make or break year for lovie and angelo, several sports writers have said the same.  The problem with this is I can see those guys going for broke this year to try and save their jobs without looking down the road at how the deals they make may cripple the organization in the next few years (jay cutler trade anyone?).  This is a very dangerous position for the team to be in.  If it was just the GM or just the coach in “contract” years..maybe things would be different…but both of them?