interesting article regarding Tank Johnson:
http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/rozner.asp?id=326611
Even strictly on football level, this made nosense
Barry Rozner
Posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007
What were the Bears thinking?
Seriously.
From a purely football perspective, didn't they see any need to plan for the absence of Tank Johnson?
Set aside, for this discussion, their enabling of Johnson and the predictable outcome of that policy, since it's no secret the Bears only talk about character when it suits their purposes.
But from the football side, it's as if they thought he might not get suspended at all, and if he did, they'd have him for more than half a season.
The Bears really believed the suspension would be light (4-6 games), and that Johnson would return rested and with a vengeance.
Were they the only ones who didn't see how this was going to end?
Are the Bears so arrogant after winning a terrible conference that they didn't think the Tank Johnson saga was destined to conclude badly?
Even Johnson seemed to know there was only one way this was headed, but the Bears did nothing to prepare for Johnson's departure.
Having Tommie Harris coming off an injury is scary enough, and if he's not 100 percent at any point this season, Brian Urlacher's Sundays just got a lot more difficult, because the Bears are suddenly thin at defensive tackle.
Assuming Harris does return and stays on the field  and at this point that's merely an assumption  the Bears still have lost Johnson, Ian Scott and Alfonso Boone, the latter two having left via free agency.
That's potentially devastating to what was a very effective tackle rotation last season when all were participating. But now joining Harris are two players  Dusty Dvoracek and Antonio Garay  who never have started an NFL game, and Anthony Adams, hardly a blockbuster free-agent signing.
So never mind, for today, their reckless policy of giving Johnson a handful of second chances, received only because the Bears thought Johnson could help them win.
From a strictly football perspective, their decisions have been irresponsible, and they might have looked at Johnson's presence at any time in 2007  if it actually happened  as a gift.
Or maybe more like a miracle.
In any case, the Bears are lucky they reside in the NFC North, or they might have some questions to answer.
