Lovie Smith embraced the Bears’ role as consensus favorites in the NFC North Division and his role as dean of division coaches during a media breakfast at the NFL owners meetings Wednesday.
“We’re the champions,” he said. “It comes through Chicago. It’s a role we want to be in. We’re not shying away from that role at all.”
Usually, coaches prefer to sneak into seasons as underdogs, impossible for the Bears with new head coaches in Minnesota, Green Bay and Detroit and new quarterbacks in at least two of those places.
“I’m a realist,” Smith said. “This is where we are. This is what we’ve been striving for to be in this position right here.”
Striking out in free agency, at least during the initial rush, doesn’t faze Smith, who is ready to start with the same lineup that went 11-5 plus help from “red-shirt freshmen” Cedric Benson, Mark Bradley and Airese Currie, injured 2005 draftees.
So confident is Smith that he didn’t hesitate to convince friend Rod Marinelli that Mike Martz would make an excellent offensive coordinator in the new Detroit Lions regime. He talks with Marinelli frequently and resisted the temptation to steer him away from Martz.
“I could have been selfish,” Smith said with a smile. “That crossed my mind initially because it’s definitely not helping us any, but you have to look past that.”
It’s not that Smith is searching for more competition. Mindful of the Bears’ January playoff loss at home to Carolina and the physical pounding Super Bowl winner Pittsburgh administered in December, Smith admitted his defense has considerable room for improvement even after ranking No. 1 for most of the season.
“We had a good year, but that wasn’t a time to compare us to the ’85 Bears defense or anything like that,” Smith said.
The Bears made futile free-agent runs at Pittsburgh receiver-punt returner Antwaan Randle El and at St. Louis safety Adam Archuleta, but Smith refused to express concern over either area. Both signed with the richer Washington Redskins and Smith revealed how close his relationship to Archuleta is.
“Of all the players I coached in St. Louis, he was definitely one of my favorites,” Smith said. “Our relationship, he’s family to me. We talk once a week during the season since I’ve been there. I know Gregg Williams (Redskins defensive coordinator) will do a good job with him and his family’s secure. I want that [for him].”
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Archuleta would have helped stabilize the vital position of strong safety in the Cover-2 defense once manned for Tampa Bay by John Lynch and played by Archuleta in St. Louis and Mike Brown with the Bears. Since Brown has missed 18 games in two seasons with injury, the help-wanted sign is out.
“We’re just hoping [Brown] stays on the field because he’s a heck of a football player. We’re different without him there,” Smith said. “We didn’t play as well at the end of the year as a team [and] a lot of it had to do with Mike Brown. He’s our team leader, vocal leader, spiritual leader, all of that. So we do need to keep him out there.”
Smith said team strength coach Rusty Jones and trainer Tim Bream have plans for Brown to remain healthy.
Smith sounded less concerned about the second receiver spot behind Muhsin Muhammad because of Bradley.
“He’s a star in waiting,” Smith said.
Smith also is excited about the progress of fifth-round draft choice Currie, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a foot injury.
“Airese Currie has something to him,” Smith said. “He’s a world-class track athlete with great quickness. We’re excited to see what he’ll turn into. I think it might be pretty good. No one is working harder than both of them. Our receiver position will be OK.”
Smith said Currie is as quick as Randle El but doesn’t return punts, so Bernard Berrian remains the man until further notice.
Smith acknowledged defensive end Alex Brown underwent shoulder surgery after the season, so matching the three-year, $5.55 million Buffalo offer to Israel Idonije was important, given the injury history of starter Adewale Ogunleye. Another edge rusher remains on the radar.
“It’s not like we play with big guys,” Smith said. “We’re more interested in speed guys who are smaller. They are going to have more injuries. That’s why you need at least three guys you think are starters and then even a fourth guy.”
As for Benson, Smith said there is no reason to project a playing rotation with starter Thomas Jones, who carried more than 300 times (314) for the first time in his six-year career. Usually, when a team tries to use two backs, one ends up getting the vast majority of work.
“It works itself out,” Smith said. “We know it’s a long year. History tells us we’re going to need two or three running backs to have the type of season we want.”
He believes Benson certainly will get more than his 67 rookie carries.
“That was the plan this past year,” he said. “We’re planning on that. Cedric is planning on going into training camp fighting and winning the job. It’s like Brian Griese and any other player in a backup role right now.”
Smith disputed the notion Jones and Benson aren’t the best of buddies, which either could help or hurt the competition.
“It’s not like they go into the room each day and they’re not talking,” Smith said. “Thomas is helping Cedric. They’re friends who get along just like any other position does competing for a spot. There are only a few guys who are good buddies, really.
“Cedric can’t wait to start it over again and go from there. We wouldn’t want him if he didn’t want to be the guy.”
Smith said making Griese the No. 2 quarterback and demoting Kyle Orton despite his 10-victory rookie season was only logical.
“Why would [Griese] come to Chicago to be the No. 3 guy?” Smith said. “A guy like that, you have to put him in at least the No. 2 role.
“Kyle just wants as many reps as he can get, but he understood.”
At this stage, the Bears are more likely to get help from the April 29-30 draft than from free agency, which has netted them only Griese and backup cornerback Dante Wesley.
“We can still pick up some guys,” Smith said.
Bears exhibition schedule
A nationally televised home game against San Diego at 7 p.m. Aug. 18 highlights the Bears’ exhibition schedule, which was announced Wednesday. The Chargers’ game is the only one with a time and date scheduled. The regular-season schedule will be announced in the next two weeks. The Bears are to begin workouts with strength and conditioning coach Rusty Jones on April 10.
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DATE OPPONENT SITE
Aug. 10-14 49ers San Francisco
Fri., Aug. 18 Chargers Soldier Field*
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Aug. 24-27 Cardinals Soldier Field
Aug. 31-S.3 Browns Cleveland
*–7 p.m. game on WBBM-Ch. 2
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