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Brian Urlacher retirement: Is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

2013-05-23T14:16:04Z

On Wednesday, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher elected to call it a career and announced his retirement from the NFL. Urlacher's retirement had little fanfare. The offseason began with his departure from the Bears after 13 seasons, haggling over a free agent deal.

Urlacher wanted to play another season in the NFL, but he had nothing left to prove. Over the course of his 13 seasons, Urlacher was elected to the Pro Bowl eight times. That season, Urlacher was returning from a wrist injury that saw him miss 15 games, but he led the team with a whopping 146 tackles and didn't look at all like he'd slowed down.

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He was 32 that season. He was also named an All-Pro for his fifth time. At 34 years-old today, many felt Urlacher still had some production left in him, but there wasn't much interest on the free agent market, which could also be attributed to a strong rookie linebacker class coming into the league.

He was the NFL defensive rookie of the year way back in 2000, and the Associated Press NFL defensive player of the year in 2005. He was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade team and, again, had those eight Pro Bowl appearances, including three years straight from his rookie season in 2000 through the 2003 season.

Widely regarded as one of the best coverage linebackers in the game, Urlacher prided himself on being able to stay with any tight end in the league while still being big and punishing with his physicality. He finished his career with 1,353 tackles, 41.5 quarterback sacks and 22 interceptions.

All of these numbers on top of the fact that he's been a defensive leader his entire career and that he'll go down as one of the most well-loved Bears players of all time mean that Urlacher should be on his way to a Hall of Fame enshrinement in Canton. Most have figured Urlacher is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame for some years now, and we're certainly not going to argue against that.

But is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

There are multiple answers to that question. On one hand, his credentials line up with what makes a first-ballot Hall of Famer. On the other hand, there will be some heavy competition when Urlacher's name first comes up for vote.

Longtime Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis also retired this season. Lewis has a pair of Super Bowls to his name, which is where he has a definite leg up on Urlacher. Whoever you think was better in their prime is inconsequential to the argument, as Lewis has as many Pro Bowls as Urlacher does seasons in the NFL. That's 13 Pro Bowls, to go along with his seven times as a first team All-Pro and three times as a second team All Pro and his two AP NFL defensive player of the year votes.

Lewis is the embodiment of the Ravens, and given the lack of linebackers already in the Hall of Fame -- there are only 24, and that includes outside pass rushers -- it's hard to see both Urlacher and Lewis making it, and in a head-to-head situation, Lewis will almost certainly get the nod. To top off that argument, Urlacher isn't even the best middle linebacker to ever play for the Bears -- that honor goes to Mike Singletary.

But even if you subtract the middle linebacker head-to-head, there's still some stiff competition for Urlacher. Ronde Barber, the longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback, called it a career this offseason. He's one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game and seems a candidate for first-ballot status.

If wide receiver Randy Moss doesn't find a new team, then he'll be retired, and how can you argue with 982 catches, 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns? There are plenty of wide receivers still waiting to hear their names called, but Moss eclipses them easily. There is also guard Steve Hutchinson, who is possibly the best guard to ever play football. He retired this offseason as well.

There are so many names that could make it when Urlacher becomes eligible. Since 1990, 40 players have made it on their first year of eligibility, and three first-year players have been enshrined all in one year on five occasions since that time. Unfortunately, with the players above, there might be three players ahead of Urlacher.

He'll make it into the Hall, but first-ballot status sure is questionable.

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Michael Crabtree injury: How 49ers will respond to loss of WR

2013-05-23T13:39:03Z

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFL, but they took a hit on Wednesday when they announced that wide receiver Michael Crabtree had suffered a torn Achilles tendon and would miss significant time. As far as bad injuries go, it's right up there with ACL tears and anything involving a player's back.

There are some positives to the situation, if you look hard enough. Crabtree has already had surgery. That is significant because that's usually postponed in this situation due to swelling, as noted at Niners Nation. In other words, they would not have attempted an operation at all if the swelling were too intense, meaning Crabtree already has a head start on his rehab.

On top of that, some have put his recovery at about the six-month mark. That means he could return, conceivably, in November. If that were true, he'd have enough time to get back into shape and be around for a playoff run. Given that the 49ers played in the Super Bowl last year, they're certainly planning on it again and can at least hope for the possibility of having Crabtree back in the lineup.

Still, the injury comes at about the worst time for Crabtree and his team. Crabtree received a lot of criticism when he entered the league due to his rookie holdout and, prior to 2012, he hadn't posted a 1,000-yard receiving season. But he put it together last year, with 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns.

As pointed out by Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, quarterback Colin Kaepernick favored Crabtree big time when he took over. In his 10 starts in 2012, Kaepernick targeted Crabtree 94 times. Tied for second place were tight end Vernon Davis and wide receiver Randy Moss, who were targeted just 39 times.

But the 49ers do have options. They've done their best to improve at the position and find a No. 2 behind Crabtree. The roster includes some names who can step up and make things happen in his absence.

Boldin has always been one of the toughest players in the NFL and continued production seems likely.

The biggest name is Anquan Boldin. A longtime division rival, Boldin joined the 49ers after the team traded the Baltimore Ravens a sixth-round pick this spring. Boldin is entering his 11th year in the NFL, but his production has been steady. Since leaving the Cardinals following the 2009 season, Boldin hasn't put up another 1,000-yard season, but he's come close.

His yardage totals since joining Baltimore: 837 yards, 887 yards and, most recently, 921 yards. On top of that, Boldin put up 380 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs, including 10 catches, 104 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl that the 49ers lost.

He was expected to come in and be the No. 2 receiver behind Crabtree, but he'll definitely be in the driver's seat next season. Whether or not he can put up close to 1,000 yards again is anybody's guess, but Boldin has always been one of the toughest players in the NFL and continued production seems likely.

Behind Boldin, the next player to step up likely won't even be a wide receiver: it will be tight end Vernon Davis. San Francisco's recent teams have always used tight ends well, but Davis and backup Delanie Walker (who signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent this offseason) took on diminished roles once Kaepernick took over.

Davis' numbers in 2012 were just so-so. He caught just 41 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns, but has put up close to 1,000 yards in the past, with 2009 being his best season. That year, he caught 78 passes for 965 yards and a whopping 13 touchdowns. He's regarded as one of the most athletic tight ends in the NFL, and 49ers fans are expecting him to have a bounce-back year.

There's also rookie tight end Vance McDonald, who could factor into the passing game quite a bit. Unlike some other rookies recently, the 49ers drafted McDonald on need due to Walker leaving in free agency, and they plan to utilize two-tight-end sets frequently.

Back to the wide receivers. The No. 2 last season was supposed to be Mario Manningham, but he suffered an injury late in the year. Unfortunately, Manningham likely won't be back for training camp, but he has been optimistic about being ready for the start of the regular season. Last year, Manningham had 449 yards and a touchdown in 12 games played.

Manningham will likely step right into the No. 2 role behind Boldin. At face value, it's an inspiring pairing. Both receivers have been productive in the past and should do well against No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks next season. It's after Manningham where things get a little fuzzy.

Kyle Williams has long been on the verge of breaking out. He's incredibly fast and agile, and many of his catches were highlight-reel plays. Unfortunately, he's better known for blowing it in the 2011 NFC Championship when he fumbled multiple times on special teams. On top of that, he also suffered an injury last season and is still recovering.

Williams, though, is expected back for the start of training camp. He's been with the 49ers for three seasons and he's consistently listed as a player who could break out. Williams will probably enter camp as the No 3 receiver, and he'll be given every opportunity to succeed. If he doesn't, then his time in San Francisco may be coming to its close.

At the very least, the 49ers have a top-three group of receivers that seem to be going somewhere. The true question marks come after Williams, with second-year wide receivers A.J. Jenkins and Ricardo Lockette, and rookie Quinton Patton.

Jenkins is the biggest name there, as the 49ers' first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Jenkins hardly saw the field last season and was only targeted once -- he didn't catch the pass. Of course, LaMichael James, the running back taken by the 49ers that year, also did not see the field for much of the season, but injuries forced the 49ers to use him.

Perhaps the plan all along was to develop Jenkins for a season, given that he was considered raw out of college and probably a reach for a first-round pick (even if it was at the back end of the round). Jenkins is regarded as a talented receiver, but confidence in him is all over the place when it comes to the fans. One can expect Jenkins to come in and compete, but he doesn't have a leg up on the competition that a recent first-round pick would seem to.

Lockette is an interesting player. He was on the practice squad last season after spending his rookie year with the Seattle Seahawks, but he's received a lot of praise from head coach Jim Harbaugh this offseason. Harbaugh said that he's "really looking forward to Ricardo Lockette's progress." He'll come into camp to compete, but his ceiling is unclear. He should get a roster spot, though, especially with the injury to Crabtree.

Then we come to Quinton Patton. Taken in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft, Patton not only has better college tape than Jenkins, he was more well-known and many think he has a higher ceiling. Aside from a few struggles with his route running, he seems more NFL-ready as well. Many are picking him to be one of the under-the-radar breakout rookies. With Crabtree's injury, that certainly means he'll have more of a chance.

But not all bets can be placed on those young receivers. With the way the injuries have gone, the 49ers do have question marks beyond Boldin as the No. 1 receiver. Were it not for a strong group of tight ends and the fact that Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Anthony Dixon and possibly Marcus Lattimore anchor one of the league's best rushing attacks, there might be panic.

They've got that running game and one of the best defenses in the NFL to lean on.

When it comes to potential replacements in free agency, it really is slim pickings. That is to say, there's almost nobody of note still available. The team is adamant that Randy Moss is not an option despite his contributions last season, which leaves guys like Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Stokley, Devin Aromashodu, Devery Henderson, Steve Breaston, Laurent Robinson and Braylon Edwards as the next-best options.

It's hard to see any of those players producing at this point in their careers. San Francisco may sign one of them to come in and compete, but even with the roster's question marks, the team would likely depend on who's there more than any outside signing. The only way it's likely for them to bring in one of these guys would be further injury or setbacks to either Williams' or Manningham's recoveries.

The 49ers have been a run-first team, and that stems from their strong group of running backs and all the way up to their quarterback, who may legitimately have a shot at rushing for 1,000 yards in a season at some point. It hurts to lose Crabtree, but at the same time, the 49ers do have options on the roster. If the passing game does regress, they've got that running game and one of the best defenses in the NFL to lean on.

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NFL news roundup: Brian Urlacher retires, Michael Crabtree has Achilles surgery and more

2013-05-23T12:19:04Z

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher retired on Wednesday. It's unclear if Urlacher received any serious interest from teams as a free agent this offseason, but after 13 years in the NFL and eight Pro Bowl appearances, he's had an impressive career. SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell had a great piece on what Urlacher meant to the Bears, and it's worth a read.

The other big news on Wednesday was the injury to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree. He tore his Achilles and should miss at least six months, which is a significant amount of time for a team somewhat thin at the position. In good news, Crabtree has already had his surgery and is on the road to recovery. Coming back in November seems to be a possibility, as noted by Niners Nation:

I spoke with socalisteph given her medical knowledge, and she said such surgery often happens as much as a week after the injury so swelling can go down. In this case, a quick surgery would seem to mean swelling is not an issue. More importantly, the quick surgery would hopefully mean the 49ers are somewhat optimistic about Crabtree's potential return during the season. It doesn't guarantee a return, but if there is a chance and a quick surgery will not create further risk, why not do it?

With teams getting their OTAs underway, there's plenty happening around league. One significant piece of news was the absence of Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure from team drills. Leshoure was held out of team drills for injury concerns, though there's not any information on what the injury was specifically. He missed his entire rookie season with injury and finally got some playing time last year, but more concerns cannot be a good thing, especially given that he'll be competing with Reggie Bush for carries this season.

Another significant absence on Wednesday: New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. While he's recovering from injury, the Giants, including head coach Tom Coughlin, expected Nicks to be present and working out, possibly on his own, but Nicks no-showed and apparently didn't give the team any notice or reason. This is obviously not a good sign. As noted by Big Blue View, it's a confusing situation:

There is a question as to how much Nicks would have done Wednesday as he is still rehabbing from offseason knee surgery. Still, an unexplained no-show when he was at a charity event Tuesday night in New York City saying he was "willing to take the role of leader" is not a good beginning. Quarterback Eli Manning was also perplexed, saying he "had no reason" to think Nicks would not be in attendance.

There were two other notable absences on Wednesday. The first was linebacker Brandon Spikes, who might be burning bridges with the Patriots by not attending. Spikes is in a contract year and wants a contract extension, but he could be putting himself out of the running for that with this move.

The other absence was Baltimore Ravens linebacker Arthur Brown. He missed OTAs and will miss further team activities for the next 4-6 weeks as he's recovering from sports hernia surgery. It's significant because he's a rookie, though he's still expected to start at inside linebacker in place of the recently-retired Ray Lewis.

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