Bears release Craig Steltz

[RING4CHI]

The Chicago Bears released veteran safety and special teamer Craig Steltz on Monday evening.

Steltz is the latest core special teams veteran to get cut, joining Eric Weems and Jordan Senn. He missed the offseason program and most of training camp because of offseason groin surgery.

He made his 2014 preseason debut Friday against the Seahawks. He said Monday he was "a little rusty" in the game.

Steltz played in in 77 games (eight starts) with the Bears from 2008-13. He had 97 tackles (64 solo), one interception, two passes defended, one sack, three forced fumbles and three tackles for losses.

Steltz’s 58 career special teams tackles ranked second on the Bears in the last six seasons. The Bears drafted him in the fourth round in 2008.

The Bears now have 77 players on their active roster. They must reduce it to 75 by 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Bears release Steltz

[Rusty Trombagent]

mccray was starting with the ones today. (although mundy was out with a "head laceration" today and conte was concussed)
we know conte, mundy and vereen are making it. sunday might decide jennings vs mccray for the last spot. there's a reason to tune in!

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Wow, I don't understand this at all. Steltz was a servicable back-up S in a pinch, and he was a good veteran ST'er. Our ST just went from bad to worse.

[PapaBear57]

Yep. Considering the was our ST has been playing, espeically in coverage I am a bit puzzled by this myself.

[FireBrand]

mccray was starting with the ones today. (although mundy was out with a "head laceration" today and conte was concussed)
we know conte, mundy and vereen are making it. sunday might decide jennings vs mccray for the last spot. there's a reason to tune in!

I think McCray is the favorite t be the week one starter, I think the only question at this point is whether we're keeping 4 safeties or 5.

[ramentaschen]

Wow, I don't understand this at all. Steltz was a servicable back-up S in a pinch, and he was a good veteran ST'er. Our ST just went from bad to worse.

Yep, totally agree with this. Maybe his groin injury was more serious than he lead the Bears to believe?

[DaDitka]

Maybe his groin injury was more serious than he lead the Bears to believe?

That's my guess. I'm betting this is far more injury related then football related.

Plus if no one picks him up, we can resign him after week one (if he's healthy) and his salary isn't guaranteed. It's a pay as you go week to week salary structure and that provides you more insurance against further injury.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Maybe his groin injury was more serious than he lead the Bears to believe?

That's my guess. I'm betting this is far more injury related then football related.

Plus if no one picks him up, we can resign him after week one (if he's healthy) and his salary isn't guaranteed. It's a pay as you go week to week salary structure and that provides you more insurance against further injury.

Forgot about that part. I'll bet they resign him after the start of the season.

[crueltyabc]

Smart thinking on the injury/contract situation. We can't afford to have guys who are day-to-day at the bottom of our roster. McCray was a good special teams player (maybe not last year but in 2012) with Dallas so maybe we're not losing anything him vs Steltz? When you consider the Senn release and the Steltz release together, you get the idea that maybe Joe D and Trestman have some sort of plan in mind. Trestman has been very critical of the ST, it's not like he has his head in the sand.

[Rusty Trombagent]

That's my guess. I'm betting this is far more injury related then football related.

Plus if no one picks him up, we can resign him after week one (if he's healthy) and his salary isn't guaranteed. It's a pay as you go week to week salary structure and that provides you more insurance against further injury.

Forgot about that part. I'll bet they resign him after the start of the season.

maybe.
but maybe ultimately we know what we've got with steltz, a guy who's never going to take a starting position from anyone, and maybe emery isnt really interested. safety is still a question mark and giving one of four safety spots to a dude who no one really wants playing safety seems like a waste.

[wab]

Mundy and McCray will be the week one starters with Vereen and Conte as the backups. All 4 can play both FS and SS, so there is quite a bit of flexibility. I don't know if Wilson sticks or not though.

[base615]

Wilson is already gone. One of the first cuts.

[RING4CHI]

Wilson is already gone. One of the first cuts.

Adrian Wilson was cut, C.J. Wilson is still on the team.

[Boris13c]

have nothing against Steltz and wish him well, but he is kind of an enigma ... I remember seeing him make some awesome plays while he was in college ... was happy the Bears got him

but during his entire pro career, he has been really nothing special ... serviceable on special teams and as a backup, but as someone else mentioned, not someone you looked at as ready to step up and take a starter's role

seems some guys max out at the college level and when they do turn pro are just sort of there without being an impact player

[wab]

Well that's what I get for being all willy nilly.

[G08]

I had Conte pegged as the starting FS but his concussion may dampen things.

For what it's worth I thought he looked aggressive against Seattle.

[base615]

Wilson is already gone. One of the first cuts.

Adrian Wilson was cut, C.J. Wilson is still on the team.

Isn't he a CB rather than S?

[G08]

I remember Angelo saying everyone in the draft room agreed that Steltz would be a starting safety in a season or two.

Whoops.

[DaDitka]

I had Conte pegged as the starting FS but his concussion may dampen things.

For what it's worth I thought he looked aggressive against Seattle.

Yeah, I finally got to sit down and 'really' watch the Seattle game last night, and Conte looked so much more decisive and aggressive. Have to wonder if it was his confidence (or lack there of) that was slowing him down last year.

Very encouraging.

[FireBrand]

I had Conte pegged as the starting FS but his concussion may dampen things.

For what it's worth I thought he looked aggressive against Seattle.

Yeah, I finally got to sit down and 'really' watch the Seattle game last night, and Conte looked so much more decisive and aggressive. Have to wonder if it was his confidence (or lack there of) that was slowing him down last year.

Very encouraging.

It almost looked like he was playing like a man with pent up rage. I hope he plays like that the entire season.

As long as he's making plays I can live with a few mistakes when you're making them while going 100 mph.

[DaDitka]

As long as he's making plays I can live with a few mistakes when you're making them while going 100 mph.

Isn't that the very premise of the position.

It's like the analogy I've made before, you're safeties are like the #5 hitter in your baseball line-up you can handle that 260 batting average as long as he's got 25 + jacks. I hope he/they 'bat' better then 260, but you get the idea.

[wab]

I wonder how much of Conte's problems last year were because he was trying to cover for Wright and/or Frey.

[DaDitka]

I wonder how much of Conte's problems last year were because he was trying to cover for Wright and/or Frey.

I'm sure that played a part. But what really bothered me last year was his terrible angles he took to the ball, that's one thing I'm really going to pay attention to early. He can go 100 miles an hour, but if he's not taking that right 'path' it won't matter.

That said, again....I'm really encourage by what I saw on tape from the Seattle game.

[malk]

I wonder how much of Conte's problems last year were because he was trying to cover for Wright and/or Frey.

I'm sure that played a part. But what really bothered me last year was his terrible angles he took to the ball, that's one thing I'm really going to pay attention to early. He can go 100 miles an hour, but if he's not taking that right 'path' it won't matter.

That said, again....I'm really encourage by what I saw on tape from the Seattle game.

I'm totally with you there, the angles last year were consistently terrible and led to either being nowhere near the play or only being able to try an arm tackle against a big player already up to speed.

After seeing the decisiveness against Seattle and the pop he had in the tackle, I wonder how much and how early his shoulder was bothering him. If he didn't want to go in for big hits that could lead to taking a more conservative angle and just making a mess of it.

Reading that back I really think I'm looking for a silver lining...

[IE]

I don't think anyone disagrees that his "angles were bad". I think the legitimate discussion is "why" his angles were bad. It isn't because he's dumb or bad. Kid is smart, and athletic.

It is because:
- there was no DL
- there were no Linebackers
- Peanut out
- overcompensating for others
- guessing where the next defensive front breakdown was going to happen, leading to being out of position and taking bad angles
- shellshock from cumulative failure (himself and the team in general), resulting in things like poor tackling

If anyone thinks the above can't be fixed, and a decent player can't be salvaged with Conte ... they are flat... out... wrong. I'm glad it seems like the Bears have seemed to recognize that all along.

Edit: Even in the middle of that bad season last year, Conte still showed some spark. He played pretty well against the Packers in Chicago, with a sweet pick of Erin Rodgers and some other nice play. People were just so sick of him, that they only focused on a couple of other bad plays (most players have some every game).

[G08]

I still don't know how he whiffed on that red zone INT, ack.

[IE]

I know. I just think the kiid was mindfucked last year.