Cairo Santos ties Bears record

+1,000

Looking back I often realize I have been wrong about countless Bears' moves over many years.  Fans (me included) are so impatient too.  We want players to be great "sooner rather than later" but sometimes it does take a few years for players to develop into studs, and sometimes they never develop into studs but are nonetheless very solid players.  I think that's especially true of many offensive linemen who come out of college.  It's not just the learning curve but also their bodies often are not physically ready for the NFL life of a lineman.  And it's often true that the skill players need a few years.  Sure, some guys are instant success stories.  But often they are not.  Fans write them off as no good and (I think) they sometimes even root for them to fail - just so they can claim that they were "right" about a player being no good.

Nobody likes to be patient.  It's a lost virtue in life nowadays.  Nobody likes to be wrong about a player too.  LOL, like I was with Santos :-)    but I'm glad he did work out for the Bears. 

One other point.  No team gets 53 All-Pros.  No team gets 53 studs on their roster.  But that's okay.  Those 2nd tier players can make-or-break a team.  In fact, I sometimes think THESE guys are the difference between being a good team versus a bad team.  How many seasons have we seen teams like the Detroit Lions have a great player (or more) but the team itself sucks?  I've seen this happen over the entire time I've been a football fan.  So consequently if a guy isn't a great player, it doesn't mean he's not good for our team.  These guys are often the unheralded workhorses, the blue collar "get it done" guys that make or break a team.  They support the studs on your roster (you need them both... the high-quality blue collar guys AND ALSO some studs).  I think my favorite blue collar guy of all time (on the Bears) was Matt Suhey.  LOL, a "nobody" fullback.  But the guy was an immense help to Walter Payton and that 1985 team.  I thought it was so "appropriate" that the guy who scored our first touchdown in our ONLY Super Bowl win in franchise history - was the humble "get it done guy" fullback, Matt Suhey.  He was a good guy off the field too... he was the guy who helped Walter as he was failing in health.  Driving him to doctors appointments and supporting him until he died.  He gave his best blocking for Walter on the field, and he was helping Walter until the end when he passed away.

Anyway, I'm rambling.  riczaj01 was 100% right-on in that earlier post where he pointed out, "Sometimes you have to let this kids grow and develop before passing judgement."  I loved that comment.  Because it is true.