Seems that concern is growing fast about Brian Urlacher. Prior to today he had missed four straight practices, now he hasn’t been at training camp for two days. The "personal issue" Lovie Smith alludes to could actually be further problems with the linebacker’s knee. Or possibly even a new injury suffered after training camp started.

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Chicago - August 7, 2012 - Caught the Bears report on the Score on the way home from work. Seems that concern is growing fast about Brian Urlacher. Prior to today he had missed four straight practices, now he hasn’t been at training camp for two days.

The radio hosts seemed to indicate that the "personal issue" Lovie Smith alludes to could actually be further problems with the linebacker’s knee. Or possibly even a new injury suffered after training camp started.

So very many people have asked me what I think of the Bears’ chances in 2012. I’ve told them I’m as optimistic as I’ve been since the 2006 season, but we have to hope nobody critical gets hurt. So we had better all hope for some good news on the heart of the defense.

I know NFL teams rarely make radical moves such as what I will now propose. But I believe I heard discussions on this idea from more legitimate sources than I within the last several years. At some point following Urlacher’s performance "slowdown" in 2007 and 2008, the idea was kicked around of moving Lance Briggs to the middle linebacker position and playing Urlacher on the weak side in an effort to prolong his career.

So let’s say the worst case scenario happens and Urlacher misses extended time in 2012. Given that so much is on the line in 2012 with the window starting to close on older players, what about putting a proven Pro Bowl linebacker (Briggs) in the middle, then playing Geno Hayes at will and Nick Roach at same? It has been proven in Lovie Smith’s system that the will position is fairly interchangeable (Jamar Williams registering 15 tackles at the position in relief of Briggs.) Briggs has the speed to man the middle of the cover two like Urlacher.

But let’s hope we don’t get to that.