A lot of excuses have been made for the performance of the Bears defense this past game versus the 49ers, some by this site.  Bears S Mike Brown isn't buying any of them.

"That's not an excuse," the former Pro Bowl safety said.

It didn't rank up there with Brown saying his team stinks after a 1-3 start in 2005, but the message was clear. If the defense is going to carry the Bears again, improvement is needed.

Is it me or do the Bears have more straight shooters than other teams?   That is aside from upper management.  Between Urlacher and Brown somebody is always laying it out there.

Lovie Smith is disputing reports that Danieal Manning is out at the nickel.

"Danieal has received reps at only one position this entire year, and that's nickel," Smith said earlier this week. "Once we get in a game, could he be an emergency safety? Yes, he could. But he's playing nickel and that's where he's going to be."

Game 4 is on us and it is time for some players to step up and earn their spot.

Try telling defensive end Dan Bazuin or wide receiver Mark Bradley that Thursday night's exhibition finale at Cleveland means nothing. Let on-the-bubble guard Anthony Oakley or defensive tackle Matt Toeaina in on the secret too. Think quarterback Caleb Hanie agrees?

A hat tip to Ando who first pointed this out (comment section), but the Bears seem to again not know what to do with their players.  It turns out that Ricky Manning Jr is not the only Manning being bumped.  Danieal Mannig is now out as the primary nickel corner back.

Danieal Manning is no longer the primary nickel back. and the only player with experience in the role is Brandon McGowan, so logic dictates he'll take over there, allowing Kevin Payne to step in at strong safety. That might not be the end of the moves. McGowan and Payne split time at strong safety last week against San Francisco, and coach Lovie Smith beamed when talking about the second-year player from Louisiana-Monroe. Smith was adamant the Bears draft Payne in 2007. It could be he's taking over at strong safety in the nickel as well as the base defense, and Thursday's preseason finale at Cleveland will be telling.

Maybe the reason Manning hasn't been able to fit in anywhere is becuase the Bears won't leave him anywhere!  Give him more than 2 games to get comfortable playing before you say he can't do it.  He has gone back and forth between safety and corner so much in the last few years, his helmet has to be spinning.

I haven't seen enough of Kevin Payne to pass judgement, but from what I have seen he is a big hitter and I think we all like that in the safety spot.  As I have always said I am for putting out on the field whoever the best guys are and if Payne and McGowan are those guys and Manning is not then so be it, but just make up your minds.

I don't know what the Bears plans are for Manning on defense, though he still has value as depth at both positions or when the offense dictates extra guys.  I'd also like to think the Bears plan to give him quite a bit of playing time on special teams where he looks like the guy to spell Devin Hester, be the recipeint of the ball during Hester decoy plays or just to have an extra return guy out there.

There is not question that Mike Brown is a fantastic football, maybe even HOF caliber.  When he is on the field the Bears a much better team.  The problem of course is he can't stay on the field.

Based on current practices and camps he is looking very good .

But based on the Bears’ early-June minicamp and subsequent OTAs, team insiders tell us Brown’s future looks very promising. By all accounts, the team’s all-time franchise leader with seven defensive TDs (four interception returns, three fumble returns) has never looked better. Brown had interceptions on each of the final two days of the minicamp and provided a constant playmaking presence, always working his way into the middle of the action. “He has looked exceptionally good,” one longtime team insider told PFW. “And the overall defense just looks so much better with him out there. More than a few players have been talking about the big difference they think he will make if he can stay healthy.” Meanwhile, change is in the air at strong safety, where Brandon McGowan appears to have taken the starting job away from Danieal Manning — for the time being, anyway. “They don’t seem sure of what to do about Manning,” the insider said. “Is he the nickel cornerback? Is he a safety? Mostly, he’s been on the field so far when the defense has gone with three safeties.”

No doubt this means nothing.  He could be playing great and still get hurt first game of the season, but here's hoping.

I believe we went through this last season as well, but the Bears have moved Danieal Manning from safety to cornerback .

Danieal Manning looks to have been moved yet again. Manning, the safety turned cornerback turned safety is back at cornerback today. He’s getting time with the first team as the inside nickel back. Corey Graham also got some time with the ones with the absence of Charles Tillman.

So as it stands our cornerback roster has Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher at the number 1 and 2 spots respectively.  The rest of the crop are Zackary Bowman,Trey Brown,Corey Graham, Leslie Majors, Ricky Manning Jr., Trumaine McBride and now Danieal Manning.

Our starting safeties based on mini camp positions are Mike Brown and Brandon McGowan.  After that we have Josh Gattis, Kevin Payne, Leonard Peters and Craig Steltz.

With Mike Brown an injury concern and no other guy with significant experience moving Manning seems odd unless they believe he can't  play the position.  Obviously to make the move they think he has the needed speed and they might just view him as more of an asset at the corner.

'It is possible that Ricky  Manning Jr. could still be cut and the Bears believe if necessary Craig Steltz could step in.

Either way the idea here is to not thin out our safety squad more, if anything we want to add some guys.