balta1701-A

Clark might be available cheaper and on a shorter-term deal than the other guy though...if the Bears have limited cap space and prioritize O-Line, the cheaper TE might be the option.

No particular rumor, but another LT who stands a good chance of becoming a free agent this year is Saints LT Jermon Bushrod. The Saints are almost $20 million over the cap, Bushrod will be unrestricted, and the Franchise tag for OL is supposed to be just under $10 million.

Garret was at least an OC, and a fairly hot name, before he got the Dallas job.

Buffalo Bills are also looking to interview Mike McCoy.

I struggle to believe it could move that quickly, but it could be at the foregone conclusion stage. The report they were probably going off of was this one, from PFT, saying that they're "Very close" to hiring him.

Reid is currently being called "The favorite" for the Arizona Cardinals HC job.

Of course...the other reason he might defend the guys on his current line is so that if he is calling a lineman at 12:01 on the day free agency starts, maybe another GM doesn't make the same call to try to beat him to the punch.

Louis if he's able to come back would help also. The question with Carimi is what position they'd try him at, whether they'll give up on him in pass blocking and put him at Guard to try to protect him in that.

I definitely know I heard "The Bears always look from within" for a lot of their coordinators, and we heard it with Emery being hired since he'd worked for the Bears a decade ago.

Bill O'Brien (Penn State) was an offensive coach, receivers coach, QB coach, finally OC with the Patriots. Will Muschamp was the Dolphins Defensive Coordinator under Saban. The only college coach being talked about as a HC candidate with no pro experience that I know of is Chip Kelly, from Oregon, who has worked his way up. And honestly, you're right, I don't know that I'd want a college coach who has never been in an NFL locker room for a season taking over as NFL head coach, because the environment can be quite different, so that's a knock on Kelly, but the other guys meet your standard.

Bennett was extended last year, there shouldn't be any reason why he needs to be resigned this year.

Hopefully...the Bears have their QB spot filled, whereas Washington was actually using Grossman there for a while under Shanahan. Of course...I'm less confident that the Bears have their QB for the next coach's tenure than I was before this year.

That's only because of how bad Hester was. Knox 1-2 steps slower isn't that great of a WR. The thing that made him a threat was that he could outrun people to get open deep.

Let's put it this way... If Cutler had stepped up and played the way I used to think he was capable of...Lovie Smith would still be the Bears coach. But...that doesn't excuse the rest. If Lovie Smith had found an OC who could get better out of Cutler, if Lovie Smith had put together a stronger O-line, if Lovie Smith's OC could get playcalls in to Cutler on time...well lots of other things could have saved his job. Cutler is on the list, but I don't put him that much higher than any other reason.

So...some coaches fail spectacularly, while some go on to success? You'd almost think...it's just like hiring a coordinator. Or an experience retread coach. /sarcasm. Anyway, I get the hesitation on hiring a college coach, but I hang it on the guy doing the interview. There are probably some college coaches ready to take the NFL by storm, and others who will completely wash out in a year or two and take the GM with him. I'm not going to be mad about a college coach hire, any more than with any other position. But either way, unless the GM hires someone with so much experience that he has to give up some power...the GM sinks or swims with this coaching hire. They both get to start a 3 year clock.

My issue is...I can already hear the complaints about the Bears continuing to hire people in-house.

A couple issues with O'Brien...supposedly he was told when he was hired that the Sandusky matter would be only a criminal matter from that point, not an NCAA matter, and so the NCAA sanctions could give him a ready-made out clause. It's also unknown whether that buyout applies solely to colleges or to pro teams as well, so that could be another work-around.

Worth noting on the positive side that he could be a "Hot" addition this year. His team started off the season ranked lowly and performed much better than expectations.

Reid is supposedly already reaching out to elements of a new staff of assistants for next year. It sounds like the only reason he won't be coaching is if no one wants him.

I have no problem hiring "some clown/a mediocre assistant" if that's the guy Emery wants. Some of the best coaches are mediocre assistants beforehand. But if Emery goes that route...his job winds up on the clock too. If he hires a veteran like Reid, then he might have a 3-4 year clock. If he hires his own, hand-chosen assistant, he winds up on a Pioli like schedule, where a couple years later, you're talking about both of their jobs if it's a mistake.

Even a stellar coach can have the team lost after 14 years.

62+ teams have started 7-1 since the season moved to 16 games. 58 have made the playoffs. Bears are the first in nearly 20 years to do so and miss.

Dismal is not the word. Unacceptable is the word. Belichik might not survive 1 playoff visit in 6 years.

It has to come tomorrow (or the next day at worst).

Not after a playoff miss. My money is on a staff cleansing.