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we had the leagues newest sweetheart defensive coach on our staff as OLB under Fangio. Brandon Staley. He saw how Fangio beat the Rams, and then followed Fangio to Denver, became DC at LA Rams (ironically) and used the same system there to make them #1, and then got the HC position at the Chargers, where he is still building. Staley's scheme is all the rage in the NFL and we run it too. 3-4 with the DL bunched inside playing almost two gap so they can stay in a 2 high safety look to limit the big plays without sacrificing too much stopping the run. It seems to be working against the high powered offenses. Anyway, we had him, didnt see him, or promote him. Fangio saw him. We could have made him DC instead of Desai, and gotten the brilliant innovator. I dont think our corporate structure has any idea what they are doing. I think it may be worse than we even suspect.

Pace has done some good things, and some bad things. Overall, I could see keeping him based on what he's done, despite some of the other things he's done. But to me this isn't the way to make this decision. Assuming you think Pace is a competent GM, but replaceable with a similar talent at least, then I think you decide this based on what attracts the right coach. We are not the only team looking for a leader who can develop a young QB. Either you get a new GM that you think does better picking coaches, or you ask the new coach who he wants grocery shopping for him, which might be an enticement giving us an edge. I know it flips the power balance upside down, because now the coach has some power over the GM, but some coaches ARE the GM, so as long as you have a director of football operations above them to guide and fire them, you can ask a top coach who he wants at GM. And if that helps sell the job, then moving Pace becomes easier. What if an incoming Sean Payton LOVES Pace? What if another guy doesn't? And who is picking the coach or GM, whichever is picked first. I sure hope on Monday we see someone like Pete Carrol retire from coaching to be our Top football guy (if you prefer another name, thats fine for this example). Then you can figure out the coach / GM problem however you want and in whichever order gives you the best leverage in hiring the guy you think is most critical.

makes good sense

fair enough. The distinction is that Rodgers is a generational talent, but Brady isnt that physical specimen, he just wins. A lot.

Rodgers is a special talent. Brady is an unstoppable winner. Both are first ballot hall of famers.

If we can find someone as tough as Harbaugh, who will instill a culture of accountability, and inspire smash mouth play, but who is easier to deal with, then great! I just dont want to trade those things away for a guy we like better. if i could have any couch id take Bill Belichick, so I am ok with someone as tough as him who doesnt play the TV game. It doesnt have to be Harbaugh, but i want a tough winner to put the chip back on our shoulder.

Is Mike Ditka a fine human being? What about Bill Parcells? Is Bill Belichick a nice guy first and foremost? Nagy is a quality human being. From this we get all male dance parties after every win. Im not sure head football coach is where you look for role models in human behavior. Id settle for bringing accountability, and wins.

Jim Harbaugh was a pretty good coach for the 49ers. He took a 6-10 team that hadnt finished above 8-8 in eight years and did this: 2011 (13-3) Lost NFC Championship game in overtime to the Giants 20-17 2012 (11-4-1) Lost Super Bowl to Ravens 34-31 2013 (12-4) Lost NFC Championship game to Seattle 23-17 2014 (8-8) Did not go to the playoffs. Fired after the 2014 season. QB Colin Kaepernick goes on to a record of 3-16 after Harbaugh leaves. Harbaugh's 49ers record including playoffs is 49-22-1 (68%) At Michigan, Harbaugh is 61-24 (71.8%) 2015 (10-3) Won Citrus Bowl 41-7 over Florida Gators 2016 (10-3) Lost Orange Bowl 33-32 to Florida State Seminoles 2017 (8-5) Lost Outback Bowl 26-19 to South Carolina Gamecocks 2018 (10-3) Lost Peach Bowl 41-15 to Florida Gators 2019 (9-4) Lost Citrus Bowl 35-16 to Alabama Crimson Tide 2020 (2-4) covid season 2021 (12-2) Lost Orange Bowl 34-11 to the Georgia Bulldogs Hes a good coach and a consistent winner. He brings a much needed culture of responsibility. When he loses in the NFL, it's close. In his first three years, he was a total of two wins away from appearing all three superbowls with a team that had been 6-10. Or if you prefer, he was a total of 9 points away from appearing in all three super bowls. And he has obvious Bears connections. Of course that means that he knows the ownership. Maybe he will come back to the NFL and avoid the Bears even if we offer to him. He'd know what he was avoiding if he did that. Or maybe he wants to take it on. Whatever the case is, we can already have been talking to him the whole time, because he isnt in the NFL. We could do a lot worse. Thoughts?

congratulations! Maybe consider taking this opportunity to convert her to a winning team that has good ownership? LOL Just kidding, she will be an adorable Bears fan, sharing the experience with the rest of us! Congrats again!

I dont think there is anything that would make a difference this year. The only question is does it matter if you keep Nagy or not? Does it put you behind the 8 ball on coordinator interviews? I started this thread based on Nagy's performance in that press conference. Since then, he does seem to be getting more comfortable with the idea that hes fired, so he can pilot this sinking ship for the rest of the year if we dont care about coordinator interviews. Its not what it was last week. Now it's just bad, but not psychologcally scarring. I am confident that Fields knows Nagy is gone, so I dont think Nagy can hurt him. Nagy is a fake tho.

we scooped em https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2021/12/22/22850242/matt-nagy-fired-bears-head-coach-record-contract-ryan-pace-george-mccaskey-justin-fields

when you trade away first round picks you HAVE to go BPA. Pace (if hes the guy running the show next year) has a history of filling holes before the draft. Its prudent, although it makes us angry at signings like Dalton and Glennon, but it's the right thing to do. And it allows you to go BPA, which is critical in maximizing value when you dont have first rounders.

right on. I feel badly for the guy. But I feel badly for us too. We deserve a real team.

I totally agree that is his goal. I'm just saying he looks to be under a lot of pressure, and not handling it internally as well as he should want to for that audition. I think he cant keep his insecurity from bubbling up. It's a lot of pressure, and it's understandable. Not being insecure in this situation would require balls of steel. But he looks like he's cracking, and this isn't good for anyone. I didn't see the game tonight, but I read that Nagy blew up at a ref. This is getting too weird, and out of control, and it's a spectacular failure on the part of Phillips and McCaskey.

I dont think he's checked out as in he doesnt care. I think he is humiliated trying to look brave and strong while he is crumbling inside. Sort of like having to stand in your underwear in front of the entire school and recite the Gettysburg address. He just wants to disappear and be anywhere else.

exactly. I dont hate the guy, I feel bad for him. i think it would be merciful to end it now. But that doesnt mean I like him as head coach, I think hes a fake. I just think Matt Nagy the guy is probably really nice guy, the kind of guy youd like to live next door to. Whereas having Bill Parcells be your landlord would be terrible, but Id take that guy as a head coach any day. Anyway, Nagy has to stand there, humiliated, and you can see how uneasy it is making him. It is very difficult to watch how he cant settle his eyes, his body, his thoughts. Just let him go already.

I just watched this "press conference" and Nagy's body language is terrifying. If you saw this raccoon suffering in the road, you'd be a good guy and put it out of its misery. I know that the press conference was virtual, and without an audience to remind him he's being watched, he might have felt like he was on a phone call, and forget to control his body. So if not a guy cracking, at least an honest moment then. But this guy is so shifty, he keeps scratching his neck. His beard is getting longer. He keeps shifting his weight. His eyes are all over the place. He repeats "next man up" "focus on the positive" at one point he had to say "next coach up" in regards to the coordinators. Everyone including and especially Nagy feels the uncomfortable nature of the situation. He knows it's over, we know it's over, everyone knows it's over. Do the right thing McCaskeys, and make the move. It's just too weird right now, and it's not helping anything at all to wait.

understatement of the year.

I dont think it is a bad thing for a HC to call plays, I just think Nagy is awful at it.

I'm not sure how you draft a rookie #1 WR, especially with the 37th pick. I think we may well draft a WR there, but we will be looking to free agency for a #1 WR first. Unless we have a "building year" and then anything is possible. Ugh.

Exactly. When your team is full of bad players, you are constantly 3 and out, and losing time of possession. When your team throws for over 300 yards and you only get 10 points out of it that is 100% COACHING. When you are trying to lean on Grant as a #1 WR, that is a bad coaching decision.

if we went down this path, then now's the time to do it. The new GM needs time to get to know the situation, do their homework on the roster etc before they can really do the coaching hire the right way. Then again, you're probably gonna end up with one of the two guys being discussed, and fit the roster to them over the next few years anyway, so while the due dilligence might be extensive, the final decision probably isn't all that hard.

Or another scenario, you can fire them both now, and let the new GM have the advantage of week 17 and 18 interviews.

amen. plus, what if they HAD fired Nagy? So what? They are woefully over their heads and always have been.

I agree 100%, Im just saying these people are awful at it, at least most billionaire owners had to succeed at something to get that way before buying the team and meddling.