BearFan PHX

I am just floored that our coaches didnt watch film with Caleb. That's malpractice and it's stupid! I mean, it's your dream job in the NFL; head coach and Offensive Coordinator, and you have the first overall pick. How you do in that situation is gonna determine your NFL future. What in hell did you have to do that was so important that it didnt include hours of prep time for your QB? Explaining you offense vs. that weeks defense? It's INSANE. It is also true that QBs should watch a LOT more film than coaches have time for too. The QB coach should be there for some of it for sure, and if your team has a vet QB, it's their job too to teach the rookie how to watch film, and working together to find trends and such in the week's opponent. Case keenum is gonna be very helpful for Caleb in that way. And I think some people read all this to mean "oh you need help identifying cover 2?" and of course thats not it. It's about being clever and finding little tells and spacings in your opponent. You might think that in certain formations, the LB shades outside a bit more than average, and so you think "if I have Kmet on a slant on that play, like A, B, C & D in this weeks game plan, then I will be ready to expect that he will have superior body position inside" That's not football 101, it's noticing little details that give you small advantages in that week. It's the kind of thing where if you have multiple people looking at it, then each person sees different things. And the Coordinator is supposedly doing that too, scouting the opponents tendencies and matchups. So the game plan is supposed to have plays that are meant to exploit these expectations. So why in hell wouldnt you communicate that to your QB?? Show him the plays you have for the week along with some clips of WHY you chose them this week. What did the OC see? What will the QB look at? Sounds like Johnson is already doing a lot of that on the field. We dont have a weekly opponent now, so we are putting in the generic plays. BJ is explaining what each route is doing - how it gets open vs different coverages, or how it help put a defender in conflict, and how to read that etc. If you know WHY a play works, then it becomes a tool against defenses. If you just know the play and what to do, but not the reason behind it, then all you can do is read it in order, and not change your reads depending on what youre seeing, and how the play matches up to that. So yeah, BJ, Doyle, the QB coach and Keenum should be helping all of that and the film study all go together into one cohesive plan. Williams did pretty well last year without that, didnt he? Not to mention that we are hearing reports that multiple opponents coaching staffs actually laughed at us when reviewing our offensive tape for their defenses. Lining up in formations where you cause a couple players to be completely ineffective, running routes that dont compliment eachother, and making atorcious reads by the Ol in the running game. It should be really different this year. Is it possible we havent had a real football team here for decades? That we're gonna see something that looks tighter and more intentional than what we are used to? God dammit i am ready for it.

OK so here's a good one. Each of our running backs in a short pass drill. What you can clearly see here is how many steps it takes them to break their speed, and turn for the ball. So you see how they get off, break down, and then start up again and turn. Check out how efficient Monangai is. He is so strong it takes him fewer steps to break his route, and then his snap and turn is just lightning fast. You can just see the explosiveness. I'd also note the order they are doing the drill in - thats the current pecking order. Hilarious that Homer is above Monangai. Mon is coming for all of you! And I gotta say, if Monangai is a true stud, that's gonna make those trade downs and missed RB picks look that much better. Same with Trapilo. Hit on both of those, and any draft day criticism I have of the draft this year and the way Poles played the board vaporises. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1111420107694286

adam, incredible. Our passing woes are legendary. How can 5,059 be the franchise leader?! We have been so behind the curve, so backward. I sure hope it is our time now.

100% and of course that goes for every player on the roster, but for a first overall pick QB? Absolutely.

exactly. if this was still Eberflus, then I wouldnt be shocked if Williams was demanding a trade at this point. And that'd play poorly in the press, we'd all be mad, but I think it'd be understandable. I mean they didnt even watch film with him! I am still flabbergasted at that. How do you learn how to run an offense if they wont watch film with you and talk about how your plays work against different defenses your opponent plays?! It's CRAZY how bad Eberflus and Waldron were. But instead, it's Ben Johnson now, and I am pretty sure with the roster turnover, and the level of coaches that Caleb is VERY happy with the situation now. And all of this switches now, from external concerns to Caleb himself. The table is set, and it all comes back to how he plays now. Assuming we get the LT spot locked down, there are no excuses. And I expect Caleb to rise to the challenge, and the window for the Bears is now opening. And of course, we need to see it on the field! But the pieces should be in place.

it was from interviews with the author of the book, I think before the 2024 draft. It isnt a new statement from Caleb, just newly released to hype the book. As far as I know, he made peace with all of it before we drafted him. that's also what the book says, according to other excerpts this week. I agree if he said this now, that would be really dumb.

I have to give Poles points for being firm "We are going to draft you no matter what" The narrative was out there before the draft that he and his dad didnt want him playing in Chicago, and the book just expands on that, but youve got to figure by now Caleb and his dad are ecstatic about how it all turned out. Absolutely. Johnson sounds really good. Cant wait to see it on the field.

I don't blame Caleb at all. He was right. Eberflus and Waldron was a nightmare scenario. I mean they actually didnt watch film with him! To the point where the guy is fired by week ten. What an absolute shit show! And in the end, Caleb did it anyway. he was a man and took his situation, bad as it was. I've got nothing but respect for Caleb in this. People will try to say he was being arrogant, and not a team player. But knowing what we know now, Caleb was just right about it.

That's just what i get from having watched the games. In my opinion, he is a good player but not a great one, and he has not lived up to his potential. He HAS potential. if he improves a lot, then he will be great and all bets are off. But I haven't seen a great or special TE in Kmet.

Good ones - do you know what year they are from? Im not saying NEVER, Im saying not as a rule, not often enough. Anyway, one way or another, we will all see in time if Cole is on the team opening day of 2026. I just think it's more likely that he won't be.

Well what will happen to Kmet is definitely just my opinion - but that he has underperformed, and not put that kind of shaking a defender or making contested catches on tape is a fact. We can say he will (or wont) do those things better with better coaching and gameplan, but I never saw anything at the top of his route that was crisp or put fear in the heart of a DB or LB that was covering him? A TE is supposed to be a big guy who moves athletically. Hes a mismatch because he is a real WR, even if not a 4.4 speed, and he can use his big body to get open west coast style with body position, or with twitch at the top of his route (meaning, where he breaks) Kmet is big, but he hasnt really shown more athleticism for the position, in my opinion, than Wright would if he lined up at TE. Kmet is a big guy, but he isnt special running routes. All his catches are wide open in broken zones, or after Caleb is scrambling. I dont see Kmet as a threat in rhythm in the passing game.

OK, cool - it's just I usually say "thats why i think" or "it looks like" or some kind of qualifier. When you say "He is not going to be playing the inline TE role" it sounds like such a definitive statement, and it makes me think "well you dont know that" - I'll try to read those as opinion in the future. And in the case of Cole, I'm totally bendable. I do say hes a good player, and has a chance to play himself back into the light. It's not as definitive for me as it was when I started saying "Eberflus sucks 100% he needs to be fired" or something like that. THAT was just true, we all got there eventually.

Yeah you cant really judge how they will be in live fire - strength and all that - but it is a good chance for the coaches to work on positioning, and the mental side of the game. One thing we seldom talk about, but it really important, is teaching the blocking rules to the players. They have to all be reading the same way on an outside zone blocking scheme (for example), or you end up with unintentional double teams, and also someone coming free. We've had serious problems with assignments and stuff like that for a LONG time. I hate seeing Bears OL players just standing in space looking around with no one to block. That's usually a blown assignment. This is something the players and coaches can work on this time of year. Having Roushar, and even just getting rid of Morgan is a huge step forward for us. I heard Coach Johnson talk about needing smart players on the OL, and this is where that really makes a difference - in processing what youre seeing the same way your teammates do, so you can all get the right guy. If we can consistently identify and move guys on the OL, we are gonna win a lot of games. That's the core that makes everything else work. And knowing who to block is a huge part of that - especially in complex systems. BJ runs all kinds of different running systems. Most teams are either inside zone, outside zone or power schemes. Most dont run multiple blocking rule sets. We apparently do now, and so this time of year is probably doubly important, especially in year one. So I guess you can see whether your players are getting it, at least in terms of the mental part of the game.

I agree with both of you.

how do you know where they will line him up? my expectation is that they will do all sorts of things with him because he is so flexible.

I think we have milked the Kmet conversation to death now. Weve all said everything we think, and now time will tell. All I can add right now is that I havent seen Kmet shake off defenders, or make contested catches. Maybe he will, but so far he hasnt lived up to his draft status or contract.

Back in January you were saying 2 new OL at most, that you liked what we had on the roster, and I was saying 4. It looks like we are at 3 right now, and likely heading toward 4.

yes, and in the past week or two Ive heard that Trapilo worked at LT after practice throughout his college career to be ready to play LT in the NFL. He's a big athletic guy, if he can take over well at LT, then that would be fantastic. Also as you say, we have Amagadje in the mix. Im ignoring all his film from last year, since he went from injury right into the fire without any preparation. So I think of him as a 3rd round rookie basically, or maybe even a third rounder who was redshirted. he will have his chance to compete too.

OK, but youre saying he had a high catch rate, and was usually wide open when he was targeted, but had a low target rate. COuldnt that mean he didnt get open unless it was a blown coverage or a hole in a zone? ANd then he caught the ball well when he was wide open. But does that indicate that he won battles? Got open when someone was on him? The tape, to my eyes, looks like hes too stuff to shake off defenders. That would account fot his low targets, and his wide open status on the smaller number of targets?

BJ wont necessarily run the same offense as he did in Detroit. I do agree Loveland's receiving stats could be similar, but Loveland CAN block too!

I think teams with weak schedules who get the playoffs usually dont do very well. I kinda like a tough schedule, because if you succeed, you know what youve got?

I am only saying Kmet isnt special, and that Loveland is better. On our roster, I dont think Kmet is worth the money. For someone else, it might work out differently. Kmet is a middle of the pack starting TE in my view - he will have people interested, but its not gonna be a 1st or 2nd round pick in trade I agree. I agree again about 2 TE sets forcing defenses out of nickel and into base defense. And If Cole isnt on the team, there will be someone else playing TE2 for sure - and they will be an inline blocker so as to force the exact mismatches youre talking about. I just dont think Cole is worth the money they're paying him, and will replace him with someone cheaper. I didnt see Kmet breaking free of LBers covering him. That's the theory here. Or even using his big body in a west coast way to shield off defenders. He SHOULD be able to do that, but I havent seen it on tape. My lack of faith in Kmets price tag is one thing, but we totally agree about 12 personnel and Ben Johnson's ability to leverage it - we see that the same way. I bet the new coaches are looking at Kmet and DJ Moore to see if last year was about losing, or if it means they are head cases. I think for both, they wanted to win and were frustrated with Eberflus. But Im not sure how much of a leadership role Kmet will have going forward here? Especially as TE2? And I do think someone else will pay him to be TE1, and he would naturally want that? Cutting Kmet is an interesting question. It boils it down to just the money. There is no draft pick. Makes it a harder choice. Adam, or anyone, what are the compensatory ramifications for this? Do we get a pick if we cut him?

I agree with all of this. The best way to help Caleb is a good running game that opens up play action.

i totally get that Kmet and Loveland are different in style. But Im saying Kmet isn t that good - even at what he does. In fact, Im not convinced that Loveland isnt a better blocker than Kmet. As for spacing and working different areas of the field, there are lots of ways to put 4 or 5 guys into the pattern, no matter whether you have 0, 1 or 2 TEs in the game - I know you agree with that. So Kmet isnt better playing any area of the field than Loveland or Burden would be, but there are areas that Kmet cant get to that Burden and Loveland can? So to me, I predict Kmet will get traded next year, or at the trade deadline. But all of this with the caveat that Kmet DOES have physical tools. If the light goes on for him, he can play himself back into relevance here, and stick around. I'm just personally betting against that happening, because i havent seen it yet from him? I suppose if he were to agree to a cheaper contract he could also stay, but no one ever does that with years to go on their deal, and the likelihood that someone will pay him in a trade. But your last point is dead on. The stage is set, over-set even. There are weapons everywhere and a stellar coaching staff. It all falls on Caleb now. Exciting times to be sure! I mean, what does it say that we are all dithering over TE2? That only happens when other things are looking set. Pretty cool.

I agree. Loveland isnt a bad blocker though. There was a narrative that he was all WR, and youre right that he can play like one, but apparently he is a better blocker than people realize too. Im not sure when we go to one TE inline that it will be Kmet though and not Loveland?