AZ54

I'm very conflicted about this. https://www.profootballrumors.com/2025/01/bears-expected-to-conduct-hc-interview-with-matt-campbell

Sad

Kudos to the Bears for forcing the Cowboy's hand with McCarthy. Regardless if our interest was legit, part of the search is understanding the competition and they forced Dallas to show their hand early. With their roster makeup and Jones' deep pockets that was a legit concern. Now there are 3 decent HC openings and how you count "decent" varies depending on what you think of Trevor Lawrence and JAX, NE and Drake Maye. You've got to figure Vrabel is at or near the top of the list in NE along with Ben Johnson. Does Johnson really want to go to JAX? Is this now a 2 team and 2 horse race for the top candidates? If so that gives the Bears more time to be thorough and see if there are any rising stars that intrigue them.

I have no problem with the owner thanking someone who worked for him for his time and effort even if he was fired for cause. George can be inept at football but he doesn't have to be classless. Someone else is going to get this job and they shouldn't be wondering if they'll be the next one to get s#%@ on publicly in 3 years. I personally feel that treating people with respect regardless of circumstances carries through an entire organization and that includes the players and other coaches who are about to get fired. The world already knows Eberflus failed no need to dig the knife in further. I don't think there will be 8 people in the interview room but it sounds like there will be 8 people involved at various points in the interview. Just to hire one person at my job they have to get interviewed by 5 people. Candidates for a manager role can get interviewed by 7 people including those who will report to them. While that may sound odd the post interview discussions are always enlightening because each person tends to focus on different aspects of a job and I always get a different perspective on a candidate that I didn't see in my interview. Or I'm the one who is a hard "no". Regardless, the problem for me is who those 8 people are and what they personally bring the interview table. Since the entire coaching staff is getting fired who are the 8? George, Kevin, Ryan, and maybe scouting department leaders... ? Poles already stated he's letting Ian go off and focus on his own interviews. The owner should only have right of refusal and even that should be for an extreme issue like a past history of drug or legal problems. The owner absorbs all liability so IMO that's fair. Get the DEI crap out of the way. Anyone who has played sports knows that teams become inclusive when they win. Kevin Warren does not know football, just sports management. He needs to be a sideline player in terms of the football aspect but I also don't mind his perspective on their leadership qualities after meeting with the candidates.

I always said that. Elite QBs change everything and really that and just decent coaching will get you into the playoffs.

And IIRC he also had issues with his defenses over the years. IMO the resume says he's an OC candidate.

During his final press conference when asked about who or what he wanted in a new coaching staff he said he wants to be challenged. He admitted or mentioned several times the need for him to improve his ability to play on time or within the timing of the play. Caleb is pretty smart and is already reading defenses well just not making decision quick enough. He setup the final play that got us the game winning FG. Thomas Brown said he called for triple stack of WRs on the right with DJ in one on one coverage with intent of DJ going deep and taking a chance on a game winning TD. Caleb told DJ if he saw coverage over the top to break it off to the slant we saw. DJ listened to him and we won the game. Little details like that have me very optimistic for what we'll see next season.

I can't argue against that point even though I knew Warren would never approve of hiring him.

We need to remember what the team did last year when we interviewed OCs because that's how we found Thomas Brown. While he's not yet HC material, nor even OC material he's on that path and I do think he's a good coach. He just needs more time. McCarthy could just as easily be an OC target for one of our HC candidates. He's clearly not a HC I'd want but like many other very seasoned coaches he might step back to being an OC and be just fine running the offense for someone like Mike Vrabel.

Just like last year I'd like a trade back from 10 even to as low as 20. I doubt anyone is that desperate to move up so that won't likely happen. There is still very good Dline and Oline talent for the trenches from 20-70. RB is supposedly very deep as well and netting an extra 3rd Rd pick enables us to grab a good one to mix in with Swift. Maybe someone will take Ian Cunningham off our hands and give us a 3rd Rd comp pick.

Agreed

For all the issues we dealt with knowing we finally have a good QB is just a nice feeling. Really Caleb should have had at least 3, maybe 4 come back wins (I've got a mental block on most of this season) if Flus had coached the defense properly. That's pretty good and for me watching him win the game that way was just an awesome way for him to begin the offseason.

To be fair neither does our Dline.

I'm with you. Shelton has met expectations as our C and can be our starter next year. Jenkins has done enough to stay if the contract is middle of the road... a 2 yr deal seems reasonable for both sides. Draft two Oline players early to add competition and sign one more in FA to be a starter at RG. Then get an OC who can make our QB throw the ball on time.

Josh Simmons?

I don’t think Campbell is an NFL OT. Love him at OG. He’d be my target with a slight trade back.

Thomas Brown is in way over his head as an OC. It was very obvious in that Seattle game and he kept calling little WR screens as if that was somehow going to beat the pressure issues. By the 2nd quarter the defense figured out all they had to do was play downhill.

Cut the players that are getting us a higher draft pick? Absolutely not.

Ah I see you were laying out his qualifications to be a bears coach.

The same guy who didn’t give the football to Marshawn Lynch at the goal line in the Super Bowl to win the game?

I watched this last night. His line drive pass into the gap deep down the right sideline is just rare talent. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone do that. Beyond that moment, his composure behind the line on numerous plays was amazing.

I have no idea what happened to him. Missing easy wide open passes in this last game was really surprising to me.

It appears we are locked in at 10 or better. I don’t have a clue why they say that. Regardless I’m just here for the quarterback play …which is something I’ve never said about a bears game. “Following Week 16 action, the Bears currently hold three picks in the top 41 in the 2025 NFL draft, according to Tankathon. And with just two weeks left, Chicago cannot pick worse than 10th overall in the draft, which is great news for landing a top prospect to shore up the roster.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/2025-nfl-draft-order-bears-can-pick-no-worse-than-this-spot/ar-AA1wqWTw

Merry Christmas to all, and to all.. a good draft.

I hear that and I wouldn't be against drafting an elite LT with our first pick but there is the talent to consider when defining strategy. Of course you could say this should make us more conducive to a trade down if it's available. Or grab the DT but the only one I really like (so far) is Mason Graham. There is a lot more in the article but I'm not a paid subscriber. Even without that, if you hit the link you can get more details on the OTs but Thorn doesn't seem to have any of them as true blue chip talents. I still feel like if you have a chance to get a true blue chip player, unless you already have one at that position, then you take them. https://trenchwarfare.substack.com/p/2025-offensive-line-class-overview "The 2025 O-Line class was initially perceived as much worse than last year’s. That’s still largely a factual statement, but it’s worth noting that last year’s class was historically loaded, especially at tackle and center. Seven tackles were drafted in round one alone (the most in 12+ years) and nine total linemen went in the first round, tying the 2022 and 2013 classes for the most since at least 2012. Last year’s class saw 25 total linemen drafted in the first three rounds alone, which is another high over that more than a decade long time span. This upcoming class is emphatically less talented than 2024, but there are still several projected year one starters. Most of this starting talent is concentrated at guard. There are only a few true guards that I see as early starters right now (Alabama’s Tyler Booker, Georgia’s Tate Ratledge), but the ceiling of the guard class as a whole is raised thanks to many of the best tackle prospects having a viable and familiar pathway into the well-stocked ‘very good college tackle-to-pro guard’ pipeline (LSU’s Will Campbell, Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., West Virginia’s Wyatt Milum, Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea and more). This isn’t to say that the tackle class is completely void of round one talent because that isn’t true either. All of the prior names could feasibly get a crack at a tackle spot, even if their ceilings are higher inside. My top-graded true tackles all could hear their names called in round one (Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., Missouri’s Armand Membou). Skepticism starts to creep in when examining the projected center class. I only have three players with a grade inside the first three rounds and none in round one. This is a little easier to stomach given the depth of last year’s center class (six rookie centers are currently starting for teams, and five have 10 or more starts)."