I don't think the two people are necessarily the same people. However, say what you want, but no one had Pace as a real candidate, let alone the guy, except him. That leads me to believe he has a good source. Does that mean he is right, who knows. Supposedly the Bears had already had some preliminary money talks with Fox already, so presume everyone is on the same wavelength and this is more of a meeting of the minds to make sure everyone is on the same page and that we can work with each other, as well as time to talk shop and what Fox's scouting reports were on the Bears (from afar), etc.

 

I love the fact that Fox is a no-nonsense kind of guy too.

Ive also heard reports that Fox is already calling his OC and DC and will likely be Kyle Shanahan and Dennis Allen. for what its worth

So you don't think it will be higher if he busts his butt, wins the starting job and shows he can grow into the position? By SCS's account, he may not even start for Ohio state next year, but he's good enough to stick with a pro team. Couldn't disagree more. You know Al Davis it's dead right?

r

 

 

odds are against him being 3rd string, so going in to the draft, some one will take a chance on him. Jamarcus Russel got drafted on much less.

Despite a few here doubting Fullers ability, looks as though he did better than we thought. Gotta give him props for playing through the injuries.

 

Chicago Bears Mobile: Fuller, O'Donnell named All-Rookie

http://bit.ly/1wVvNQt

Being named all rookie doesnt guarantee he played well, means more than most rookie CBs didnt develop but good for him. He wasnt terrible but wont make us forget Peanut anytime soon.

I think Kyle Long is a great player and probably a good teammate, but that was childish. Hopefully a joke tho....Long was wrong for his tweet and Bennett was wrong too.

 

 

I could see Bennett and BM not being the best for the locker room environment but their production is great.

 

 

I would hope the new HC could get this team on the same page. Pace and company better get this hire right. Even tho I don't think it will be hard to get a better HC than Trestman.

they are just jacking with each other.

He is slow to read a play, doesn't go through progressions well, has horrible mechanics and has almost zero experience. If he goes pro, it only shows he doesn't want to work for greatness and that he is dumb as a box of hammers for thinking he's ready. Buyer beware. Next year is a different story. Urban will tell him as much.

His valve will never be any higher than it is right now. It the 3rd or 4th round he is worth taking a chance on as a project but is two to three years away from being a NFL type of QB and could bust out. We just have no idea.

Two years after I started watching Bears football games, the longtime coach decided to re-retire and turn the reigns over to a first time head coach and his defensive coordinator. The resulting season was an injury riddled underacheiving season for the team. The star player got injured and the starting QB got injured and on the last game of the season a game in which if the Bears won they had a chance at the playoffs and in the 4th qtr an interception was thrown in the endzone to end the Bears chances.

 

The year was 1968, the star player was Gayle Sayers who suffered a season ending knee injury(see Brian's Song), the starting QB was Virgil Carter who had replaced Jack Concannon who came to the Bears in the Ditka trade and he suffered a broken leg after Sayers got hurt and made the team go back to him and Rudy Bukich. The team that ended the Bears season that year was The Packers and Ray Nitchske made the pick to seal the Bears fate.

 

This history review is just a reminder that this franchise has hired or promoted first time head coaches from within or the hot coordinator in the league for over 40 years since the Ol" Man was the coach. The only two exceptions were Jack Pardee who had HC experience in the World Football League and Mike Ditka who basically begged for the job and was just a special teams coordinator in Dallas.These two men produced the second playoff game in my lifetime and the only SB win in my lifetime.

 

Prior these two and in between there have been first time HC after another who have not fufilled Bears fans dreams. So in the name of Jim Dooley, Abe Gibron, Jack Pardee, Neil Armstrong, Mike Ditka, Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron, Lovie Smith and Marc Trestman all first time HCs please kick the tires on John Fox and any other former HC to right this ship.

IT is reported the Bears are all in on Fox as HC, so you and I want the same thing. Somebody with experience, Fox fills that role. Actually, I started watching the Bears when they drafted Sayers and Butkus , mid 60s

The biggest hole on our roster is a DE who can rush the passer. We can do whatever we want at S, CB, LB but in coverage if we give QBs 4-5 sec to throw the ball it won't matter. Jared Allen is not going to get faster this offseason but I think he can be more effective with less snaps. Willie Young mostly gets coverage sacks but just had a severe injury that will likely cost him some quickness and agility throughout 2015. Houston was never that type of DE. We are left with hope that Washington continues to develop and Bass. The most talented player available in FA is Greg Hardy and he's facing serious domestic abuse charges. I think our new GM will stay away from that media circus, besides when you need a roster overhaul you don't gamble on a guy like Hardy in your first year.

 

Speculation on what we can do to address this really needs to wait on what scheme our new DC will be running.

I agree that a Elite DE who have the biggest impact on the team, but think we need a stud MLB to be a team leader and stop the awful run defense we have.

I can't quote tweets, but there has already been speculation on him and the Bears. That can obviously just be putting 2 and 2 together but ya.

 

I'd be content with his hire. Not overly excited, but content.

Who do you want for a HC? You have probably stated it, but to lazy to look it up.

Most Broncos fans I've seen are happy he's gone. Says he lacked passion.

He has been successful with two different teams, it would be the bomb if we could get him.

I know Fox had health issues in Denver so I wonder if the reason for him leaving Denver is that he is retiring from coaching? I cannot believe they would let him go because of performance. Obviously P Manning had a lot to do with his success in Denver but he cannot be blamed for the poor finish Denver had to the season. That IMO was Manning showing his age. Might be time for him to think about retiring. I believe the season was about 6 games longer than what his body could absorb.

I think Elway knows Payton is retiring and is starting over fresh with a younger coach to in a sense rebuild with new people in place.

Let's be honest. When hiring, no one is going to get a HC that just won the Super Bowl. You will either get an unknown commodity in a coordinator like Arians, a re-tread hoping to pull a Billicheck, or a stellar college mind that one hopes is like Harbaugh or Kelly. It's all a gamble. There will always be a doubt. My friend from NE was pissed when they hired Billicheck...at first.

 

As long as the chosen one isn't some complete left field guy from the Austrailian rules football club..I.'ll feel that the brain trust, set up w/ Accorsi's guidance, has chosen a guy that has a chance to be legit. I'll give him all the support he needs. But, if I see he isn't getting it done, then I'll shout for his ouster. Until then, I'm simply on board.

 

That's where Im coming from also.

With Kubiak staying in Baltimore, anyone else getting that déjà vu feeling all over again? Back when the Bears tried hiring McGinniis and that fiasco?

No, a media twitter stated they were pushing hard to get Kubiak, all they did was request an interview.

 

The media twitter injected his opinion into the request to interview, there is no facts to suggest Pace was hot after Kubiak.

Never lost control. As many commentators have pointed out this is almost identical to the Megatron play from a few years ago. In that play, even though he was playing against the beloved, he was also screwed.

I agree it is a bullshit rule but the ball came out when it hit the ground and you could clearly see it in mid air again and he re grabbed it.

So I'm sitting at the Kona airport waiting for my connection to Honolulu and had some time to think. Dick LeBeau has resigned from the Steelers but said he doesn't plan on retiring. I know he's old but doesn't seem to age. What if be was interested in being a HC?

 

I like that he's been around awhile so he has street cred and might attract some good young eventual coordinator prospects. Most here loved Cowher and the two of them spent some quality time together. What if?

He is 77 years old.

 

HE was Bengals head coach : 2000 4-9

2001 6-10

2002 2-14

 

Are we really going to get a progressive coach that got worst every year he was head coach?

 

Dumb idea

Ya, I really think he's stout enough to handle it, and remember Ratliff played the nose under Phillips as well.

 

Looking at Wades 2011 D that ranked 2nd, the NT on that team was Shaun Cody who was listed at 6'4" 294.

 

As for other positions I really think we'd be in the same boat but instead of a MLB (I happen to think Bostic/Jones would be a solid ILB combo) we would be looking at an OLB....and that's if they don't wanna give SMC, Washington, Bass, or maybe even Allen( who would otherwise be cut) a shot opppsite of Young. Actually, in a transition year, it might make some sense to give one of those guys a shot vs grabbing an early rounder.

 

But ya we would still need a corner and a safety regardless.

That OLB could come in the draft in the name of Shane Ray.

I think Ferguson can be a good NT in a 3-4.

Absolutely dead on there.

Stinger,

The biggest holes to me are the need at Safety, LB (specifically MLB), CB, and OLine. If we can get starter caliber players (via Free Agency and the draft) in those areas this off season, I think that will be a great start. I think Pace is going to be aggressive and you will see a ton of transactions this offseason similar to what Seattle did a few years ago.

 

I figure we will see about 15 new players on the 53 man in 2015, and could have essentially a completely new roster/team going into 2017 besides the players you mentioned to build around. About 1/3 a year, with us better in year one, competitive in year two, and thinking deep playoff run in year three.

I agree with your opinion and would like them to surprise me, but to be honest most teams that reverse the trend has high draft picks for several bad years and make the change. We have a long way to go.

I had plenty of foresight when it came to Cutler. Or don't you remember? I was one of the few here that originally saw fault with Cutler when Trestman was trying to implement his offense. Sure, like you and others here I believed Cutler could be the answer. But when finally they brought in a coach that had the "QB whisperer" pedigree and endorsements by HOF QBs who played for him and he (Cutler) still failed, I lost that awe. I fact I was one of the few (if not only) that asked for McCown to play in Cutlers stead to much ridcule (thanks Lucky Luciano). Yet when McCown came In to play he did pretty darn good.

 

Yes I hated the loss of Urlacher and part of that was what I deemed as Emery's egotism getting in the way. I didn't want much for Urlacher just for him to be able to lead the defense for one maybe two more years. Sure he might not have produced at the level we were accustomed but there's no doubt he could lead. The precipitous fall that followed was all but predictiable.

 

All I said was I wished we could have gotten more out of somethig that was proven rather than change course 'just because'. Losing Lovie after a 10-6 season seemed stupid to me and especially does after what we've witnessed these last two years. Losing Urlacher was similar especially since the defense crumbled as much as it did.

I will give you kudos with Cutler, you didnt like him from the beginning and were right about him. Lovie needed to go, the problem was they hired the wrong guys to turn it over too. I will support the new regime with optimism because Im a Bear fan., If they screw it up will be bad mouthing them in two years.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-instant-repl...-the-first-down

 

I'm not even sure the ball touched the ground, he had his hand under the tip, and the ball up on his arm. The pylon is kind of in the way to see if the ball hits the ground.

 

Edit: Either way, it's a bs rule. He had both feet and a fore arm and the other elbow on the ground.

He didnt keep control threw the catch. He clearly lost control of the ball. Was hoping they screwed it up but the refs got it right.

Strong defense + running Lovie.

Strong defense (with a future HOFer AT LB) + ignoring OL + sitting on a TD lead = Lovie

 

Lovie got off of a sinking ship at the right time, and not by his choice. He would have made nearly no difference the past two years. Just look at TB to see what happens when he didn't have supreme talent on defense. Also, his "winning" record in Chicago is pretty damn close to .500, and boosted by a couple of meaningless end of season wins that ultimately hurt the team in the long run. Five winning seasons, three losing, and one even should have been worse if he were smart, and at the end of the day his overall record was .563. Stellar, that is.

Lovie was asked to leave, but we may have had a few more wins over those last two years, but went nowhere. The defense aged in front of us, and the slew of injuries cost of us some games. Like you said Lovie is who he is, not much above mediocre.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/554307516868595712

 

I heard early reports that he was not interested, but that was before the Ravens were eliminated. I would not be opposed to him, and like it was mentioned in another thread, he does have ties to Cutler/Marshall from Denver.

He has head coaching experience, if Pace thinks he is the best choice, lets see where it goes.

 

Wanting to interview him doesnt mean he is our guy.

Maybe you didn't hear Pace when he said he wanted to get back to traditional Bear football with a strong defense and a strong running game? Sound familiar?

 

At any rate I think it cute the two of you agree. Fact is fact and Lovie had a winnig record while here. Since then the team has gone 13-19. This only two years removed from you Stinger saying how optimistic you were with Trestman/Emery. History seems to be repeating itself...at least for the moment.

You talk about history and you keep bringing up Lovie who has been gone for two years now. I am optimistic about anything new until it proves different. You keep bringing up names like Lovie, McCown, Urlacher, you have no foresight, you just live in the past and aspire to mediocrity. I would expect nothing less from you.

I have mentioned my opinion on players on other posts, but might as well put it all in one spot.

 

offense: QB Cutler, he is who he is, a 15-20 rated QB prone to TOs. I think the only reason he will be around is because there is not much in options.

Fales, anybody here think he is a future star? I dont

 

RB-Carey, he may have some valve going forward, but I dont think he will ever be a star.

Forte is a 30 year old star, but anybody think he will still be playing at a high lever 3 years from now?

 

TE- Bennett is an above average player ready to turn 29, we have nothing behind him , period.

 

WR- BM- I think he is a good player but his demeanor is a chaotic problem in the locker room. IF were a winning team with good leadership he could be managed, but going on 31 his he part of our future in a couple of years?

Jeffery- is a star on the rise, he regressed in year 2 but has a bright future.

Wilson hasnt proved much yet but will have some valve under the right coaching staff,but what will he be? a #3 or #4 on a good team?

WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE

 

OL-Bushrod, I think he is a below average serviceable player, he will keep his job only because of so many other holes to filll

Garza- at 35 can only go down going forward

Long- a star on the rise,I think he will be our future LT

Slauson- a better than average player coming off of injury

Mills- has failed as a starter, maybe a backup with the new regime

We need to resign DLP and Ola to at least give us some depth if not starting for sake of better players.

 

 

Defense:

DE- Allen, an old player that will only erode going forward. A situational PRer, thats about it at best.

Houston, if he plays like he did last year,he is a bust

Young- a good player but he is 29 coming off an injury. In three years he will start to go down hill

Bass, not sure he will still be around, shows a little promise.

 

DT- Radliff, I think his time has come to an end, a decent player but old and often injured.

Paea needs to be resigned, our best DT this year.

Sutton showed promise and could start going forward

Ferguson showed promise and could start going forward

 

LB- this is a total mess

Bostic, has failed so far, maybe the new regime can place him in the right spot be potential starter

Jones, has shown some promise and could be our future starting SLB

Greene probably wont be around, a bust

McClellan is simply a bust

 

 

S- where do we start

Conte is gone

Mundy may be a backup on a good team

Veeren, not sure what he is

Nothing else here

 

CB- Jennings is in trouble and not sure if he will be around with a potential suspension coming

Fuller shows promise as a potential starter on a good team

Hurst-Al Louis-Jean-McManis, not sure you have much here

 

ST- punter is young and upcoming, and Gould is good and 33

 

Evaluation: we have a complete rebuild coming , we have an old roster with most the players that are any good are old

 

Our players to build around: Long, Jeffery, Fuller, Young, Ferguson, Sutton, Slauson.

 

Anybody wishing to give me some more hope, Im listening.

Suspect all you want. That isn't fact and doesn't get you a whole heck of a lot other than guess work. Sure TB had its problems last year, but to be fair it was Lovies first there. And now he's in line for Mariotta and possibly Trestman as his OC. Speculatively speaking, if I were a TB fan I'd be pretty excited.

It is fact, the Bucs have the first pick in the draft. Thats a fact that's not speculation. The downfall for Lovie is not his coaching ability but he has power over personal down there. After we were in the Super Bowl Lovie got power and stuck his voice in the draft and you can see how that went down hill. He brought in FAs like Archuleta, and the OLT, Pace, and they sucked. I think Lovie is a above average coach, but not the coach that will give you the Super Bowl every team should aspire too. His time here run its course. In the last 20 years we have only been in the playoffs 3 times,maybe you are satisfied with that but Im not. We will have to see what Pace and new coach will do, but at least that gives us hope, Lovies hope was being better than mediocre but couldnt take us to the promise land. One Super Bowl appearance in 9 years wasnt good enough.

I think it is pretty hard to get an honest assessment of a player's performance when he is in a bad scheme or has bad coaching. Regardless of how good the player is, the scheme can literally neuter a player's performance and hinder his growth. That is why some players explode on the scene when there is a change in coaching or when they go to a different team. The same can be said negatively, and I think we may have witnessed some of that here this year. Mel Tucker and the defensive scheme were historically bad. The players were never in sync and were always out of position. With real coaching, first, this wouldn't happen, and if it did, it would be corrected immediately. I almost think that is why Fuller actually regressed during the year. He came in early in the season without being tainted yet, so he played well just by running out there and acting on his previous experiences and instinct, then once he was "forced" into the scheme, he struggled. There was constant miscommunication, and the entire unit went down the drain. So even when they grade missed tackles, how many of them occurred because our guys were so far out of position that the tackle they were making was much more difficult to make than the one they would've had if they were in the right scheme or call?

 

I really feel like with a legit HC and DC, who can coach and put players in a position to make plays that we will at least be back to an average squad. Then if you add 2-3 more legit starters we can get back to being a reputable defense again. The D-Line has enough on it going into next year. The LB's with Jones and Bostic will get better, especially with a legit MLB. If we can add another Corner and starting Safety to go with Mundy, we won't have any major holes to fill.

 

On offense, if we can get a Center and possibly another Tackle, we will be pretty solid across the board. Regardless of the QB situation, I feel like we have the skill players to be a top 10 squad as long as the scheme is not from the mid-1980's.

Isnt it strange how a year ago we had such optimism, and after a bad year, things look like crap. I am forever an optimist but this year has took a toll on me relating to the Bears. I hope the new GM and coach can see more valve in most of the players that I do right now.

OL- we have one stud(long) one good player(Slauson), one below average but serviable (Bushrod). I think Garza is on the way down that will just look worse every year. I think if we sign DLP we will have a younger and more serviceable OC. Maybe Ola can fill the RG spot if we move Long to RT. I also think when Bushrods contract is done he will be our LT going forward. So we will at least need one more if not a couple of FAs or drafted players to add to our depth going forward.

WR- I think Jeffrey is a future star, BM is on his way out. I like watching him play, but I think in the locker room he is part of a chaotic environment. If we were a winning locker room with strong leadership we could keep him in line but dont think he will be around. Wilson may be a #3 or #4 but really hasnt showed much. After that we have nothing to look forward to, we need to add at least 2 WRs .

TE- Bennett is an above average player but we have nothing behind him, we need to at least add one more TE to the mix.

RB- Forte is one of the best 5 RBs in the league, but at 30 how much longer will he be good, this is the last year of his contract. I think Carey has some valve, but will have a lot to prove to the new HC, so we need to add one more spot here.

QB- Cutler is who he is, a 15-20 rated QB that is paid amongst the highest in the league. I think he will be here one more year only because, there will be no other options for us to consider. So we will draft a so so prospect but this is a year away from a prospect to even consider.

This is our offense and that's the strength of this team. We have a 2 to 3 year rebuild and thats if we have good drafts. I am the TT doom and gloom Bear fan until proven otherwise.