Rebuilding the Bears

[Mongo3451]

Unless we have a few miracles take place, we are on a downward path.  Here's my plan for a quick turnaround.

Fire Pace and replace him with Louis Riddick.  I don't of many more football people I have been more impressed with.  He's smart, knowledgeable, decisive, commanding and diverse.  Give him full command to hire and fire at will.  My choice would be that he hire someone like Dabo Sweeney to be HC.  Also, beg Bill Polian to be president of your organization for two years and give him free reign.

We know this going to be a two to three year change, so let's think 2 years ahead to start.  Our defense is older, but incredibly talented.  We have collateral there.  If we could trade Mack, Fuller and Hicks we could a few nice picks out of them. (Cap guys chime in)  Mack should garner a first at minimum.  Fuller a second and Hicks a third.  If I'm off base there, let me know.  Definitely would love to trade Quinn away for a fifth, but not sure anyone would want that salary.

On the offensive side of the ball, I'm resigning Mitch to a two year, prove it, deal and keeping Foles as a back up.

Now that we've traded our defensive studs away, we have Jaylon, Roquan and Eddie as our future stars to build around.  Going into the off season we know we'll need to draft replacements for all three.  Plus, I'm cutting Skrine.

On the offensive side of the ball I'm cutting Harris, Graham, Massie, Leno and Coward.  There's three out the door that we know we'll have to draft well on.

For the draft we have 2 firsts, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 1 fourth, 1 fifth, 4 sixth(3 comp) and a seventh.  When drafting, I don't want to put a round peg in a square hole just to draft a need.  I want the right fit type of player every time.  Our coaches first need to state what our identity will be, then draft for that identity.  Since I'm doing this, I choose big, nasty, physical, tough minded and smart.  My first six picks are going to both fronts. (Three for each side)  It all starts up front with blocking and tackling, running and stopping the run and getting after the quarterback.  These six players must be big and powerful on offense and relentless on defense.  Nothing else matters unless we win at the line of scrimmage.  I'm not drafting a QB until the line is fixed the following year.  We have 7 picks left so give me another speed receiver, a running back, 2 linebackers and 3 db's.  BPA will sort them out.

I may even keep Leno around if he takes a pay cut to back up the youngsters.  This is a work in progress, so put on your GM hats on and help me improve this.

 

 

[Bill]

I had a post similar to yours all typed in last night.  This team is in need of a total rebuild.  My only changes would be to trade or cut almost anyone over 25 or not on a rookie contract.  Even if you have to eat some cap.  They can't be much over 30 in three years.  I figure this rebuild will take three years.  Hopefully you have at least one or two drafts just like the 83 draft.  Also don't sign or offer a max deal for anyone on till you have the QB set, without a doubt.  Two years of good play.    JJ Watt, Donald, Mack and a bunch of other top paid Defensive players have gotten their teams how many SB's.   The Bears in the late 80's and early 90's only won one SB because they could never get the QB position right after McMann kept getting hurt.  And as you have said, build from the inside out on both sides.  But if the right QB is available, in any round, you have to take a chance and do so every year.  If you hit on more than one they are money in the bank

[Stinger226]

First of all, I doubt anyone trades for Mack, his cap hit next year is 26+ mil next year and dead money would be 38 mil if we cut him. Dont think he's going anywhere. Fuller maybe could be traded but he has a big payday and if we cut him, it would be 9mil dead money. The people with the most in saving to get rid of is Hicks-Leno-Massie and Graham. Dead money=13.5 mil and 29.1 mil in savings. Trying to find someone to take on a big salary will be difficult with getting actual value, with teams knowing we may end up cutting them. We have to bring in a new QB and keep one of our 2 to be a backup.

[Bill]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

First of all, I doubt anyone trades for Mack, his cap hit next year is 26+ mil next year and dead money would be 38 mil if we cut him. Dont think he's going anywhere. Fuller maybe could be traded but he has a big payday and if we cut him, it would be 9mil dead money. The people with the most in saving to get rid of is Hicks-Leno-Massie and Graham. Dead money=13.5 mil and 29.1 mil in savings. Trying to find someone to take on a big salary will be difficult with getting actual value, with teams knowing we may end up cutting them. We have to bring in a new QB and keep one of our 2 to be a backup.

I agree with Mack traded next year.  fuller is young enough to keep around a few years.  Don't know about Quinn.  And this is a three year process so 22-23 trade or cut and move on.  For the return on investment Mack and Quinn were a bad choice.  But hind sight is always better than taking a chance.  I just don't see this team doing anything if all they do is chip add a few good draft picks over the next years.

[adam]

The COVID cap crunch is going to cause a lot of cap heavy teams to trade/cut players they don't necessarily want to lose. It is going to be an offseason like no other.

So there may be a market for players with big cap hits where other teams can get them for peanuts. Like the Colts, they will have the 3rd highest cap space at $76M, that would be easy to take on someone like Mack or Fuller but then only give up a 4th or 5th round pick. The Jags and Jets have over $80M available. The Pats also have a ton of cap space. So I can see those teams picking up one or two elite guys even with big cap hits. 

My hope is they restructure Fuller, Mack, and Hicks to ease the burden on the 2021 cap, then make space with Massie, Leno, Graham, Skrine. Quinn's contract is a hot mess. He is unmoveable, so the only option is to restructure his for a couple of million to cut his cap hit from $14.7M down to something like $10M. Mack is at $26.6M, but a restructure can bring that down under $20M. Same with Fuller, he is at $20M, but they can get him to $15M. Hick is at $12M, and they can get him under $10M. Those 4 restructures can save the team close to $20M without pushing too much to later years. 

However, I see no way they can afford A-Rob, which sucks. There just is no cap space unless they get rid of Quinn somehow. Then you have to figure out QB, Trubisky is off the books, you don't have $20M for a new starting QB. Foles is making $6.66M, so that is not starter money. I don't know how they are squeezing a starting QB salary into this cap.

[Mongo3451]

I would absolutely plan to be in cap hell.  Knowing that, we should not move any hits to future years unless it's an ascending player that can be painlessly absorbed.  If it looks like tank mode like Miami and Jacksonville did, I'm in if the turnaround is shorter.

[ParkerBear7]

Pace could save his ass if he is able to be more tatical.  First he needs sign Dak Prescott and Rob which would make restructuring the core vet deals (Mack, Fuller, Quinn etc) possible as they would probably buy-in on the plan to fix the ”O” and make a real SB RUN!. Next, Draft 2 OT and a stud center in the first three rounds to rebuild the long neglected offensive line!  Now we have kept our core vets and solved the QB and OL issues in one offseason without sacrificing future draft capital!  A new head coach would also be helpful.

[Stinger226]

I doubt Pace and Nagy are gone. To much money lost this year with the Wuhan flu and a big hit on the cap next year. IF  they lose out, maybe. 

I think it will be hard to resign A-ROB unless they cut a couple big contracts.

They will probably resign Foles to be a backup and find a rookie or a (Marriota type) to be the new general.

They have Whitehair, Daniels to start a rebuild the Oline but have to get 2 new OTs of which both have cap relief if you cut. I think Ifedi isnt special and Mustier and Bars are good backup types. Coward has to go. So our first 3 picks have to be QB, OT, OT. We are missing our 4th in the Foles trade so taking BPA in the rest of our picks. I think if Mustifer plays well when he comes back and we could keep him at OC and have Whitehair and Daniels as our OGs.

I would say we have to cut Hicks, Massie, Leno and Graham to even give us a shot at adding some FAs this winter. 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

For the heck of it....an early look at a mock draft.  

TEAM PICKS

16: R1 P16 OT Samuel Cosmi - Texas

48: R2 P16 OT Alaric Jackson - Iowa

79: R3 P15 DL Christian Barmore - Alabama

157: R5 P16 S James Wiggins - Cincinnati

194: R6 P15 WR Marquez Stevenson - Houston

216: R6 P37 RB Brian Robinson Jr. - Alabama

220: R6 P41 CB DJ Daniel - Georgia

227: R7 P5 LB Tuf Borland - Ohio State

 

I like this one more. They left out 2 6th rd comp picks, so figure a CB and S can be had.

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 16: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State (B-)
Round 2 Pick 16: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan (B+)
Round 3 Pick 15: Tedarrell Slaton, DT, Florida (A+)
Round 5 Pick 16: Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo (A+)
Round 6 Pick 16: Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State (A+)
Round 7 Pick 8: Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas (A+)

[Stinger226]

I like OL but where is the QB?

 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

56 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

I like OL but where is the QB?

 

He will arrive Sunday night 😉

In reality, they will have to pull that trigger in the 1st rd.  Lowering the chance on finding a legit LT.  I would like to get the oline solid before adding a QB prospect.  Odds of the Bears firing coach and GM are slim.  Nagy has 2 years left, Pace is up after next season.  Give Mitch a 2 year prove it deal and hope Foles sticks around and Nagy/Pace either survive or not with their choices. 

[Mongo3451]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

I like OL but where is the QB?

 

Let Trubisky and Foles suffer next year, then get your QB.  Drafting one won't do any good without fixing the line, otherwise he'll have David Carr syndrome.

[Bill]

So T. Bray is now active, I guess as the first back up.  Why after four years is he still on this team?  He knows the offense and you could not find anyone better?!?!?  What ,1-5 on pass attempts in reg season games?.  Another stake in the heart of this whole f"d up coaching and management team.