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Some of this is available elsewhere, but I didn't see it all in one place.
SI
5. CHICAGO BEARS (OUT OF 5)
Some coaches might be leery of this job. John Fox, a proven head coach, just got canned after his team started a rookie quarterback and played with no wide receivers. A 5-11 season was all but guaranteed. How secure will the next coach be?
GM Ryan Pace must determine what style of offense best suits Mitchell Trubisky. Pace came up through the Saints front office. That team was built around Drew Brees, Sean Payton and a vertical passing game. That’s a great approach in the climate-controlled Superdome, but it doesn’t work in the inclement weather and slow track of Soldier Field. And it doesn’t fit Trubisky’s style, anyway. Trubisky is a timing and rhythm thrower who can also make plays on the move. He best fits a zone running-based offense that’s built around play-action and intermediate crossing patterns.
This isn’t to say the Bears need a Shanahan style offensive-minded head coach. But they certainly need someone who at least brings that sort of coordinator with him. Pace might have better candidates to choose from if he goes the defensive route, given that he quietly has a top-10 unit there already. Of course, a big reason it was top-10 is coordinator Vic Fangio did a fantastic job installing blurry, nuanced hybrid zone coverages. Those gave quarterbacks fits. If Fangio follows Fox out the door (which is likely), you’re left with a defense that’s decent, but only decent, especially considering it may need to replenish at cornerback (starters Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara are both free agents).
Stylistically, Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel could be seen as a good fit. Vrabel has spent much of his playing and coaching career in Romeo Crennel’s intricate system. But will Pace take a chance on a coach with just one year of coordinating experience? He may see a safer option in Dennis Allen, who has four years of coordinating experience, plus head-coaching battle scars from his three years in Oakland. Allen, who is still only 45, just turned around the perennially unfixable Saints defense. Pace, more than anyone, can appreciate how exemplary that is.
Best Fit: Dennis Allen, Saints defensive coordinator
SB Nation
2. Chicago Bears
Why it’s available: John Fox’s magic ran out in the Midwest, as the coach behind successful — but not too successful — Panthers and Broncos teams failed to achieve a winning season out of three with the Bears. Fox went 14-34 with Chicago, finishing last in the NFC North each season while closing the door on the Jay Cutler era and welcoming in the short-lived Mike Glennon one.
Fox’s 2017 season was his weirdest. The 5-11 Bears failed to win a single game in their own division but somehow went 4-0 against AFC North competition — including a major upset over the Steelers.
Pros to the Bears job:
• Mitchell Trubisky remains something of a blank slate, but he showed enough flashes in his rookie season that he could be molded into something good.
• Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen have the look of a top running back duo.
• The defense is feisty and kept the Bears in games they otherwise had no business winning.
• Fans will be happy with any signs of progress after four straight seasons with double-digit losses.
• A new extension for general manager Ryan Pace ensures continuity in the front office.
Cons to the Bears job:
• If Trubisky is a dud, then the new head coach is stuck with a bad investment he didn’t make.
• That’s a risk some candidates might not be willing to take, especially with a lack of weapons at receiver.
• The defense will undoubtedly regress if defensive coordinator Vic Fangio leaves.
USA Today
3. Chicago Bears
Assets: RBs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen look to be jelling into a dynamic backfield combo. Chicago appears to be solid in the trenches, especially if G Kyle Long can get healthy. LB Leonard Floyd can be a force off the edge, and S Adrian Amos is a budding star for an underrated defense that might be ready to define the Bears' identity.
Liabilities: Mitchell Trubisky needs to become the franchise quarterback GM Ryan Pace envisioned when making an expensive draft day trade to get him in 2017. Trubisky showed flashes as a rookie but needs the kind of counseling from a gifted offensive mind that clearly benefited Rams QB Jared Goff in his sophomore season under Sean McVay's tutelage. Trubisky also needs upgrades to what is arguably the league's worst receiving corps. The pass defense must also get better in a division featuring Rodgers and Stafford.
MSN
3. Chicago Bears
Assets: RBs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen look to be jelling into a dynamic backfield combo. Chicago appears to be solid in the trenches, especially if G Kyle Long can get healthy. LB Leonard Floyd can be a force off the edge, and S Adrian Amos is a budding star for an underrated defense that might be ready to define the Bears' identity.
Liabilities: Mitchell Trubisky needs to become the franchise quarterback GM Ryan Pace envisioned when making an expensive draft day trade to get him in 2017. Trubisky showed flashes as a rookie but needs the kind of counseling from a gifted offensive mind that clearly benefited Rams QB Jared Goff in his sophomore season under Sean McVay's tutelage. Trubisky also needs upgrades to what is arguably the league's worst receiving corps. The pass defense must also get better in a division featuring Rodgers and Stafford.
Brad Biggs (based on poll of front office employees)
Voting results:
Team: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th; Total
Bears: 0, 3, 1, 8, 6, 2; 57
On ranking the Bears second: “I really like the quarterback there and the running game is terrific. Think of all the guys they had to plug in on the offensive line and they still were able to run the ball. They have to find their next Alshon Jeffery and I like the defense. They need to find a couple linebackers.”
On ranking the Bears sixth: “The quarterback is an unknown and there’s almost no skill talent and no cornerbacks if they don’t bring back Kyle Fuller. But if the Colts can’t get Luck back, they’d be last by a mile.”
On ranking the Bears fourth: “It’s either going to be a plum job because of Mitch Trubisky or everyone will be in trouble.”
ESPN (insight from coaches, execs, and other league insiders)
6. Chicago Bears
The Bears are excited about 2017 first-round quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but what is he? One insider called him an unknown mound of clay -- a player to be molded with care, but one whose final form remains a mystery. Chicago also lacks the offensive weaponry on the perimeter that distinguishes the Lions, Raiders and Giants.
The Bears do hold the eighth overall choice in the draft, and their defense ranked 13th in efficiency last season (Denver was the only other team with a losing record that ranked among the top 13 teams in that category).
Fourth-year GM Ryan Pace received a contract extension this week, which could hint at stability, but he and departing coach John Fox share the same 14-34 record to this point in the rebuild. What happens if there's more tough sledding in the short term while Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit dominate the NFC North? The Bears' next coach could find himself inheriting a new GM in a couple of years, is what.
SI
5. CHICAGO BEARS (OUT OF 5)
Some coaches might be leery of this job. John Fox, a proven head coach, just got canned after his team started a rookie quarterback and played with no wide receivers. A 5-11 season was all but guaranteed. How secure will the next coach be?
GM Ryan Pace must determine what style of offense best suits Mitchell Trubisky. Pace came up through the Saints front office. That team was built around Drew Brees, Sean Payton and a vertical passing game. That’s a great approach in the climate-controlled Superdome, but it doesn’t work in the inclement weather and slow track of Soldier Field. And it doesn’t fit Trubisky’s style, anyway. Trubisky is a timing and rhythm thrower who can also make plays on the move. He best fits a zone running-based offense that’s built around play-action and intermediate crossing patterns.
This isn’t to say the Bears need a Shanahan style offensive-minded head coach. But they certainly need someone who at least brings that sort of coordinator with him. Pace might have better candidates to choose from if he goes the defensive route, given that he quietly has a top-10 unit there already. Of course, a big reason it was top-10 is coordinator Vic Fangio did a fantastic job installing blurry, nuanced hybrid zone coverages. Those gave quarterbacks fits. If Fangio follows Fox out the door (which is likely), you’re left with a defense that’s decent, but only decent, especially considering it may need to replenish at cornerback (starters Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara are both free agents).
Stylistically, Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel could be seen as a good fit. Vrabel has spent much of his playing and coaching career in Romeo Crennel’s intricate system. But will Pace take a chance on a coach with just one year of coordinating experience? He may see a safer option in Dennis Allen, who has four years of coordinating experience, plus head-coaching battle scars from his three years in Oakland. Allen, who is still only 45, just turned around the perennially unfixable Saints defense. Pace, more than anyone, can appreciate how exemplary that is.
Best Fit: Dennis Allen, Saints defensive coordinator
SB Nation
2. Chicago Bears
Why it’s available: John Fox’s magic ran out in the Midwest, as the coach behind successful — but not too successful — Panthers and Broncos teams failed to achieve a winning season out of three with the Bears. Fox went 14-34 with Chicago, finishing last in the NFC North each season while closing the door on the Jay Cutler era and welcoming in the short-lived Mike Glennon one.
Fox’s 2017 season was his weirdest. The 5-11 Bears failed to win a single game in their own division but somehow went 4-0 against AFC North competition — including a major upset over the Steelers.
Pros to the Bears job:
• Mitchell Trubisky remains something of a blank slate, but he showed enough flashes in his rookie season that he could be molded into something good.
• Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen have the look of a top running back duo.
• The defense is feisty and kept the Bears in games they otherwise had no business winning.
• Fans will be happy with any signs of progress after four straight seasons with double-digit losses.
• A new extension for general manager Ryan Pace ensures continuity in the front office.
Cons to the Bears job:
• If Trubisky is a dud, then the new head coach is stuck with a bad investment he didn’t make.
• That’s a risk some candidates might not be willing to take, especially with a lack of weapons at receiver.
• The defense will undoubtedly regress if defensive coordinator Vic Fangio leaves.
USA Today
3. Chicago Bears
Assets: RBs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen look to be jelling into a dynamic backfield combo. Chicago appears to be solid in the trenches, especially if G Kyle Long can get healthy. LB Leonard Floyd can be a force off the edge, and S Adrian Amos is a budding star for an underrated defense that might be ready to define the Bears' identity.
Liabilities: Mitchell Trubisky needs to become the franchise quarterback GM Ryan Pace envisioned when making an expensive draft day trade to get him in 2017. Trubisky showed flashes as a rookie but needs the kind of counseling from a gifted offensive mind that clearly benefited Rams QB Jared Goff in his sophomore season under Sean McVay's tutelage. Trubisky also needs upgrades to what is arguably the league's worst receiving corps. The pass defense must also get better in a division featuring Rodgers and Stafford.
MSN
3. Chicago Bears
Assets: RBs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen look to be jelling into a dynamic backfield combo. Chicago appears to be solid in the trenches, especially if G Kyle Long can get healthy. LB Leonard Floyd can be a force off the edge, and S Adrian Amos is a budding star for an underrated defense that might be ready to define the Bears' identity.
Liabilities: Mitchell Trubisky needs to become the franchise quarterback GM Ryan Pace envisioned when making an expensive draft day trade to get him in 2017. Trubisky showed flashes as a rookie but needs the kind of counseling from a gifted offensive mind that clearly benefited Rams QB Jared Goff in his sophomore season under Sean McVay's tutelage. Trubisky also needs upgrades to what is arguably the league's worst receiving corps. The pass defense must also get better in a division featuring Rodgers and Stafford.
Brad Biggs (based on poll of front office employees)
Voting results:
Team: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th; Total
Bears: 0, 3, 1, 8, 6, 2; 57
On ranking the Bears second: “I really like the quarterback there and the running game is terrific. Think of all the guys they had to plug in on the offensive line and they still were able to run the ball. They have to find their next Alshon Jeffery and I like the defense. They need to find a couple linebackers.”
On ranking the Bears sixth: “The quarterback is an unknown and there’s almost no skill talent and no cornerbacks if they don’t bring back Kyle Fuller. But if the Colts can’t get Luck back, they’d be last by a mile.”
On ranking the Bears fourth: “It’s either going to be a plum job because of Mitch Trubisky or everyone will be in trouble.”
ESPN (insight from coaches, execs, and other league insiders)
6. Chicago Bears
The Bears are excited about 2017 first-round quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but what is he? One insider called him an unknown mound of clay -- a player to be molded with care, but one whose final form remains a mystery. Chicago also lacks the offensive weaponry on the perimeter that distinguishes the Lions, Raiders and Giants.
The Bears do hold the eighth overall choice in the draft, and their defense ranked 13th in efficiency last season (Denver was the only other team with a losing record that ranked among the top 13 teams in that category).
Fourth-year GM Ryan Pace received a contract extension this week, which could hint at stability, but he and departing coach John Fox share the same 14-34 record to this point in the rebuild. What happens if there's more tough sledding in the short term while Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit dominate the NFC North? The Bears' next coach could find himself inheriting a new GM in a couple of years, is what.
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