Bears hiring Shane Waldron as OC

[msadows]

Looks like CW is the pick… it’s the safe play for the jobs involved. Buys you at least a year or two with a Rookie. That and it’s cheaper for a few years.
Opinion of course but makes the most sense from a job security aspect.

I'd actually argue not taking QB at #1 and trading out is much safer.

You get a draft compensation haul and can still draft a tier 2 QB later.

This team is a few holes away from being a playoff contender. Can be easily filled with trading out of #1. Now if caleb busts then Poles is basically gone in 2-3 years.

 

[baselman1974]

No he isn't. He's never been a coach under McVay.

Didn’t he learn from LaFluer who is a McVay disciple? It’s a degree of separation

 

[modo]

No he isn't. He's never been a coach under McVay.

He was a McVay proxy.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

I'd actually argue not taking QB at #1 and trading out is much safer.

You get a draft compensation haul and can still draft a tier 2 QB later.

This team is a few holes away from being a playoff contender. Can be easily filled with trading out of #1. Now if caleb busts then Poles is basically gone in 2-3 years.

He’s gone either way in 2-3 years if they aren’t in the playoffs.

The whole job security angle is dumb

 

[Bearey Palpatine]

I know. But I feel that happens every year. There’s always a group that hates a coach that’s loud about it. He has a nice resume. I’ll just stay in wait and see mode.

Yep, Bills fans said the same thing when Brian Daboll left.

 

[modo]

He’s gone either way in 2-3 years if they aren’t in the playoffs.

The whole job security angle is dumb

Drafting a Quarterback isn't resetting anyone's job clock.

I am pretty sure they need to make the playoffs next year regardless of the route they go.

 

[remydat]

I'd actually argue not taking QB at #1 and trading out is much safer.

You get a draft compensation haul and can still draft a tier 2 QB later.

This team is a few holes away from being a playoff contender. Can be easily filled with trading out of #1. Now if caleb busts then Poles is basically gone in 2-3 years.

Nah Williams is the safe choice from a job security standpoint because he is the consensus No 1 pick. So Poles can always say he did what virtually every other GM would have done in his shoes.

 

[msadows]

He’s gone either way in 2-3 years if they aren’t in the playoffs.

The whole job security angle is dumb

My point is the roster improvements would be much more drastic if he trades #1 and sticks with justin.

If caleb fails, thats about 3-4 young players you didnt get.

 

[PrideisBears]

If they hired Greg Roman then yes, all things would point to Fields staying.

This hire leaves the same amount of question marks about the QB position that were there when the season ended.

Fields fanatics: "Waldron fixed Geno Smith so Fields is 110% coming back!!"

Just flat out ignoring the fact that Waldron's expertise is almost exclusively working with pocket QBs in a West Coast system that relies heavily on the QB getting the ball out quick, with anticipation and timing, none of which are Fields strengths by any stretch of the imagination.

But hey, Waldron fixed Geno so it's a clear sign he was hired to fix Fields.

Waldron didn’t call a west coast offense in Seattle

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

My point is the roster improvements would be much more drastic if he trades #1 and sticks with justin.

If caleb fails, thats about 3-4 young players you didnt get.

Just choose the best QB. If it’s Fields then great. Caleb…. Great. Maye….. great.

As for the extra players well if you don’t keep Fields that’s 30 mil you have to sign vets.

The extra players shouldn’t matter though. Just get the best QB. There will be resources available to improve the team whatever path Poles chooses

 

[msadows]

Just choose the best QB. If it’s Fields then great. Caleb…. Great. Maye….. great.

As for the extra players well if you don’t keep Fields that’s 30 mil you have to sign vets.

The extra players shouldn’t matter though. Just get the best QB. There will be resources available to improve the team whatever path Poles chooses

30m when?

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

30m when?

When you sign him to that 40-50 mil a year second contract obviously

 

[msadows]

When you sign him to that 40-50 mil a year second contract obviously

So in two years, got it. So not a conversation that is pertinent to today

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

So in two years, got it. So not a conversation that is pertinent to today

Aren’t some of these picks in “the haul” a year or two away?

 

[modo]

Nah Williams is the safe choice from a job security standpoint because he is the consensus No 1 pick. So Poles can always say he did what virtually every other GM would have done in his shoes.

That's a horrible excuse if it fails....

 

[dennehy]

My point is the roster improvements would be much more drastic if he trades #1 and sticks with justin.

If caleb fails, thats about 3-4 young players you didnt get.

Depends on the trade. Trading down to #3 isn't going to come with a huge haul of multiple #1 picks and other stuff.

Also having a rookie QB means they will have a lot more cap space over the next four years than extending Fields would provide. After next year, $10-25m more per year over the next three.

 

[modo]

Waldron didn’t call a west coast offense in Seattle

Waldron came from McVay which came from west coast...

I can't call what Waldron did true west coast because they didn't run enough to truly sell the west coast.

I don't know if that was a Pete Carroll thing or not...The Seahawks ran the ball more in 2022 than they did in 2023 and it sounded like Carroll wanted more plays to the WRs

For the west coast to work you need the threat of the run to engage the play action. That means you have to have some legit tendency to run the ball.

Fields had some really good deep passes on play action....something I don't think The Bears did effectively enough of...true back to the line play action.

in 2022 they were dead last in the league, by a lot, in play action passing attempts..

in 2023 they finally opened it up a bit but were still tied 3rd from bottom in attempts...
however, the were tied for 8th in the league in YAC per completion

I thought it was a strong point for them getting chunk yards and they did not do it enough.

in 2023 Seattle was also tied for 8th in YAC per completion but had 12% more attempts which put them in the middle of the league

 

[remydat]

That's a horrible excuse if it fails....

They are all horrible excuses if you fail but it is better than if you stick stick with Fields and Williams is a stud or you trade down from 1 to take a QB later and Williams is a stud.

In those scenarios you will have gone against the consensus and you will get ripped apart by the majority.

If the goal is to cover your ass it is always better to make the decision that the majority of people would have made in your situation.

 

[modo]

They are all horrible excuses if you fail but it is better than if you stick stick with Fields and Williams is a stud or you trade down from 1 to take a QB later and Williams is a stud.

In those scenarios you will have gone against the consensus and you will get ripped apart by the majority.

If the goal is to cover your ass it is always better to make the decision that the majority of people would have made in your situation.

What if Williams tanks and Fields keeps getting better...

Its also bad...

You should never draft a player to maximize a potential excuse

 

[Les Grossman]

So in two years, got it. So not a conversation that is pertinent to today

yet you are expected all these extra draft picks to be day 1 starting studs.... right.