legendxofxlink
Whistle Dixie
- Joined:
- Apr 25, 2014
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- Location:
- Tennessee
My favorite teams
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...lbag-matt-nagy-vic-fangio-20180116-story.html
Here's some tidbits:
How badly does it hurt the Bears that they have to re-draft at the wide receiver position? — @bookiepope
Not any worse than it hurts them heading into free agency having to sign players after getting almost no production from Markus Wheaton this year and after not getting their $10 million worth with previous signing Eddie Royal. The Bears must hope that with Mitch Trubisky and a new offensive-minded coach, they will be a more appealing destination for free agents. They went for some players last offseason and missed because when free agency opened, no one could say who the quarterback was going to be. Beyond that, it looked as if the head coach was heading into a win-or-else season. Kenny Stills and Ted Ginn Jr. took significantly less money to play elsewhere, and it’s hard to blame them. They’re far from top-tier receivers too. The Bears should be better positioned this time, but it’s difficult to say who will be available in free agency. I expect the Bears to overhaul the position this offseason and that likely means a focus in free agency and the draft. Sure, they don’t want to have to re-draft 2015 first-round pick Kevin White, but they don’t have a choice. They can’t count on White for a lot this season and will surely decline the fifth-year option in his contract. White will be given every opportunity to make the team, but it would be naive to count on him for too much in 2018 because he simply has not been able to remain on the field. Cam Meredith is coming back from injury and if he’s 100 percent, he should have an opportunity to contribute. It will be very interesting to see what avenues the Bears pursue with new coach Matt Nagy.
What do Ryan Pace and the coaching staff do during these playoff weeks? Are they still hiring coaches or staff? — @wiesnoski
Matt Nagy is working to complete his staff, and the next step, especially for the new coaches, is to completely review the 2017 season. The new coaches need to have a thorough understanding of what they are inheriting so they can contribute in meetings, hatch a plan for free agency and plan for the draft. It’s a time-consuming process. Coaches who remain from last season will be completing their player assessments as they prepare for meetings that will chart the course of the offseason. Pace said something that made a lot of sense when Nagy was introduced: It will be nice to have a fresh voice and opinion about the roster. What’s good? What’s not good? What works? What doesn’t work? It’s not just Nagy’s voice — all of the new coaches will have input in the process, which is significant because the most difficult process any team has is evaluating its own roster. Former general manager Jerry Angelo used to drive that point home, and it’s true. It’s easy to look at another team and determine its weaknesses. It’s more difficult to self-scout and be completely honest.
Any idea what advantages the Bears thought Nagy had over the other candidates? Specifically vs. Josh McDaniels and Pat Shurmur. — @avgjhon
One advantage Nagy offered after the Chiefs were upset in the wild-card round was that the Bears could hire him immediately. The Patriots are a nine-point favorite over the Jaguars in the AFC championship game, so there is a good chance they advance to Super Bowl LII, meaning McDaniels would not be available for another three weeks. Shurmur and the Vikings also are a favorite over the Eagles in the NFC championship game, so they would have to wait to hire him as well. Hearing general manager Ryan Pace talk, I got the feeling he felt he connected best with Nagy. They hit it off from the start, which means a lot when heading into a partnership like this. It’s hard to overlook the wild success McDaniels has had with the Patriots, and Shurmur has done a terrific job this season, but Pace felt best about Nagy.
Wouldn’t the defensive side of the ball — linebacker and defensive end, specifically — be more important for the Bears to get better at rather than at wide receiver? — @greatnxss
Did you watch the Bears on offense much this season? Their most productive wide receiver, by a wide margin, was Kendall Wright. I think it’s fair to say he’s a pedestrian slot receiver. You can do better; you can do worse. They lacked threats on the outside. I would agree that outside linebacker is a significant area of need. The Bears could wind up releasing Pernell McPhee and potentially Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston and Sam Acho are slated to be free agents. That leaves Leonard Floyd and not much at a significant position. Yes, the Bears could use a defensive end as well, but I think wide receiver, outside linebacker and cornerback are much more significant needs. I would not minimize the issue at wide receiver, especially with a head coach that has an offensive backgro
Here's some tidbits:
How badly does it hurt the Bears that they have to re-draft at the wide receiver position? — @bookiepope
Not any worse than it hurts them heading into free agency having to sign players after getting almost no production from Markus Wheaton this year and after not getting their $10 million worth with previous signing Eddie Royal. The Bears must hope that with Mitch Trubisky and a new offensive-minded coach, they will be a more appealing destination for free agents. They went for some players last offseason and missed because when free agency opened, no one could say who the quarterback was going to be. Beyond that, it looked as if the head coach was heading into a win-or-else season. Kenny Stills and Ted Ginn Jr. took significantly less money to play elsewhere, and it’s hard to blame them. They’re far from top-tier receivers too. The Bears should be better positioned this time, but it’s difficult to say who will be available in free agency. I expect the Bears to overhaul the position this offseason and that likely means a focus in free agency and the draft. Sure, they don’t want to have to re-draft 2015 first-round pick Kevin White, but they don’t have a choice. They can’t count on White for a lot this season and will surely decline the fifth-year option in his contract. White will be given every opportunity to make the team, but it would be naive to count on him for too much in 2018 because he simply has not been able to remain on the field. Cam Meredith is coming back from injury and if he’s 100 percent, he should have an opportunity to contribute. It will be very interesting to see what avenues the Bears pursue with new coach Matt Nagy.
What do Ryan Pace and the coaching staff do during these playoff weeks? Are they still hiring coaches or staff? — @wiesnoski
Matt Nagy is working to complete his staff, and the next step, especially for the new coaches, is to completely review the 2017 season. The new coaches need to have a thorough understanding of what they are inheriting so they can contribute in meetings, hatch a plan for free agency and plan for the draft. It’s a time-consuming process. Coaches who remain from last season will be completing their player assessments as they prepare for meetings that will chart the course of the offseason. Pace said something that made a lot of sense when Nagy was introduced: It will be nice to have a fresh voice and opinion about the roster. What’s good? What’s not good? What works? What doesn’t work? It’s not just Nagy’s voice — all of the new coaches will have input in the process, which is significant because the most difficult process any team has is evaluating its own roster. Former general manager Jerry Angelo used to drive that point home, and it’s true. It’s easy to look at another team and determine its weaknesses. It’s more difficult to self-scout and be completely honest.
Any idea what advantages the Bears thought Nagy had over the other candidates? Specifically vs. Josh McDaniels and Pat Shurmur. — @avgjhon
One advantage Nagy offered after the Chiefs were upset in the wild-card round was that the Bears could hire him immediately. The Patriots are a nine-point favorite over the Jaguars in the AFC championship game, so there is a good chance they advance to Super Bowl LII, meaning McDaniels would not be available for another three weeks. Shurmur and the Vikings also are a favorite over the Eagles in the NFC championship game, so they would have to wait to hire him as well. Hearing general manager Ryan Pace talk, I got the feeling he felt he connected best with Nagy. They hit it off from the start, which means a lot when heading into a partnership like this. It’s hard to overlook the wild success McDaniels has had with the Patriots, and Shurmur has done a terrific job this season, but Pace felt best about Nagy.
Wouldn’t the defensive side of the ball — linebacker and defensive end, specifically — be more important for the Bears to get better at rather than at wide receiver? — @greatnxss
Did you watch the Bears on offense much this season? Their most productive wide receiver, by a wide margin, was Kendall Wright. I think it’s fair to say he’s a pedestrian slot receiver. You can do better; you can do worse. They lacked threats on the outside. I would agree that outside linebacker is a significant area of need. The Bears could wind up releasing Pernell McPhee and potentially Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston and Sam Acho are slated to be free agents. That leaves Leonard Floyd and not much at a significant position. Yes, the Bears could use a defensive end as well, but I think wide receiver, outside linebacker and cornerback are much more significant needs. I would not minimize the issue at wide receiver, especially with a head coach that has an offensive backgro
