How close are the Bears to being competitive?

[gallagher]

they could use a new backup TE. Maybe draft Oscar Delp? Think about it, he has a funny name, is from a major program, is 6'5" and 245 lbs and needs refinement as a blocking TE. That is Cole Kmet reborn!

 

[IHATETHEBEARS(IHTB)]

I have always said next year was when “the window” opens and they wouldn’t truly be competitive until then.

I still feel that way. Build the lines some more this offseason. Get a new HC. CW keeps improving.

It’s not a given. They still have to make the right moves. But nothing that I’ve seen so far has dissuaded me from thinking good times are a year away.

Am I wrong?

(For the purpose of this discussion I will define competitive as a team that can make the playoffs and have a shot at winning a game)

If I am wrong how far away are the Bears? Total tear down stage? Two years?

They looked competitive yesterday. They were not competitive the previous two weeks though. There’s no consistency. And they have an absolutely brutal schedule remaining I think a 5-12 record is very realistic. And that could be very demoralizing. We’ll see what sort of long term impact that’ll have. I feel a little bad for Caleb Williams. (Not too bad - just a little) He seems like a decent kid, with actual leadership qualities.

 

[RiDLer80]

1 competent HC and 3 IOL upgrades away from being competitive.

Honestly pretty feasible.

 

[msadows]

1 competent HC and 3 IOL upgrades away from being competitive.

Honestly pretty feasible.

Both of those situations should have been fixed this past offseason.

Everyone knew flus was not the answer except for poles and the mccaskeys.

Everyone knew the IOL was still bad and poles decided a backup guard and a center no other team wants were the answers in FA.

 

[RiDLer80]

Both of those situations should have been fixed this past offseason.

Everyone knew flus was not the answer except for poles and the mccaskeys.

Everyone knew the IOL was still bad and poles decided a backup guard and a center no other team wants were the answers in FA.

I agree.

Poles has been neglecting seriously addressing the IOL for years by playing moneyball and wasting 3rd-5th round picks on bad players instead of building IOL depth. Now we're in this situation where he's going to have to open McCaskey's checkbook to get established linemen in here.

 

[Myk]

Both of those situations should have been fixed this past offseason.

Everyone knew flus was not the answer except for poles and the mccaskeys.

Everyone knew the IOL was still bad and poles decided a backup guard and a center no other team wants were the answers in FA.

Center should've been fixed Poles 2nd year but he decided he should humor his HC that should've been been fired and draft his 4th through 6th DBs in 2 years of a "rebuild".

 

[ijustposthere]

I've heard coaches don't make a difference

 

[Canth]

While I would like the bears to get an offensive head coach, I don't want to see the defense go from respectable to royally sucking ass. Is that too much to ask?

I get what you are saying here, but hire the right HC for your franchise QB first and foremost. If you get the right guy there, there should be plenty of respectable DC options to take over the defense and keep that side of the ball from going to shit.

And Poles, or whoever is GM, needs to focus on the lines - both OL and DL. It's been proven again and again and again that it all starts up front - protect the QB on offense and pressure the QB on defense and good things happen.

 

[PrideisBears]

I've heard coaches don't make a difference

@remydat

 

[msadows]

Only sport I know the coach barely means shit is baseball.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Center should've been fixed Poles 2nd year but he decided he should humor his HC that should've been been fired and draft his 4th through 6th DBs in 2 years of a "rebuild".

Who did you want?

 

[remydat]

Who did you want?

Most here wanted JMS who now has a 48.9 pass block grade his 2nd year and has given up 2 sacks and 19 pressures.

Meanwhile after a rough start, Shelton actually has a 72.1 pass block grade and has given up 1 sack and 12 pressures.

Or maybe Juice Scruggs who has given up 3 sacks and 14 pressures with a 68 pass block grade.

Or maybe Stromberg who was cut by the Commanders and now is on Bears PS.

These guys have no clue. They just like to **** and pretend the draft is magic and whoever Poles passed on was a stud when in fact they are playing worse than the dude they all think is trash.

 

[dabears70]

I have always said next year was when “the window” opens and they wouldn’t truly be competitive until then.

I still feel that way. Build the lines some more this offseason. Get a new HC. CW keeps improving.

It’s not a given. They still have to make the right moves. But nothing that I’ve seen so far has dissuaded me from thinking good times are a year away.

Am I wrong?

(For the purpose of this discussion I will define competitive as a team that can make the playoffs and have a shot at winning a game)

If I am wrong how far away are the Bears? Total tear down stage? Two years?

Get the right coaching that can be a culture changer and i agree with you.

 

[msadows]

Who did you want?

Center prospect

Never heard of this guy but he comes pre-injured, and carries his lunch pail (full of meatballs) to work each day.

forum.chicitysports.com

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Most here wanted JMS who now has a 48.9 pass block grade his 2nd year and has given up 2 sacks and 19 pressures.

Meanwhile after a rough start, Shelton actually has a 72.1 pass block grade and has given up 1 sack and 12 pressures.

I think Shelton is a classic example of people not being able to see past their first impression. He got his ass kicked early…. Especially the first game… but lately has been OK. (Or at least I haven’t noticed him getting destroyed).

I’m sure there’s a few here that will chime in immediately if he has a bad game though

 

[dabears70]

Not a tear down at all. The offensive line has to be addressed first and foremost. The D-line is a nice to have, but being a Bear fan teaches you not to wish for too much. The Head Coach needs to be changed, and since the Bears have proven incompetent at identifying the right person, that's not as easy as it might be for any other franchise.

The team is right there - set at the skill positions, in possession of the franchise quarterback, ready to be playoff-competitive with a few bodies on the offensive line. But Everflus must be fired. He will continue to cost the Bears games and hold them back from success as long as he's here. He's gotta go.

I only disagree about the DL. We absolutely need to get a legit pass rusher opposite M.Sweat who's never been a huge sack guy but will get his 10 sacks and play the run well. We need to keep Billings and hopefully Dexter keeps growing. D.Taylor seems like he's been pretty much a no show besides his first game with us. I'll take him and A.Booker as our #3 and #4.

 

[dabears70]

Most here wanted JMS who now has a 48.9 pass block grade his 2nd year and has given up 2 sacks and 19 pressures.

Meanwhile after a rough start, Shelton actually has a 72.1 pass block grade and has given up 1 sack and 12 pressures.

Or maybe Juice Scruggs who has given up 3 sacks and 14 pressures with a 68 pass block grade.

Or maybe Stromberg who was cut by the Commanders and now is on Bears PS.

These guys have no clue. They just like to **** and pretend the draft is magic and whoever Poles passed on was a stud when in fact they are playing worse than the dude they all think is trash.

These guys also thought no other QB in the CW draft was gonna worth a damn in the NFL and look at them now.

 

[Yogi]

If you believe in Strength of Schedule, next year is going to be about as brutal as it gets for a 4th place team.

Current record of projected opponents (Division, NFC East, AFC North, 4th place in NFC West, South, and AFC West) is 99-73.

Unless our opponents collectively go 3+ games under .500 the rest of the way, that's going to be our hardest schedule of the 17 game era.

Granted, this year was supposedly the 3rd easiest schedule and that got flipped on its head with Washington and Arizona improving so quickly, but last time we faced a SOS over .500 we went 3-14 against it, so the new coach is going to face a gauntlet early.

 

[Rustysurf83]

They are a head coach away. A few OL additions and they could seriously win a title, but they’ll never win anything with Eberflus.

 

[Aquineas]

Most here wanted JMS who now has a 48.9 pass block grade his 2nd year and has given up 2 sacks and 19 pressures.

Meanwhile after a rough start, Shelton actually has a 72.1 pass block grade and has given up 1 sack and 12 pressures.

Or maybe Juice Scruggs who has given up 3 sacks and 14 pressures with a 68 pass block grade.

Or maybe Stromberg who was cut by the Commanders and now is on Bears PS.

These guys have no clue. They just like to **** and pretend the draft is magic and whoever Poles passed on was a stud when in fact they are playing worse than the dude they all think is trash.

I admit definitely wanted JMS. I wanted (and still want) a strong, mauling, interior and I thought JMS would help with that.