Now the hard work for Pace begins

[DanTown]

That is a cynic's point of view. You're also only accounting for the draft. The reality is that free agency is there for a reason. Its nearly impossible to build a team entirely out of nothing but draft picks because you will inevitably wind up in a drought where you didn't hit on long time starters for your franchise. Case in point the fucking Green Bay Packers. They have literally wasted Aaron Rodgers' prime by being a fucking cheapskate. Ted Thompson is honestly a moron. I would hate to have him as my GM.

How many quality starters/impact players do teams sign in FA? You can find depth in FA but it's very hard to find top flight talent in FA because it costs so damn much to sign them. It's one thing to risk the upside of Mitch with the #3 pick; it's quite another to burn three picks in the top 100 of the draft to also draft him. You basically have to find a lot of top end talent in very hard to find places. And considering the other picks the Bears made were an G (great, the one place the team is solidly deep) and RB (the one place where they JUST drafted a Pro Bowl RB), yeah, I question when and what this team is 3029 building towards.

If 2019 is the window (which a year of development for Mitch sounds like it is) then how many guys do you have on this roster that are part of that plan? My biggest fear is that even if Mitch is a good QB, you're basically the Colts.

 

[Mongo_76]

2018 is a much more realistic view on when this team turns it up a notch.

The first part of 2017 could be the continuation of rock bottom especially considering the schedule.

But what would be really nice to see this year is:
-- another season where the team doesn't quit again (they did not quit last year),
-- some young playmakers emerge (Le Blanc, White, Floyd, Bullard, Cohen, Shaheen, etc...
-- the team get and stay healthy
-- Natural leaders stepping up. We had almost no leadership on either side of the ball last year.
-- better play at the end of the season then at the begining (progress)

I'll take another 3-13 to 5-11 season if the above (which really isn't asking a lot) happens.

 

[Magenta Aye-Aye]

2018 is a much more realistic view on when this team turns it up a notch.

The first part of 2017 could be the continuation of rock bottom especially considering the schedule.

But what would be really nice to see this year is:
-- another season where the team doesn't quit again (they did not quit last year),
-- some young playmakers emerge (Le Blanc, White, Floyd, Bullard, Cohen, Shaheen, etc...
-- the team get and stay healthy
-- Natural leaders stepping up. We had almost no leadership on either side of the ball last year.
-- better play at the end of the season then at the begining (progress)

I'll take another 3-13 to 5-11 season if the above (which really isn't asking a lot) happens.

The main reason I was a fan of Adams at number 3 was his leadership. That side of the ball has been lacking that role since Urlacher. At least the offense has a couple of guys that have more leadership qualities. Trubiksy isn't really a vocal leader is he? Seems he shows leadership by his emotions and body language. Which is fine when you have a vocal leader like Long.

 

[xer0h0ur]

How many quality starters/impact players do teams sign in FA? You can find depth in FA but it's very hard to find top flight talent in FA because it costs so damn much to sign them. It's one thing to risk the upside of Mitch with the #3 pick; it's quite another to burn three picks in the top 100 of the draft to also draft him. You basically have to find a lot of top end talent in very hard to find places. And considering the other picks the Bears made were an G (great, the one place the team is solidly deep) and RB (the one place where they JUST drafted a Pro Bowl RB), yeah, I question when and what this team is 3029 building towards.

If 2019 is the window (which a year of development for Mitch sounds like it is) then how many guys do you have on this roster that are part of that plan? My biggest fear is that even if Mitch is a good QB, you're basically the Colts.

Free agency also includes UDFAs. Its not like all UDFAs are scrubs. Plenty of players turn out to be diamonds in the rough that never were drafted. The entire point is that you develop your youth and mix in veterans. Honestly I don't know what you were even expecting here. Pace tore apart the offense and inherited a defense that was on its last legs. He is either going to be around here for a long time trying to piece the team back together or we keep going through the endless cycle of never having any one vision seen through to the end. This is the shit that happens when you have gone through over 10 years of horrible drafting and are forced into a wholesale team rebuild. It sure as shit doesn't help when you let pro-bowl talent the team drafted and developed sign elsewhere but it is what it is. I'm giving Pace the time to see his vision through. Whether it works or not is another story.

As for your comment about free agency, the impact players are extremely costly and more often than not set you back cap-wise because of their inflated contracts. Starters can be had in free agency without blowing your wad. There are only so many people you can draft in any given year. It takes time for those players to either pan out or find out they weren't worth the pick. In the meantime you have to reach into free agency to hold you over. Again, it is what it is. This isn't baseball where you can buy yourself a squad or farm yourself prospects in the minors.

As for the Trubisky trade, should he turn out to be a legitimate franchise quarterback then the cost of the trade becomes ridiculously inconsequential. Any real Bears fan should understand that. Unless you haven't been around for the past 30 years viewing the result of bad, mediocre and average gameplay from that position.

 

[The Hawk]

2018 is a much more realistic view on when this team turns it up a notch.

The first part of 2017 could be the continuation of rock bottom especially considering the schedule.

But what would be really nice to see this year is:
-- another season where the team doesn't quit again (they did not quit last year),
-- some young playmakers emerge (Le Blanc, White, Floyd, Bullard, Cohen, Shaheen, etc...
-- the team get and stay healthy
-- Natural leaders stepping up. We had almost no leadership on either side of the ball last year.
-- better play at the end of the season then at the begining (progress)

I'll take another 3-13 to 5-11 season if the above (which really isn't asking a lot) happens.

I think that that team quit last year and there is no doubt in my mind that they will quit this year. Losing mean players quitting and playing for themselves and this team will likely have no more than one win before their bye week. Quarterbacks will fall by the wayside and I hope like hell that Trubisky doesn't get ruined in the process. Players will take more and more plays off and fake injuries in order to keep their paychecks. THis is what happens on losing football teams and the BEars will be a big loser football team.

 

[BearsFan51]

I actually think the hard work for Pace starts now and the 2018 offseason is far bigger for him.

Drafting a QB was a big decision, but it had to happen.

Now he needs to show that he can build a team around that QB to make him successful and to show that he can avoid the mistakes of the Cutler era.

If Trubisky sucks than that is a problem, but if he sucks because the Bears learned nothing from Cutler than that is unforgivable.

1. Probably hiring a new HC with a QB in mind
2. Addressing the OT position
3. Addressing the WR position
4. Having the defense take the next step while resources go to the offense.

What the offense did after Cutler went down was pretty damn impressive minus the red zone struggles. Red zone success is where Sims and Sheehan are here for, if they make a difference in that regard it will solidify the team quite well. They protected the QB they made plays down the field, but Barkley wound up throwing a bunch of costly INTs. If Trubisky is the QB I think he that can execute the offense the way it should be operated then this team could put up a lot of points. He is a very efficient QB who has a gun slinger mentality but doesn't turn the ball over and doesn't get rattled. His efficiency will be the key and he was among the best in the country on third down.

The qualities Trubisky has really shows well and means he could really blow this thing wide open. His experience and continued development will be key. He's not going to be rushed which is really the best thing for his development. I really liked Trubisky's tape and the fact that Pace likes him even more likely means he's even better than I consider which is REALLY exciting. Pace has such a strong smart plan and it's so evident he knows what he's doing that I can have nothing but confidence in him and his plan.

If the Bears are drafting out of the top-10 next year as expected based on the defensive health and the play of Glennon and are looking for that QB of the future the cost to move up would have been astronomical. Pace didn't pay the price that other teams have who have been mediocre and need a QB do, he got his guy at minimal cost and when this works out he'll look like a genius.

 

[xer0h0ur]

I think that that team quit last year and there is no doubt in my mind that they will quit this year. Losing mean players quitting and playing for themselves and this team will likely have no more than one win before their bye week. Quarterbacks will fall by the wayside and I hope like hell that Trubisky doesn't get ruined in the process. Players will take more and more plays off and fake injuries in order to keep their paychecks. THis is what happens on losing football teams and the BEars will be a big loser football team.

Some narrative you got there. They lost 4 games by a matter of one score. The team as a whole had the most injury stricken season in my years as a Bears fan. The defense certainly didn't have very much quit in them last season. They were pretty damn resilient despite the mounting injuries. The offense was pitiful at scoring. They moved the ball but couldn't finish off drives. Its no surprise that Pace added more to the offense this time around. Barring another shitfest season of players dropping like flies I don't see any way we end up being as bad as last season.

 

[Mongo_76]

I think that that team quit last year and there is no doubt in my mind that they will quit this year. Losing mean players quitting and playing for themselves and this team will likely have no more than one win before their bye week. Quarterbacks will fall by the wayside and I hope like hell that Trubisky doesn't get ruined in the process. Players will take more and more plays off and fake injuries in order to keep their paychecks. THis is what happens on losing football teams and the BEars will be a big loser football team.

I completely and with 100% certainty disagree.

And I don't know what you were watching to say this.

Losing doesn't mean we quit. Losing means we didn't have the talent to win.

Quitting is what happened the year before.

If you can't see the difference, it's not worth discussing.

 

[rawdawg]

I actually think the hard work for Pace starts now and the 2018 offseason is far bigger for him.

Drafting a QB was a big decision, but it had to happen.

Now he needs to show that he can build a team around that QB to make him successful and to show that he can avoid the mistakes of the Cutler era.

If Trubisky sucks than that is a problem, but if he sucks because the Bears learned nothing from Cutler than that is unforgivable.

1. Probably hiring a new HC with a QB in mind
2. Addressing the OT position
3. Addressing the WR position
4. Having the defense take the next step while resources go to the offense.

Funny how fast things change. Here we were 2 years ago, with one of the worst defenses in the league. Cutler at QB signed to a long-term deal. Marshall, Jeffery, Bennett, Forte as weapons. The developing stud in Long at one guard, and the underrated stalwart in Slauson at the other guard spot. We just needed to build up the defense to go with the offensive weapons.

I still think the Bears need help on defense. They have a lot of veterans on that side of the ball, but not a ton of youth building blocks. There's Floyd, Goldman and then you gotta hope Hall, Leblanc, Bush, Amos, Jackson, Kwiatkoski and others emerge. On offense, the Bears could have their future pretty well set at QB, RB, TE, Meredith, and 3/5 of a strong OL if Leno takes another step forward (even if you consider Sitton on the downside). If White can stay healthy and start producing, the Bears are an OT away from having a good amount of offensive talent.

I think next draft, the Bears gotta focus on adding another stud to the defense. They could conceivably lose Hicks, Howard, and Amukamara to free agency. Guys like McPhee, Demps, Young, Houston, and Freeman could either start to look old and/or overpaid. A legit top tier talent at CB would go a long way.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

I completely and with 100% certainty disagree.

And I don't know what you were watching to say this.

Losing doesn't mean we quit. Losing means we didn't have the talent to win.

Quitting is what happened the year before.

If you can't see the difference, it's not worth discussing.

It's amazing the perception of the team quitting lol, so many injuries.

 

[DaaBears]

God bless xero and mongo. I was just reading through this thread and read Hawks post, exactly the opposite of the way I thought it happened. I was gonna lose it, which is dumb, and kept reading and xero and mongo handled that perfectly.

 

[WCL]

God bless xero and mongo. I was just reading through this thread and read Hawks post, exactly the opposite of the way I thought it happened. I was gonna lose it, which is dumb, and kept reading and xero and mongo handled that perfectly.

Mongo's been killing it for the past week. He's the real MVP.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Some narrative you got there. They lost 4 games by a matter of one score. The team as a whole had the most injury stricken season in my years as a Bears fan. The defense certainly didn't have very much quit in them last season. They were pretty damn resilient despite the mounting injuries. The offense was pitiful at scoring. They moved the ball but couldn't finish off drives. Its no surprise that Pace added more to the offense this time around. Barring another shitfest season of players dropping like flies I don't see any way we end up being as bad as last season.

Football outsiders on adjusted games lost :

Chicago's 155.1 AGL is the highest in our database since 2000, eclipsing the 141.3 AGL for the 2013 Giants. Chicago had 12 players incur at least 6.0 AGL

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2017/2016-adjusted-games-lost

 

[xer0h0ur]

Football outsiders on adjusted games lost :

Chicago's 155.1 AGL is the highest in our database since 2000, eclipsing the 141.3 AGL for the 2013 Giants. Chicago had 12 players incur at least 6.0 AGL

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2017/2016-adjusted-games-lost

Nah bro, they quit.

 

[Mongo_76]

Mongo's been killing it for the past week. He's the real MVP.

I've been killing it for years.

But when I was calling it like it was when we had crap, I was labeled a hater.

One of the reasons I always liked DaaBears is he calls it like it is.

We can disagree on what "it is" means. But I have never taken a side just to take a side. He doesn't either. He is all in.



I am not a Pace fan. But what he did in this draft to get "his guys" was almost legend-worthy. I suspect it will all play out and we will know more as the season goes on. But at the end of the day, his moves in this draft were only "slick" and worth-while if the players are what he made all those moves for....

I'm officially juiced for this team again.

(although I know this year will suck).

 

[Gunzaan]

Uhhhh, the Bears still need a super bowl QB.

 

[xer0h0ur]

I've been killing it for years.

But when I was calling it like it was when we had crap, I was labeled a hater.

One of the reasons I always liked DaaBears is he calls it like it is.

We can disagree on what "it is" means. But I have never taken a side just to take a side. He doesn't either. He is all in.



I am not a Pace fan. But what he did in this draft to get "his guys" was almost legend-worthy. I suspect it will all play out and we will know more as the season goes on. But at the end of the day, his moves in this draft were only "slick" and worth-while if the players are what he made all those moves for....

I'm officially juiced for this team again.

(although I know this year will suck).

I agree on that last half of your post. I have had far too many disagreements with DaaBears though to say he's just calling it like it is though. Who knows though, maybe I just have been that stubbornly optimistic or blinded by Lovie hate and he's been right most of the time.

 

[xer0h0ur]

Uhhhh, the Bears still need a super bowl QB.

And you still need a GM that isn't fully Special person. But by all means I don't give a shit if he keeps wasting Rodgers' prime. All the better for me to see you guys get shit on in the playoffs because he is a cheapass.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

And you still need a GM that isn't fully Special person. But by all means I don't give a shit if he keeps wasting Rodgers' prime. All the better for me to see you guys get shit on in the playoffs because he is a cheapass.

Yep, mediocre talent around a great QB, thanks TT.

 

[Chinese]

What I hope happens is that if we lose allot next year and end up picking in the top 5 that SF is sitting at 10 and calling us for a trade for a QB..that shit will be hilarious.

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