The Beast

Is anyone against Jim Harbaugh coaching the Bears if he were to leave Michigan?

I’m glad we have moved on to discussing some names that could be possibilities to be the next head coach. Hub Arkush, in my opinion one of the most respected and insightful football reporters, said on the Score yesterday that Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles would be his top choices to be the next HC. McDaniels would be the most intriguing option in terms of upside, but what he did to the Colts is something I couldn’t get past, especially since the Bears already had their own situation like that with Dave McGinnis, even if that was their own fault. Payton would need a blank check contract and a trade to pry him away from New Orleans but he would be a powerful head coach. We will have to see what happens to Mike Tomlin after Black Monday, but he would be an interesting fit. I want nothing to do with hiring a college coach, that game and role is a different beast from the NFL altogether and there isn’t a great track record of success in the NFL with college coaches making the leap. I tend to like defensive head coaches and having an offensive coordinator call the plays even though Payton and Reid are masters of being both the CEO on the field and play callers. I still think that Pace is the larger problem than Nagy and would want a different type of front office than we are used to seeing, much like what we see with the Bulls, which is getting out of the old way and trying the modern NBA approach with AK at the helm and bringing in his own people as GM and HC. (The roster makeup in some ways is no damn good, some signings were bad ones and some of the draft day picks and trades are inexcusable, so it is time for a change.) One would think the Bears could get there, if they listened to advice from alumni, executives and got out of the way once the new leadership is hired.

I had him on my fantasy team for at least a year. He was consistent and good! It sounds like Manning and the Broncos had lots of good things to say about him. He was very young to pass. Very sad indeed.

It doesn’t add up to me that they are unwilling to spend some money on the holes they have to try and get better. Trading assets doesn’t really help unless they deal from a position of strength. From knowing this ownership, cash is limited, but isn’t it better to spend that versus prospect capital? They still need two starting pitchers, a relief pitcher, a second baseman and right fielder and they don’t need platoons since those have been tried before and didn’t work out. The clock is ticking…even if there is a lockout holding the clock in place.

If they got one of Schwarber or Taylor then that would be better than neither. Then again if you get Schwarber you have more DH/1B/corner OF types on your roster. I have no issue trading from Vaughn or Sheets to get something else they need. To do nothing or half ass it doesn’t help them get closer to the World Series next year and beyond.

They still need a starting right fielder, a starting second baseman, a starting pitcher or two and more bullpen arms. They better not just get stopgaps for these positions, there should be upgrades and possibly everyday players. I will be disappointed if they do platoons and don’t do upgrades. Morosi had a hunch that they were targeting Taylor when I listened to Parkins and Spiegel today. Now if they did get him, Schwarber, Tepera and a starting pitcher or two, then that looks better than doing nothing even if other teams are spending like drunken sailors.

Again, you and people on this board still say more than just “Fire Nagy and Pace!” It’s mostly the clowns on Facebook, Score callers, people on Twitch and Score hosts who have nothing to say than reliving the past. I guess I care more about who the candidates could actually be and the possibilities for the future than I do bitching about the coach and GM like the fans I have mentioned do. P.S. The analysis on the board last winter was some of the best I read from fans all offseason.

It just makes the conversation more interesting than the constant “Pace and Nagy need to go!” I hear from the fan base. The Score and sports radio just dissect what goes wrong between Nagy and Pace but there is no solution and it is really old discussing the same old same old shit every fucking day with fans and listening to the talking heads have segments upon segments about the garbage. So yeah, it’s not anyone’s job to come up with the next hire but dissecting the past is really stale after a while. I should add that I don’t disagree with what you’ve said about Pace and Nagy and that you have named more names than most Bears fans and hosts who have spoken on the matter have.

The front office moves you suggested are the best thing that could happen to them. I am trying to decide if hiring another play caller makes sense or if we need a CEO type. I can’t figure it out yet. At least you are able to admit you don’t know and not say, “well it isn’t my job…”

At least you’re honest about it and admit your reasons. Some fans just say fire Nagy and don’t have anything more to say, particularly about who they want hired instead. Who do you think fits the bill for them as their next head coach? What do you think happens with the front office?

Right. No first rounder makes it so there is little to no incentive. It’s almost better to just keep the lame duck coach a la Fassel to agree to coach until the inevitable at the end of the year. I am also a Nagy fan who hopes he will get another chance in the NFL as an OC and eventually as a head coach if he is fired. He hasn’t been the offensive guru he was hired to be but he at least had some good attributes about him. Then again I don’t know if a play calling head coach makes a sense for many coaches. CEO types make more sense.

Did you want them to lose so he would be fired after the game and be held accountable? Would it make a difference now as opposed to the end of the year? And if Pace doesn’t get fired does it really matter if Nagy is fired?

Rooting for them to lose?

He just is Mr. Northwestern. I can’t see him as an NFL head coach. He probably relates better to college athletes and his defensive and offensive systems have been subpar. So he’d need some awesome coordinators to be successful. What about his hair piece? Thats the problem, they are not football people. They might promote from within or hire a different consultant to see who they would want to bring in. Thanks for the scoop on Day. I’d love to see McDaniels as coach but I do wonder if he is better as a coordinator. I might be wrong but it seems like the play callers may miss things on the field, I have only seen people like Andy Reid and Sean Payton do that well.

Why do you think they are good possibilities? What kind of coach is Day, is he an offensive minded coach? Fitz is more of the CEO kind who probably is suited for the college level. What kind of coach should they hire next? I don’t know if one who is also the play caller makes sense. Then again, according to Dan Pompei George McCaskey told the team and coaches that this story is false.

Brad Biggs just reported he met with ownership before the second walkthrough and cancelled the scheduled meetings for the rest of the day. https://twitter.com/BradBiggs/status/1463335679765659649?s=20

Maybe this might give an indication? https://www.google.com/amp/s/heavy.com/sports/chicago-bears/adam-hoge-khalil-mack-trade-2022/amp/

I bet it happens, but I don’t think it happens until the end of the year. I would be shocked if they fired Nagy before the season is over. I also am left wondering if Pace gets a different front office job and they bring in a new GM. Roster turnover has to be coming too. Graham, Foles, Hicks and Robinson are probably gone and Mack is probably shopped. I’m not sold he would give a high return with the salary that he has.

“To replace Nagy (if that is what they choose to do) I wonder if a play calling head coach is what they need, or if it is better to find a CEO type and have a coordinator run the offense. Or does it make sense to try again and hire Brian Daboll or Eric Bienemy? I’m not sure what is appropriate with where they are at roster wise and with the resources they have and where the NFL is trending with head coaches.“ What do all of you think the next Bears coach should be like? Edit: I’ll have to look up Champ and see where he was before and who he is connected to.

Although I am willing to give Nagy until the end of the year to see the entire body of work, I think the track record from year to year is that they just aren’t good enough with him at the helm to get to the next level. At first, I thought he was an offensive guru because of the offense he was running, but the NFL appeared to have caught up. Then I wondered if he would be more of a CEO head coach type, but I just don’t see his skill - like a tactician (Belichick) or motivator. I fully expect him to get the axe on Black Monday. Pace could survive despite some of the questionable moves he has made. I am most frustrated with the deals he has made with picks and the salary cap numbers he’s committed over the years, along with the mismatch of players on the roster that he has for what they are trying to run. It is simply unforgivable to have the lack of depth that they do in the secondary, for example, your highest paid quarterback is riding the bench and Graham is owed money over the next several years. To replace Nagy (if that is what they choose to do) I wonder if a play calling head coach is what they need, or if it is better to find a CEO type and have a coordinator run the offense. Or does it make sense to try again and hire Brian Daboll or Eric Bienemy? I’m not sure what is appropriate with where they are at roster wise and with the resources they have and where the NFL is trending with head coaches.

The amount of penalties is going to fall as a reflection on Nagy but the players deserve blame at some point. And some were BS but still. That tip by Watt was a big play at the end especially if that was caught. Santos had a job to do but it wasn’t going to happen with the field goal. The record may have meant more to him but he is definitely reliable which is more than they could have said with Barth and Parkey. Regarding the time out, it would have been nice to have but I wonder if time would have run out.

Fields comeback? Let’s do it! Make up for those missed roughing the passer calls earlier and screw the Steelers.

Will do, thanks!