Chisoxfn

The guy has more energy than a typical 40 year old.

Wasn't Reich OC when Wentz was actually good and I thought he was effective in San Diego as well. With Vet QB's he did decent and with Colts he was balancing both - but I would think going fully back into a role where he is back to living and breathing offensive scheme and game planning, he would thrive. He also has so many connections that I think he could lure a really good candidate to be a QB coach.

So he's semi retiring. I wonder how firm that is.

I agree. We all know if I was in charge - we would be all in on Harbaugh and if that didn't work out, would have pivoted quickly to Beli / Vrabel. The end.

Wow - Pete Carrol available.

I'm not going to lie - we all know my preference would have been to hire Harbaugh or Vrabel. But if we end up with Flus and Reich....that is a pretty respectable. Sexy - no - but those are two good coaches. Add a Leslie Frazier or something as a DC (making up a name) and I'd really like that staff and reality is you'd have a staff of guys where none of the main guys are headed to a HC gig anytime soon.

I'll say this - the offensive coaches they kept, were the ones I would have kept around (or at least kept until the new OC could come in and decide they were a fit). I felt like Kmet really improved and the line despite an awful final game, I saw solid growth from the young players in the season. I will note and double down on - Braxton Jones was a great find for a late round. But he's just okay, I'm done with having okay at the tackle positions. If they have a high grade one on of the LT's and they are there with the Bears 2nd 1st round pick - you got to take them and just lock down the position for the next decade.

It seems like a no-brainer. I get that it isn't sexy, but it kind of just works. And he probably has the best track record of any OC the Bears would have had in my entire life (sans Mike Martz). Which Martz system actually worked pretty well - Bears were crushing it until Cutler got hurt (other than we traded Greg Olsen because of Martz).

Ultimately I think that is more important if you are drafting a QB. If you stick with Fields than I am less concerned with whether the Bears are committed to Flus for another year or 3 years (although I get the point that it could impact your OC - but I think you can get Roman even with that lack of committment).

The one thing I will say is - a number of young players developed under Flus on the defense. That is worth something. I'm not saying it overcomes all the other things you say, but it is worth something. And it is pretty clear his defensive players respect him, they may not always agree with all his calls, but they respect him. Offensive side - even there there seems to be some solid respect for the guy. I still go back to - the glass is half full - because trading out and sticking with Fields isn't a disaster and hitting reset, even if it is with Flus, a #1 pick, and a new OC, is also not a disaster given the draft capital the team has and the nucleus it has started to build. I think either scenario - unless you draft an absolute massive bust at QB (say a Tim Couch / Jamarcus Russel) - continues to have the Bears trending up (as long as you draft half decent - and there is nothing in the past 2 years from Poles draft that tells me he can't draft well).

I could be wrong - but I think Klingsbury is awful, so he is the worse on that entire list.

I disagree with this. He has positioned this team with draft capital, cap space, and ascending young DB's and what looks like a really good RT in Wright. So he's made some really good moves over the past 12 months - how he goes forward is important, he can have some misses, all GM's do, but he'll have to have some big hits too.

I do tend to think sitting and learning play(s) a part. Also, who you are sitting and learning with is a factor. Watching and learning from a 15 year veteran who is a multiple time MVP winner/all pro is quite different than sitting and learning from a Mike Glennon. The reality is Andy Dalton was not a bad sign for a sit and learn from guy - but he got hurt (or something like that which pushed Fields into the spotlight too soon). I do truly believe hindsight 20/20, Nagy was right about 1 thing, Fields wasn't ready and he should have sat a lot longer.

If they hire Reich, I think that is a pretty respectable OC hire. I tend to agree with you - I would rather make sure we move on from QB than HC if we could only pick one. But if the Bears plan was really continuing continuity and build up more and more assets, I suppose they could hire a Greg Roman, trade down for a haul, draft more linemen and wideouts, and design an offense to suit Fields. If it doesn't work - you have a future 1st or two and an even better team when you look to upgrade QB a year from now (albeit you have no idea what the draft class looks like and highly unlikely you have the #1 pick).

I would need one more 1st rounder and Bijan.

I double agree to this. I think the tell tale sign will be who do they hire. If they hire Roman, maybe they are sticking with Field(s) one more season and than I would say the clock is really one year to get it right with Fields (and continue stockpiling assets and building up the rest of the team). If they hire a Thomas Brown of the Panthers (not sure why everyone raves about him - but he's young and up and coming) or a Frank Reich - than I presume it means you are going to draft a QB at #1 - and at that point, I think you have to be committed to stomaching that Flus and OC will be here for 2 years (barring some massive off the field incident).

Getsy and Janocko gone

Dabearsblog said flus back, new offensive staff and use of #1 pick on qb. I can’t argue with any of that - other than with Vrabel, Beli and Harbaugh I’d rather swing for the fences on any of them.

Evidently someone referenced to a few years back when the Bears made playoffs as the 7 seed (lost to Saints) - it took them a few days to announce Pace and Nagy were coming back. That is probably the case here, sans Getsy. He has to be gone. They can't make zero changes. I think Biggs is pretty good (he's my personal favorite of the Bears beat) and he thought Flus/Poles would be back and Getsy is gone and than Flus will bring in 2 new coordinators. One of which will help but Flus is clearly calling the defense going forward (but having a coordinator to help with game planning and other stuff is probably still pretty relevant).

I personally don't have any concern with taking a few days to think through. They were clearly on the fence, so going through the process, listening to the players, listening to Flus, and than quietly Poles and Warren meet after and take there time doesn't hurt things. Reality is whether the Bears are the 1st team or last team to announce their vacancy, the best candidates are likely going to be on playoff teams with minimal time to talk anyway, and the actual Bears job should be a pretty good opportunity on paper. So if they make a move on Friday with Flus - they are going to have a chance to talk to the same people Washington (for example) will talk to. Starting 4 days later isn't some detriment. Now if they waited 3 weeks and everyone was hired, sure. Look at Colts and Ballard's process a year ago - they took a ton of time and talked multiple times with candidates, other teams made moves, they were patient and made a pretty home run hire (what he did with back-up QB play etc was pretty impressive).

I do find it interesting how quiet things have been at Halas Hall.

Is he really going to coach again? I presume there is an offset in his contract so there is really no benefit for him to coach other than him wanting to get off his couch? I could see a scenario where McDaniels and Vrabel end up back in New England with Beli and they go all in on a QB and than one of those two just takes over the Pats job (I would imagine it would be Vrabel - but Vrabel). Leaves Arthur Smith to the Bears. He'll probably have other suitors too.

I'd consider Vrabel / Smith as a worthwhile justification to move on from Flus. I am curious where Arthur Smith ends up. I get that some guys can be an HC and an OC, other guys wilter in that spot light and when they have both hats essentially fail at both. Smith seems to have gone that way.

I think the next question to that is - which of those guys were graded at #1 overall and which were elevated because they were a QB. I think you'd see that the reality is taking a QB #1 overall for guys who grade out as the #1 player in the draft - is probably a 50%+ probability. I'll take a coin flip shot at finding a 10 year QB.

He is a good coach - I presume he'll end up in New England, maybe as the assistant head coach if Beli stays there and as the heir apparent. But he is a really good coach.