Chisoxfn

Wow, what an open field tackle on Wallace to hold them on 3rd down. I thought for sure Wallace would get a 1st down there.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 8, 2012 -> 02:55 PM) I'm disgusted by the fact that I have to agree with you. PS: You should do it more often, haha. Albeit I think the two of us tend to agree quite a lot when it comes to the Bears. On a sidenote, the Bears are your 2nd team correct? I know you are a big Bills fans.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 8, 2012 -> 02:55 PM) I'm disgusted by the fact that I have to agree with you. I was one of Big Ben's biggest fans prior to his off the field problems. I will never ever cheer for anything he does. I actually wonder what I'd do if the Bears had him on there team. I'd literally have to root for him to get injured so that I could go back to cheering for my favorite team. Damn, rough penalty for Denver. That was a great pick. Obviously it was an offsides though.

Cause you are a quality human being who doesn't want to cheer for a rapist to win.

Tebow!!!! Beat the Rapist!!!! Lets to Broncos!!!!!

Interesting. Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler, and Ryan Clady have been talking a bit on twitter. Cutler seems to be hinting at bringing both of them to Chicago. However, I don't believe Clady is a FA so no idea how the Bears would add him. Marshall and Clady would be tremendous fits though.

Go tebow. Beat the rapist. You are a horrible qb at this stage in your career but a tremendOus human being.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 11:30 AM) I wonder if there's something we can do to jazz up the title that would make it a promotion. For assistant coaches I don't believe that matters. I might be wrong but I know the Bears were able to block Tice from interviewing with the Titans for an OC job. Teams are not able to block assistants for interviewing as a head coach though.

I guess Cutler has recommended the Titans QB coach but it sounds like Munchack absolutely loves him and no one expects the Bears to get permission for what would be a lateral move in title (although the Bears job will be more hands on and give him more experience). There are also indications the Bears would be all over Koetter but everyone expects him to go to Atlanta, assuming he is let go from Jacksonville. One interesting thing I saw for oline coach was ex-Bear Andy Heck.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 11:17 AM) Scott Linehan was the OC under Tice. Tice has worked with two pretty well respected offensive guys in Linehan and Billick.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 10:54 AM) He was the Vikings' head coach a few years ago. I think that he's called a few plays before. Maybe on rare ocassions but never has he been responsible calling plays for a full game.

I've read on TalkBears that the Bears appear to be hiring Jeremy Bates. Has anyone else seen that or is that verified? If so, I'd be pretty exstatic. I think we'd see a similar but modified playbook with modified play-calling (and by modified, I mean similar to what we saw during Cutler's hot streak, plus more play action and rollouts). I think this is probably the best case scenario as it will not recall a total revamp to the offense. The big key is to add a LT and #1 wideout. From there I'm pretty confident in the offense. On defense, the team could use a DE and CB. Plus they have to start looking for a young MLB that can play the cover 2.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 08:28 AM) I said it last year when they traded for Wallace and I'll say it again. Steal of a trade for Portland. Didn't recognize Felton. Looked pudgy but fits that team nicely. Entertaining game. The announcerns I had kept talking about how Portland has wanted to trade Wallace since they got him. He'd be nice on the Bulls since he can actually create offense and get to the line. Crawford was on fire.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 10:27 AM) Worth noting...the team actually can't prevent him from interviewing elsewhere after the Ravens are out of the playoffs. So if that's not his call, it could still change. It was completely his call.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 06:39 PM) That's just it. Who fires their GM and their QB coach and basically fires their OC and keeps the head coach? Despite popular opinion, Angelo has had the Bears in the Super Bowl and NFC Championship game twice the past 5 years. Any other GM in this town does that, they get a close to lifetime pass. It wasn't his fault his top 2 players had season ending injuries. Not many teams are going to survive that. Obviously he has had trouble with the drafts, obviously his team is thin, but when you have several marquee players, NFL teams tend to be thin. He screwed up this year by not having a competent back up QB. An average back up probably gets the Bears in the playoffs, then maybe Cutler and Forte return, but Angelo then wouldn't be fired. I know there's a new sheriff in town, but GM's usually have to mess up a little more than that to get fired. Its just a theory, but paying out Angelo instead of having him just walk away retired (although they probably would have given him something anyway) is a small price to pay for the publicity firing him and going out and saying everything fans want to hear. If there hadn't been rumblings about Angelo stepping down for a couple of years, I doubt I would feel this way, but I really think this was more staged than an actual firing. Obviously Angelo would have had to play along, and I don't know if his pride would allow it. Again, just a theory. There's something about when a McCaskey says something about money being no object that just makes me skeptical. I will say this. I just never thought our front office/coach situation was all that bad to be frank. The Bears have made some pretty shrewd signings over the years and as a whole, have drafted relatively well. Angelo has definitely missed on his 1st round picks and had a run of bad drafts, but people forget that sometimes that happens to even the best GM's. Additionally, some of the people he gets called out for being busts ended up being productive football players (Columbo & Benson). The dude had put together two sets of competitive teams (a Super Bowl and an NFC Championship). I will point out that I could see him taking hit for not adding another QB, but in his defense, he also didn't want Martz. All I know is if Cutler/Forte don't go down, we might be talking about Angelo's replacement either way (via retirement) but we'd also probably be talking about how we need to extend Lovie. Lovie had this team in a great position and I have to remind myself about that because I think that is an important fact. It should also be pointed out that Angelo's worst drafts came with either (A) no picks or (B) during a period of time where Lovie had more influence on the organization. His picks of Bazuin and the trade for Adams go down as huge huge negatives for the Bears. Hard to evaluate the Adams trade though, since I have no idea what other teams were offering, since sadly no one got to see whether he'd live up to his potential.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 06:15 PM) I've been wondering for a while now why everyone hates Martz so much. Until Cutler went down this was the best Bears offense of my lifetime. #7 in points. I think the problem was there was a lot of internal issues between Martz and Cutler/Tice. I think Bates is going to be who the Bears end up hiring. It would mean Jay doesn't have to actually learn a new system, albeit, the rest of the offense would.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 04:53 PM) I have a theory that Angelo was going to retire. Its pretty much been in the news for a couple of years. I think a lot of these rumors have legs. It was reported Martz was out weeks ago. I think the Bears realize how unpopular Angelo was and asked him to let them fire him instead. They pay off the couple of years left on his contract or another agreed upon sum, and the Bears come away looking proactive, they can say all the right things at the press conference and Jerry is basically retired with some extra gas in his tank. It might be totally crazy, but I think there's a chance its fairly accurate. The problem I see is Ted Phillips a non football guy, making this decision. The McCaskeys are forever indebted to Ted, for he is the one who got them Soldier Field redone and made their net worth leap considerably. He has a lifetime contract with them, no matter what happens. It might not eventually be working for the Bears, but the McCaskeys will make sure Ted is well taken care of the rest of his life. Would the Bears spend all that money to do that? Especially when they could have just allowed Angelo to retire and to be frank, it probably would make the Bears look better since it would not add so many questions around Lovie's tenure since the only reason they were looking for a GM was related to the retirement (which would be a better explanation for staying the status quo with your coach but not with the GM).

I'm very intrigued to see what happens. I love me some gavin Floyd but for the right price and McGuire and Drabek would qualify as that, I'd be happy. I would also fully endorse the Sox turning around and spending some of that money. I also fully expect the Sox will deal Peavy and Thornton at some point this year, Thorty probably sooner than later. I think Peavy is going to kick ass and actually be a pretty valuable trade chip, one that teams will be okay observing cash (specifically a team in contention who wouldn't be in the position to take long-term cash but could suck it up for one post-season run).

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 02:51 PM) First of all, you discredit Harbaugh and then go on to credit Schwartz for doing basically the exact same thing as Harbaugh has done at Stanford and now San Francisco. Secondly, most of what you credit Schwartz for seems to me to be things the GM that replaced Matt Millen should get credit for. Everything you expect from a head coach, whether it be preparing the team to play, instilling discipline and sportsmanship in his players, keeping his teams from committing costly penalties, etc., the Lions, and Jim Schwartz by clear and direct extension, fail at. The Lions are an undisciplined, disrespectful, idiotic but incredibly talented team. Seems to me it is Schwartz's job to harness that talent and produce success. They started out 5-1 (but were lucky to have that record since they came out unprepared against Minnesota and Dallas), and finished weakly at 10-6, and made the playoffs only because Jay Cutler injured his wrist and the Bears collapsed. All excellent points. The Lions are an incredibly talented squad and I'll have Schwartz major credit for changing the attitude there as the coach but I want to see what he does because that team is completely undisciplined and it cost them significantly this year. Harbaugh gets more points for me, similar to Shack, for the fact that he showed how he could take a previously non-existent college football team and help make them sucessful.

While I can get excited at the names, I'd be pretty surprised if any of this talk is true.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 02:17 PM) I want to see this trade go down just to see your reaction It would be a complete opposite decision for what AA has done thus far in Toronto. Would Thornton, Floyd, and Beckham command that sort of package? I doubt it but was going to throw it out there.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 02:20 PM) According to BA, Drabek is not in their top 10, and McGuire is #8. IIRC, Gose was their #2, and Wojo was around 7? I could make the case that a Drabek for Beckham deal would be relatively fair. Both guys could probably benefit from a change of scenery and at one point in time were considered completely untradeable. Who do the Jays have slated to play 2B. I know they don't have Hill anymore. But the Sox aren't getting all of the other stuff for Gavin. That is completely insane. I still have a hard time believe they'd get McGuire and Drabek but I love Floyd so I can kind of believe that (Floyd has a fair contract too).

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 12:01 PM) I'm sorry, but given what little we know about the hierarchy of the Bears coaching staff, other than their titles, the record is by far the most important thing, which you admit one cannot take issue with. He's been here for what, 8 years now? Anyone is going to have a list of errors that took place over the course of 8 years. Jim Schwartz? MARVIN LEWIS? John Fox is like Lovie's white twin brother! What are you talking about? Marvin Lewis had all of the talent in the world on some of those Bengals teams. He's the epitome of a mediocre coach who doesn't have near the accolades of a Lovie Smith. Jim Schwartz. Talk to me when he does something consistently over a period of time. All I see is a guy who is out of control and can't keep his players in check. Fox is a damn good coach. I probably should have included him in my top 11 or 12, but he did have his problems in Carolina so he isn't perfect (he had crap at QB too). But Fox is very similar to Lovie as shack has pointed out. Records are important and Lovie has not only a good record but he also has a great track record of having his teams ready to play week in and week out. That is the head coaches job. The head coaches job isn't always to make the play-calls, etc. Hell, there are plenty of people that make exceptional coordinators and terrible coaches and vice versa. Not all head coaches would make excellent (or even be the best) coordinators. It is a different skill-set and I think in the most important areas, Lovie does better than most. When it comes to in-game management, every coach f's it up and Lovie has improved over the years at it. His teams have made better adjustments and he has a hell of a good record when his teams are leading late and into the 2nd half. I just find it funny that most Bear fans (and I'm not putting you into this category Mark (Murcie)) hate Lovie because he doesn't yell on the sidelines or gives "coach speak" during press conferences. In regards to Rivera, he made a mistake and paid for it, but he isn't perfect. He did the same thing with Shea (and almost everybody lauded that decision at the time) and with Martz, he got burned (and It was a hire made against Angelo's wish). Lovie is at his best when he runs the show and he's a very good leader of the team and quite frankly, that is the head coaches job. He seems to have thinks turned in the right direction and I have full faith in him as the head coach (I am sincere when I say that two or three years ago, I wouldn't have said that, but I have really grown to admire him as a head coach). Hell, look at Steeler fans, they were ready for years to run Cowher out of town yet he's probably one of the best coaches of the past 30 years.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Jan 5, 2012 -> 10:42 AM) I don't think Tomlin deserves to be in top5, hell our resident Steelers fan always seems to be b****ing about him. Reid to me is the same as Martz, he gets in his own way too often.... I think given how bad the 49ers were last season you have to Jim Harbaugh in the top5 and I think I'd round it out with John Fox. I don't know what to make of Fisher, It's hard for me to want a guy that insisted on starting Kerry Collins when despite all his problems Vince Young was clearly the better choice imo or even a ton of guys off F/A would have given more production than Collins. I'm not about to put guys in the top 5 based upon one year. John Fox is a solid coach but he also stunk his last couple seasons in Carolina. In regards to Reid, the dude has developed QB's consistently. McNabb played at a probowl level his entire career under Reid, the minute he leaves, he's a total bum. Kolb kicks butt in short stints and goes to Arizona and stinks. Vick passes like he's never passed before. Reid has done nothing but do a great job with his offenses. He's egotistical and cocky but he's a hell of a coach with a great track record. He unfortunately struggled this year and some people might be down on him for that, but the team came on very strong and its problems were on the defensive side (albeit the oline struggled too). And defensively, throughout most of his career, they have been solid (under the late Jim Johnson). harbaugh could get into the list but no way am I putting him there after just one season.

I would say this would be pretty damn solid value for Floyd, whom I happen to like a whole heck of a lot. I'm intrigued both those who are suggesting the Sox than sign a pitcher to replace Floyd (such as an Ejax). I highly doubt it would happen but it is an interesting concept. I'd say it would probalby make more sense a year from now after the Sox figure everything out (and figure out what they truly have) but if Kenny thinks getting Cepedes would help and they can compete this year it than would make sense to make a signing now. It would certainly make Konerko feel better, haha. If they deal Floyd, I'd have to think he'd be quietly indicating he'd like to be traded to a contender (one of his choice).