Tony

Change and success are two different things. Getz and Co. haven't had enough runway to see if those changes will pay off yet, and I'm not saying it's going to be an automatic failure or nothing Getz does can be good. But you, and I, don't know how much has been "poured" into player development. There have been a handful of PR stories about the importance of player development to this regime, and that's a good thing. But how much was spent? Are those investments just getting them on par with other teams that have been doing it for the last 10+ years? It's good to be hopeful as a fan. Not trying to deny anyone that. But it's been 20 years since 2005 and they've won the AL Central twice since then. And Jerry has been involved every step of the way. And he still is. So color me skeptical. Don't feel like it's a terribly difficult stance to understand.

...And? It was seemingly the first time they tore things down with intent behind it and wanted to build something with sustained success. We applauded them for that, and a lot of us (myself included) thought the core looked incredibly promising. What happened? Nearly everyone on that list didn't reach their expected potential, to varying degrees. Passan listed out 12 names in his tweet, and anytime you're talking about 12 young players, you know the hit rate isn't going to be above 75%, at best. That's just how the game works. The problem was those 12 names listed were basically the entire roster. There was no fallback, no reinforcements being developed in the farm to supplement the roster, no pipeline. Why did those things happen? Lack of resources in player development and Front Office employees being given jobs they had no business being in. I have yet to given a reason to believe either of those things have significantly changed under this new regime. And until I do...I'll remain a skeptic.

I want the White Sox to win. And I don't really care how they do it as long as it happens. But it starts at the top, and the man that sits the highest is still in control of this franchise, and until that truly changes...we're on a hamster wheel.

H He also said this in 2020. Ain't a single player with the organization left, never won a playoff series, and during that stretch set the record for worst record in baseball. Like Passan, but the trailer ended up being the best part of the movie...

Yeah, we were all caught in the glow of beating the Packers in the playoffs (rightly so) but that injury was a massive blow for the future. LT is incredibly important and now that position has to become a priority in the offseason, for a team that already is going to have to fill a bunch of holes.

Interesting turn...

That he could go more than a day without making a post that contained eleven random names that were not related, in anyway, to the topic at hand. Just couldn't do it....

The cap is complicated and requires a pretty in-depth understanding of each teams situation. Which is why I prefer getting information from people who actually cover the team, rather than national writer who is painting with broad strokes

This is pretty awesome

I mean, this same article has been written for months on this site. They need a pash rusher, find a solution at LT with Ozzy hurt, and figure out what they want to do a safety. Finley didn’t exactly re-invent the wheel with this one.

I mean, do you think they are going to spend the offseason looking to make the team worse? If there is one thing everyone is on the same page on, it’s right now is the window. The next three seasons before Caleb’s rookie deal is up. Doesn’t mean they can be successful after that, but it’s a lot easier when your QB is still on his rookie deal. You say “there is a feeling the Bears may be in store for a huge letdown next season.” You can feel anyway you want, but the expectation for this team will be to reach the Super Bowl, as it should be. They took a huge step forward this year, and the next step will be expected when the new season starts. Will it result in 11 wins next season and some of the most thrilling games we can remember? No idea, but they need to win multiple playoff games next year, end of story. And lastly, while good fortune certainly seemed to be on their side this season, I don’t know why just straight up growth is being overlooked by so many. Ben Johnson has never been a HC before. Given what we’ve seen from him as a competitor, I don’t expect him to get worse at his job in Year 2. There was also a tremendous learning curve for all involved this last year. The offense looked terrible in the preseason and to start the season. Ben said all along he thought they would be playing their best football in December and January, and he was right. For the first time in a while, there will be continuity from the coaching staff going into next year, and Caleb talked today about working on his accuracy being the biggest focus in the offseason. I know Bears fans aren’t used to any sort of sustained success, but to quote Stacey King…”If you’re scared, go buy a dog”

Correct take

How

…and then he throws a bad pick

Haven’t checked in yet during the thread, but thus far Caleb has been the better QB, which is saying something considering they are going up against the league MVP this year. Just some costly drops and the worst times have really hurt them. I haven’t disagreed with any of the 4th down calls from Ben, especially early as you felt like you would need TD’s, but a few of the FG’s would have been nice right now

Puka against the Bears defense is a very scary thought

Brutal for Ozzy, depending on how bad it is it could seriously impact him for next year, which is huge.

Honestly, rest of the playoffs are gravy. I will be disappointed when/if they lose, but they LOST 10 IN A ROW LAST SEASON. I'm all about making the most of your window, but they just won a playoff game against the Packers.

Just like we planned it

They are just going to break our hearts, aren’t they?

Play for the win here. End it

Loveland is just an absolute monster

Then put in your rookie RB who has been great this year. Really never thought Ben would hurt the Bears with his calls, but he’s been terrible tonight

The Packers look like they are actively trying to get the Bears back in the game, and it’s still not happening.