Monday, April 13, 2026
✶ Untold Chicago Stories ✶ Amazon Music
Home Blog Page 2775

Why the Bears Won’t Be Happy With the Todd Gurley Extension

By
Erik Lambert
-
todd gurley

The Chicago Bears don’t have any immediate contract issues to worry about, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking about the future. Eddie Goldman is probably their most notable focus at the moment, but it won’t be long before the best player on the team will start to expect a new contract. Jordan Howard won’t want to live on fifth round pick money for much longer, and Todd Gurley may have just changed things.

The Los Angeles Rams running back broke the glass ceiling on Tuesday when he inked a brand new contract worth upwards of $60 million in four seasons. This averages out to $15 million a year. To understand how earth shattering that is to the running back pay structure, recall that the highest-paid back before him was Devonta Freeman of the Falcon. He was making just over $8 million a year.

That means Gurley has completely reset the pay expectations for top running backs in the NFL. Not surprising after his 2017 season where he had 2,093 total yards and 19 touchdowns. Guys like Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson, and Ezekiel Elliott now have a chance to cash in big within the next couple years.

Depending on how things go this season, Howard may be able to do the same.

Jordan Howard can cash in if he improves his versatility in 2018

Howard will say that his tireless hard work to improve as a pass catcher this coming season is for the betterment of the Bears offense. There is plenty of truth in that, but it’s not the entire story. He knows that teams around the league see him as more of a pure runner. He’s excellent taking handoffs and grinding defenses down, but there’s a limit to his usefulness in a system because he can’t be a threat in the passing game.

If he can change that perception this year, it will add zeroes onto to his next contract. Howard is already one of the best runners in the game. He’s gone over 1,100 yards in back-to-back years and sits in the top six among all backs during that span. The arrival of Matt Nagy as head coach could be the big break he’s been waiting for.

Last season alone, Nagy targeted running backs 97 times in the passing game as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs. It is an extensive part of his system, which features heavy influences from the class West Coast offense that made throwing to the backs famous back in the 1980s. Signs in training camp signal that Howard’ efforts to improve his pass catching are bearing fruit.

He’s only had one notable drop and that was on a pass that was difficult to begin with. Otherwise, he’s been consistently reliable. If things come together as hoped, 2018 could end up being a career year for the 23-year old. This will be great news for the Bears on the field, but it will mean more money they’ll have to pay when his contract becomes a central issue in 2019.

Is New Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden Really Worth Anywhere Near $100 million?

By
Perry Schwartz
-

It has been over six months since Jon Gruden’s record 10-year, $100 million contract was announced, yet many of us are still wondering, is the Oakland Raiders head coach worth anywhere near $100 million?

Over the last 20 years, Jon Gruden has achieved the greatest heights possible as both an NFL head coach and an ESPN commentator. Gruden, of course, won a Super Bowl as the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and went on to become the highest paid on-air personality at ESPN.

However, it has been nearly a decade since Gruden last coached an NFL game and it is not as if he had a flawless resume as a head coach. Gruden certainly did a nice job in Oakland, going 38-26 with an AFC Championship appearance in four years. Many people don’t realize that after Gruden’s first season in Tampa Bay, in which the team won the Super Bowl, the Buccaneers went just 45-51 the rest of the way, failing to make it past the Wild Card game.

Back in 2008, teams huddled between most plays and fullbacks were still pervasive. It is not as if Gruden is clueless as to what has happened in the NFL over the last decade, but 10 years is a big gap between coaching stints. Gruden said publicly that he is not a fan of analytics and wants to go back to some of the philosophies from 20 years ago. At this point, it is to difficult to know exactly what to make of his beliefs on modern statistics and technology, but it is not a great sign.

Gruden’s $100 million is even grander than it sounds when you factor in the fact that there is no state income tax in Las Vegas, where the Raiders will be for most of the duration of the contract. Some are wondering whether Jon Gruden is even worth more than his brother, Jay Gruden, current head coach of the Washington Redskins, especially for arguably the poorest franchise in the NFL. One has to wonder if the contract itself will be suffocating for “Coach Chucky.”

Although the contract is both blown up and back-loaded, the 10-year guarantee at least makes it easier for the Raiders to hire coordinators since they can have confidence that Gruden won’t be going anywhere. The Raiders are hoping that Gruden will be a great fit for a city like Las Vegas. He was certainly a compelling hire with upside, but if the contract does not work out, it could have disastrous ramifications.

Why Leonard Floyd Struggled The Past Two Years (and Will Break Out in 2018)

By
Erik Lambert
-
leonard floyd

Leonard Floyd has all the hopes and dreams of the defense on his shoulders this year. Why? In essence, he and he alone is responsible for driving the Chicago Bears edge rush. Who else will do it? Aaron Lynch is already dealing with hamstring problems. Isaiah Irving is a former undrafted player with limited experience. Kylie Fitts is a rookie sixth rounder with a loaded background of health issues. Floyd is their only proven guy.

Even he isn’t immune to concern either. He’s suffered two-straight years of his season being cut short by injuries. People are anxiously wondering if he’ll ever turn out to be the double digit sack producer many still feel he can be. Or rather has to be now. Is it possible? Yes, it is. The problem isn’t that Floyd is missing some physical trait that’s holding him back.

It’s more that he still hasn’t mastered the art of pass rushing. He’s gotten better. Don’t get that twisted, but he’s still lagging behind in one critical facet. He isn’t consistent enough at finishing. For those unfamiliar, to “finish” means not only to beat your blocker on a rush but to get to the quarterback for a sack. Missed sacks are often a result of a rusher not being disciplined in his approach.

The numbers bear this out with Floyd.

Leonard Floyd can pressure consistently but not sack

Last season offered an interesting juxtaposition. According to Matt Harmon of Yahoo Fantasy, Floyd had the eighth-best pressure rate among edge rushers in the NFL last season. Out of 247 total pass rush snaps, he got heat on the quarterback 13.8% of the time or 18 pressures in total. That’s not bad for somebody who only played 10 games.

The problem is he wasn’t efficient enough with the pressures he had. Just five of those 18 pressures resulted in him getting to the quarterback for a sack. By contrast, rookie Carl Lawson in Cincinnati had a lesser rate at 13.3% in 338 snaps with 8.5 sacks. So despite having just seven more total pressures on the season, he had four more sacks.

The hard part to accept is that Floyd may have actually gotten worse from his rookie season. He had 22 pressures in 12 games that year with seven sacks. Four more pressures total from this year but 2.5 more sacks. This means his efficiency rate went down. What happened? It wasn’t experienced and there was no sign of conditioning issues.

The only thing left was coaching.

Changes at position coach have likely hampered his progress

Clint Hurtt was Floyd’s outside linebackers coach in 2016, a man well-respected for his prowess at that job. Lamarr Houston also had a career-best 8.5 sacks that year. However, Hurtt left for New York during the 2017 offseason. Rather than hire a replacement, Vic Fangio elected to run the outside linebackers himself. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work.

For those who don’t remember, Lovie Smith tried to do that in 2009, running the team and the defense simultaneously. The defense went from 16th in points allowed to 21st. It’s hard to focus on two jobs at once. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog even got some criticism for the Bears defensive staff over how they’ve used Floyd from a former pro personnel executive.

“Vic is a good coach but that staff is not doing a great job with Floyd. All of his success is based on athleticism but he still plays undisciplined. But if he stays healthy he can still be a double-digit sack guy. Do they have another relevant rush guy?”

This would explain why the Bears handed full coaching duties to Brandon Staley this offseason, removing the extra work from Fangio’s plate. Despite having mostly a college background, Staley is already earning a reputation among young pass rushers for his knowledge and coaching prowess. It seems to be impacting Floyd too, who’s been having a tremendous start to training camp.

Yes, practices are different than games but it’s apparent the violent hands and explosion off the snap are more consistent than years past. If he carries that along with better discipline in his angles, the trajectory between his number of pressures and his number of sacks will begin to intersect. That’s what the Bears are aiming for.

Don’t Faint Hearing What Matt Nagy Asks Trubisky to Do in the Huddle

By
Erik Lambert
-
ryan pace

It’s hard being a quarterback in the NFL. Really hard. There’s a reason only a handful of humans on the planet Earth can do it with any amount of sustained success. It doesn’t just take the ability to throw a football well. It takes an almost superhuman knowledge of the game and a requirement to process that knowledge in a matter of seconds from one play to the next. If everything isn’t done perfectly, plays don’t get executed. If plays don’t get executed, the team doesn’t win. Matt Nagy understands this.

The new Chicago Bears head coach has been linked to the quarterback position since he was a kid. He played in high school, college and the Arena League. He then coached it for several years in Kansas City. In that time he learned what it takes for the position to succeed, and people might not fully grasp how deep the details can go at times.

Jay Cutler once said that it typically takes three years to master an NFL offense. Nagy knows this too. So if he wants Mitch Trubisky to avoid not being effective in this new offense until 2020, he needs to find ways to accelerate the learning process. He’s already using some interesting methods in training camp. Some of which seem utterly insane at first glance.

Matt Nagy is so detailed he’s tweaking how Trubisky says plays in the huddle

Under normal football parameters, a quarterback waits outside the huddle until he receives a play being sent in. He then enters the huddle, recites the play to the rest of the offense, gives the cadence and finally breaks it. This is how Trubisky did it last year and it’s the common method for most offenses.

At least early on, Nagy is taking it a step further. He wants to find ways to help his young quarterback get a deeper understanding of the offense. So he’s actually requiring Trubisky to say plays to each individual player in the huddle that it involves. Peter King of NBC Sports helped explain.

“Because the system is new, Trubisky has worked the off-season to be sure he knows the more complicated offense with more verbiage per play. But Nagy doesn’t just want Trubisky to memorize the calls and repeat them in the huddle. He wants Trubisky to enunciate each part of the play-call while looking at the player or players who are that exact part of the play.

This might be too inside-football … but Trubisky, when calling the assignment for the “Z” receiver, for instance, will probably have a word beginning with Z or simply the letter Z; Nagy wants Trubisky to look at that man when calling it. Nagy wants his quarterback to see if his offensive mates process the call, basically.”

What some people don’t realize is certain offensive plays can be several words long. As many as 15-20 in some cases. Not all of them can be a “Philly Special” or “Ambush” type situation. The point behind this is it gives the primary players involved a clearer understanding of exactly what their job is to help make it a success.

The idea is to use instructing the play as a way for Trubisky to memorize it

Simply learning how to spit out the play is a challenge in those situations. Nagy knows this. So what’s a way to help Trubisky process it a little easier? Having him explain it to each of his teammates in the huddle. By forcing him to act almost like a teacher, it’s also helping Trubisky to learn the play himself. The Bears quarterback is big on leadership, so this sort of method actually speaks to his style.

One thing is clear. Nagy isn’t making any compromises. He’s clearly pushing his quarterback to learn as fast as possible. There’s little room for patience in today’s NFL. The Bears haven’t had a winning season since 2012, haven’t made the playoffs since 2010 and haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1985. He needs to get that ship off the ground fast.

The only way to do that is to make Trubisky a success as soon as possible. Using methods like this may be difficult, but it’s all for the benefit of the team. Just be glad you’re not the one having to do it every day. Aneurysms are never a fun thing.

The Bulls Have Made Yet Another Roster Move

By
Patrick Mooney
-

Just a day after the Bulls added Rawle Alkins on a 2-way contract, they went ahead and added another athletic shooting guard to round out the bench.

Cleveland’s deal isn’t guaranteed, so it’s possible he could be waived before the start of the regular season.

As it stands though, the Bulls have 15 players under contract plus Alkins and Ryan Arcidiacono on two-way contracts, meaning they currently have no full-time roster spots open and just one remaining two-way contract slot, a slot they didn’t fill last season.

So, we might be looking at the finished product. After winning 27 games last season, it’s hard to look at the group of players that the Bulls have assembled this offseason and not think the team has improved.

Aaron Lynch Fiasco Ramps Up Likelihood of Bears Move at Edge Rusher

By
Erik Lambert
-
aaron lynch

Aaron Lynch was signed in free agency with one goal. That was to help the Chicago Bears supplement their defensive pass rush. Though he’s struggled in recent years in that department, the 24-year old has a history with Vic Fangio. One that showed a lot of promise in their brief time together. Reuniting them could regain some of that magic. It’s not a bad idea in theory.

The problem is he’s done next to nothing of consequence since he arrived. Lynch tweaked his hamstring during minicamps and OTAs, forcing him to wait until training camp to return. Then the moment things got going, he reaggravated the injury. Lynch is no good to them if he can’t stay on the field. It’s becoming evident why the Bears wisely signed him to a one-year deal.

This can’t be expected to linger on for much longer. Right now Leonard Floyd is the only pass rusher the team has of any consequence in camp. Isaiah Irving? Kylie Fitts? Neither has flashed enough to warrant this wait-and-see attitude. One has to believe GM Ryan Pace plans to make some sort of move soon.

If and when that time comes, here’s a list of names they’re likely to pinpoint depending on their strategy of choice.

Free agency options:

Lamarr Houston

This is the most logical move the Bears can make at present. Houston has deep familiarity with Vic Fangio’s defense, having played in it at different intervals from 2015 to 2017. The veteran rusher seems to like the scheme.

In 23 career games under Fangio, he had 12 totals sacks. That a better ratio than any other system he’s played in by a wide margin. The question is why won’t the Bears make this move? Do they not want him back? Is his asking price too high or does he not want to return?

Junior Galette

There are plenty of red flags that come with this idea, but the Bears are in a beggars-can’t-be-choosers situation. At one point in time Galette was one of the better edge rushers in the NFL. He had 22 sacks in 2013 and 2014 with the New Orleans Saints.

After that? It was a host of injury woes that ultimately robbed him of two entire seasons in 2015 and 2016. Not until last year did he finally return to action where he had three sacks. At age 30, it’s hard to tell if he has one more good year in him or if the injuries tapped his body too much.

Erik Walden

This is a name that often gets lost in the shuffle. Mostly because he’s either been relegated to backup duties or played on bad teams. When he’s gotten a chance to play significant snaps, Erik Walden has shown he can be a productive pass rusher. It’s worth noting he has 12 sacks in the past 18 games he’s started. While he does turn 33-years old this season, there’s no harm in signing him to a one-year deal for critical depth.

Trade options:

Shane Ray (Denver Broncos)

This is a name that’s been mentioned in trade circles for months. Ever since the Denver Broncos drafted Bradley Chubb with their fifth overall pick back in April, the clock began to tick for Shane Ray. That was made even clearer when the team chose not to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

Ray has battled wrist issues the past couple years. Reports are he’s finally on the rebound but it’s unclear if the Broncos are ready to shop him. They could wait until midseason to see if they can up his value or may just let him play out his deal.

Carl Nassib (Cleveland Browns)

Now that Myles Garrett is firmly entrenched and Emmanuel Ogbah is back healthy, it’s left former third round pick Carl Nassib in a sort of limbo. Some even feel he could be cut given his questionable fit in the Cleveland Browns 4-3 system. He might be better suited to outside linebacker in a 3-4 which was actually the original scheme he was drafted to play in. This might be the sort of young, upside player who could thrive with a change of scenery and it’s almost a guarantee the Bears would get him for exceedingly cheap.

Possible cut options:

John Simon (Indianapolis Colts)

The guy just has some bad luck. He finally got a chance to become a starter on defense after years of reserve work in Houston. Despite being limited to nine games he was the best playmaker on a bad defense with three sacks and an interception for a touchdown. Simon is now part of a system that’s shifting to a 4-3.

He will be a defensive end, which given his shorter stature doesn’t seem like a possibility. Hence the buzz that he could be cut. If the Bears are looking for a try-hard guy that gets more pressure than his sack count indicates, they would do well to sign him.

Shaq Lawson (Buffalo Bills)

Another former high draft choice designated to play in one system who suddenly found himself having to play in another. Shaq Lawson was drafted by Rex Ryan to play in a 3-4 but last year had to switch to a 4-3 defensive end. Throw in nagging injury problems on top of that, it’s little wonder the Buffalo Bills may consider cutting him.

Lawson doesn’t seem to be on the best terms with the new coaching staff. If a trade partner can’t be found, he could hit the market where the Bears would have a chance to get a young ex-first round pick for cheap.

Carroll Phillips (Jacksonville Jaguars)

It feels like Carroll Phillips has been stuck on the wrong roster since he got to the NFL. While the Jacksonville Jaguars are an excellent defensive team. They’re stacked at edge rusher, and also feature a 4-3 system. Phillips never had the size to play that position coming out of Illinois.

Anybody who watched him at the Senior Bowl could see he had the body and skill set of a future 3-4 outside linebacker. If he gets cut, it would make perfect sense for him to come back to his home state to provide depth for its team.

Stop Being Butthurt About Chelios And Welcome Him Back To Chicago

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

Finally! Chris Chelios has come back to Chicago! With that, it’s time for Blackhawks fans who are butthurt about him accepting a trade to Detroit 19 years ago, to get over it.

Born in Chicago in 1962, Cheli embodied everything that Chicagoans love. He wasn’t given anything and worked hard to make it all the way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Chelios gave the best years of his career to the Chicago Blackhawks from 1990-1999. In his 664 games with the organization he tallied 487 points. He helped lead the team to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1992, won 2 Norris Trophies (93 and 96) and captained the Blackhawks from 1995-1999.

All that and most people can only think about how he accepted a trade to the Detroit Red Wings.

I take this as how some people just don’t know what it’s like to be a competitor in a losing situation. To see cornerstones of the franchise like Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour be shipped off for nothing only to leave the team with nothing. He was 37 years old and still had the fire to win while the Blackhawks organization obviously did not.

They also didn’t want older players around as they instated a no children in the locker room rule. A rule he believed to be directed at him and his kids.

It doesn’t matter that he said he would never play for the Detroit Red Wings. Rational and objective people can change their minds and evolve based on circumstances.

At 37 years old he couldn’t lead the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup but he knew he could help another team get there while being in a better environment for him and his family. So what if it that environment was the Red Wings?

Chelios has even been quoted as saying, “I left on good terms with the Wirtz family. They treated me great.’’

If the Blackhawks organization was good with it, fans should be too. So before you go blindly worshiping the jersey of your favorite team, it’s important to get all the facts straight.

I know. He brought the Stanley Cup to Wrigley Field and The Cell in 2008. Some fans took this wrong way and read into the view and not into his words.

“I know I bring it (Stanley) with the wrong team, but at least I brought it home.”

“You don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I’ve found a new home with Detroit, but Chicago is always going to be home and my parents are here,” he said. “I intend on coming back here someday and living the rest of my days whether it’s as a player or just somehow maybe involved with the Blackhawks.”

It wasn’t supposed to be spiteful. Chelios wanted to show that he didn’t forget where he was from. It’s no different than Patrick Kane bringing the Stanley Cup to Buffalo. They’re just showing their hometown something they may have never seen before.

Looking back, he may have actually been looking for the welcome back from Chicago which he certainly did not receive from fans.

I’m actually surprised he came back after the way he has been treated. How can he or anyone forget the United Center crowd booing him and his family on his Heritage Night in 2010? He did put that behind him and that takes a big man.

We can learn from this, do the same and finally welcome him back.

It was a pleasure to have experienced Chris Chelios in his prime with Chicago and an honor to have him back as a Blackhawks ambassador. The Hockey Hall of Famer’s career spanned into four decades with three Stanley Cups, three Norris trophies, eleven all-star games and a spot on the list of 100 Greatest NHL players.

I’m happy to welcome the legend Cheli home and I hope you can find it in your heart to do the same.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

Blackhawks Fans Are Literally Not Buying What Stan Bowman Is Selling

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

It’s the early 2010s and the Blackhawks are the hottest ticket in Chicago. Season ticket holders are printing money on the resale market and you can’t get a 300 level seat for less than $100. Well, the times have changed and nobody is buying Blackhawks tickets for anything anymore.

I started realizing this fact in early February of last season. As a 9-game plan holder I was literally giving away my tickets the last half of the season.

Gone were the friends and family asking to buy my tickets. Craigslist, OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace warranted offers of $10 each for my $75 tickets.

As a result I would just give them away to my friends and family. It was never about making money but getting back what I paid for games I couldn’t attend.

It came time for renewal and I just didn’t see the point anymore. I was giving away money to the organization. My ticket rep contacted me about 5 times through different mediums but I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just me either. The response from holders was so bad that they’re actually available to the public again.

I felt bad for the reps as they’re all good people just trying to do their job. It’s not their fault Stan Bowman and company are going to put out a mediocre product this season.

The plan got me into games I wanted to go to with no hassle but now I can get tickets for a fraction of face value. I’ll hold out and buy them game by game from the season ticket holders puking them out.

This will happen as it should be mentioned that season tickets went up another 4% this season.

Even later in the season I noticed the Blackhawks running a promotion for student tickets starting at $25. This was a bad sign as it brought me back to the early 2000s in college when we could go for about $10. 

A time when about 2,000 fans would attend games. 

I don’t know if or when that will happen again but it’s a bad sign. Ticket deals are for teams that are struggling to sell tickets.

There started to be more indications that Blackhawks fans just aren’t interested anymore. Another example is the once hot Blackhawks Convention tickets that were not selling out like they did in years past.

It’s so bad that I’ve seen about 10 contests from Blackhawks sponsors giving them away recently, way more than normal. I’m not talking about two tickets either. In one instance I saw WGN radio gave away 4-packs to 10 winners. This is unheard of. 

The organization is also announcing attendees like it’s a big deal. Acting like everyone didn’t know who was going to show up. The same guys who have for the past 10 years. Minus the ones smart enough to tell their buddies to get married this weekend. Can’t argue that.

Both of these signs and then I found the last bit that really indicated their struggles. They’re even having a hard time selling Winter Classic tickets in pre-sale. 

All last week I had a code and tickets were certainly not dwindling as the days went on. Then I received another pre-sale opportunity for the next two weeks!

I know the Blackhawks are terrible in outdoor games but this is Notre Dame Stadium against the Boston Bruins. Two “Original 6” teams in one of the most iconic stadiums in America.

If you’ve ever been to a game there you know how big of a deal it is. Opposing team’s fans come in awe and pack the bookstore to buy merchandise. Had this been 3-8 years ago this would have been a big ticket.

Unless you live in a bubble you know hockey fans outside of Chicago grew tired of the Blackhawks long ago. Now it seems Chicago is tired of them as well. 

I’ll admit I’m not excited about the team going into next season but I still like seeing my favorite team. I’ll be at the convention, games and maybe I can get some people to go to South Bend with me. I just hope I’ll still be getting deals on the tickets.

Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks need to put out a better product than we had last season. Unfortunately they haven’t done it yet this offseason and their ticket sales reflect it.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musing.

Offense is Starting To Back Up Trash Talk at Bears Training Camp

By
Erik Lambert
-
bears training camp

After three days of rainy, soggy conditions down in Bourbonnais, the Chicago Bears training camp finally got a turn of perfect weather for their Monday practice. Reports coming out where that right guard Kyle Long and wide receiver Allen Robinson were both deactivated for the day in order to rest as they continue working back from their offseason surgeries. It’s a shame too because, by the sound of things, they missed a fun time.

Guys like Tarik Cohen and Mitch Trubisky are confident dudes. They believe in themselves and that if they, as an offense, can execute properly there isn’t a defense in the world that can stop them. That’s been especially true of late after the team made it’s new additions to the depth chart. Cohen hasn’t been afraid to talk trash with the defense.

The problem is there haven’t been enough instances to back it up as his unit continues to suffer through growing pains. As a result, the defense has shined most during drills. Finally, after a rocky start to camp, that seems to be changing.

Reports out of Day 4 was a tale of two halves. The first half taking place in the early morning was punctuated by the defense. Most of training camp thus far was a showcase for the continued standout play of Vic Fangio’s top 10 unit, particularly the secondary. Matt Nagy’s new offense, in the midst of installation, was just trying to catch up.

*The following video clips are provided by the outstanding people @GBraggsJr and @DaBearsBros. Be sure to give them a follow if you haven’t already.

Chicago Bears training camp Day 4 began with defense in control

Things got started early on, as they seem to lately with Kyle Fuller. The young cornerback may have his new contract but that hasn’t seemed to affect him at all. He’s still playing with the same energy and confidence he was last season. If anything he looks even better. Watch how almost casually stepped in front of Marlon Brown on this place play, seizing the inside position and picking off the pass. He wasn’t alone though.

Later on during team drills, Mitch Trubisky felt the sting of the defense again. This time it was Prince Amukamara who jumped the receiver’s route to pick off the pass. Under game conditions, this looks like it would’ve like been a pick-six. It wasn’t just the secondary though. They were getting a big assist from the pass rush, which was active for much of the morning. None more so than Leonard Floyd.

It doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong with that surgically-repaired knee. Floyd reportedly arrived at camp in shape and 100% recovered. He also sported a new hairdo. Perhaps it was his way of saying things were going to be different this year. Based on how active he’s been on the pass rush, it bodes well for this season. That’s welcome news given the somewhat decrepit state of outside linebacker position in general.

Things seemed to be stuck for the Bears offense, still trying to sort through its new personnel and massive playbook. Then, ever so suddenly, things seemed to start clicking.

Bears offense turned up the juice towards the end of practice

After practice, Matt Nagy spoke to the media and sounded in good spirits. A big part of why was he saw results beginning to show up from his offense. Not just occasional good plays but actual sustained series of production sequences.

The evidence available from practice seems to reflect this. Trubisky not only started to connect on passes more consistently, but he was also gashing the defense for big plays. That included this pretty pass to Dion Sims in which he dropped the ball between defensive backs while going towards the sideline. Sims has had a good camp by all indications, to the shock of many who thought he would be cut back in March.

It wasn’t just the passing game that benefitted though. The Bears also began to unveil some of their more exotic looks in the running game. This gem exemplified it. On the play, Trubisky appears to hand the ball to Tarik Cohen on a jet sweep to the right. It’s a fake though. As the defense drifts towards Cohen in the flat, Trubisky instead hands to Howard who finds plenty of space up the middle.

How often did the Bears run a play like that in 2017? Better question. Did they ever run a play like that? The fact it’s difficult to recall tells you all you need to know. Last but not least was wide receiver Taylor Gabriel. The Bears brought him in with the hope he’d become a deep threat in their new system, something they’ve sorely lacked. It would appear he’s settling into that role quite nicely.

Again, keep this in mind. The Bears offense made that sort of progress while two of their best players, Long and Robinson, were standing in street clothes on the sideline. Yes, it’s early and there’s a long way to go but it’s hard not to feel encouraged that they’ve made this kind of progress already. One didn’t even mention rookie receiver Anthony Miller who reportedly had moments where he abused both Fuller and Amukamara during drills.

The competition is getting fierce, and it’s the first sign that the Bears are building something. Something good. There’s still a ton of work to do and they need some luck to go their way, but the signs are there.

Some Fascinating Advice Led Matt Nagy to His Wildest Coaching Staff Hire

By
Erik Lambert
-
matt nagy

Keep in mind that Matt Nagy is a head coach for the first time in the NFL. In these situations, it’s easy for a man to feel somewhat uncomfortable in his surroundings. He’s out on his own for the first time. The responsibility is on him alone. If the Chicago Bears don’t win from here on out, that’s his fault. In these situations, it’s perfectly natural for a coach to surround himself with familiar faces. People he knows and trusts.

When Dave Wannstedt was hired in 1993, he brought Ron Turner in to run the offense and Bob Slowik to run the defense. Turner had worked with him at USC in the mid-1980s. Slowik was a defensive assistant under him the year before in Dallas. There was instant familiarity. Dick Jauron took over for Wannstedt in 1999. One of his first hires was Greg Blache as defensive coordinator, whom he’d worked with for six years in Green Bay.

One man who went against the norm was Lovie Smith. His biggest hires in 2004 were Terry Shea and Ron Rivera. Neither had ever worked with him in the past. A year later Smith did it again, replacing Shea with Ron Turner. People can debate which style is better, but the results speak for themselves. Wannstedt and Jauron combined for two playoff appearances in a decade. Smith made two appearances and went to a Super Bowl using his method.

Which style would Nagy use?

Matt Nagy went out of his comfort zone on advice from Andy Reid

It turns out he’d go the Lovie route. Nagy knew his job wasn’t to make himself comfortable. It was to make the Bears as successful as possible. That meant hiring coaches that were good at their jobs, not familiar with him. His first order of business was convincing Vic Fangio to return as defensive coordinator.

Nagy had never worked with him before, but he knew the man’s reputation, respected it and was perfectly happy keeping things as they were. It took some convincing but Nagy eventually sold the veteran coordinator on returning. That done, the next order of business was finding his offensive coordinator. It was here the Bears head coach threw one of the biggest curveballs of the NFL offseason.

His choice ended up being Mark Helfrich. Not only had the former Oregon head coach never served on an NFL team before, he’d actually been out of football for all of 2017, serving as a TV analyst. The selling point was Helfrich’s reputation for offensive innovation, along with something else according to Peter King from NBC Sports.

“A longtime friend on the Chiefs’ staff last year strongly advised Nagy to reach out to Helfrich, who badly wanted to get back into coaching. When Nagy first called Helfrich during the Chiefs’ season to check in, he didn’t have much time—Helfrich and wife were on a short vacation in central Oregon, and cell service was spotty. Nagy, Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator in Kansas City, wanted an imaginative alter-ego to team with on offense if he got a shot at a head-coaching job.”

Nagy made it clear he wanted something different with Helfrich

He’d done great things in Kansas City with the Chiefs offense but at the end of the day, it didn’t win them a Super Bowl. So how could he work to improve upon it? After seeing his friend and former colleague Doug Pederson have so much such with a run-pass option-heavy attack in Philadelphia en route to a title, it got him to thinking about ways he too could embrace that growing trend.

Helfrich, along with Chip Kelly at Oregon, were some of the original innovators of that style. They helped it go mainstream in college. It wasn’t just that though. Nagy was also acting on a piece of advice he got from his mentor, Andy Reid.

“Andy always told us, ‘Hire people better than you are,’” Nagy said. “That appealed to me. I asked Mark after about 15 minutes of talk, you know, hey, if I get a job, do you think you’d have any interest at all? And after maybe 30 seconds of thinking about it, he said, ‘It’s crazy you called. There is interest.’ So once I heard that, now we can really start talking. So we did.”

Helfrich has had a reputation for being an offensive innovator for a long time. Several other coaches including Kelly and former mentor Dirk Koetter have said so. Though his exploits were at the college level, one could say he had more sustained offensive success at a high level than Nagy did in Kansas City. So in that context, it made sense the Bears head coach followed the advice and recommendations.

It also explains why Reid has been so good at cultivating future head coaches. He too doesn’t search for friends. He searches for the best possible coaches he can find. It’s nice to see Nagy embracing the same philosophy.

1...2,7742,7752,776...3,202Page 2,775 of 3,202

Subscribe to our Newsletter

✶ An Unfiltered Voice For Chicago Sports Fans ✶

Chicago Sports News

About Us

© Sports Mockery, Inc. 2026