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Matt Nagy Already Dodged The Key Mistakes That Doomed Marc Trestman

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

A lot of people are uneasy about the road the Chicago Bears are going down with Matt Nagy. The last time they hired a head coach with an offensive background it ended in disaster. Marc Trestman, fresh from the CFL, took a team that was 10-6 in 2012 to 8-8 and finally 5-11. In the process he managed to transform a once great defense into arguably the worst in franchise history while at the same time alienating the quarterback he was hired to turn back into a Pro Bowler.

Fans still have nightmares about that time period. It’s understandable. One can’t forget that miserable stretch when the Bears gave up 50 points in back-to-back games against New England and Green Bay. It left people wondering as to where it all went wrong. The truth is the problems began almost from the very beginning.

Trestman proved that his personality didn’t fit the model of an NFL head coach. That became clear over time. However, he ended up making two key mistakes right after he was hired that ended up being the catalyst for becoming the only Bears head coach in the Super Bowl era to not last more than two seasons.

Not only that but those two mistakes? Nagy has already corrected them.

Matt Nagy kept the quality defensive coordinator in place

Probably the biggest missed opportunity for Trestman was failing to convince then-defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to stay aboard. Marinelli had just led the Bears defense a top five ranking in 2012. His players loved him. It was a no brainer to ask him to stay. Unfortunately the pitch Trestman made failed. Marinelli wasn’t sold on the idea and chose to resign. As a result the Bears were forced to hire Mel Tucker to replace him. The defense plummeted from fifth to 30th that season, giving up the most points in franchise history.

Meanwhile Nagy faced the exact same scenario. Vic Fangio had just led the defense to a top 10 finish. Ironically its first since 2012. Players were urging the team to convinced him to stay. It fell to the rookie head coach to make the sales pitch. He didn’t disappoint. Fangio, after some deliberation, chose to re-up with the Bears on a new three-year deal. It was a major victory for Nagy.

He also hired a more qualified QB specialist as offensive coordinator

Amazingly the Tucker move wasn’t the most puzzling hire that Trestman made in 2013. That was reserved for his decision to bring in Aaron Kromer as offensive coordinator. On the surface the hire made some sense. Kromer had just enjoyed an extended run of success as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints. At the same time he also didn’t serve a key purpose his position demanded. He had no background when it came to developing quarterbacks.

Kromer was primarily an offensive line specialist. He had no background whatsoever coaching QBs. He didn’t understand them or speak their language. So is it any surprise that he ended up being the one who turned Cutler against Trestman? It was revealed in 2014 that Kromer was the one that leaked the coaches’ frustration over Cutler’s struggles to the media. A decision he later had to apologize for.

Nagy made sure not to make that same mistake. The man he sought out for offensive cooridinator not only has coached the quarterback position extensively, he also played it. Mark Helfrich was an All-American QB at South Oregon in college. He became a quarterbacks coach in 1998 at Boise State and would hold that job for the next 14 years as he climbed his way to becoming head coach at Oregon.

His development of Marcus Mariota was proof enough he knows how to cultivate young talent at the position. Smart money says there won’t be any miscommunications involving Mitch Trubisky. With these key victories already under his belt, it sets Nagy up to have far more sustained success than Trestman ever did.

Chicago Bears Roster Purge May Be Looming In Near Future

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears roster

People might be underestimating how much this Chicago Bears roster is about to change. GM Ryan Pace may have been the architect of it. That much is true. However, he did so in concert with former head coach John Fox. With Fox gone the time is coming for Matt Nagy to put his own vision into practice. It’s Pace’s job to help him with that.

This could mean that the roster fans have grown familiar with in the past couple years may be about to undergo some significant changes. This is not to say a full-on demolition is looming. There’s no reason. The Bears have much more young talent in place than they did in 2015. This “purge” will be more about shuffling out some veterans who may have grown too expensive.

I spoke with a source who explained that no action should be expected from the team over the next few weeks. However, once the final games are in the rear view mirror the action should really start to pick up.

“Bears will now kick back and relax and wait out the Super Bowl. Expect them to be active and start the releases After. Several names will be cut. A lot of the higher price players.”

Chicago Bears roster doesn’t feature a ton of “safe” high-priced names

The fact is the Bears are already in a healthy salary cap situation. According to overthecap.com they could have upwards of $41 million in salary cap space as is. That would change drastically if they were to unload some of their top contracts. Many of them don’t have a lot of dead money in terms of guarantees were they removed.

Looking over the top 20 names on the Bears payroll going into 2018, there are perhaps eight who can be considered a lock to be the team. The rest are in various shades of gray.

  1. Mike Glennon
  2. Akiem Hicks*
  3. Kyle Long*
  4. Josh Sitton
  5. Pernell McPhee 
  6. Danny Trevathan*
  7. Mitchell Trubisky*
  8. Dion Sims
  9. Bobby Massie
  10. Charles Leno Jr.*
  11. Markus Wheaton
  12. Marcus Cooper
  13. Willie Young
  14. Kevin White
  15. Leonard Floyd*
  16. Jerrell Freeman
  17. Quintin Demps
  18. Eddie Goldman*
  19. Eric Kush
  20. Adam Shaheen*

In fact if the Bears were to cut just Glennon, Sitton, McPhee, Sims and Massie? Their cap would jump by another $39 million. GM Ryan Pace would have all the flexibility in the world both to retain in-house free agents and go shopping for upgrades on the market if he wished. If all the names not market by an asterisk were cut? The Bears would have $103 million in cap space.

Odds are the purge won’t run entirely that deep but it stands to reason a number of the older players are likely out. Young, McPhee, Demps, Freeman and Sitton have breached the 30-year old barrier. Pace has shown he doesn’t hang on to such types long if they aren’t producing. Glennon also should be considered gone since he holds the most expensive contract and is no longer the starting quarterback.

Either way expect a lot of movement in the next 30 days.

Bears OC Mark Helfrich Shocked How Fast Trubisky Effect Revealed Itself

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears assistant coaches

New Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich is walking into a difficult situation. This will be his first foray into the NFL after 20 years on the college level. The Bears finished 2017 with the 30th ranked offense in the league. It falls to him and head coach Matt Nagy to work towards turning things around. To do that they must work to elevate quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Helfrich knew his top priority was to get a sense of the 23-year old. He’s no stranger to dealing with the position. Marcus Mariota was his greatest achievement during his run as offensive coordinator and head coach at Oregon. As it turns out though, Helfrich didn’t even have to go seeking out opinions.

They came to him. Before he could barely unpack all his things the new coach found himself in conversation with the Bears offensive linemen. Only he wasn’t the one talking. They were ready and willing to offer their impressions of Trubisky without even being asked.

Mark Helfrich senses a Mariota aura with Mitch Trubisky

During his first press conference Helfrich explained how Trubisky shares a lot in common with Mariota, and what the offensive line was so eager to tell him.

“Mitchell has a tight release. He’s an accurate passer. They also have a couple of things similar that make them inaccurate. Their feet take them out of position. I sense from talking to a couple of offensive linemen, and this was unsolicited, when your offensive linemen are talking about how hard your quarterback works, that’s a great sign.”

It’s no secret that the Bears offensive line has grown fond of Trubisky over the past few months. Josh Sitton, Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and Bobby Massie have all had glowing things to say about the rookie. They love his drive, his fire and his command of the huddle. One of the hardest things to do for a young QB is win over the guys who have to protect you. Trubisky seems to have done it with ease.

Helfrich certainly sounded like he was impressed, and more than a little intrigued. What he did with Mariota at Oregon was considered some of the best work in college football history. Now he has a chance to paint on an entirely new canvas in the NFL. If Trubisky truly is comparable to Mariota, then the rest of the league should be put on notice to what’s coming.

Another Cubs-Killer Gets Traded Out Of The NL Central

By
Aldo Soto
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The St. Louis Cardinals acquired right-handed reliever Dominic Leone and Connor Greene from the Toronto Blue Jays and although Leone is certainly a great pick up, Chicago Cubs-killer Randal Grichuk has been traded out of the NL Central.

The 26-year-old outfielder has had a subpar career, posting a .249/.297/.488 slash line in 1,386 plate appearances. However, for whatever reason Grichuk absolutely killed the Cubs.

Grichuk has a .785 career OPS, but that jumped up almost 200 points against the Cubs. Just ridiculous production against a pretty good pitching staff during the previous three seasons.

That includes a 1.025 OPS at Wrigley Field.

His .638 slugging percentage against the Cubs is also the highest vs. any team with more than 60 total plate appearances. And you guessed it, his 11 home runs against the Cubs are the most against any team in the league.

So yeah, Grichuk was no longer going to be in a starting role with the Cardinals, but any threat of him killing the Cubs is gone, as he’s on his way not only out of the division, but the country too.

Yet, Grichuk isn’t the only player to give the Cubs nightmares that’s been traded in the past week.

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded their ace Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros and then followed that up by trading Andrew McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants a few days later. So, in one week, three players from two division rivals for the Cubs have been traded.

McCutchen has a career .866 OPS, but against the Cubs it’s .901. His slugging and OBP are also above his career averages. And Cole was great against the Cubs too, but of course his soul was ripped from his body by Kyle Schwarber in 2015.

So, the Pirates keep getting worse, it’s still the Cubs division to lose and Theo Epstein keeps winning even when he’s not making moves.

Bonus LOL @ Cardinals fans.

Early Mock Drafts By Top Experts Show Big Chicago Bears Oversight

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

With only three games remaining in this NFL season, most of the league has already moved into off-season mode. This is the typical time of year when the mock draft mayhem ensues. Fans start to see what the top draft experts believe their teams will place their focus come April. The Chicago Bears fandom is no different. They’ve eagerly awaited to hear what the big guns have to say. Well they don’t have to wait any longer.

It’s still early but most of the top names have begun to release their first mock drafts of the year. As most know by now the Chicago Bears hold the #8 overall pick. This due to their 5-11 finish in 2017 and strength of schedule. It marks the first time since 2001 they’ve held that selection when wide receiver David Terrell was selected.

Obviously that didn’t go so well. Perhaps they will have better luck this time. So was their a player that became a consensus favorite for them? Yes, and so was the position he plays.

Draft experts see Chicago Bears going after those wide receivers

A few things stand out about that list. Of course it starts with the name that crops up most. That being Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley. He’s the consensus top receiver in the 2018 class. Chicago had one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL last year. It’s logical experts would immediately see him landing there. Problem is he’s going to be 24-years old this year, so taking him at #8 is dicey.

All told of the nine experts referenced, four of them picked a receiver. Another three went with an offensive lineman. That’s seven out of nine seeing the Bears staying focused on Mitch Trubisky. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. At the same time it’s an amazing thing to see that none of them, not one, went after an edge rusher with the pick.

One mustn’t forget that Leonard Floyd, Willie Young and Pernell McPhee all ended the season on injured reserve. Young and McPhee are into their 30s this year. There’s a chance both could be cut. The free agent crop isn’t particularly strong on edge rushers. So how is that not considered a priority in the draft?

Maybe that’s something they’ll figure out in the coming months.

Vic Fangio Drops Stunning Reason on Why He Stayed in Chicago

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

Vic Fangio never disappoints during a press conference. Not only is his dry wit a delight, the man is not one to withhold his own honest feelings. His first words at the press conference re-introducing him as defensive coordinator was a classic, “All right, let’s continue this love fest.” There’s a reason he is growing so popular in Chicago.

Well that and being an excellent coach of course. Retaining Fangio was by far the biggest staff priority set for new head coach Matt Nagy. After all the man had just turned the Bears defense into a top 10 unit for the first time since 2012. Everybody in the building wanted him back. The big question wasn’t that. It was whether he wanted to return him.

There was speculation for months that Fangio wanted out. Most of it having to do with the weather and the losing. It was going to take a hell of a pitch in order to convince him to stay. Nagy said they had a great conversation and were on the same page from the start. Was that the main reason Fangio chose to stay though? Was it more money?

Vic Fangio throws surprise nod to Mitch Trubisky for his return

Certainly those things played a part. That and not wanting to change destinations again. However, Fangio couldn’t help but admit there was another big reason for his wanting to stick around. That being the young man who wears #10 on offense.

“Mitchell is part of the equation because I think he has a chance to be a really good player no matter who’s coaching him.”

Understand that this is kind of a big deal. Fangio has been around football for a long time. He’s coached on some teams that had future greats at the quarterback position. In Indianapolis he was there to watch the rise of a young Peyton Manning. When he headed to Stanford he had a chance to see the development of Andrew Luck. Then in San Francisco he saw a glimpse of what Alex Smith would eventually become.

So for him to single out Trubisky as a reason for his return? That’s a big a vote of confidence as Bears fans can expect to see from any coach. It means Vic envisions big things ahead for this team. With Mitch on offense and his continued work on defense there’s no telling how far they might go.

If nothing else this is an indicator that he wants to find out. That in itself is something worth getting excited about 2018 for.

Bad News For Bulls Point Guard Kris Dunn Following Nasty Face-First Fall

By
Aldo Soto
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The face-first fall didn’t look good from the start, as Chicago Bulls announcer Stacey King immediately sounded worried after point guard Kris Dunn remained sprawled out on the court following a dunk. Dunn had a bloody mouth and at least a chipped tooth or two, but now the news has gotten worse.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg initially said Dunn wasn’t experiencing any concussion symptoms after Wednesday’s 119-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The guard would be evaluated further and now according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill, Dunn does indeed have a concussion.

Dunn finished the game with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals against the Warriors. Now, it’s unknown when the 23-year-old point guard will return to action, as the Bulls are set to begin a three-game road trip on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.

It’s an unfortunate situation for Dunn, who has finally shown signs of why he was taken fifth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. His streak of games with at least eight assists ended at seven on Wednesday, but Dunn has also improved across the board offensively in his second NBA season, while proving to be a defensive headache for his opponents.

The Bulls confirmed that Dunn is in the NBA concussion protocol.

Dunn is averaging 13.7 points, 6.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game on the season. His presence will surely be missed, but in a rebuilding year you should expect the Bulls to take their time bringing Dunn back, especially considering the extent of the injury.

Matt Nagy Breaks Down How He Convinced Vic Fangio To Stay

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

The biggest hire for any new head coach is filling the coordinator position that is opposite of their personal expertise. Defensive head coaches must get the offensive coordinator position right. Offensive head coaches must get the defensive coordinator position right. If they don’t, winning games is difficult. Matt Nagy understood this the moment he took over command control of the Chicago Bears.

That’s why he aimed to make his first job easy. Rather than go out seeking a qualified coordinator elsewhere, he preferred to just keep things status quo. That meant finding a way to convince Vic Fangio to stay. The 59-year old completed one of his most impressive seasons to date in 2017. Despite not fielding a single Pro Bowler, Chicago finished with the 10th overall defense in the NFL.

This despite a rash of injuries to key starters like Leonard Floyd, Jerrell Freeman and Quintin Demps. The challenge for Nagy was finding a way to sell his vision on the Bears to Fangio who had plenty of other options open to him. It was touch and go for a bit. In the end the deal was closed. So how did he do it?

Matt Nagy talked with Fangio as expected: without the BS

One thing that has stood out about Fangio during the past three years is he’s not a man known for his subtlety. When he talks he gives it straight and honest. It’s one of the reasons fans love him. It also might be why he and John Fox were rumored to have some heat. Fox wasn’t known for being totally transparent at times.

Nagy clearly understood he had to make an impression. So he did it Fangio’s way:  straightforward.

“When I went through the process here, one of the biggest hires for me and making sure things would work out the right way and do it the right way was taking care of the defensive side of the ball with coach Fangio,” Nagy said.

“What a successful defense last year that he ran and those guys did such a great job, so that was important just to sit down with him, get to meet him as a person and listen to his philosophy, kind of explain my philosophy, see if it works and it did. We had a great conversation. I just have a world of respect for coach and I’m really excited for that part of it.”

Nagy seemed to get through. Fangio signed a new three-year deal to return to Chicago. His players are thrilled and no doubt fans already have a reason to like Nagy. He’s come across as a man who recognizes something logical and making sure to keep it that way. Retaining Fangio at all costs was a no brainer. The stats alone prove that much.

Mel Kiper Makes His First Official Chicago Bears Draft Prediction

By
Erik Lambert
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mel kiper

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. finally rolled out his first official mock draft of the off-season. It was and remains one of the most highly-anticipated releases each year. It’s heavy on intrigue for the Chicago Bears since they hold the #8 overall pick in the draft. So it is undoubtedly worth hearing where Kiper might think they go with what will be their fourth-straight top 10 selection barring an unexpected move.

The draft itself started out as expected. There was an early run on quarterbacks. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Wyoming standout Josh Allen going first overall to Cleveland. This despite serious concerns about Allen in terms of his accuracy and decision-making. Regardless the rest of the picks before Chicago played out relatively as expected.

Kiper then did what he does best. He made the obvious choice.

*Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

“Chicago has to add weapons for Mitchell Trubisky, and Ridley is the best receiver in this class by a mile. If the Bears can get a pass-catcher here — and don’t upgrade in free agency — Ridley makes the most sense. If he had played in a better passing offense, he could have been a Biletnikoff winner. He’s extremely talented.”

Mel Kiper selection of Calvin Ridley is logical but ignores big problem

It makes perfect sense that the Bears would target a wide receiver early in this draft. One could argue they had the worst receiving corps in the NFL in 2017. Their leading pass catcher was Kendall Wright with 614 yards. The last time Chicago had a 1,000-yard receiver was 2014. It’s plainly obvious they need better weapons.

Ridley though might not be an option at #8. Why? Kiper is ignoring one critical factor that may turn teams in the top 10 off from drafting him. Ridley will turn 24-years old in 2018. That’s old for an NFL rookie. Teams prefer not to invest such valuable picks in players who might have a shorter career, regardless of their talent or readiness to play.

Perhaps that changes in the pre-draft process but as things stand it’s hard to imagine the Bears going that direction. Factor in free agency there’s a strong chance their glaring need for a wide receiver won’t be as pressing by the time the draft begins. Given the strengths of the edge rusher and offensive line groups, it feels like those directions are far more likely.

We’ll see if Kiper starts to reach that same conclusion in the months to come.

Kris Dunn Being Evaluated For A Concussion After Scary Fall That Left Him Bloody

By
Aldo Soto
-

Kris Dunn was helped off the court during the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s Chicago Bulls game against the Golden State Warriors after a scary fall face-first following a dunk. After the 119-112 loss at home, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said the second-year point guard was being evaluated for a concussion.

Dunn exited the game with 2:52 remaining. The frightening scene began with a steal of Klay Thompson that led to a fast-break dunk by Dunn, who then hung on to the rim a little too long and came crashing down face-first on the United Center court. He stayed on the ground for several minutes before going back to the locker room.

Although Dunn was left with a bloody mouth, he didn’t loose any tooth, but he may have chipped a few, Hoiberg said.

Dunn’s streak of at least eight assists ended at seven games, finishing Wednesday night with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

At the very beginning of the game, Golden State rookie Jordan Bell got injured and was removed from the court because of a sprained left ankle. He did not return and will have an MRI on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will have a couple days off before getting back into action against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at 4 p.m.

UPDATE:

Looks like Dunn doesn’t have any concussion symptoms, but his teeth did get jacked up.

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