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If Bears Want the Best Strength Coach These Are the Names to Hunt

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears strength and conditioning coach

There’s a reason fans have been so fascinated by the Chicago Bears strength and conditioning coach position over the past couple years. It’s because the team continues to be ravaged by injuries. Not just the season-ending variety. Too often there were a number of preventable soft tissue problems for several players that became a plague.

Just in the past two years the Bears have had 40 players end up on injured reserve. That’s not counting multiple games missed for other nagging injuries. This is something the team has tried to get under control but thus far without success. So according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune they’ve decided to start fresh. Head strength coach Jason George was fired.

This presents head coach Matt Nagy with a golden opportunity. He has a chance to do what Lovie Smith did back in 2005. That’s seek out the best possible options around the league and hopefully bring one of them to Chicago. In a results-based business here are a few names that the Bears would be foolish not to pursue.

Tom Myslinski

Only now have people gained a proper appreciation for Myslinski’s work now that the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the AFC championship game. A former NFL offensive lineman, he’s held his position since 2012. Success didn’t only just arrive for him though. He’s quietly been one of the best trainers in the league for years. The Cleveland Browns had their best season since being reinstated as a franchise in 1999 when they went 10-6 in 2007. That was his first year as their head strength coach. It’s clear the man can pull results even from the most hapless organizations.

Joe Kenn

The Carolina Panthers have enjoyed their greatest run of sustained success in franchise history since 2011. Most will credit the arrival of Cam Newton for that, but that was also the same year Joe Kenn took over their training facility. Winner of multiple national Strength and Conditioning Coach awards at both the NFL and college levels, Kenn has consistently produced top quality talent on the field. Carolina has made the playoffs four of the past five years including a Super Bowl berth in 2015.

Garrett Giemont

If one wants to be among the best organizations in the NFL, a smart idea is to steal from the best. The Pittsburgh Steelers remain the gold standard in the league and a big reason why is the efforts of Garrett Giemont. He’s been their strength coach since 2007. During that time they reached two Super Bowls and won a Lombardi trophy while making the playoffs eight times. Before that he was in command of the same job in Oakland where would transform into an AFC contender, making three-straight playoff trips from 2000 to 2002 including a Super Bowl run.

Mike Woicik

One might call him the Godfather of NFL strength and condition coaching. Mike Woicik certainly has the rings to prove it. He’s the only coach at his position who was a primary driving force in not one but two dynasty teams. His efforts helped propel the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s to three Super Bowl championships in four years. Then the New England Patriots brought him aboard and promptly did the same thing from 2001 to 2004. Woicik has six rings to date. He’s back running the Cowboys facility at present since 2011. During that time they’ve posted a losing record just once.

An Overlooked Key Why the Bears Had To Bring Back Vic Fangio

By
Erik Lambert
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tre roberson
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 20: Kyle Fuller #23 of the Chicago Bears runs onto the field during team introductions before the start of their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Soldier Field on September 20, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)

First and foremost the the Chicago Bears wanted to retain Vic Fangio because he’s a damn good defensive coordinator. Arguably one of the best in the business. In case people need a reminder, here’s one. In 2017 the Bears fielded the #10 ranked defense in the NFL. Oh, and they did that without a single one of its players reaching the Pro Bowl.

That speaks to top notch coaching. Fangio has done this job for a long time. He’s gotten really good at it. The Bears know this and made sure to pay top dollar to keep it around for three more years at least. A chance to pair that defensive prowess with a young up-and-comer like Matt Nagy running the offense? It’s hard not to get excited.

There is however one other big reason the Bears wanted to keep Vic in town. Namely his players love him and some of those players are coming out of contract. One key name is now the most important pending free agent Chicago has going into this off-season.

Vic Fangio return drastically increases odds of keeping Kyle Fuller

Akiem Hicks may have been the best player on the Bears defense in 2017, but cornerback Kyle Fuller was nipping at his heels. The former 2014 first round pick looked like a bust coming into this season. His first two years were marred by inconsistency. Then he missed 2016 with a knee injury. People didn’t expect much from him this year.

What they got was a Pro Bowl-worth season that saw him finish second on the team in tackles, intercept two passes and defend 22 others. It’s clear he’s coming into his own. Fangio deserves thanks for much of that. He also could be the one to help convince Fuller to return, which hasn’t looked like a sure thing at times. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog indicated how tight the relationship has become.

“What I do know is the two developed a close relationship last off-season. There’s nobody closer to Fuller in the Bears organization than Fangio.”

This was confirmed back in December during an almost innocent comment by Fangio in a press conference. He admitted that he and Fuller had spent time together playing golf and perhaps other activities.

It’s clear Fuller grew closer to Fangio. Now the corner has experienced the best football of his life playing for him. Those two factors might compel him to stick around in Chicago. There’s little question the Bears will make a strong offer on a new contract. It comes down to whether Fuller tries to push the issue in order to be a top paid guy.

Bears Still Have a Shot at the Best Quarterbacks Coach Available

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears coaching staff

Looking over the Chicago Bears coaching staff, it’s safe to say most of their work is complete. Matt Nagy has done a hell of a job for the most part at reconstructing it. He retained defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He lured highly-respected offensive line coach Harry Hiestand away from Notre Dame. Last but not least he plucked free agent and former Oregon mastermind Mark Helfrich as offensive coordinator.

A few vacancies still remain though. Easily the most important is their quarterbacks coach. The news are it has been somewhat erratic the past few days. Initially there was belief the team would just retain Dave Ragone in that role. That however changed when word came out there were making a push to get Pat O’Hara from the Texans.

Since then? Nothing. It appears the job remains open and thus far the Bears haven’t made any strong pursuits since. One curiosity that remains is why they haven’t been more active in their attempts to grab what is arguably the best quarterbacks coach on the entire market.

Todd Downing would look great on Chicago Bears coaching staff

It’s no secret that the stock is down right now on Todd Downing. Much of that is due to the disastrous year he had as offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. In his first year ever holding the job he took a group that ranked 6th the season before to 17th. It wasn’t the ideal audition he’d been hoping for. Especially after several years of outstanding work as a quarterbacks coach.

Downing burst onto the scene back in 2011. His first year as a QB coach Matthew Stafford threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2011. Both remain career highs for the Detroit Lions Pro Bowler. Derek Carr also had his best season as a pro with him in this role two years ago.

Downing is 37-years old and still one of the bright, young coaches in the league. His failure as an offensive coordinator doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a terrible coach. It just meant he wasn’t ready. He’s already proven multiple times that he can be great for the accelerated development of a young quarterback. Mitch Trubisky would benefit in so many ways from his help.

It’s surprising the Bears haven’t moved on him already since Nagy and he went head-to-head for three years in the AFC West. This is a phone call that should really be considered.

Bears 2018 Draft Plans Have Intensified With Trade Explorations

By
Erik Lambert
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bears 2018 draft plans
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 6: Willie Young #97 of the Chicago Bears in action against the San Francisco 49ers during the game at Soldier Field on December 6, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defeated the Bears 26-20 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The coaching staff is largely set following the retention of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Now GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are free to begin their Chicago Bears 2018 draft plans. No doubt this was one of the benefits of getting things done quickly. While other teams still haven’t even found their head coaches yet, the Bears are free to start exploring what they want to do.

Of course it starts with free agency which arrives in the next two months. Depending on which players get cut or not, the Bears should have plenty of money to spend in remaking their roster. Not to mention the hopeful retention of key players like Kyle Fuller. There is one other thing worth noting here. Will Pace be aiming to gain more draft picks?

Something to remember is that John Fox is gone. With him go the personal loyalties he had to several players on the roster. So name one might think are untouchable may not be so any longer with a new coaching staff in place.

Bears 2018 draft plans could include a number of trade moves

Don’t forget it’s not completely unheard of for Pace to churn the roster by dealing certain players to other teams. He did it frequently early on in his time with the Bears. Even if the move only nets mid to late round picks. He’s open to anything. A source informed me that the team is begin explorations around the league for possible moves to make.

“Bears have begun exploring ways to gain multiple picks. That includes trading players they don’t view in their plans for the future. Several Names drawing interest.”

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean a massive series of moves is at hand. Pace himself has said the Bears are always open to hearing offers. Much of the time it never gets beyond a phone conversation. That being said I was told if any specific names were being mentioned. Among the most notable were Willie Young, Dion Sims, Jonathan Bullard and Nick Kwiatkoski.

Young isn’t a surprise. He’s an aging veteran who might have some pass rush left to offer a team that needs it. Sims is a steady blocker with average pass catching skills. He may not fit the offense the Bears plan to run. Bullard flashed at times this past season but still hasn’t quite taken off. It feels like he may just not be a good fit in the defense Fangio runs. The biggest surprise is Kwiatkoski.

Christian Jones emergence likely a factor

It looked like Kwiatkoski was starting to come into his own in 2017. He started six games, made 45 tackles, got two sacks and forced a fumble. Many feel he’s poised to assume the starting job alongside Danny Trevathan at inside linebacker. At least that seemed like the plan before Christian Jones threw a wrench in it.

The former undrafted free agent came into his own as a starter after Jerrell Freeman was lost for the year. He made 84 tackles, got two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. His ability to make impact plays was something that hadn’t been there before. He is set to become a free agent this March and will only be 27-years old.

The Bears may wish to move forward with him, thus making Kwiatkoski expendable. None of this is clear at present and it’s too early to make accurate predictions. Nonetheless it’s apparent Chicago plans to be active in the months to come.

Toews Launches First Foundation And Announces First Partnership

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Jonathan Toews is an all-time good guy on and especially off the ice. His charitable efforts go far and wide and it’s surprising that he has never had his own foundation, until now.

Last night Toews announced that he is finally launching his own, the Jonathan Toews Foundation. Little has been published about the foundation but he did announce the first partnership with Green Bronx Machine.

Green Bronx Machine is a non-profit organization with the goal to “produce outstanding academic outcomes through plant-based lessons in schools.” With the help of Toews they are bringing their curriculum and Tower Garden to Chicago Public Schools.

Toews says that “they are helping young kids shape their lives for the better by teaching them the benefits of eating healthy food that they get to grow themselves.”

This is the first partnership of his personal foundation but Toews worked with a similar organization, The Kitchen Community, in the past. He is a big advocate of educating young people about healthy, sustainable living and preservation of the environment.

Toews is a true leader around the globe with his efforts. He has donated as much as $1M to the Dakota Community Centre in his hometown of Winnipeg, fulfilled wishes for Make-A-Wish and donated his time to garden at schools in Chicago.

Captain Serious has even gotten silly in his charitable work by lending his likeness for toasters. Or Toews-sters, that were sold in Canada to benefit Jumpstart Foundation, which helps kids get active by providing money for sports equipment and athletic opportunities for underprivileged youth.

We shouldn’t be surprised if Toews wins a few more Mark Messier Leadership Awards before his career is over because he is the definition of it. He leads by positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to community activities and charitable causes.

Jonathan Toews is a winner.

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

 

2018 Feels Like the Time Ryan Pace Finally Goes Deep in Free Agency

By
Erik Lambert
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bears jarvis landry trade

Every team would love to be like the Pittsburgh Steelers. A team that has constantly built and rebuilt itself through the NFL draft. They have no need for heavy investments in free agency. However, the Chicago Bears are not yet in such a position. They’re in the middle of a rebuild that enters its fourth off-season. To this point GM Ryan Pace has remained careful on the free agent market. Could that change?

According to ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, the Bears have yet to sign a free agent ranked in his top five since 2015. The closest they came was Akiem Hicks in 2016. He was Polian’s #8 ranked player. That of course is a move that paid huge dividends for the Bears as Hicks is now their best defensive player.

Pace though has remained careful with the pocket book to this point, never handing out contracts that are heavy in guaranteed money. Most will say the Mike Glennon deal but compared to other quarterback contracts that was the league average. Only one free agent has ever gotten a top five deal from Pace based on his position. That was Josh Sitton who was a Pro Bowler.

Is there reason to think that he is ready to get more aggressive this year?

Ryan Pace finally has his foundation in place

One of the reasons that Pace was reluctant to go hard at free agency in the past? There was little point. Chicago had a laundry list of needs. Adding two or three big names on massive contracts wouldn’t have solved the half dozen others holes in the roster. He had to spread the wealth out, hoping to score a few hits while the draft became his source for finding his new talent core.

To that end he’s been modestly successful. Jordan Howard is a star. Mitch Trubisky has the look and feel of a good quarterback. Tarik Cohen and Adam Shaheen have proven they can be playmakers. Leonard Floyd, Eddie Goldman and Eddie Jackson are three promising pillars on defense. Add in a couple of big free agent scores like Hicks and Danny Trevathan? This team suddenly has something to build on. Perhaps one big push can get them over the hump.

Roster needs are more isolated and 2018 class equipped to meet them

One of the things that lends most to the idea isn’t that Chicago has money to spend. They’ve had that for years. It’s that their list of needs is decidedly less vast than they were before. Looking across the roster there are maybe two areas that seem like glaring concerns. The rest are minor depending on how the Bears handle their re-signings. Those two areas are wide receiver and edge rusher.

Receiver is obvious. When Kendall Wright is your best option available, you have problems. Trubisky needs better targets if he’s going to take the next step. As for edge rusher there is a growing concern with age and injury issues. None of their three primary guys were able to finish the season. Leonard Floyd, Pernell McPhee and Willie Young all ended up on injured reserve. They need more talent and depth.

Thankfully the 2018 free agent class seems ready to assist on both counts.

Wide Receivers:

  • Jarvis Landry
  • Allen Robinson
  • Sammy Watkins
  • Terrelle Pryor
  • Josh Gordon
  • Marqis Lee
  • Paul Richardson
  • John Brown
  • Tyrell Williams
  • Taylor Gabriel

Edge Rushers:

  • Demarcus Lawrence
  • Ezekiel Ansah
  • Aldon Smith
  • Trent Murphy
  • Chris McCain
  • Shaquil Barrett
  • Jeremiah Attaochu
  • Matt Longacre

Odds are a number of these names won’t reach the market due to extensions or the franchise tag. Even so there are quite a few who will and can be a huge help towards the Bears’ fortunes in 2018. Problem is other teams, some of them with more money to spend, will want them too. It comes down to how far Pace is willing to go.

Here’s An Inside Look at Kris Bryant’s Inaugural Baseball Camp

By
Gus
-

Kris Bryant must not believe in off-seasons.

Bryant was one of a handful of Cubs that appeared at the 33rd annual Cubs Convention this weekend in downtown Chicago where he made a number of appearances — none better than when he ordered a pizza at the always comical kids press conference.

Instead of taking a few days off after the Convention, Bryant hopped on a plane from frigid Chicago and flew back home to sunny Las Vegas to host the Inaugural Adidas Kris Bryant Elite Camp.

Bryant is one of Adidas’ big time money makers so the shoe company decided to pay Bryant back on a much smaller scale. Adidas sent out an invite to 150 of the top high school baseball players in the county (and a handful of local Las Vegas kids) to invite them to Bryant’s alma mater, Bonanza high school, for a one-day camp.

Campers arrived around 8:00 AM where they were immediately broken up into position groups. Local high school coaches in the Las Vegas area served as the instructional staff as the coaches put the players through positional drills, base running drills, and some pretty intense speed work. Around 10:15 AM, all camp work came to a screeching halt and all eyes turned to the field entrance when Bryant arrived.

He walked around to each positional group and mingled with the star struck high schoolers. He even took a group down to the hitting cage down the left field line and put on a hitting demo and offered a few tips to the teenagers.

Can you imagine being 17-years-old and getting hitting advice from a goddamned NL MVP?

Bryant was being followed closely by a camera crew most of the day that looked like they were able to film a full length Hollywood movie with the amount of video equipment they had. It was later revealed that Adidas gave Bryant his first glimpse at the shoe he will be wearing for the 2018 season that Adidas created for him so one can assume they wanted to get that reaction on film.

The day ended with the high school players getting a chance to ask Bryant a few questions about his MLB experience thus far. The highlight was when a camper asked Bryant what it was like to hit off elite MLB pitching, specifically Clayton Kershaw, to which Bryant simply replied,

“Hard.”

No shit, Kris.

Is it baseball season yet?

 

Toews Cryptically Tells Everyone To Back Off On Crawford’s Injury

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

Since December 27th Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has been on injured reserve with an undisclosed upper-body injury. There have been no substantial updates from the organization until yesterday when Captain Jonathan Toews made some cryptic comments regarding Crawford.

“We’re always concerned about our teammates first and then our team second. … He’ll do what he can to get himself better, so he can get back to playing and get back and help our team when he knows how to.”

At first glance this seems like a standard response to an injury question but look further. Toews is a very calculated player and you don’t hear or see him react often. This was a well-thought out response to a question he knew he would eventually get.

Not once in that statement did Toews mention an injury, working out or being anywhere near the team or the ice. He is concerned about a teammate first which means he is concerned about Crawford’s well-being and not his ability to play hockey.

When you hear about injuries you always hear players talk about the trainers and working out but Toews makes no mention of them. Instead he said, “He’ll do what he can to get himself better” which sounds like a personal issue.

The message comes through hard in Toews’ response when he said, “when he knows how to.” There are deeper underlying tones in this when regarding a 33 year old man who has played hockey his entire life. Toews knows Crawford can play hockey but he is hinting at the idea that he needs to fix himself before he can help the Blackhawks again.

Toews’ comments seem very leading but let’s all hope this is just an injury and not any number of things not hockey related. Though it wouldn’t come as a surprise considering Corey Crawford has dealt with a lot since before he even came the Blackhawks starting goaltender.

Very few people thought he could be the guy and fans still doubt his abilities, despite two Stanley Cups and numbers that rank up there with the “elite.” When he has an off night, fans want to trade him or give the backup a shot. When he’s great, fans say it’s because of someone else and they still want to trade him or give the backup a shot.

Speaking of trades, good friend of Sports Mockery and hockey expert John Jaeckel reported today that Crawford’s name has been on the trade block for almost 3 years. There is a lot to deal with when you’re in danger of being moved or losing your job.

Despite the rumors and being benched in the conference quarterfinals in 2015, he went on to win a Stanley Cup. He was also in high consideration to win the Conn Smythe and although he didn’t win it, he did get the belt from the team.

Then there are the issues of his off-ice activities which should be of no business to anyone unrelated to him or the team. It all started in December 2014 after falling down the stairs at a Rise Against concert and missing 8 games. You know, taking part in activities that any average person might partake in on days off. Things happen and maybe he has deeper issues but those are his to deal with, not the public.

An NHL season, or any professional sports season, can take a toll on players both mentally and physically. Getting dinged up or injured is part of the games they play, but they also have to deal with life. Just like the rest of us.

I’m sure your family doesn’t go spouting off and telling everyone all of your issues. Neither would any of the boys because teams are like families.

Toews is protecting his teammate and whatever reason Crawford is on the IR. This response was his notice to back off and say Crawford will be back when he’s back.

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

Mark Helfrich Hiring Will Fix Crucial Problem Bears Had Under Loggains

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears offense

Is it fair to put all the blame for the Chicago Bears offensive woes on Dowell Loggains? That’s a debate that continues even to this day. Some feel the former coordinator was overmatched by his responsibilities. That he lacked the necessary feel for play calling or game planning. Others insist he was held back by the archaic designs of head coach John Fox.

Either way it was apparent Loggains lacked one particular trait that drove fans crazy. He couldn’t mix things up. The ongoing joke throughout the 2017 season was “Run, Run, Pass.” That’s because this was how so many series went for Chicago. They’d run the ball twice, try to pass and then punt. The lack of creativity did not reflect well on Loggains.

It also put rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky in a tough spot. Asking him to constantly throw from third and long situations with his lack of experience led to a lot of sacks and other mistakes. The Bears didn’t do enough to give him easy throws and reads to get him in rhythm. That no doubt was one of the reasons they hired Matt Nagy as head coach.

It’s also a huge reason Nagy hired Mark Helfrich to replace Loggains.

Mark Helfrich a master of misdirection at Oregon

The biggest claim to fame that Helfrich has at this point in his career was his direct hand in developing the dynamic offensive attack that made Oregon a national power from 2009 to 2015. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog uncovered an interesting point from an old article that revealed what made it so effective back then.

It confused defenses.

“Oregon’s connection with zone-read option runs is well known. Quarterback Marcus Mariota (left) reads the defense, then decides whether to keep the ball or hand it off to a running back (or receiver).

The Ducks passing game is equally confusing for defenses. Mariota threw the ball 27 times during the first half of the Rose Bowl. All but five of those passes involved some sort of misdirection: a pump fake to a receiver, a designed quarterback rollout, a fake handoff to a teammate, or some combination of the three.

According to profootballfocus.com, Mariota used play action on 51 percent of his 372 passes during the regular season.”

The potential in Chicago may actually exceed Oregon

The 2014 Oregon offense was Helfrich’s masterpiece. It led the national both in total yards and total points. They went into the Rose Bowl against the defending champion Florida State Seminoles and proceeded to take them to the woodshed. FSU had absolutely no answers for the Ducks offense which basically did whatever it pleased.

The scariest part about this is Helfrich only had a couple years to do that with Mariota before he headed for the NFL. If he can produced the same environment in Chicago, he and Mitch Trubisky could terrorize the league for the next decade. Trubisky certainly isn’t a stranger to a spread-style system and he showed plenty of promise whenever allowed to do run-pass option plays.

Nagy certainly knew what he was doing when he made Helfrich the hire.

Grading Matt Nagy’s First Week As Bears Head Coach

By
Dhruv Koul
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matt nagy

Exactly one week ago, the Chicago Bears hired former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as the 16th head coach in franchise history.

 

Nagy, who came to the Bears with both fanfare and skepticism, attacked the first order of business vigorously in his first week: Figuring out his coaching staff. And while all of the positions have not yet been filled, the staff is starting to take shape well enough to get extremely excited about it. Like, extremely extremely excited about it.

Here are the highlights:

– OL coach Harry Hiestand from Notre Dame was Nagy’s first hire — and what a hire it was! Hiestand is one of the best OL coaches in football, counting both the college game and the NFL. Hiestand coached the Bears from 2005-2009 before departing for Notre Dame. and at ND, he has consistently churned out top prospects on the offensive line that have come to the NFL and continued their strong play. Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley, Nick Martin, and soon to be Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey are a few examples. Hiestand is a grand slam hire. I’m excited to see what he can do with Cody Whitehair, especially. What a first impression.

– Mark Helfrich was hired as the Bears’ OC. Helfrich, the former Oregon OC under Chip Kelly before becoming their head coach, is best known for dominating the college game with former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. The duo was devastating together, and Helfrich is credited for making Mariota one of the best quarterback prospects to come in to the NFL in years. There were reports that Chip Kelly was interested in bringing him to UCLA to become their OC, but Nagy won Helfrich over instead. What’s interesting is that Nagy will be calling plays for the Bears, so Helfrich is undoubtedly in Chicago to help mold QB Mitch Trubisky and introduce Oregon style concepts into Nagy’s offense. You can guarantee that Chicago’s offense will be extremely exciting to watch next season.

– Chris Tabor was hired as Chicago’s special teams coordinator, and he returns to the Bears after spending time with them as Dave Toub’s assistant from 2008-2010. Tabor comes from Cleveland, where he was their ST coordinator from 2011 until last year. The Browns have been devoid of talent at the bottom of their roster (which usually comprises most of the ST units) for a while, yet Tabor’s units were always still respectable. Also, Tabor’s ability to survive Cleveland’s coaching changes says a lot about what the league thinks of him. This is an underrated hire.

– And finally, last but not least, Nagy did what was thought impossible by keeping Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. All season, it was reported that Fangio wanted to leave Chicago and return to the West Coast. GM Ryan Pace interviewed Fangio for the head coaching role (more out of respect than real interest), and that may have planted seeds of good faith with Fangio. Despite a relatively drawn out process which included Chicago denying the Green Bay Packers permission to interview Fangio, Nagy and Pace sealed the deal by getting Fangio to agree to a three year contract.

– Not to be forgotten, the Bears have filled out a few other assistant roles as well. Charles London is the RB coach. Mike Furrey is the WR coach. Kevin Gilbride is the TE coach. Fangio is expected to retain many of his assistants on the defensive side of the ball.

But make no mistake, Nagy’s coaching staff is strong and incredibly interesting. You don’t win games in the offseason, but you certainly win respect and credibility. Any doubts about Nagy’s ability to put a staff together were erased immediately with the Hiestand hire. And at the end of the first week, he’s shattered expectations altogether. The thoughts of what he can do for this offense as the offseason continues are a bit NSFW.

Grade: A

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