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Forget About Zach Britton, Here’s Who The Cubs Are Trying To Sign

By
Aldo Soto
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The Chicago Cubs have traded big-name prospects for closers in the past two years and less than a week ago they were reportedly interested in doing the same for a third straight season. However, one Cubs insider is ruling that scenario out.

According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Patrick Mooney, the Cubs trading for Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton is no longer a valid option.

The Cubs executives who checked out of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando on Wednesday had to ask the Baltimore Orioles again about Zach Britton. But any standard due diligence during the general manager meetings doesn’t mean Britton will follow Aroldis Chapman and Wade Davis as the next All-Star rental closer at Wrigley Field.

(Patrick Mooney)

Last week, MLB insider Jon Heyman, reported that the Cubs were one of a few teams interested in Britton.

However, according to Mooney, the Cubs don’t appear to be focusing on the lefty anymore.

Whatever window that might have been open probably closed right before the July 31 trade deadline, sources said, when the Cubs found Baltimore’s asking price to be too high, wondered if internal issues might prevent the Orioles from actually going through with a Britton deal and then pivoted to acquire their other targeted lefty reliever – Justin Wilson – from the Detroit Tigers.

On all levels, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein doesn’t really feel that same sense of urgency for that kind of trade now.

(Patrick Mooney)

Back in July, the Cubs were linked to Britton in trade talks, but ultimately a deal never happened, despite the numerous reports. If you take a step back and look at the big picture it’s fairly easy to see why the Cubs wouldn’t want to trade for Britton. For one, he’s had arm injuries and in 2017, he was forced to only pitch 37.1 innings. Plus, he’ll be in his final year of arbitration and will be a free agent following the 2018 season. Doesn’t really make sense to pay about $12 million for one year of a guy, who’s coming off arm injuries and who could easily leave after one season and then the Cubs are left without a closer again. You know, kind of like the current Cubs situation. Can’t keep taking those risks.

Also, the Cubs have a few great options in free agency and Mooney brings up two specific names that the front office is targeting this offseason.

To find a ninth-inning solution, the Cubs have identified options like converted starter/setup guy Brandon Morrow, who shut them down during the National League Championship Series and appeared in 14 of 15 playoff games for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs are also expected to monitor Addison Reed, who closed for the White Sox earlier in his career, pitched in pennant races with the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox and will be only 29 next season.

(Patrick Mooney)

Plus, there’s still Wade Davis, who could potentially return if he doesn’t get the big offer he wants.

Personally, I’d love for the Cubs to get Addison Reed. Wish the Cubs could have gotten him at the trade deadline, when the New York Mets were selling left and right and dealt Reed to the Boston Red Sox. Reed is 28-years-old and not only has experience closing games, but he’s been dominant for the last three years. During the three-year period, Reed has a 2.66 ERA, 218 strikeouts, 47 walks in 209.2 innings.

The latest contract projection for Reed is a three-year deal, worth $30 million.

So, whether it’s Reed, or Brandon Morrow, I’ll take them over one season of Zach Britton and it appears as though the Cubs are going in that direction as well.

Oakland A’s Have Asked About Avisail Garcia

By
Emmet McClain
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We quickly found out last winter that no player on the White Sox is untouchable. An apparent fact after we saw Chris Sale and Adam Eaton pack their bags during the winter meetings. This offseason is expected to be much quieter, but the Rick Hahn still has 2 valuable assets in Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia. Even if a GM has no intention of trading away a player, they aren’t doing their job if they don’t at least listen to offers. One team has openly admitted that they are looking for an outfielder with a right-handed bat, and Avisail Garcia is at the top of their list. That team?

The Oakland A’s.

There have been no specific offers for Avi from Oakland reported thus far, but the Athletic’s seem to have a definite interest in the new and improved Garcia.

The Athletic’s have a decent farm system, with 4 prospects in the top 100. Since Avi has only had one truly legitimate year, it’s tough to throw an actual trade together at the moment. If the A’s blow Rick Hahn away, he’ll pull the trigger. If he has to mull on the decision for a while, it’s a safe bet he’ll stand pat.

If a trade does happen to go down, three names I would look out for are outfielders Dustin Fowler and Austin Beck, and 2B/OF Jorge Mateo. You may remember Fowler as the Yankee who ruptured a tendon in his knee in his first ever MLB game. When he is healthy he is a 5-tool player and he hit .293 in AAA last season when he was a part of the Yankees system.

Beck was the first round pick of the A’s last season, going no. 6 overall. It was said that the White Sox were pretty high on Beck, but he never slipped far enough and Rick Hahn too Jake Burger. Beck is another outfielder who the potential to tap into all 5 tools. His power will make or break him. If he can hit for power, many see him as being a star. If not, he can still be a serviceable every-day player.

Mateo is a 2B/OF prospect rated no. 97 by MLB.com. He has 80 grade speed and has the ceiling of a .275 hitter with 20+ home run potential. He would be a great utility option to give Moncada an off day here and there, or play anywhere in the outfield, giving Rick Renteria options to work with.

If a trade with the Athletics were to go down, look for one of these three names to be included.

Bottom Line

Rick Hahn probably isn’t in any rush to trade Avi, while other teams aren’t in a rush to trade FOR him. The sample size of success is just too small for anyone to commit to Garcia at the moment. I’d imagine Hahn will keep Avi in hopes that he can repeat his 2017 campaign. If he does, the White Sox will have even more leverage to trade him, or on the flip side, an even better reason to keep him. It would be a great problem to have. But  unless Hahn is blown away by an offer, expect Garcia to stay on the South Side for at least another year.

 

Is It Really Smart to Assume That Ryan Pace is Safe?

By
Erik Lambert
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ryan pace
LAKE FOREST, IL - MAY 12: Chicago Bears head coach John Fox talks with Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Pace during the Chicago Bears Rookie Camp on May 12, 2017 at Halas Hall, in Lake Forest, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire)

Chicago Bears fans have come to their conclusions on what to expect in the next few months. The general belief is this. Head coach John Fox and most of his staff will likely be fired. This barring a dramatic turn of fortunes over the final seven games of the season. The Bears are 3-6. They need to go 4-3 down the stretch just to reach 7-9. Even that seems unlikely. That would make three-straight losing seasons for Fox. Hence gone. At the same time GM Ryan Pace will stay.

So here’s the question. Why? What makes him safe over Fox? After all Pace is tied to that disappointing 12-29 win-loss record too. Putting it all on the head coach isn’t exactly fair. Most defend Pace because a number of the players he’s acquired in the past three years have stood out, at least on an individual basis. Jordan Howard is a Pro Bowler. Akiem Hicks, Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, and Eddie Jackson are all capable starters with huge upside.

Their standout play has kept the wolves at bay for the time being. Nonetheless the team continues to lose. Not only that but it looks inferior at times to the hated Green Bay Packers. Pace is 1-5 against them too. Not just Fox. Thus the question comes up again. Why is it wrong to think he might get the boot this offseason too?

Ryan Pace would be first GM in Bears history to fire and hire two coaches

Don’t let the rumors misguide you. Pace was the man who hired Fox. He signed off on it from the start and willingly defends the veteran coach at every opportunity. What makes this situation interesting is the fact that the Bears have never had a GM who hired a coach, fired him and got to hire a second one. People will be quick to point out Jim Finks did, but technically that’s not true.

Finks fired Abe Gibron at the end of 1974 (he took over before the end of the season). Then he hired Jack Pardee in 1975. Pardee was gone after 1977 but that was because he resigned to go coach the Redskins. Finks then hired Neill Armstrong, whom he fired in 1982. Mike Ditka was not his choice for a replacement. That move was made by George Halas himself.

Jerry Angelo inherited Dick Jauron in 2001 before firing him and bringing in Lovie Smith in 2004. Phil Emery did the same thing with Smith in 2012 and hiring Marc Trestman a year later. Thus we come back full circle. Pace would be the first GM in Bears history to hire a coach, fire him and get to hire a second.

Pace’s all-out move for Mitch Trubisky was right but also smelled desperate

No one is saying Pace is bad, but it’s impossible to say he’s good either. He’s added some solid talent to the roster and rebuilt several positions. At the same time he can’t hide from several mistakes either. His mismanagement of the wide receiver position stands out. His mode of operation in free agency also leaves a lot to be desired. For every Hicks or Josh Sitton he lands, there have been several busts like Antrelle Rolle, Markus Wheaton, and Mike Glennon to name a few.

Put it this way. Finks inherited a roster that was arguably worse in late 1974 than the one Pace did in 2015. That didn’t stop Finks from getting them to the playoffs in three seasons. This is Pace’s third year and the Bears are no closer to the playoffs than they were his first year. That is hard to ignore.

One can understand his move for Mitch Trubisky in the draft. To be clear it was the right call to take a quarterback. Chicago has danced around that position for way too long. At the same time his trade up from #3 to #2 had a slight hint of desperation to it. Is he hoping the move for the young quarterback buys him a little more time?

People like to compare this 2017 Bears team to the 2016 Rams. Good defense but older coach and outdated offense. Their GM Les Snead fired Jeff Fisher before the season ended. Ownership decided to give him another chance to get it right. Snead hired Sean McVay and now the Rams are one of the best teams in the NFC.

Will the Bears afford Pace the same opportunity? With this ownership, it’s hard to say yes.

This Move Involving Kyle Schwarber Makes So Much Sense

By
Sean Sears
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Kyle Schwarber‘s 2017 season was underwhelming to say the least. The 23-year-old went from World Series folk hero to playing in the minor leagues, all while still finding a way to hit 30 big-league homers this season.

Outside of the home runs, Schwarber was a mess at the plate, going through stretches where it was hard to remember how good he was as a rookie in 2015. His power stroke was still there, but things got so bad fans were cheering his doubles more than his home runs.

However, despite Schwarber not replicating the success we saw in the 2016 postseason, he was looking more like himself once he returned from Triple A Iowa. Slashing .255/.338/.565 with 18 home runs and a wRC+ of 131, Schwarber’s second half line was incredibly close to his numbers in 2015.

The potential is still there for Schwarber, but many believe he is destined to end up in the American League. With the option of DH available to him everyday, it would allow Schwarber to be included more consistently in the line.

The Cubs have made it clear that they are open to moving some of the MLB talent on the roster right now, which includes Schwarber. Many teams like the Red Sox and Orioles have been rumored as potential trade partners with the Cubs. But one team nobody is talking about that could definitely use Schwarber’s talents is the Colorado Rockies.

Why Colorado Should Consider Trading For Schwarber

A source told Sports Mockery earlier this week that the Rockies were interesting in adding a 1st baseman to the lineup. With Mark Reynolds becoming an unrestricted free agent and Ian Desmond likely staying in the outfield, Colorado needs help at 1B.

And while Schwarber has certainly had his struggles in left field, a move to 1st base might actually be a good fit for him. Most people like to think of Schwarber as a bumbling idiot in the field, but many forget this guy played linebacker in high school. He even received a few Div I offers to play football.

Schwarber is an athlete, and has shown he has the ability to play the outfield at an average level. His quick feet and prior experience as a catcher make me think the transition to 1st might not be as hard as some might make it out to be.

Now, neither the Rockies or the Cubs have hinted at a deal being made between each other at the moment. But both sides have something the other would appreciate. And for the Cubs, its the Rockies’ slew of talented arms.

What’s In It For The Cubs?

It’s no secret, the Cubs have a depleted farm system that lacks elite arms. While they need pitching for this season, the Cubs have yet to develop any elite pitching during Theo Epstein’s tenure on the North Side.

A deal with Colorado could finally provide the Cubs with the young, controllable talent they have been searching for the last few years. Of course, the Cubs would love to acquire someone like Jon Gray from the Rockies, who was easily the staff’s best arm.

However, that’s rather unlikely with Gray entering his age 27 season with four more years of team control. Plus, the Rockies were a playoff team in 2017, and would need an incredible haul to trade their ace. But, the Rockies do have some excellent options in their farm system, starting with RHP Riley Pint.

The 20-year-old 1st round pick struggled some in his first season in the Rockies system. Posting a 5.42 ERA with a 7.65 K/9 in 93 innings last season, but is still ranked as the Rockies No. 2 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

And just watching Pint throw, it’s easy to see why the was a top 5 pick in the 2016 draft.

That’s a 70 grade fastball that consistently flirts with 97-99 mph, and when paired with his hard-tilting slider that he slows down to 82 mph, Pint is worthy of the excitement. Of course, the Rockies would likely like to retain Pint as well, but there are a few other minor league options.

Names like Jeff Hoffman or Kyle Freeland would also interest the Cubs, particularly Hoffman who the Cubs considered drafted instead of Schwarber in 2014.

Will this deal actually happen, likely not since neither team have shown an interest in each other. But does it make sense, on paper it’s hard not to see the benefits for both clubs with this trade. And while, personally, it would kill me to see Schwarber hit 45+ home runs in the thin Denver air, watching Riley Pint toss 100 mph in a Cubs uni eases that pain.

 

White Sox Grab Mariners No. 8 Prospect In First Move Of The Offseason

By
Matt Enuco
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The White Sox acquired Thyago Vieira from the Mariners for international bonus-pool money.
Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.

The White Sox grabbed another strong prospect in exchange for international bonus-pool money. Thyago Vieira is the Seattle Mariners No. 8 prospect and tossed one inning in Seattle last season. 

Vieira is a six-foot, two-inch right-handed flamethrower that will immediately compete for the closing role with the White Sox. His heater sits 97-100 and has topped out at 102. Vieira features a low 80’s hook that will complement his fastball out of the pen.

The Mariners could be eyeing a run at signing Shohei Otani in gather bonus-pool money from the White Sox. The South Siders will send $500,000 to the Mariners to finalize the deal.

Early experiments as a starter didn’t pan out. Vieira still struggles with control. His efficiency leaves much to be desired and one scouting report identifies his inability to get ahead of hitters as a glaring problem.

From the video, it’s obvious to see his fastball has life and depth while his curveball has the ability to freeze hitters.

Between Double-A and Triple-A in 2017, Vieira only saw 54 innings and posted an even four earned run average. Meanwhile, his WHIP was a concerning 1.296, an easy product of his 3.7 walks-per-nine-innings. At 24 years old, Vieira is still a project but there is undeniable promise. Perhaps Don Cooper can whisper some of that sage wisdom he has bottled up in the clubhouse into Vieira’s ear to re-center his chi.

Vieira played in the futures game in July and faced a lethal stretch of hitters including the White Sox own, Zack Collins. He made short order of Collins blowing his fastball right by Collins late bat.

But…Vieira is also capable of this…

The South Siders’ stable of hurlers with 100-plus mile per hour stuff ticks up by one and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think Rick Hahn was on a quest to collect every prospect that can touch 100 on the gun. But the main takeaway is that Vieira is just another bullet in the bullpen.

Dowell Loggains Just Openly Admitted He Has No Common Sense

By
Erik Lambert
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The original “Brian’s Song” movie is a classic. It of course tells the story of Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers and his friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo, who tragically died of cancer. One line from that movie that stuck out came from Jack Warden who played late owner and then-coach George Halas. It was a simple statement, but one that holds true today. “The best players play.” Apparently Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains forgot that lesson.

One of the most puzzling situations of the 2017 season is how the Bears have managed the playing time of electric running back Tarik Cohen. He’s undoubtedly one of their biggest playmakers on offense. Yet over the past month he’s seen his snap total diminish considerably.

  • ATL: 28/67 (42%)
  • TB: 40/64 (62%)
  • PIT: 28/65 (43%)
  • GB: 18/68 (26%)
  • MIN: 17/61 (28%)
  • BAL: 26/80 (32%)
  • CAR: 7/38 (18%)
  • NO: 18/67 (27%)
  • GB: 13/60 (22%)

People are having a hard time understanding why that is. Given what he can do with the ball in his hands, one would think the Bears would seek every chance they can to get it to him. Turns out Loggains disagrees. His reasoning for it? Well one would call it a blatant admission of his own weakness as a game planner and play caller.

Dowell Loggains doesn’t trust Cohen and by extension himself

Looking at the chart above the impact of Cohen is easy to see. The Bears are 2-2 in games where he’s played at least 30% of the snaps. They are 1-4 in games where he plays fewer. So again. Why isn’t he on the field more? Loggains danced around the subject for a bit. In the end his excuse was the presence of Cohen on the field made it harder for Mitch Trubisky to read the defenses.

“Tarik draws as many different looks and different coverages as Mitchell does and people try to dictate and hide coverage to Mitchell. Well, every time Tarik is in the game, you don’t know what you’re going to get. New Orleans had their own separate package for him. Green Bay played him a completely different way than they played the rest of the time.

Sometimes you go in anticipating one thing and when they do something they’ve never done before, now it’s make sure those two young players get on the same page. So sometimes you have to figure out what they’re doing and how they’re trying to dictate the game and they’re playing different personnel groupings to it.”

In other words Loggains took his biggest playmaker off the field because it forced defenses to get more creative. More creative defenses made life a bit harder on Trubisky, who is going to see those advanced schemes the rest of his career. Why try to hide them from him by taking away one of his best weapons?

Long story short is it’s not the wisest move

More than anything this is a blatant admission by Loggains of his own shortcomings. Good offensive coordinators are supposed to challenge defenses, force them to react. They don’t have the ball, so why should they dictate how the next play will go? The Bears offense is better when Cohen is on the field.

In fact he has the second-most yards from scrimmage on the team at 478. He’s only touched the ball 84 times. Jordan Howard, who leads the team at 794? He’s touched it 191 times. So if Bears fans are wondering why the offense is terrible, it’s not because John Fox has somehow curtailed Loggains.

It’s because Loggains himself is terrible.

John Fox’s Biggest Gamble Has Come Back to Bite Him

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky
Credit: Chicago Tribune

A lot of people are asking where things went wrong for head coach John Fox. There was so much hope after 2015. Despite a poor finish to the season there were signs that the team could be headed in the right direction. Then 2016 happened and it feels like Chicago Bears never fully recovered from that. Now Fox is fighting for his job. Was there a single decision he made that, in hindsight, he shouldn’t have?

Well most of the problems trace back to 2016. Was there a big change last year that started them on this course? Yes, and a lot of fans aren’t going to want to hear it. That was the moment they lost offensive coordinator Adam Gase. After one season of reasonable success, he accepted a head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins.

It was at that point where Fox was faced with a difficult decision. Does he try to find a heavily qualified candidate to bring in and take over? Or does he promote somebody from within in hopes of maintaining system continuity? Fox opted for the latter, promoting quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains.

Looking back, it’s clear now that was a mistake.

John Fox choice of Loggains was logical but uninspired

The decision wasn’t considered a bad one at the time. It made sense. Jay Cutler had just produced his most efficient season as a Bear. Promoting Loggains to keep the basic scheme in place was a logical move. At the same time nobody felt he was anywhere close to Gase’s level as a planner or play caller. The hard truth is in the numbers.

In 2015 the Bears scored 335 points and 5,517 total yards under Gase. A year later they posted more yards at 5,704 but only scored 279 points. This season is setting up to be even worse. Chicago is on pace to score 267 points with a mere 4,656 yards. People will try to defend Loggains by saying the injuries have played a part. Except Gase dealt with injuries too. Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White and Martellus Bennett all missed significant time in 2015.

What stood out most about Gase was his feel for play calling. He understood how to keep an offense in rhythm and get the ball out of the quarterbacks’ hand fast. There was also a sense of creativity with his formations and alignments that often led to big plays.

Loggains, as time as uncovered, lacks that level of preparation and instinct. His units often struggle with penalties and bad mistakes. Thus far this year they’ve run 356 offensive plays from 10 yards or more beyond the first down markers. That’s out of 541 total. That’s 65.8%. Gase did a much better job of staying ahead of the sticks at 59.7%.

What makes it worse is better options were available

If that weren’t bad enough, looking back Fox missed a golden opportunity to keep the train on the tracks. Two coaches in particular had just become available that 2016 offseason. Both had more proven track records as offensive coordinators. Frank Reich was released by San Diego where he’d had a solid run. He was eventually scooped by Philadelphia, who now have one of the hottest offenses in the league.

The other was Pat Shurmur. He had five years of coordinating experience and also two as a head coach in Cleveland. Not to mention he was quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia when Donovan McNabb had the best run of his career. Instead of getting him, the Vikings brought him on as their tight ends coach. Nine weeks into the season he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Minnesota currently has the ninth ranked offense in the NFL.

Perhaps this is a glaring reminder that continuity isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. If Fox is indeed fired come January, people can point to his promotion of Loggains as the fork in the road he shouldn’t have taken.

Lauri Says “Bless Up!” With This Hallelujah Slam

By
Matthew Milakovich
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The Bulls are really fucking bad.

The majority of their players wouldn’t make an NBA roster. Don’t believe me? Watch one game…

When you do, you will come to the sobering realization that whilst watching one of these clusterfucks you will inevitably find yourself waiting to witness a Hallelujah! moment.

hal·le·lu·jah
ˌhaləˈlo͞oyə/
exclamation
  1. God be praised (uttered in worship or as an expression of rejoicing).
    “He is risen! Alleluia!”

And OH THANKS BE GOD, Lauri Markkanen provided us with one tonight when there was quite literally absolutely nothing else to be excited about.

Cubs Might Go After Pitcher Nicknamed The Lizard King

By
Aldo Soto
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Miles Mikolas throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, July 12, 2014. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

I’ve never heard of this guy before, but I love the mustache, the nickname and he’s been kicking ass in Japan too, so I’m all in on the Miles Mikolas hype train.

There haven’t been any reports of the Chicago Cubs going after him yet, but the name has been linked to the North Side twice by NBC Sports Chicago’s Patrick Mooney and ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers, as a possible option for the fifth starter in the rotation.

Mooney:

If the Cubs go for a higher-end pitcher like Cobb, look for them to pick up more of a buy-low starter and create an opportunity at the back of their rotation. Think of an under-the-radar name like Miles Mikolas, who pitched parts of three seasons for the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers before moving to Japan and going 31-13 with a 2.18 ERA across the last three years with the Yomiuri Giants.

Rogers:

If they sign a pitcher such as Cobb, they can fill out the last rotation spot with anyone from a reclamation project such as former Red Sox hurler Clay Buchholz to a returning pitcher from Japan such as Miles Mikolas to perhaps Lackey if he indeed is not retiring. As stated previously, there’s a wide net.

As Mooney stated, Mikolas pitched for the San Diego Padres and he went through their minor league system when current Cubs personnel Jed Hoyer, Jason McLeod, and Jaron Madison were in charge in San Diego. So, you can imagine that they have a pretty good idea of Mikolas’ potential.

The 29-year-old pitcher began his professional career as a reliever and it wasn’t until 2014, when he began to start games for the Texas Rangers. Mikolas didn’t have much success with the Rangers and signed with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan in 2015. Since then, the man nicknamed the “Lizard King” has dominated the NPB.

In three years pitching in Japan, Mikolas had a 2.18 ERA in 424.2 innings, making 62 total starts. This past year, the right-hander had a 2.55 ERA in 188 innings, striking out 187 batters and walking only 23.

This potential signing makes even more sense because the investment isn’t projected to be a lot. In a recent article breaking down the possible contracts for free agents, MLB insider Jon Heyman estimated Mikolas deal at about two years for $8 million. 

Give me that any day over John Lackey coming back, which the Cubs are apparently talking about.

Bears Mailbag – Why Not Fire John Fox Now?

By
Dhruv Koul
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john fox era

Welcome to the Week 11 edition of our Bears Mailbag. Last Sunday’s brutal loss to the Packers was very likely the final straw in John Fox’s Bears coaching tenure. Coming out flat and losing to Brett Hundley, at home, in such a fashion is sure to rile up anger at Halas Hall. And it reportedly already did.

With the Bears at 3-6 and facing an uphill climb to just get to .500 this season, we reach into our Mailbag and tackle this week’s pressing questions. Thanks to everyone who participated!

I brought this up shortly after that game ended, actually. I wondered aloud on Twitter about what the harm would be in firing Fox right away, promoting Vic Fangio (or Dowell Loggains) to head coach right now, giving full offensive autonomy to Loggains, and going from there. At the very least, Ryan Pace could evaluate his in-house options with real game action and see how his players respond to the change. At this point, the Bears have nothing left to lose. They know what John Fox brings to the table, and there isn’t much more room for growth left under his leadership. It’s clearly time to start again.

Well, as of Monday, Fox was still the head coach, so it seems Pace didn’t take my advice too seriously. The reality is it was always a long shot that he’d be fired before season’s end. Traditionally, the Bears just don’t make in-season changes like that (why they don’t is another matter altogether), but it’s likely they didn’t want to pay Fox for free as well when they are still paying Marc Trestman to stay away. While frustrating for fans, I get it. It’s not our money, after all.

Still, from a football perspective, there’s nothing left to gain keeping Fox around. He does an inconsistent job getting the team ready to play, so if anything maybe the consistency would improve if he were removed. But it just doesn’t seem like something we’ll see this season, no matter how much I’d have liked to.

It’s fascinating, I saw a clip recently where Jim McMahon said something similar about the McCaskeys and their ownership preventing the Bears from progressing. The reality is the McCaskeys are unlikely to ever sell the franchise. The franchise runs in the family and honestly they have no reason to sell it. Contrary to popular belief, the family truly does bleed orange and navy blue, and are legitimately upset when the Bears lose, just like the rest of us fans. It’s not just about the money for them, though it is a big part of it. The Chicago Bears are a business, after all.

My understanding is that Phillips is involved on the business side, no longer on the football operations side. So he doesn’t really have much influence on personnel and roster decisions anymore. And that’s good. Ryan Pace has done a pretty damn good job overall constructing this roster, and is likely one more offseason (and HC decision) away from vaulting the Bears into true contention.

I honestly think the only reason Hroniss Grasu still has a roster spot is because Chicago lost Eric Kush in the preseason to an injury. Kush filled in more than capably last year and was rewarded with an extension in the offseason. Grasu has battled injury after injury and hasn’t performed well when he has been on the field.

I liked him in a zone running scheme when he came out of Oregon from a technique and fundamentals perspective, but knew he needed to add a lot of strength. But for some reason, he just hasn’t been able to hold his own. And his days as a Bear are likely numbered.

The way it’s shaping, the Bears will have a Top 15 pick in April’s draft, and very possibly a Top 10 pick if all continues to go south for John Fox & Co. After watching this team dominate the Steelers for 3.5 quarters and the Panthers for 4 quarters, then lose to the Packers, who knows what they’ll do next?

The biggest needs for the Bears going into next season are wide receiver and pass rusher. Chicago has picks in only two of the first three rounds, so they need to be sure they hit on whomever they pick.

If I had to guess, because receiver is such a dire need and that will impact Mitch Trubisky directly, I’ll guess they go with a receiver. And I’m hoping that Calvin Ridley is available when the Bears pick. I think he’s a no-brainer. His quickness and playmaking ability are incredible, and after watching him gash Mississippi State in crunch time last Saturday on the road, he’d be a lot of fun to watch paired with a healthy Cam Meredith.

What’s amazing is that John Fox told his team that the Packers were just another opponent on the schedule, and that the game was just another game. That’s unacceptable. This is a rivalry game, and has been since 1920. It was their 196th meeting! It’s not just another game. I can promise you that the McCaskeys must have been pissed off hearing Fox downplay that game. Beating the Packers is important to them.

The fact that the Packers, after getting demolished at home by the Lions on Monday Night Football, and on a short week, came into Soldier Field and whipped the Bears on both sides of the ball shows that they didn’t treat it as just another game. They had an extra gear for this one. It’s unacceptable that the Bears were coached not to.

Alberto Riveron has no doubt screwed the Bears over the last two weeks. The Zach Miller overturned TD has gone down in infamy. The fact that Riveron published a video explaining his reasoning that was as inept as his initial overturn was embarrassing for the NFL.

The second one is a bit more fascinating, but Riveron definitely screwed it up as well. Cunningham was ruled out of bounds on the field. Despite it being a close play, an automatic review was not triggered because it was not a scoring play (or turnover at the time), nor did the play occur inside two minutes where an official can initiate one on their own. John Fox thought Cunningham scored a touchdown, so he challenged. The issue is when a play is challenged, the entire play is up for review for things outside the original call and challenge scope, but any overturn would have needed indisputable evidence to do so.

The replays showed that Cunningham definitely did not score a touchdown — out of bounds or not, he lost control of the ball before it hit the pylon, so the best the Bears could have hoped for was the original ruling on the field of out of bounds. The worst would be a touchback.

The issue is that there really is no replay angle available that shows INDISPUTABLY that Cunningham was still in bounds when he lost control of the ball. Because of that, they had no business overturning the call into a touchback. Dean Blandino said himself that there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn, yet Riveron did anyway. It’s inexplicable. Yes, Fox should not have challenged that play to begin with — the risk of losing a timeout was larger than the potential gain of a yard. How anyone on the Bears missed the potential of a fumble is beyond me as well. That’s just bad coaching and decision making.

What’s hilarious is that Chicago actually won the challenge. The original ruling of out of bounds was overturned, so Fox was “right” based on the result. He kept his challenge and timeout, but lost the ball. If there was ever anything to describe the John Fox Bears in one sequence, that was it.

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