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A New Chicago Bears Head Coach Target Just Emerged

By
Erik Lambert
-
ron rivera

The Chicago Bears head coach situation remains the hottest topic among fans of the team. By this point the first half of the big question is all but answered. John Fox is going to be fired. There is just no scenario within reason that somebody can think of that would compel ownership to keep him on past the end of this season. His team still plays far too inconsistently from week to week. That and of course the 13-33 record doesn’t help.

As a result word has surfaced according to Ian Rapoport that team president Ted Phillips is doing research on which coaches might be available when the season officially ends for Chicago on January 1st. This question is a bit tricky to answer because several of the top candidates expected to be available will be busy preparing for the playoffs.

Several popular names have floated around the team for weeks. Frank Reich and John DeFilippo from Philadelphia spring to mind. Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia from New England. Matt Lafleur from Los Angeles and Matt Nagy from Kansas City as well. There is also David Shaw who continues his great run at Stanford. However, Rapoport wasn’t done.

It turns out the Bears may have another, more ambitious name in mind.

Hopes could be that Ron Rivera is next Chicago Bears head coach

Rapoport explained in a recent article that the Carolina Panthers are going through some upheaval. This is brought about by the imminent prospect of owner Jerry Richardson selling the team. In turn that could create a difficult situation for current head coach Ron Rivera who is about to enter the last year of his current contract.

“One of the Panthers’ most important tasks going forward is to extend Rivera’s contract, and sources say that’s exactly what they want to do. The team’s brass agrees that stability is needed on the football side. Put that together with the job the former coach of the year is doing and it’s an easy decision.

Talks are in their infancy, but they are expected to heat up soon.

Accordingly, the hope from many in the building is that Hurney stays on as GM, though an NFL official said the Panthers will have to go through the process and comply with the Rooney Rule before elevating him for good. Hurney will stay on — at least — through June. He has worked well with Rivera.

Rivera’s last deal was a three-year, $19.5-million contract through 2018. If he was free or became available, he’d be coveted, including potentially by the Bears.”

Interest in Rivera comes from many directions

It’s not a shock at all that the Bears would be interested in Rivera. For starters he has Chicago blood running through his veins. He was a linebacker for the team in the 1980s, playing as a reserve on the fabled 1985 team. Then he returned in the mid-2000s to run their defense, during which they reached the Super Bowl again in 2006. The man was a part of the two biggest successes the organization has had in the past four decades.

Then there’s the fact he’s already a successful head coach. He’s led the Carolina Panthers to the playoffs three times including the Super Bowl in 2015. They are 10-4 this season and poised to make it for a fourth time in five seasons. If that weren’t enough Rivera has proven his ability to develop a top quarterback draft pick. Cam Newton was selected under his watch in 2011 and has since become a star.

The idea of bringing him home to Chicago to take over Mitch Trubisky and that young defense has to sound appealing for the Bears brass. Much of how this plays out will depend on what happens in the next month.

Several Former 2006 Bears Coaches Are Ready to Replace John Fox

By
Erik Lambert
-
2006 bears

Everybody likes to talk about the 1985 Chicago Bears, even today. That’s understandable. It was and still is one of the greatest teams ever assembled. At least from a pure roster standpoint. There were Hall of Famers everywhere. On the other hand, one could make a strong argument that the 2006 Bears team, while not as strong in personnel, may have had the better coaching staff.

Of course things started with Lovie Smith. He transformed the team into a legitimate contender that reached two NFC championship games and of course the Super Bowl that fateful 2006 season. Next was defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. He has taken over command control of the Carolina Panthers and led them to the Super Bowl in 2015.

Most people think about those two names when that Bears team comes up in conversations. Few knew it at the time, but it turns out that coaching staff was significantly more loaded with talent than first imagined. In fact a number of the names on it are now poised to become head coaches in 2018.

2006 Bears staff could feature four eventual head coaches

As stated earlier Rivera was the first assistant on that staff to get his own team. Looking at the field of coaches available this coming off-season, there could be three more on the way. Perhaps one of them could look to bring back some of that ’06 mojo to a Bears team yearning to become a winner again.

Dave Toub

  • Then:  Special teams coordinator
  • Now:  Special teams coordinator for Chiefs

The mastermind of the Devin Hester era has continued to do his thing ever since he left the Bears in 2013. Toub is at the top of the heap among special teams coaches and has arguably waited longer for his head coaching shot than he should’ve. Odds are if he’d coached offense or defense he would’ve been scooped five years ago.

Harold Goodwin

  • Then:  Assistant offensive line coach
  • Now:  Offensive coordinator for Cardinals

One of those coaches that success just seems to follow. After reaching the Super Bowl with Chicago, he headed off to Pittsburgh where he won a ring in 2008. His star continued to rise until Bruce Arians made him the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals. With his help Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald were able to squeeze some excellent seasons out of what many thought were fading careers.

Steve Wilks

  • Then:  Defensive backs coach
  • Now:  Defensive coordinator for Panthers

The most recent addition to the list. Wilks has been a favorite of Rivera for years. Assistant head coach for the Carolina Panthers since 2015, he became defensive coordinator this season. As a result the defense went from 21st a season ago to fifth as of now. It’s a remarkable turnaround in such a short span, earning Wilks some much-deserved attention.

Any one of these men have shown they’re qualified to lead. They also proved they understood how to build a winner in Chicago. If the Bears are intent on bringing back a familiar face to recapture that old magic, then they have a larger than expected selection to choose from.

Hope Remains For Achieving Bears Biggest 2018 Priority

By
Erik Lambert
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vic fangio
Credit: Chicago Tribune

Hiring a head coach? Getting Mitch Trubisky some wide receivers? Both of those could qualify as the Chicago Bears biggest 2018 priority. The reasons are obvious. John Fox hasn’t won enough football games. Trubisky can’t throw with any consistency. However, there are more than a few people who would agree the top duty of this team is finding a way to retain defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Understand that with two games left in the season, the Bears defense ranks 12th in points allowed and 8th in total yards allowed. This despite having six original starters from opening day on Injured Reserve with various injuries. That is a testament of the impact Fangio has. His scheming, game planning and ability to elevate his player is not common.

In essence the Bears have encountered another Buddy Ryan situation. While changing head coaches is inevitable at this point, is it possible for them to retain a high quality assistant? Opinions vary on that subject. Some think he’s all but gone. Others hold out hope that there may be a way.

Hopes of retaining Vic Fangio may have gotten a vital boost

While only Fangio himself knows whether he’d like to stay or not, the Bears at least got a bit good fortune towards that end. The prevailing belief for months was Fangio had a desire to return to the west coast and rejoin the San Francisco 49ers. In fact they explored the idea of bringing him back briefly this past off-season, but were rebuffed by the Bears brass. Now according to NBC Sports, it appears that window has closed.

But with two games remaining in his first season as 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Saleh has proven himself and will unquestionably be back in the same role next season, Shanahan said.

“Yeah, there’s no doubt about that,” Shanahan said on “49ers Game Plan,” which is scheduled to air Saturday at 3 p.m. on NBC Bay Area (Ch. 3).

“Robert has been great. I think he’s gotten better throughout the year, and I think he’ll be even better next year. Robert has a great future ahead of him. And I feel very fortunate that he’s the coordinator for the Niners.”

With the 49ers off the table, it removes a prominent location Fangio knows that he’d wish to return to. This in turn opens the door for the Bears to try enticing him again to stay on moving forward. The key will be offering him a palatable package. That would entail more money, of course and also the prospect of working under a head coach he respects.

If the Bears could lure in a top offensive mind, somebody who could get more out of Mitch Trubisky, then Fangio might be intrigued by continuing his work on that defense. It comes down to time and negotiation.

A Cubs Fan’s Christmas Letter To Santa (Theo)

By
Dhruv Koul
-
chris ballard

Dear Theo (and Jed Hoyer),

With football consuming my Christmas Eve, I wanted to get this letter to you beforehand. I wanted to start by thanking you for being a better Santa than Santa. In the last three years, you’ve provided more joy than any wrapped cardboard box ever could (except maybe my PlayStation 4 … that’s pretty sweet).

Three years ago, our Cubs shocked baseball by happy-go-luckying their way to the National League Championship Series — beating our rival Pirates and Cardinals on the way. That experience paved the way for something better the following year.

In 2016, we won the World Series. Enough said. Even now, when I go back and watch highlights of Game 7, I get nervous. Even now, I go numb when they show Rajai Davis’s fist pump in the 8th inning. Even now, a wave or relief washes over me when I see Kris Bryant’s scary throw safely reach Anthony Rizzo’s glove, setting off a wild celebration.

And then last year, we made it back to the NLCS after surviving an epic NLDS series against Washington. I know we purposely made it tough on ourselves so Bryce Harper’s eventual heartbreak would hurt even more. We just laid some more ground work there to convince Harper to bolt the Nationals and join the Good Guys in the 2018 offseason (sorry, Hawk Harrelson).

You promised us sustained success and repeated opportunities to compete in the crapshoot that is the MLB postseason. You delivered. Three straight runs to the LCS, one that bore a World Series trophy, proves that. And now, we move forward to prepping for next year.

You’ve already done very well. Signing Tyler Chatwood helped fortify the back end of our rotation. And signing Brandon Morrow, the Bullpen Ironman of last postseason, adds more back-end bullpen firepower. But there’s still work to do.

Here’s my wishlist:

Starting Pitcher: We need another starting pitcher, that much has been acknowledged. I recently debated with my SM colleagues whether signing Yu Darvish or re-signing Jake Arrieta would be better. I, for sentimental reasons, thought Arrieta was the right choice. Everyone disagreed with me, so I went back and researched more and watched some more Darvish with an open mind. Yeah, I was wrong. Darvish would be great and would make more sense.

I know you’re kicking the tires on Alex Cobb too, and I would definitely be OK with that. But if you can get Darvish, our rotation is hard to beat. Jon Lester, Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood? A playoff rotation of the first four? Damn!

Bullpen: Wade Davis and Hector Rondon are no longer on the team, for now. And while signing Morrow helps the bullpen (and he has closing experience), we could certainly use another arm back there to solidify things further. For the right price, a Davis return makes a lot of sense. Low-key, how about Greg Holland? He had a terrific season at Coors Field last year. If he can stay healthy, he’d be a great addition.

What’s more, with Justin Wilson still needing to prove that he can throw the ball in the same zip code as the plate, we could use another lefty setup guy too. How about someone like Tony Watson as the lefty setup guy?

Re-sign Jon Jay: With all due respect to Tommy LaStella, I don’t think anyone provided the type of veteran at-bat time and time again that Jon Jay did, and he played a solid outfield. He may be looking for a starting job somewhere, but bringing him back makes a ton of sense if you can.

Keep Javy Baez No Matter What: This is more of a sentimental ask, but Baez is one of the most electric and exciting players in the game. I don’t think this one needs much explaining, but he is a joy to watch. Sure, most of our team and lineup is just as fun to watch, but there’s something extra special about Javy. Unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, please keep him!

There are other needs and wants, but I think I highlighted what’s on my wishlist pretty well. Of course, you probably already knew these things being the better-than-Santa Santa that you are. But still, I thought I’d reach out.

Merry Christmas, Theo (and Jed Hoyer). And I, along with the rest of Cubs Nation, look forward to seeing how you close out the offseason. Go Cubs!

Cheers,
Dhruv

NFL Insider Pinpoints One Coach the Chicago Bears Can’t Ignore

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears
Credit: USA Today

By now most Chicago Bears fans are familiar with the likely hot names that are going to get the attention come January when teams start their search for new head coaches. They figure to be one of those teams with John Fox on his way out. It’s a matter if figuring out which of them might end up being the target for GM Ryan Pace. This of course presuming he remains in charge as expected.

It starts of course with Josh McDaniels. The longtime New England Patriots offensive coordinator is once again headlining a top five offense. He’s still just 41-years old and respected as one of the top play callers in football. On the flip side Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is a newcomer to the conversation. Having just gotten control of calling plays a few weeks ago, the Chiefs offense has exploded.

Perhaps the most impressive performance this year is by Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Despite losing their top running back and top two quarterbacks, he’s managed to put together the eighth ranked offense in the NFL. He’s followed by Frank Reich, coordinator of the highly successful Philadelphia Eagles offense. Any one of those men sound like good choices.

However, there may be another the Bears are overlooking.

Insider warns Chicago Bears not to look past Steve Wilks

Sometimes the NFL is all about connections. Some people might not remember the name Steve Wilks in Chicago and that’s a shame. He was the Bears defensive backs coach during their 2006 Super Bowl season. A true disciple for Ron Rivera who has enjoyed a streak of success going back over a decade. He is now defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and earning newfound respect. Peter Schrager of Good Morning Football now sees him as a top candidate.

Wilks is 48-years old. His impact on the Panthers defense has been impossible to ignore. Last year they ranked a distant 21st in the NFL. Since he took over this season they jumped all the way up to fifth. That’s a monumental improvement. He’s also gotten double digit sack seasons from a 37-year old Julius Peppers and career reserve Mario Addison.

He’s been the assistant head coach at Carolina for three years now. The man is smart, experienced and clearly a capable leader. If the Bears were looking for somebody to bring back some of that old mojo they had 10 years ago, this might be their guy.

Rumor: Ryan Pace May Be Eyeing More Front Office Help

By
Erik Lambert
-
ryan pace

Is Ryan Pace still going to be the GM of the Chicago Bears in 2018? It’s not entirely clear but the general belief is that will be the case. He’ll be allowed to seek out his second head coach. Hopefully someone who can properly develop this young roster into a contender, Mitch Trubisky in particular. That means this coming off-season could be huge.

What can so often be forgotten in these situations is the coaching staff might not be the only thing that changes. Pace may have designs on a front office move as well. Don’t forget the Bears suffered a significant loss when Joe Douglas left their staff for a promotion in Philadelphia. They haven’t really tried to bring in anymore outside help since then.

One thing about Pace is he’s always on the lookout for talent. Not just player talent either. There were no connections to Douglas when he hired him out of Baltimore. Douglas had a strong reputation and Pace wished to take advantage. The result was their excellent 2016 off-season. Now it appears the Bears GM may be sniffing around another notable name.

Ryan Pace keeping a close watch on Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht

A source reached out to me in the past week and said the Bears were monitoring the status regarding Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht. The idea being that they would move quickly to bring him in as a front office addition were he to part ways with the organization.

“He was hired out of New England because of his experience with a winning organization and the feeling was he’d bring that culture to Tampa Bay. His drafts constantly hit and ownership was in love with him and were starting to feel he was their guy once Winston was selected. They had a really terrific year and almost made the playoffs (in 2016). Now this year they have regressed with the blame being put on (Dirk) Koetter. With all the heat Licht is being criticized for bringing Koetter in and there’s still hard feelings over letting Lovie go when they were starting to hit their stride.”

Licht has been running the Buccaneers front office since 2014. In that time he’s added some considerable talent to their roster with names like Mike Evans, Jameis Winston, Kwon Alexander, Vernon Hargreaves, and O.J. Howard. Unfortunately like many GMs his eye for coaching talent can be left in question.

Pace could strengthen personnel department with Licht aboard

At the same time this is a man who can be a valuable asset in a front office as a personnel executive. It would seem Pace might like to make that a reality.

“Rumblings were starting this year that he may not be safe. Pace has been interested in him and with NFC South experience it’s felt with Pace’s ideas and Licht’s eye for talent it would work and they’d be set up greatly for the future.”

Licht is a richly experienced personnel man. He got his first crack at a major director position in Philadelphia from 2006 to 2007. With his help they signed quarterback Jeff Garcia who’d go on to the Pro Bowl and also drafted tight end Brent Celek. In 2008 the Arizona Cardinals brought him aboard and he was instrumental in helping them draft cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and defensive end Calaise Campbell.

Some of his best work came in New England from 2009 to 2011 during which the Patriots added future studs like Julian Edelman, Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, and Nate Solder. He returned to Arizona for two years in 2012 and 2013. It was during that time they added Tyrann Mathieu and Pro Bowl special teamer Justin Bethel.

If the Bears’ interest is as strong as this would indicate, it’s understandable. Licht would be a major benefit to their front office. Where exactly he’d fit will be the question if it comes to pass.

White Sox Check In On Yelich

By
Matt Enuco
-
Christian Yelich is the object of desire for the White Sox.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America via Zimbio

It’s official. The White Sox have checked in on Christian Yelich. As rookie general manager Derek Jeter guts the Marlins major-league roster, Yelich is the lone player left from a roster that underachieved.

That Rick Hahn has checked in on Yelich is not surprising. With a deep reservoir of talent and versatility, the young outfield is a desirable trade chip. And at first blush, the Marlins might be willing to take a small return considering the deals they’ve brokered for Dee Gorden, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna.

Stanton was a salary dump, Gordon wasn’t overwhelmingly valuable on the trade market and Ozuna fetched a solid return. In fact, besides Yelich, Ozuna might be the most profitable return the Marlins gather this season.

Let’s put it bluntly: The White Sox want Yelich if they can swipe him at their price. He just signed a seven-year extension worth approximately $49.5 million with a club option for 2022. The most he could earn is $15 million in the final year of his contract and he is squarely within the winning window for the South Siders. But this is precisely why the Marlins want to hold onto him and will raise the price in any deal for the youngsters.

The White Sox could wait it out but it seems likely that if Jeter wanted to dump Yelich he would do it soon, and it might be a savvy move on his part given Yelich’s cryptic messages after each trade.

After Stanton was traded and it became obvious the Marlins were in a scorch-the-earth firesale Yelich tweeted…

No one wants to be the veteran player on a team embarking on a new rebuild and Yelich is no different. But it doesn’t seem likely the White Sox would overpay for Yelich now and he probably won’t be available in the future.

Don’t Underestimate the Fallout of a Chicago Bears Loss to Cleveland

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears

Sure John Fox is gone. Everybody can pretty much guess that. The guy is 13-33 with two games left in his third season. Too many times he’s mismanaged games for one reason or another. There’s no denying he finds a way to get his team to play hard, but too often they don’t play smart and that’s been his downfall with the Chicago Bears.

So here things stand. They are 4-10, out of the playoffs for the seventh-straight season and hurtling towards a great unknown. All fans have to cling to at this point is the prospects of an exciting young roster led by quarterback Mitch Trubisky and a developing defense. The man who built this foundation, GM Ryan Pace, appears to have the green light to go after another coach.

The problem is he isn’t in the clear yet either. Most would like to pass off the final two games as meaningless. That’s certainly true from a postseason standpoint. However, people cannot overlook this upcoming matchup with the Browns. More may be riding on it than people realize.

Chicago Bears failures fall at feet of Ryan Pace too

To this point it’s fair to say Pace has done his job fairly well for the Bears. He’s drafted good players, especially over the past two years. Sure he’s made some mistakes but it’s clear he’s grown. At the same time there is an inescapable reality to this situation. The Bears are still 13-33. He’s the general manager. That record is as much his to bear as it is Fox’s. He drafted Kevin White. He signed Mike Glennon and Markus Wheaton.

Pace may have the edge over Fox for safety, but the margin is not as wide as people think. So try to imagine what happens if this Bears team falls to the 0-14 Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. Just think about it. Falling to a team that has one victory since the start of the 2016 season. The humiliation would know no bounds, and everybody knows the Bears ownership doesn’t like being humiliated.

Don’t forget the last time George McCaskey made a significant change to his team, he fired both the head coach and the GM. He may have promised to be patient when Pace took over, but enduring the most difficult stretch arguably in Bears history might be just too much. Suffice to say Pace better hope Trubisky can deliver on his declaration they won’t be the team that falls to Cleveland.

John Fox Faces an Eerie Situation Going Into the Browns Game

By
Erik Lambert
-
john fox
Credit: USA Today

People still aren’t certain whether or not the Chicago Bears will ultimately fire John Fox. Despite the prospect of him not finishing any better than 6-10, there is a prevailing concern he will find a way to compel ownership to let him have the last year of his contract. Of course this is one of the nightmare scenarios for fans who have long since had enough of the Fox Era.

What will it take to be assured that he’s 100% not coming back? Well in this case one must merely look at recent history. Fox is of course connected to fellow coach Mike McCoy. The two spent years together in Carolina and Denver. McCoy eventually became head coach of the San Diego Chargers. He had a brief good run but began to struggle after the first couple seasons.

The 2016 season was his final stand. It looked like he just might rescue his job with a strong run leading into and out of the bye week. Then a series of heartrendingly narrow defeats did him in, and most agree it was the loss to the 0-14 Cleveland Browns on Christmas Eve that put the final nail in the coffin.

John Fox is facing the exact same situation as McCoy last year

This is where the creep factor dials up. Fast forward to this week and it’s literally the same setup. It will be Christmas Eve against the 0-14 Browns. Fox is 0-7 in games where the Bears are favored to win too. Just in case the initial picture wasn’t horrifying enough. The last time these two teams met in preseason Chicago was soundly beaten and Mitch Trubisky struggled mightily. This matchup may be under real conditions, but it’s just as meaningless.

This is the quintessential lose-lose situation for the Bears. If they win nobody care because they were supposed to. If they lose it’s one of the biggest embarrassments of the 2017 season and in recent franchise history. If the Packers and Eagles losses were bad, this would be the final kick to the groin. The setup is almost too perfect.

Not that anybody would be surprised by this point.

Super Bowl Champ Exec Thinks the Bears Got Their Guy in Mitch Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
-
mitch trubisky

Mitch Trubisky is the focal point of the Chicago Bears looking towards 2018. For the first time in years there is a growing sense that the franchise has something worth building around. It’s a question of whether they can do it without blowing their opportunity as they’ve done in the past few attempts.

GM Ryan Pace threw his lot in with Trubisky when he traded up from #3 to #2 to get him, a move that stirred a lot of controversy at the time. It means a lot when somebody is willing to bet his job on a single shake of the dice like that. So is Pace onto something? That depends on who you ask, but at least one man sees hope.

Former scout and Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandy remains one of the most respected talent evaluators in the NFL media today. He’s seen his fair share of great quarterbacks over the years including Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. So his assessment of Trubisky might be worth hearing. Though he doesn’t see the Bears QB in the same class as other young guns in the league to this point, he does believe there’s plenty of potential.

Gil Brandt isn’t ready to go all-in on Mitch Trubisky but sees possibility

 

“Trubisky, 23, is athletic and has a quick release. I don’t think he’ll be the kind of quarterback who can carry a team to the Super Bowl by himself, but he should be able to get you to the playoffs. I have some concern about his field presence, but he throws with good velocity and has above-average speed. The bottom line is, he’s won three games with a Bears team that basically has no pass-catchers to speak of. Trubisky is an ascending player whose best football is ahead of him.”

Brandt ranked Trubisky as the ninth-best young quarterback for a team to build around just below Jameis Winston. People shouldn’t be scared away by the comment regarding his being able to carry a team or not. The fact is that’s impossible to answer for three reasons. Trubisky is a rookie, he has no legitimate receiving weapons and his offensive coaching to this point has been Grade C at best.

Until those factors change, it may not be wise to say Trubisky can or can’t carry a team. Nobody thought Tom Brady could carry a team when he first started out either. The point her is the Bears have themselves what at least could be a good quarterback with the potential for a great one.

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