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When 4-Game Win Streak Feels Emptier Than A Banker’s Heart

By
Patrick Mooney
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nikola mirotic returns bulls practice

On June 22nd of this year, Chicago Bulls VP John Paxson and General Manager Gar Forman got on the phone with their former Head Coach Tom Thibodeau, whom they fired unceremoniously in 2015.

That phone call ended with GarPax agreeing to trade Jimmy Butler, a three-time all-star and newly anointed face of the franchise, along with the #16 overall pick in the draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine and the #7 overall pick, which the Bulls used to select a Finnish forward by the name of Lauri Markkanen.

June 22nd was the last day of a long era of stable, but fruitless, playoff contention. For the first time under John Paxson’s 15-year watch, the Bulls will spend the season attempting to rack up more ping pong balls than their opponents, rather than trying to beat them.

After a 3-20 start, it appeared as if the Bulls would have no problem pacing the league in losses throughout the season. That could still be the case, but I can’t help but look at this week’s four-game winning streak and wonder if the Bulls have enough in them to accidentally win another 20-25 games, which could be enough to push them out of the top 5 in the draft, making this a completely lost season.

With how bad a few teams in the East are, coupled with the ultra competitive West forcing teams like the Grizzlies and Clippers to consider selling at the trade deadline, does a Bulls team with an improved Kris Dunn, a healthy Zach LaVine, a possibly revamped Nikola Mirotic, the Finnisher, the respected workhouse Robin Lopez and a bench full of young players desperate to prove they belong in the NBA, have a chance to finish this season with only the 7th or 8th worst record in the league? Probably not, but it no longer feels like an impossible feat, especially considering three of the four Bulls losses before their current win streak were by a combined four points.

It’s natural as a fan to applaud a few hard fought wins after a stretch of brutal last second losses, but in times like these it’s important to remember the bigger picture.

Rebuilds in professional sports can be tiresome, and if they fail, infuriating. Losing isn’t fun, that’s why rebuilds are required in the first place, but losing with a plan is palatable.

While Paxson and Forman have deservedly served as the primary lightning rods for criticism of this once proud organization, at least the duo was able to concede their stubbornness this off-season and hit the reset button. Whether or not they have what it takes to make the right moves once/if this team becomes competitive again under their watch is a whole other argument, but for now they are doing the right thing by trying to tear this thing down and start from the bottom.

But first they need to reach the bottom.

Now, I won’t get too dramatic, it’s not as if the Bulls are doomed if they miss out on this year’s #1 draft pick, especially with consensus top prospect Michael Porter Jr. out for the remainder of the season with a concerning back issue.

According to most draft pundits, there is a big drop off after the top four prospects, which include Porter Jr., Marvin Bagley from Duke, Deandre Ayton from Arizona and Luka Doncic who is playing overseas. That’s obviously not to say that all four of those players will turn out to be stars, or that everybody that falls outside of the top four won’t turn into a franchise cornerstone, but it’s important to play the odds.

It’s scary to think of the Bulls current management having to make such a critical decision at the top of the draft, nobody wants to be the guy that drafts Jahlil Okafor over Kristaps Porzingis, or the one that drafts Michael Beasley over Russell Westbrook, or the one that drafts Hasheem Thabeet over James Harden, or the one that drafts Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry…..

Paxson has been on both sides of the coin. He passed up on LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas, but redeemed himself two years later when he drafted Derrick Rose with the #1 pick, a pick they landed in small part because Thomas was on the Bulls, not Aldridge. So based on that small early lottery sample size, there isn’t much we can be certain of in regards to GarPax’s ability to evaluate top draft talent.

One thing we can be certain of is that fear of bad injury luck or missing on a draft pick has no place in NBA rebuilds. This is essential. If the Bulls screw up this years pick, they will likely be right up at the top of the draft in 2019 with a second chance to get it right. As a team that’s accumulated two nice young pieces in the Butler trade to pair with the promising rookie Lauri Markkanen, they should only need to hit on one top draft pick in order to bring the franchise back to relevance.

At the end of the day, the Bulls 7-20 record is the second worst in the league. It’s up to the rest of the league to step up and help the Bulls keep it that way.

Scottie Pippen Thinks LeBron Has Passed Michael Jordan

By
Matthew Milakovich
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lebron vs. jordan

Happy Thursday everyone! When I rolled out of bed this morning and felt a chill grasp my foot and aggressively rise up my through my body, instantly shocking my brain and waking me up, I was upset. When I went outside and felt how much colder it was out there than it was in the house, I wasn’t shocked, but yet again, I was upset. Slightly later in the day (about ten minutes ago to be exact) when I saw the news that Scottie Pippen thinks LeBron has passed Michael Jordan, finally, I was both shocked and upset. But, is he right?

on ESPN’s First Take as a guest, Pippen had this to say regarding the never-ending comparison between LeBron James and his former teammate:

“The numbers don’t lie. He’s right there. He probably will never catch him in terms of MVP, but in terms of statistics, LeBron is right there. And when you look across the board — not just scoring — check his assists, check his rebounds … he’s probably ahead of Jordan.”

Is LeBron Really Statistically Better Than Jordan Through 15 seasons?

LeBron is now in his 15th season. Michael Jordan played a total of 15 seasons. So is LeBron really better through 15 years in the stat column?

Lebron James: 29576 points, 848 blocks, 1789 steals, 7713 assists, 7936 rebounds, .503FG%, 21328 FG attempted, 42314 minutes played

Michael Jordan: 32292 points, 893 blocks, 2514 steals, 5633 assists, 6672 rebounds, .497 FG%, 24537 FG attempted, 41011 minutes played

So as you see, in the points, blocks, steals columns, Jordan has the edge; while James is the leader in assists, rebounds, and minutes. None of this is really surprising. Jordan was arguably a better, more tenacious defender, even if he couldn’t guard as many positions as LeBron.

The fact Jordan has more points in less minutes is impressive, however, LeBron has never been the scorer Michael was. We all know that. LeBron is a better facilitator, and given he plays every position of course has more rebounds. Considering LeBron plays every position could also be a check mark in his corner.

Conversely, Jordan has near the same exact field goal percentage despite attempting over 3,000 more shots. That is perhaps the most impressive stat of all. Jordan also has a surprisingly large gap in the steals category and leads in the block category, these two facts are surprising to me. I would have thought LeBron would be much closer, if not lead, in the steals category, and have more blocks given he’s all over the floor guarding so many positions. That is one of his greatest assets correct?

This argument, could, and probably will, go on forever. Of course, beauty has always been in the eye of the beholder.

Give me Jordan’s rings, MVP’s, stats, killer instinct, and spirit any day of the week. You may say different, but I don’t care. And those on the other side of the aisle would probably say the same. The argument is as moot as they come. The only shock here is that Scottie isn’t standing beside the teammate who allowed him to wear any one of six rings whenever the fuck he pleases. This is as “SMH” as they come. Especially considering Jordan leads in just as many categories.

Not a good look Scottie.

 

The Story of How the Bears Drafted Devin Hester Is an Utter Joy

By
Erik Lambert
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devin hester

Chicago Bears fans have been mired in a deep depression the past few years. That’s understandable. When a team has four-straight losing seasons during which it includes some of the darkest moments in its history, that can be hard to swallow. All the while it’s made worse by the era left behind. One of superb defense, takeaways, power running and best of all electric special teams. That was where Devin Hester came in.

Nobody had a clue what the Bears were getting when he arrived via the second round of the 2006 draft. All they knew was he came from a football factory at Miami and had some return man ability. Few expected what they eventually got from four Pro Bowls to an NFL record 19 return touchdowns and a laundry list of unforgettable highlights.

As time goes on that pick 11 years ago looks like a stroke of genius. So how did it happen? GM Jerry Angelo explained to The Athletic the work that went into scouting him and how many voices were heard in favor of the move. As it turns out Hester had a ton of fans in the Bears front office.

Devin Hester draft move was a leap of faith on his talent and character

“We were enamored with his talent. He was a return specialist for Miami, but a work in progress in terms of defining a position. He played on offense and defense but hadn’t created a niche for himself. So he was a non-predictor in terms of what he was besides a kick returner. We dug deep into the character of him. The strength coach at Miami, Andreu Swasey, told me Devin was a gym rat who did everything he could to succeed.

That’s what sold me. We bet on the ceiling based on the character and his hungriness to be a great player. Our area scout Mark Sadowski had done an inordinate amount of work on him and really believed in the player to confirm what the strength coach said. I said, “He’s not going to be a bust.” There was not a bust factor with him. Worst case, we would get a really good special teams player.”

Hester did something that so few NFL players have done. He changed the game. Never before had teams been forced to game plan as much on special teams before he arrived. Once the depth of his ability was truly understood, opponents quite often kicked the ball out of bounds rather than risk him taking it back for a touchdown.

It’s doubtful people will be able to remember the 2000s without mentioning Hester’s name. Kickoff rules changed in part because of him. It’s likely he’ll be holding all those records forever. This should put him on the list for making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Were that to happen, it would go down as Angelo’s best ever draft pick. Amazing to think that would be the case.

Theo Epstein Shows His Cleverness Yet Again With Steve Cishek

By
Dhruv Koul
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The Marlins' Steve Cishek works against the Giants on May 8, 2015. (Ben Margot / AP)

Ken Rosenthal of FOX / The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that the Chicago Cubs had agreed to a two-year deal with free agent reliever Steve Cishek.

Cishek, a side-arming, almost submarine-type right-handed reliever, posted a 2.01 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in a combined 44.2 IP last year in a season that was split between the Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays.

However, Cishek’s greatest career success came with the Miami Marlins, where he was a successful setup man and eventual lights-out closer for a couple of seasons. In 2013, he posted a 2.33 ERA while saving 34 games in 36 opportunities. The following year, he saved 39 games in 43 opportunities. Pretty solid stuff.

And think back to the Cubs’ biggest problem in the bullpen the last couple of years. They’ve been notorious for walking people in bunches. Control issues have plagued Chicago’s relief arms: CJ Edwards, Hector Rondon (who was non-tendered), Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm, Justin Wilson, and even Wade Davis struggled at times with their control.

In that regard, Cishek should be a sight for Joe Maddon’s sore eyes. He has kept his walks under control for the most part throughout his career. His career walk rate is 3.29 BB/9 IP. That’s not Greg Maddux-esque by any means, but it’s certainly leaps and bounds better (roughly 2 BB/9 IP better, which is a lot) than the Cubs have had in their bullpen for a while. Couple that with a career 2.73 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, and he should provide Maddon a trusted arm to use in late inning situations. You know, when they can’t afford to walk people.

The deal is reportedly between $12-14 million over two years total, which is reasonable. A reliever who can find the strike zone consistently and has some solid closing experience? Great find, Theo.

Another Bears Player Stepped Up To Snipe at John Fox

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox

Give John Fox some credit. He’s somehow managed to maintain control of the Chicago Bears despite three-straight years of losing seasons. Most head coaches would have long since completely lost a grip on his players. If nothing else that’s a testament to his ability to maintain order. At the same time, that hasn’t prevented certain players from taking subtle jabs at him in the media. Not so much over Fox himself, but rather his philosophies.

Mitch Trubisky, in the most innocent way possible, brought it up multiple times. He stated the offense was doing as much as “Coach Fox allows” during an early press conference. Then after the win in Cincinnati he confirmed that the offense had been more aggressive than usual. All the while not trying to hide the “I told you so” look on his face.

His teammate though, wide receiver Kendall Wright, doesn’t have the same level subtlety. After delivering his best game of his Bears career last Sunday, it seems he was intent on venting some minor frustrations after weeks and weeks of outside criticism. His target, though without naming names of course? You guessed it.

Kendall Wright blames John Fox run-heavy scheme for the receiver issue

It was clear that Wright wasn’t happy about taking criticism for not producing enough in the passing game this year. After delivering a 10-catch, 107-yard performance in Cincinnati though he seized the chance to explain that talent wasn’t the problem with the Bears receiving corps. It was utilization.

“We don’t get the opportunities that most receivers get.

How do you know if you’re good or not if you’re only getting two or three targets a game?” Wright said. “If you watch somebody else’s games, Antonio Brown (of the Steelers) would have 15 targets and he’s great.

You come to our game, we have two and (it’s), ‘Aw, the Bears need receivers.’ They don’t need receivers. When you balance it up, you see what our receivers do.”

Is it a fair criticism? While Wright is not on the same level as Brown would more targets be producing more results? Currently he sits at 477 yards on 64 targets from Bears quarterbacks. Brown has had an absurd 160 thrown his way. So if one were to simply double the number of targets (128) Wright has had this year, he’d average out to over 950 yards with three games to play.

It might be an overly simplified excuse but not entirely unfair. It’s hard to produce at a quality level in the NFL without a fair amount of opportunities. Running backs tend not to have great games unless they get a certain number of carries. Cornerbacks won’t get a lot of interceptions if opposing QBs refuse to throw the ball in their direction much. Receivers are no different.

At the same time much of the original beef is still in place. The Bears receiving corps is undermanned and needs more talent. Whether Wright likes it or not, there will be changes coming this off-season.

White Sox Reportedly Have Most Aggressive Offer To Land Manny Machado

By
Emmet McClain
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Right around midnight, Ken Rosenthal tweeted out that the White Sox are the most aggressive team in trying to acquire Manny Machado’s services.

The article describes how it is indeed the White Sox that have the most aggressive package on the table. Currently, the White Sox have offered one of either Lucas Giolito or Michael Kopech to start talks, but not both. It is unclear what the rest of the package contains at this time.

Rick Hahn is probably pressing Baltimore for the 72 hour negotiation window in order to attempt to resign Machado longterm right away, but there is no guarantee that happens. It is also possible that the White Sox trade for Machado and flip him to a team like the Yankees at the trade deadline.

As a White Sox fan, my initial knee-jerk reaction to this is a resounding “NO.” Giolito and Kopech both project to be a force for the rotation for the next several years. I think trading one of them away as part of a package could do longterm harm, especially if Machado chooses to resign elsewhere. However, Rick Hahn has done so much for this organization the past twelve months. I trust that he will do whatever is best for the White Sox longterm.

As far as the deal getting done, it sounds like it is still not close to completion, but for now, the White Sox are the clear front runner for the three time All-Star.

Todd McShay Reveals His Pick For the Bears in 2018 NFL Draft

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears calvin ridley

The Chicago Bears know they have an opportunity to get back onto the NFC playoff scene in 2018. This is thanks in large part to their last two drafts which have produced a bevy of quality talent. Leonard Floyd, Jordan Howard, Cody Whitehair, Eddie Jackson, Tarik Cohen, Adam Shaheen and Mitch Trubisky have formed the making of a foundation that GM Ryan Pace can build into something special.

Like he’s said many times in the past though, he’ll have to keep stacking good drafts together. That’s the only way the Bears will be able to overcome what is looking like a stacked conference to finally end their playoff drought. Nothing determines the direction of a draft more than who the first pick is.

While many things can change over the course of the next few months, it’s never too early to seek out that one player who could give them that final push they need. Top draft analyst Todd McShay seemed to have an idea of where they should focus their efforts. He explained why in his first official mock draft of this season.

Chicago Bears must zero in on a wide receiver without hesitation

It’s no secret that the Bears need to overhaul their receiver position. Simply possessing the #32 passing offense in the NFL is confirmation of that. The question going into 2018 is how do they do that? McShay has a simple solution.

8. Chicago Bears

Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Mitchell Trubisky has had an inconsistent rookie campaign, but the Bears have been plagued by injuries at the wide receiver position in recent years. Ridley is the clear top wideout in this class, with outstanding foot speed and good acceleration. He has averaged 16.2 yards per catch this season, but his stats in Alabama’s run-heavy offense don’t reflect his true talent.

Ridley is much like another former Alabama standout in Amari Cooper. The speed, the athleticism, the size and strong hands are all there. That Ridley has managed to be so productive in an almost pure running offense is a testament to his skills. He’s not thrown to a lot, but when he is good things tend to happen.

For a Bears team that features a loaded ground attack led by Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, having a big play threat like Ridley would not be a bad thing at all. The issue at hand will be whether they can avoid taking a pass rusher given how riddled with problems that position has become due to age and injuries.

What Should The Marlins Do With Christian Yelich?

By
Emmet McClain
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The Marlins continued their fire sale today when they shipped outfielder Marcel Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals. Briefly after the trade went down, the Marlins spoke about how Christian Yelich, their last bonafide asset, is the type of player they wish to build around.

Fast forward a few hours, and it sound like the Marlins are willing to spare Yelich of a horrible fate.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Christian Yelich DEFINITELY wants to go. This was evidenced a few days ago shortly after Miami dealt Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees.

I don’t blame Yelich for wanting to leave at all. No one wants to be stuck playing for what looks to be a 100 loss team. Especially a player of Yelich’s caliber. He would be stuck in baseball Hell for the next 4 years if the Marlins truly do attempt to build around him.

I wrote shortly after the Stanton trade on how Yelich could be traded, and how the White Sox fit the bill for his services. He is young, controllable, and most importantly, a great baseball player. Unfortunately, the biggest factor here is his control as he is signed for cheap through 2021. It is because of this that the Marlins would ask for a package similar to what the White Sox got for Jose Quintana, which is why earlier I figured the White Sox wouldn’t get involved. But with it becoming more and more clear that Yelich will be dealt, the White Sox might actually insert themselves into the conversation. They definitely have the prospects to get a deal done, and could get pretty creative depending on how interested they are.

Possible Package?

I don’t want to go out and say “so and so ++ would get Yelich to the White Sox”, But if talks between the two clubs do pick up, I’d expect that the White Sox would have to send at least three players, but more than likely four. Blake Rutherford and Dylan Cease would almost certainly have to go to Miami just to get talks started. From there the White Sox might have to throw in someone like Carson Fulmer and/or a lottery ticket. The point is, the price will be steep for any club to obtain Yelich from Miami. But if Miami asks for one of either Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, or Luis Robert, I politely say no thank you, and hang up the phone.

Potential Lineup

For the sake of this article, let’s say the White Sox do get Yelich before the 2018 season starts. A lineup would look something like this:

CF- Christian Yelich

2B- Yoan Moncada

1B- Jose Abreu

RF- Avisail Garcia

C- Welington Castillo

LF- Nicky Delmonico

SS- Tim Anderson

DH- Matt Davidson

3B- Yolmer Sanchez

All things considered, this is a pretty solid lineup. While the White Sox do make sense for Yelich, we have to remember that he is going to be very expensive, and there are going to be a plethora of teams to compete with in getting him. Rick Hahn knows he will eventually have to trade some young talent of his own, but that is more likely to happen later on. It is because of this that I still say the White Sox more than likely won’t be the team that trades for him, but since they do have the prospects to deal and he does fit their timeline, it isn’t completely out of the question.

Bears Mailbag – Wait, Could John Fox Still Save His Job?

By
Dhruv Koul
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(Gary Landers / AP) Bears coach John Fox celebrates with free safety Eddie Jackson after an INT against the Bengals on Dec. 10, 2017.

The Chicago Bears are coming off their best and most complete game in years. Their beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals, who were supposed to be fighting for their playoff lives at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, was the type of game we’d been waiting the entire John Fox era to see. And best of all, the players responsible for the overwhelming victory were the Bears’ building blocks for the future.

Mitch Trubisky delivered the signature game of his entirely too young career. Jordan Howard ran wild over yet another AFC North opponent, while becoming the only Bear in franchise history to rush for 1,000+ yards in their first two seasons. Tarik Cohen wreaked havoc all over the field. Eddie Jackson picked up two more takeaways on his birthday. Adam Shaheen took the next step in his quest to become a legitimate “Baby Gronk”. It was terrific to see, and it served as vindication, of sorts, for general manager Ryan Pace.

The Bears travel to Ford Field this Saturday to take on the Detroit Lions, who are also fighting for their playoff lives. It’ll be fun to see if Trubisky & Co. can build on their impressive victory last week and hopefully deliver a knockout blow to their NFC North foes.

And with that, we reach into this week’s Bears Mailbag. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions!

Q via Facebook: If the Bears somehow win out against the Lions, Browns, and Vikings and blow them out like the Bengals, could that be a case for John Fox to keep his job? — Stephen H.

I get where this is coming from, but I don’t think there’s any way that Fox keeps his job next year. That victory against the Bengals, while great and a sign of what this team *could* be if coached properly, is too little and too late. The Bears have lost too many inexcusable games this year for a win like this to matter much. The Packers w/ Brett Hundley and the 49ers losses at home are too much to overcome.

Remember, the Bears usually lay an egg coming off a win. Yes, they did beat the Ravens and Panthers in consecutive weeks this year, but the consistency just hasn’t been there for this team. And that falls squarely on John Fox’s shoulders. If anything, if the Bears do win out and win handily, it’ll raise more questions as to where this was all year. Remember, right now Fox is desperate and willing to try anything — we saw that in the way he allowed Dowell Loggains to continue calling plays aggressively even when the game was mostly decided. If Fox were to come back next year, there’s no doubt he’d revert to his conservative ways. That’s just woven into his personality fabric. The Bears need a fresh start.

I will say this, though: I always thought Loggains was a better play caller than he’d shown all year. He finally called a terrific game against the Bengals, and it was clear that the shackles had finally been lifted. I hope to see him continue calling plays like this in the remaining three games. I still think he can be a successful offensive coordinator in this league; it probably just won’t be with the Bears.

Sometimes it’s fun to play the what-if game. Here is my combined ranking based on how I liked them coming out of college:

  1. Carson Wentz
  2. Mitch Trubisky
  3. Jared Goff
  4. Patrick Mahomes
  5. Deshaun Watson
  6. Dak Prescott
  7. Deshone Kizer
  8. Paxton Lynch

Since their short time in the NFL, some of the guys have moved up and down, but the top three haven’t changed for me. If I had to start a franchise today, I’d take Wentz. His experience playing in a pro-style offense in college certainly helped his transition quite a bit, and with an adjustment in his supporting cast, he’s a deserving MVP candidate in his second year. That’s not by accident. His leadership and talent are off the charts. The Eagles seem to be set for a long time; wishing him a speedy recovery from his torn ACL.

I’ll say this, though: I think Trubisky absolutely has what it takes to be on Wentz’s level, and I’m thrilled that he’s a Bear. People raved about Deshaun Watson taking the league by storm earlier this season before he tore his ACL and think Chicago made a mistake by not taking him (without accounting for any contextual factors of course). People have no idea how any of these guys will be playing in three years, which is when it’s actually fair to make a judgment call. Besides, don’t look now, but Trubisky is quietly coming into his own despite a “limited” environment. I’m just hoping he stays healthy.

The Bears’ two biggest needs this offseason are: EDGE rusher and wide receiver. The good thing is that receiver is expected to have a ton of talent available in free agency this offseason. Not accounting for any franchise tags or re-signings, here is the list of potential free agents the Bears could choose from:

  • Josh Gordon
  • Jarvis Landry
  • Davante Adams
  • Paul Richardson
  • Allen Robinson
  • Sammy Watkins
  • Terrelle Pryor

That’s a terrific list, and Gordon is the best name on this list. It’ll be interesting to see if Ryan Pace takes a chance on him. I would expect very aggressive attempts at luring in one of Adams, Landry, and Richardson. Robinson is also intriguing, but he’s coming off a torn ACL. He might be in line for a one-year, “prove it” type deal. You can also expect that the Bears will target a receiver in the draft; but where they do depends on whom they land in free agency.

This team really isn’t that far off in terms of talent. The Bears will be bringing in a new coaching staff next year to align with the way the game will be played in 2018, not 1998. That will be a big boost in it of itself.

The assumption is that Trubisky will continue to develop the way he’s expected to, and Ryan Pace has another offseason of talent acquisition coming up where he’ll bring in a few new starters and some depth. But assuming he hits on the coaching staff, this team should be contending next year. The NFC is very competitive and it might not be until 2019 when the Bears make the playoffs again. But if Chicago isn’t playing meaningful football in late December next year, my guess is that will be the end of the Ryan Pace era.

I wouldn’t say the Bears don’t need a top 10 pick. They can always use more potential game-changing, franchise talent. Every team can. But they don’t need a quarterback, so that potentially makes them an attractive trading partner if they are indeed looking to trade down and acquire more picks. Teams that trade into the Top 10 generally do so with a quarterback in mind.

I believe Mason Rudolph has already announced he’s returning to Oklahoma State, so if all of the remaining QBs declare, my guess is four, and potentially five, quarterbacks could be taken in the first round of the draft if teams are desperate enough. They are, in my current order, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen.

Chicago is expected to pick eighth overall based on current standings, so I’ll use that as my assumption. I’ll also assume that the 49ers bring Jimmy Garoppolo back, as they should. So then, the teams ahead of the Bears that could be looking at quarterbacks are the Browns, Giants, and Broncos. So three of the top five QBs could potentially be gone, leaving two more.

Teams after the Bears pick that could be looking at QBs are the Jets (who pick ninth, so they wouldn’t trade), Cardinals, Washington, Dolphins, Bills, and Chargers. I would particularly keep my eye on the Cardinals and Washington. The Cardinals desperately need a franchise QB, and Washington will need one too assuming Kirk Cousins is on his way out.

I’ve written in previous Bears Mailbags that Vic Fangio is unlikely to remain in Chicago no matter what. He seems to want to return to San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan, so I would expect him gone.

The only receiver I think that is worth drafting in the Top 10 is Calvin Ridley. We’ll see how Ryan Pace’s board shakes out as we approach scouting season, but if I had to guess, I would think the Bears take the best EDGE rusher available. Keep your eye on either Bradley Chubb or Clelin Ferrell.

As for the next head coach, there are so many ways the Bears could go. I expect them to pursue the best coach available, period, regardless of their affiliation to offense or defense. David Shaw is my favorite candidate, but it might be hard to pry him away from Stanford. Keep your eye on Matt Patricia, though. He has the makings of being a dynamite head coach.

Behold and Weep At John Fox’s First Ever Head Coach Rating

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox

Honestly the quarterbacks have taken most of the heat for a long time. No job in the NFL is more heavily scrutinized. After all it’s the only stat that has its own rating named after it:  the quarterback rating. There isn’t any running back rating, edge rusher rating or safety rating. Just the quarterbacks. Well it’s high time that changed and it seems one industrious website is making an effort to do that with their Head Coach Rating system. John Fox, along with the other 31 coaches, have become subject to it.

The problem with a head coach rating is it’s not driven by stats, not in the same sense as quarterbacks. So it could prove difficult to determine an accurate, believable number to rate one. Well the folks at headcoachranking.com found a way, and it is laid out in a simple but detailed process.

“HCR (“Head Coach Rating”) is a proprietary algorithm utilizing rigorous qualitative judgments that considers a head coach’s performance in 5 key areas – areas we feel strongly influence the outcome of any game. The 5 factors we review, analyze and grade are:

1. Play-Calling

2. Personnel Utilization

3. Game Planning

4. In-game Adjustments

5. Clock Management”

Once all the numbers are crunched, each head coach is given a grade from 0-10 to determine their overall effectiveness. Based on their latest results through week 14 of this season, it seems Bears fans have had a legitimate gripe about Fox all year long.

Head Coach Rankings through week 14 isn’t a good John Fox look

Fox ranked 27th overall in the league when all five categories were compiled. It also can’t be a good look for him that his two primary disciples, Adam Gase and Jack Del Rio, rank 26th and 29th respectively. Fox was tied for 24th in play calling, 23rd in personnel, 23rd in game planning, 29th in in-game adjustments and (somehow) 21st in clock management.

All in all he’s bad at some things and really bad at the rest. If Bears fans were looking for some sort of numerical validation that Fox is not what this team needs, this is it. Imagination and personal opinion are left out. The hard data makes it clear. Fox is terrible. Somebody should send this to Ryan Pace and the McCaskey family as a reminder of what their first job should be come January.

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