This has a lot to do with the offensive struggles. You can’t build an identity on the concept of no identity. Simply having a staple set of formations and standard plays for the offense that defenses have to plan against opens up opportunities for misdirection. Those opportunities never materialize if the defense goes into game day with a mindset that basically says ‘ignore the motion and focus on the package’. At that point, all the motion in the world won’t manufacture the same lanes and levels that simply lining up and beating the man in front of you will.
My biggest issue with Nagy is he has no “We will impose our will on you” in him. His entire offense is based on trying to do what the defense thinks you will not do. He needs somebody to convince him that it’s ok to say hey this is the play. I don’t care if you know it we will beat you with our guys vs your guys.
With the season officially circling the bowl after that loss, I would now be turning my attention to making something happen that gets the team more picks next season. Preferably in a way that creates good cap space too. Leno was a turd once again today. He's just a liability out there. Get something for him. Some team will pull the trigger, there's too much desperation for LT's around the league. I don't even care that there's not much behind Leno, it really can't be much worse anyway.
The first 3 things on building a team: 1. Get a QB 2. Protect him 3. Get a pass rusher this must be true because Chicago has neglected the first two for decades. every draft should focus on this until it is gotten. Period.
I want to go back to Ryan Pace, because I read some defense of him and his decisions here in CHI, and I think he deserves further scrutiny. I think someone compared him to Jerry Angelo, and I actually see a lot of similarity there. Let's examine his record in full, and then see how we feel about him: First, Pace has now had five seasons and five drafts / offseasons to mold this team. If you feel that five seasons is too few to evaluate him, then you can ignore the rest of this. If, like me, you feel that five seasons is plenty of time on which to judge a GM, especially when he's hand-picked his coaches and his QB... read on. Draft record: 2015 - Two colossal busts (White, Grasu) Two throw-away players (Langford, Fabuluje) One average to good starter now gone (Amos) One good starter still with team (Goldman) 2016 - Three throw-away players (Bullard, Hall, Braverman) Three current backups (Houston-Carson, Kwiatkowski, Bush) One average to good starter now gone (Howard) One poor to average starter still here (Floyd) One very good starter still here (Whitehair) 2017 - Two colossal busts (Trubisky, Shaheen) One throw-away player (Morgan) One average to good role player (Cohen) One great starter still with the team (Jackson) It starts to get hard to evaluate the last two drafts, due to both proximity and capital given up for Mack. But Montgomery is currently the only player of worth from this draft, and Smith, Daniels, Miller, Nichols, and Wims all look like good picks from last year (2018 would be Pace's crowning achievement, if all those players pan out). That's of 12 total picks, for some context. Free agent signings: I'm going to try to prioritize players that had a lasting impact, refraining from listing every signing. I'll try to give credit to good one-hit-wonders (Jerrell Freeman), while minimizing the bad (Alan Ball). It's also late and I'm doing this from my phone, so forgive me. I can't recap the sordid history of each year's movements in full, but this at least focuses on his signings. 2015 - no free agent signings are currently making an impact. Pernell McPhee was the first major misstep signing, as he never transitioned to a full time player well, and couldn't stay healthy in time following. Cost between $6 million and $8 million for three years, and was a $1 million dead cap hit in 2018. Also re-signed Jimmy Clausen (context for QB evaluation). 2016 - Trevathan, Massie, and Hicks are still starters for this team to varying degrees of effectiveness. Jerrell Freeman and Josh Sitton were good signings now gone. 2017 - Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, Dion Sims, Quentin Demps, Marcus Cooper, Mike Glennon (QB), Mark Sanchez (QB)... But he signed Amukamara, as his one good signing. Sims currently counts almost half a million against the cap. Mike Glennon counted $14 million against the cap in 2017, $4.5 million dead money in 2018. 2018 - Robinson, Gabriel, Parkey, Chase Daniel, Trey Burton. Robinson is a phenomenal player, but is due $15 million next year, and I just don't see how they can keep him. Burton will count as almost a $9 million annual cap hit through 2021 - lowest dead amount if cut is $1.75 million in 2021. 2019 - Clinton-Dix, Davis, Patterson, Skrine. Band-aid players to replace lost talent or add to needy positions. Oh, or just be-fucking-cause (Patterson). Pace's routinely horrific QB judgement alone should keep him from getting to pick another one. Meanwhile, there are only 8 starters on this team that Pace drafted in his five years. I think Pace has built a good roster, but he has largely done it on the backs of free agency and trades, and thus the roster is simply unsustainable. You cannot build a roster in FA, and Pace has relied heavily on that for his impact players. I spent an hour in bed writing all that and I realize... Didn't Pace just recently get an extension on his contract? Well, fuck... Ignore everything I just wrote. He'll be here for a while. Fucking fuck.
Nice dline with the draft timeline. I'm sitting here in amazement that you did this on your phone. Damn. You're right the way he's built this team isn't sustainable without more balance with rookie contracts and free agency.
Why isn’t it sustainable? The salary cap goes up every year. New CBA is coming and you know that will only add more money to the pot. It is a rare occasion that teams have to dump talent because of the cap. When is the last time a team had to blow up the roster because of the salary cap? The Bears as currently constructed are in a good spot outside of the QB. Let’s say Pace goes out and gets Teddy Bridgewater this offseason. Where are the other holes that need massive attention?
Protection. We all know Bridgewater isn’t that good with Minnesota. Look what an average QB can do with time to throw.
Yeah, I was stuck sulking over the loss, and wanted to make a quick point. But then I wanted to support said point and, well... went down the rabbit hole. I was surprised to see such a good free agent class in 2016, for example. To my recollection, there wasn't anyone in that class that would hamstring the team going forward, and had several quality additions (correct if wrong, of course, everyone). I was also surprised that there are only four starters from his first three drafts still with the team - five if you count Trubisky, but... I don't think any of us want to. I will also give Pace this: the Bears currently have one of the lowest Dead Cap Space numbers in the league, which is great, and a victory for him. If I had studied that last night, would've included it here. Also important to note that the Bears have the cap space this year for a major QB acquisition this year - though future years wouldn't fit. So, again, Pace and Nagy should've gotten a contingency plan to Trubisky well ahead of time, rather than torpedoing this season with space available because they wanted Trubisky to get it done. Going into next year and beyond, the space available for a QB gets smaller (from $17 mil available this year to $5 mil next year), and thus they're going to have to draft one. Window missed, unless they draft an immediate star, or make major cuts to the roster otherwise. I can't tell if you're just making a short-sighted argument without thinking it through, Rob, or if this is genuinely a bad faith argument you're trying to make. Sure, the salary cap goes up. But very equally, new contracts every year go up. There's a reason each position gets a new "highest paid player" every year, and it's not because the best player in the league is re-signing every year. When the cap goes up, players get more money. You're saying that teams don't have to massively re-work their rosters around the cap every year? So, the Steelers would've gotten rid of Bell anyway? The Bears were gonna replace Amos with Clinton-Dix anyway? Every single year teams have to dance around the salary cap - it's the truest reality of the league. I genuinely don't understand your argument. That's what free agency is. If you're saying that teams don't "blow up", well of course not - dead money prevents that. But that ties right back into the salary cap. Free agents exist because teams can't afford good players. Again, I'm at a loss for what your argument is. Bears players of note that will need new contracts in the next 1-2 years: UFA at End of this year (note most players expected to be re-signed would have already been extended): Danny Trevathan Chase Daniel Roy Robertson-Harris Deon Bush Nick Kwiatkowski UFA at End of next year: Eddie Jackson Allen Robinson Prince Amukamara Mitch Trubisky Kyle Long Leonard Floyd Tarik Cohen Eddy Pineiro Adam Shaheen Pat O'Donnell Now, based on active contracts for next year and not accounting for any other signings or cuts, the Bears have just under $6 million available cap space for next season. You're telling me that the Bears aren't going to lose talented / needed players because they can't afford them this coming offseason / the next? I think that Robinson is cut this offseason, quite frankly - he's owed $15 mil next year, and as good as he is, we don't have a QB to throw to him. And if they're going to acquire one, they're going to have to pay that QB... Extending Jackson is going to cost a ton. Leonard Floyd is being paid $15 mil next year - no idea whether or not they can cut him without dead cap hit. This team isn't in a bad position with their contracts re: dead money, but the current roster is not sustainable due to massive FA contracts spread all across important starting positions. This was the year to get a QB in here - next year and beyond, the only way Pace keeps high impact FA's around is if his drafts pan out in a big way, and 2018 is really the only hope left for that, barring a miracle next draft, so... EDIT: I skipped over Rob's last point, about signing Bridgewater. Bridgewater doesn't sign for this team unless serious cap cuts are made, and this roster is re-structured accordingly. So, again - a QB should've been brought in THIS YEAR. Next year is too late, if you're hoping to keep the same all-star roster. It's just not feasible. And anyone who watched Trubisky last year would've seen him at camp this year and thought, "Aw fuck. We're about to completely waste another season and roster". I know I thought it. I know plenty others here did. SO WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T PACE???
O line needs some more talent. No doubt. But I wouldn’t call it a total mess. The unit has been getting better as the season has gone on. This is an area I feel we can improve via the draft. Teddy played pretty dam good in Minny before the injury. I think he could be as good if not better then the QB in Indy given the chance.
I thought I made myself clear and to the point, and dline articulated it quite well with a sorry past with Pace's drafts. I thought it was common knowledge that teams that rely solely on free agency make maintaining a contending level in play year after year difficult. There are holes in any team's roster on any given year and if you can find success filling those holes in the draft with success it will be cheaper than trying to fill those holes through free agency. Any money that can be saved by doing it through the draft means the more money you'll have to sign worthy players at the end of those contracts and make the team more sustainable by keeping more of the skilled talent.
Dline it was me that made the point comparing Pace and Angelo and BWWs counterpoint are the young (and as you point out super recent) potentials for Pace. Floyd is on his rookie contract, given the fifth year option is MASSIVE I think that’s going to be a very easy cut. I can’t imagine his rookie contract is guaranteed for 5 years? Even our number 2 overall doesn’t have that sweet gig. FA only is very expensive. Even good players cost serious dough (look at Mack’s contract). We HAVE to start hitting in the draft. Period.
I am not being short sited. I never said teams don’t have to do a lot of work to manage the cap. They do but it is manageable. The Steelers offered Bell a ton of money so they didn’t let him go because of the salary cap. Take a look at the safety market. Look at the difference in pay and play between HaHa and Amos. Get back to me. Look at FA. How many great FA’s actually make it to the market. How many because the team just can’t afford them? Not many if any. Because teams can creat the money by restructuring and extending players who have big cap hits coming. Speaking of which you extend Robinson not cut him. He is young and good. Give him the big contract and structure it so it saves some $$$ going into next season. Just for fun if the Bears cut Long, Gabriel, Patterson and Prince they will free up 26 million in cap space. Add that to the 6 mill and we have 32million to sign the QB and replace a starting corner. You say that this was the season to add a QB. Who were you adding? Look Bears are going to need to get creative to free up the money that Teddy B will want but it is doable.
I apologize. I was referring to the team as it is currently set up. I agree you can’t keep replenishing the roster via FA. But it was needed with the amount of holes that needed to be filled. With less glaring holes you can use the draft more to build depth and replace aging starters.
Yea I'd be ok with extending AR instead of just cutting him , he's the best they have had in a long long time , bring up Riley and more time for Mims and the receiving core should be ok .
Cutting Prince would be insane. Again....he's playing at a high level. If you cut him you either need to sign someone as good....which could potentially cost more.....or use a valuable draft pick that could be used elsewhere. In my opinion the Bears currently need 2 starting offensive linemen, a tight end, a pass rusher, and depth/starters at other places where they will potentially lose bodies in the offseason or need to replace underperforming players such as WR/TE/S/LB/DL/QB So some of you wanna cut Prince and open up yet another hole. That's like pissing into the wind. It's dumb. Stop it.
Wait, so if good to great FA's don't make it to free agency, then how did Pace manage to build most of this team that way? How did Amos end up somewhere else, if he's worth the money the way I think you're alleging? Bell left because someone was going to pay him what the Steelers weren't - that's what FA is and how it works. Restructuring CAN work, but only works players / teams that A. You know for a fact you want on the team for an extended period of time B. Can absorb the cap hit stretched out over time - it doesn't remove any cap hit, it just shifts the burden of a given year. This team is going to lose talent to FA. It already has, from last year. Why? Because you can't pay everyone big contracts. It's simple, and I don't understand the argument you're making. I'm saying that, in order for Pace to keep this team talented, he's going to have to start drafting better - a task that's difficult with less and less capital. Because the team he's built has largely been acquired via large FA contracts, and his earlier draft hits are now going to be needing large deals. Again, that's the way this league works. I didn't think THAT was the point of contention. Re: Robinson - sure, you can extend him. But again, that only shifts the cap burden, it doesn't remove it. So you'd need to be certain that his larger cap hit is your priority. Again, look at the list of players who are due extensions / new deals. You're going to lose some of that talent to FA, given the cap. If the team feels Robinson is worth it, then extend him and try to spread next year's $15 million out. But it will be at the expense of another player, especially given our shrinking cap space, and that's my point. Who would I have added at QB? Anyone. The Bengals and Lions are two teams who, after several games, were very clearly not in contention. Considering that Dalton is already benched for the season, I imagine they wouldn't have minded trading him. Several other bad teams around the league have highly paid QB's they could trade for rebuilding assets. Several teams have two prospective QB's. And frankly, trading for a team's less proven backup without much upward mobility on their roster AT THE VERY LEAST gives this team a chance. We know Trubisky isn't good enough. Trading for someone who MIGHT be is worth not blowing this year entirely, which the team has now done.
Completely agree. We saw what getting rid of Amos did. Let’s be honest, as much as I hate GB, there was a reason they let him walk. They keep their top performers. We don’t. We need to stop creating more holes and plug the ones we have. O Lineman, a top TE and a pass rusher should be TOP of the list. (Yes we all know QB, but Pace is married to him, he isn’t going anywhere) and I don’t like Pagano. We downgraded there big.
