Goodbye Ryan and Matt.....hello Ryan and Matt?

Not sure how I feel about a guy who (most likely) showed up and just watched Rodgers do his thing. Because I have a feeling Rodgers isn't the type of guy to take coaching, at this point in his career.

 

Bears might be trying to poach Bill Callahan from the Browns to coach the OL.

 

Ian Cunningham to the Bears is a done deal.

The top 2 football minds in the organization are former offensive linemen. That works for me.

 

While there are some things about all of this that feel very familiar, this point is a very welcome change.

 

Just having an assistant GM is change. We’ve never had one that I’m aware of.

 

Getsy is a done deal as OC.

Alan Williams is the name popping up now as DC. If that’s true that means Eberflus will be bringing 3 of his people with him from the Colts.

 

Williams was DC for the Vikings in 2012-2013

Dead last defensive unit in 2013. Worse than Mel Tucker, who gave us the 31st worst defensive unit that year. Middle of the road in 2012.

This is where the “buddy system” of hiring coaches makes me cringe.

If this is anything other than a placeholder and Der Flus is calling plays—I’ll start to think about what new hobbies I’ll enjoy sundays this fall…

As for Getsy—can he call more quick slants and natural pick routes than curls? Even if it’s all Erin in packer land—just give me that

 

The DC hire doesn’t really bother me. One, I think Williams is a quality coach. That 2013 season wasn’t his fault.

Eberflus will be the biggest impact to the defense and scheme. Word is he makes the team practice hard. Bringing his guys with him will create consistencies in how the team practices and prepares.

I don’t know a lot about Getsy. Former QB. Known as a mechanics guy. Was dismissed from GB and brought back by LaFleur at Rodgers request. Not sure I like having a first time play caller working under a first time head coach but I do like a fundamental OC working with a young QB.

It’s also a chance to build an offense from scratch around the franchise QB.

 

Agree to disagree. The 2013 queens defense was not devoid of talent by any means. The bears even paid Jared Allen a ton of money after that year if I recall correctly.

 

Talent was there. But the Frazier regime was falling apart. Locker room was crap. Front office was spiraling after wasting a pick on Ponder.

I just can’t hang that output on the DC with everything else that was wrong with the team at that time.

 

Poles is gutting and purging the scouting department and severely upgrading on analytics.

 

Honestly, I'm not super upset with these moves. Nothing turning me into a slurper, but it could be worse.

1. Poles clearly is in charge. For better or worse, I do not see a "John Fox" situation here. Eberflus is his guy from the jump.
2. Eberflus stresses accountability and playing hard.
3. I agree with Pat on Wiliams, but given Eberflus is going to put his mark on the defense, I'm not as worried about it. Plus it's just a name circulating at this point, nothing concrete. Dan Quinn's name had been floating around before Eberflus was hired.
4. Just having an associate GM I am 100% on board with. So we don't get the president of football ops we wanted, but we have more "football guys" at the top making decisions.
5. Getsy. Yes Rodgers is the what makes that offense hum along with now LeFleur, but they are consistently a top offensive unit year in and year out, and he's been a part of that. I'd rather that, than say, someone from the CFL. Plus Packers fans are pissed, which always makes me happy.
6. Poles and Cunningham are both Olinemen that understand the important of that part of the team, it has been neglected so long, having some stability here will make a huge difference. Honestly that alone should be cause for some optimism.

The biggest question mark is that everyone here is upgrading from a former role and taking on new responsibilities. I don't know if it will pan out, but I'm ready to be hurt again.

 

That is my only cause for optimism, and seriously I am only kidding myself.

 

I don't know how everything you wrote didn't apply to Sean Desai last year. Nagy regime falling apart/coaches jumped ship this time last year when it was announced they were collaborating/returning. Lockerroom didn't respect their embattled coach, fans sure as hell didn't. Front office/Pace spiraled to save jobs and blew draft capital to trade up 2x in the top 2 rounds before the HC didn't play either draftee. We don't know what Fields is yet, but he had some Ponder-esque moments with 10 INTs and 12 fumbles in 12 games.

The only real difference being that, unlike Williams, Desai managed a little better than 32nd overall defense with some talent, some old players, and some young, and some bad--still having his guys mostly show up and play for him/give efforts (and some business decisions) after the season was lost. We knowingly just got weaker at DC in the name of being the new HC's buddy. Maybe it can be good again in a couple of years.

We have to wait to see ultimately what they start doing. FA is going to be telling. Right now Spotrac has them 30 mil in cap space. I see a few cuts incoming like Goldman. I see a lot of 'buy low' contracts coming on guys who weren't good enough with their first team or two, maybe finding a gem/guy who figures it out here like Hicks/Mario Edwards.

I'd love one of the big names at C available (Kelce, Jensen) but think settling for mid-tier guys like Karras from NE, Jones from TN, or Paradis from Carolina is what expectations should be. Ben Jones/Ted Karras are the two likely, as Tennessee walks into next month needing to shed cap space and NE being just above water. Carolina and Philly have enough to keep their guys. Tampa with TB12 retiring gets interesting, but again--don't think 8-10+ mil a year for Jensen as good as he is--is something feasible for a team that needs a lot of roster turnover with limited cap.

Not anybody here, but all the fans who think Davonte Adams is a realistic target need their heads examined. And there are too many of them on Twitter/reddit/CCS.

 

Did you guys just see Poles/Eberflus introductory presser? Jesus Christ, that was a train wreck of a start. Poles somehow managed to make Pace look good at these, i was legit terrified for a second that the Bears GM was gonna break into tears. Who the fuck have they hired.

Thank God Eberflus managed to speak with some sense of compusure/maturity and not like some teenage girl getting stage fright while trying to make it past the first cut in an episode of American Idol.

 

Question: When did you know that Eberflus was your guy?

Poles: I knew as soon as he walked in the room.


"You had me at hello" SMDH

 

I did not like the Eberflus hire and still have many concerns, but he is coming across way way better than his boss here. Very Ryan & Matt v1 actually.

Eberflus at least instils some shred of confidence with the answers he is giving.

 

There were multiple opportunities via open goal questions for these guys to talk Fields up and be effusive about his talent/potential.....and it was really restrained. Suspiciously so, even. Poles was basically asked if Fields is a franchise QB and said to the effect of, "i havent evaluated him yet, everyone has to be evaluated". Errrr, what?

1- You must've evaluated him to some degree, pretty sure you dont go into not 1 but 2 Bears interviews with that as your opinion on Fields, so please shut the fuck up with that nonsense. 2- We've got the Bears making hires that suggest QB is just another position and Fields just any other guy, and then we've got senior people in pressers essentially giving the same impression with very non-committal answers.

Please tell me these fucks arent so stupid as to pay a king's ransom to trade up for a player, then throw him to the wolves with a lame-duck, bum-ass coach with a bum-ass scheme....and then decide that said player didn't look good his rookie year so we're gonna be open to all options at the position. Please die.

 

So, I like Everflus talking about the details. We'll see if that materializes, but a coach who understands the importance of actually practicing takeaways and discipline is refreshing after our last three (felt very Lovie).

But I had to turn the Poles one off. That's his moment, so he can do what he wants with it, but I wanted to hear priorities, etc. The constant stopping wasn't doing it for me.

We will see. I'm willing to give them a chance, with the same critical eye that has watched all the previous tandems try and fail. Here's to hoping.