God I hope he's not. But good news for the bears, Ryan Pace isn't the fanbase on Chicitysports, who want to sign bumarr back for money when he was bumslaying weeks 12 and beyond in the season when he was healthy and everybody was banged up. Willie Young hasn't been cut yet as far as I know, and I hope Pace doesn't cut him either. His 4.5 mil 2018 cap hit isn't exactly crippling the pocketbook IMO. Acho was on a 1 year deal in 2017, so he's a free agent, leaving Young and Floyd the only 2 edge rushers. Draft one, sign one, PS one.
Pace has confirmed that Glennon will be released once the new NFL calendar year starts...which I believe is 3/14
Willie Young cut too. Definitely not thrilled. Leonard Floyd is the only edge rusher on the roster. And pace wants to get “younger.” I hope Ev is wrong, I don’t want Bumarr back, but if it’s about age and getting younger, he shouldn’t be an option. But then again, it’s ryan Pace. More holes to fill.
And Pace says in defense of noodleneck's signing and departure "We were going to take swings at that position and be aggressive at the most important position in sports. There are multiple factors that go into that. The thing that stands out as I look back is it was really Mitch’s acceleration, too, so it was kind of two-fold. I can just sit back now and be happy that, hey, we have a guy we feel good about, a young quarterback that we want to build around.” I ask was it actually Mitch's acceleration or noodleneck's deceleration after hitting the damn wall?
I agree Bear-man I always loved his motor. I can understand the need for the Bears to upgrade their pass rush, but time after time Pace has shown he can't fill in the holes that he's already created.
When cutting a 33 year old player coming off a season ending injury is creating a hole you know your roster has issues. Outside of WR what holes has Pace failed to fill that he created?
Well they had 0 issues finding the money. And now they have one pass rusher on the team. Sooo yeah, i'd say they've created another hole. Kicker for damn sure, that's not even a debate. And you could easily argue TE as well, because the simple fact is they never have replaced M Bennett's production.
Pace didn’t creat a hole by cutting Young unless you considered Young a viable starter opposite Floyd. Pace has failed to fill the hole opposite Floyd since he took the job. Young/Houston/Acho/McPhee haven’t cut the mustard. Time for a new approach. I give you kicker that is no debate but Bennett was not the long term answer at TE and Pace has filled that hole. Quite possibly for the better depending on how Shaheen works out.
You and I have different conceptions of the words "hole" and "fill", Rob. I'll pause here for giggles, everyone. First, yeah, losing Young creates a hole. A "hole" isn't just relative to a starter. A pass rushing rotational guy in a flexible 3-4 defense is an asset, and one that will need to be replaced. If you wanted to make the case that CB6 isn't a hole, I get it. Your only other OLB on the roster? Yeah, that's a hole. Come on, now. TE has not been "filled", nor can we even remotely allege that it's "for the better". Shaheen is a project player who barely saw the field last year. Sims is a limited player. Our other TE's fit that description. If you're alleging that Pace filled Bennett's absence with a project TE entering his second year, or with a handful of mediocre bodies (note: I actually like Sims for what he provides, I just think they're paying a little much)... Then your concept of "fill" isn't the same as successful GM's. I hope it's not Pace's.
What really upsets me, Rob, is that you changed the conversation - what it should be about is not what holes Pace created and failed to fill, but rather what roster Pace has failed to put together by filling the holes he's created. Look at the lack of bodies on the roster. Not only are we looking at using a top 10 pick to likely fill a hole that Pace just created, but we're looking at another year of shitty 1-year free agents - Pace's specialty.
I don't ever mind Rob playing Devil's advocate, or being an optimist. Sometimes he's right, and sometimes it's needed. Hell, all of the time it extends a discussion and usually fleshes out an idea / position. That said, there's no defending Pace on stuff like this. I understand Pace getting another year. I don't understand him getting a new contract. He has A LOT of work to do this year. A LOT.
Until Shaheen actually works out....and there’s no proof yet he has or will....the TE hold isn’t filled. And I’m confused how reducing the amount of edge pass rushers on your roster to 1 isn’t creating a hole.
^ What I don't understand, is that the bears walked into the last 2 seasons with 4 edge rushers in Floyd, Acho, McKnee, and Young. After cuts and contracts ending, Young and Floyd were the only 2 left. Young is now obviously cut, meaning the bears need 3. What I want to know is, how is a guy making 4.5 mil per year and before his season ending injury was a consistent performer not worth of one damned spot in your 4 man edge rotation? Pace has a chance, get me 3 guys worth more than Willie Young on the roster going into camp and I'll give it a shot, but......there's next to nothing in FA at edge, Young and McPhee may be the headliners with Alex Okafor coming off his torn achilles, Trent Murphy--whom I'll be shocked if the Skins don't resign with their 50-something million in cap space and likelihood they wont troll the league tagging Cousins. And then there's Junior Galette, who you wanted 5 years ago with a debilitating hip problem, Dion Jordan, who hasn't started a game in the past 2 years, or Jeremy Attachou, who after a decent 2015 also couldn't see the field since then, even on special teams for the chargers. Kevin Pierre-Louis and Aaron Lynch, two mid-20 somethings I can get behind, but I cant see San Francisco letting Lynch walk with the money they have. Pierre-Louis will probably be in some demand, as the Chefs have a tighter cap situation and other guys to sign, like Bennie Logan. The bears aren't the only team looking for a pass rusher, and Pierre-Louis will probably cash in. If he was Paul Kruger or McKnee, making too damn much and producing too little, that's one thing. But 4.5 million base salary with some incentives that could have gotten him to 5.1? That's breaking the bank? That's not worth a guy who before 2017 played 16 games in 2016, 15 in 2015, 15 in 2014, 15 in 2013, 16 in 2012, and 16 in 2011? I call bullshit on the "well he's always injured" argument Rob is trying to pull or the rationale on ccs. He wasn't elite, and I could see the argument that he shouldn't be starting with Floyd as 'joker' edge (Floyd is the 'viper' edge in Fangio's 3-4 scheme). But that he wasn't worth a top 4 rotational spot? Pace either has a plan that's going to wow us or he made a stupid mistake where he created another hole. In his years as Bears' gm as any indication, the former probably isn't going to happen.
Young missed 12 games last season. He will be 33 in September and is coming off a season ending torn triceps injury. I know you didn’t pay much attention last season but you can’t ignore that it happened. If that’s your definition of a “hole” than cutting McPhee created a “hole” as well. And here is some food for thought. Why no mention of Fangio here. You don’t think he was in on this decision? Fangio chose to come back to the Bears. In his presser he admitted that the defense was his and that Fox didn’t meddle. He worked closely with the OLB’s last season. By showing no trust in Pace for this move you are showing no trust in Fangio. IMO cutting Sitton creates a hole. Your taking a pro bowl caliber player still in his prime off your roster. The bar was set and now Pace needs to raise it or he looks a fool. IMO if Young was on the team going into next season it would do nothing to convince me that the hole at OLB opposite Floyd has been filled. So cutting him does not in my mind create one. Do I see a legitimate answer at the position in FA? Not right now but I do see answers to the Young’s, McPhee and Achos of the world.
Anytime you cut someone and need to fill their spot...that's a hole. Holes aren't based on talent...they're based on having an able body to actually play the position. Obviously cutting Sitton creates a hole....is there a replacement already on the roster? No. Releasing all your edge rushers save 1...creates a hole. It probably creates two holes because you want more than 2 edge rushers on your team...especially when you run a 3-4 defense.
