John Fox is still employed

[WindyCity]

7 minutes ago, 51to54 said:

McDaniels gets murdered for losing Cutler almost out of the gate. In hindsight, McDaniel was right to run away from Cutler as fast as he possible could and move on. What it took the Bears several years to figure out in what they had in Cutler, McDaniels must have figured out in weeks.

Why Josh McDaniels makes the most sense for the Bears

1. He Will Be the Biggest Name

The Bears are going to becoming off of 30+ loses in 3 years with a fan base that has not seen a winning season in 5 years and a playoff appearance in 8 seasons. My guess is that the Bears will be looking to make a splash in the coaching market after a bunt attempt failed with John Fox. Harbaugh is not happening, the meatheads will talk about Gruden and Cowher who are not ancient history, and after that McDaniels will be the top of the list. He apparently has turned down coaching chances in the past looking for the right opportunity.

2. Play Calling Advantage

The Bears need someone who is an advantage to them on Sundays. John Fox is an impediment on Sunday with his constant clock gaffs and ridiculously conservative approach. The Bears need someone who can out scheme and out call the opposition. I know the argument is that he has Brady, but most great play callers have a great QB, and McDaniels has been depantsing NFL DCs while starting Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garappolo, and Jacoby Brissett. He is a play calling advantage and his offenses routinely rank very highly. He has shown that he can adapt and can overcome personnel loses and change the offense to suit who is available.

3. The QB

This is more about the fact that Trubisky should make Chicago a more attractive target for coaching candidates. McDaniels can walk into a situation with a mobile, strong armed, and accurate QB to build his offense around. He does not need to worry about whether they will be able to draft a guy. Trubisky will be here with 12 games of tape to work off of. To me the only job that may open up that can offer a better QB situation is Indy, but they have other issues to work around.

I think Trubisky would fit beautifully into what New England does on offense. New England stresses accuracy and timing on throws that allow WRs to generate YAC yards and that is one of the strengths of Trubisky. Trubisky's mobility will be a huge weapon that McDaniels did not have in New England and could make a dangerous offense even more dangerous.

4. The Offensive Talent

The Patriots have always used a dynamic pass catching back as a huge part of the offense. Enter Tarik Cohen who can step into the Falk/Lewis/White role in the offense and probably offers more speed than those players.

McDaniels would inherit a bell cow RB better than anyone he has worked with in New England.

The WR core will have to be remade from the ground up so it can be tailored to what McDaniels wants to do and the players that he wants.

The Bears have a player in Shaheen they hope becomes their version of Gronk, and he has the physical tools to at least think that it could be possible. They also have a dynamic receiving TE in Miller who can threaten the seams, which is a must in the Patriots offense.

The OL is built to run the outside zone and they do so pretty well. The Patriots use a ton of zone blocking and have favoured athletic OLmen over big haulking players. McDaniels would walk into a pretty good situation on the OL.

5. No Personnel Control-Failed in Denver

To a certain degree having a coach that knows what not to do is a plus. McDaniels flamed out in Denver because he tried to run everything and he was not equipped to do so. In Chicago he does not have to do that. He can focus on the offense and the QB. I am sure that he has learned a lot from his time in Denver and the beating he took on the way out. I think the fact that he has been so picky with his next gig shows he knows what to look for now.

6. Talent on Defense

McDaniels would actually step into a decent defensive situation and if he brings an experienced DC I think he can largely let that unit run on its ow. This would be a lot like what McVay did in LA with Wade Phillips. Hicks, Goldman, Floyd, Trevathan, Jackson, and solid CBs should allow the Bears to invest more in the offense over the next couple of seasons. Not having to fix one side of the ball will allow him to invest in the WR core and other positions. Talent on defense also allows him some time to get the offense huming. The Bears do not need to dominate on offense week 1 of 2018.

[topwop1]

15 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Why Josh McDaniels makes the most sense for the Bears

5. No Personnel Control-Failed in Denver

To a certain degree having a coach that knows what not to do is a plus. McDaniels flamed out in Denver because he tried to run everything and he was not equipped to do so. In Chicago he does not have to do that. He can focus on the offense and the QB. I am sure that he has learned a lot from his time in Denver and the beating he took on the way out. I think the fact that he has been so picky with his next gig shows he knows what to look for now.

That would be the best case scenario if McDaniels was ever hired here but we do not know that he would accept a head coaching position if he wasn't the one calling all the shots and that's why I don't see him and Pace meshing well. 

I mean.. he seems to be pretty content to stay in New England as the OC after turning down multiple interviews over the past few years.  Maybe teams aren't willing to give him the control that he wants, similar to what he had in Denver.  Or maybe he's just waiting for Belichick to retire to take over as HC there...who knows?

 As long as Pace is GM, I feel it's highly unlikely that McDaniels will be the next coach of the Chicago Bears.

[topwop1]

28 minutes ago, 51to54 said:

McDaniels gets murdered for losing Cutler almost out of the gate. In hindsight, McDaniel was right to run away from Cutler as fast as he possible could and move on. What it took the Bears several years to figure out in what they had in Cutler, McDaniels must have figured out in weeks.

DJ Williams, former Broncos and Bears LB, talked about how when McDaniels was coach in Denver that the team had a hard time getting behind him because he was not very personable and everything he said or did seemed scripted.  He talked about how he made things less fun for the players and that it was like having a bad teacher in high school that nobody liked.

[WindyCity]

Just now, topwop1 said:

DJ Williams, former Broncos and Bears LB, talked about how when McDaniels was coach in Denver that the team had a hard time getting behind him because he was not very personable and everything he said or did seemed scripted.  He talked about how he made things less fun for the players and that it was like having a bad teacher in high school that nobody liked.

Hopefully he has learned from that experience.

He is older now. Has a couple more rings. Maybe a little more confidence in what he is doing.

[WindyCity]

Matt Lafleur interests me a ton.

He has literally been studying under Shannahan and now McVay for almost his entire career.

[topwop1]

1 hour ago, IronMike84 said:

I’m not saying anybody I named with be a bad hire, but which guys don’t you have to talk yourselves into liking?

The thing is it doesn't matter who you or I or anybody else likes as the next head coach.

I was excited when the Bears hired John Fox and it's a move that has turned out to be a total dud.  I was also intrigued when they hired Trestman and nothing needs to be said about that one.

But you know the one hire that I didn't care for but who made the Bears relevant again and a contender for numerous years?  Lovie Smith.  

Most of times it's those under the radar guys that are the best hires and not the annual favorites like the McDaniels, Harbaugh's Gruden's, etc. of the world.  I trust that Pace will hire the right guy for the next job.

[IronMike84]

29 minutes ago, 51to54 said:

McDaniels gets murdered for losing Cutler almost out of the gate. In hindsight, McDaniel was right to run away from Cutler as fast as he possible could and move on. What it took the Bears several years to figure out in what they had in Cutler, McDaniels must have figured out in weeks.

That’s not the case. Both sides have admitted fault there. In that meeting, McDaniels reportedly began by bragging about his achievements and qualifications, and then totally went off on Cutler in a way that’s unacceptable in any workplace. Just because you feel you were sold a false bill of goods with Cutler doesn’t justify McDaniels acting like a jag.

Cutler wasn’t the only one, either. Apparently he went ballistic on his assistant coaches in the locker room after a loss at Oakland.

Anyway, since his Denver days, McDaniels has changed drastically. At that time, he was young and arrogant, tried to control people through intimidation, and lived a lifestyle that physically wore him down. Since then, he has kept a journal of every mistake he made in Denver, changed the way he interacts with people, takes much better care of himself physically, and puts a lot more time into family and religion.

None of that means he will or will not be a successful head coach when he gets his second chance, but I think it’s hard to hold what happened in Denver against him given how cognizant he has been of his mistakes and how much he has changed.

[topwop1]

5 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Hopefully he has learned from that experience.

He is older now. Has a couple more rings. Maybe a little more confidence in what he is doing.

You would hope right...but usually people don't change their personality or how they relate to other people.  You either are or you aren't somebody who is personable and who can relate to others on that level.

McDaniels is definitely a brilliant offensive mind, there's no doubt about that... I just don't know if he's fit to be a head coach in this league.

[IronMike84]

I was very anti-McDaniels until I read this article, some of which I referenced above. Very good read: https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2666428-the-redemption-of-josh-mcdaniels-failure-taught-pats-oc-how-to-pick-his-spots.amp.html

[G08]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

Why Josh McDaniels makes the most sense for the Bears

1. He Will Be the Biggest Name

The Bears are going to becoming off of 30+ loses in 3 years with a fan base that has not seen a winning season in 5 years and a playoff appearance in 8 seasons. My guess is that the Bears will be looking to make a splash in the coaching market after a bunt attempt failed with John Fox. Harbaugh is not happening, the meatheads will talk about Gruden and Cowher who are not ancient history, and after that McDaniels will be the top of the list. He apparently has turned down coaching chances in the past looking for the right opportunity.

2. Play Calling Advantage

The Bears need someone who is an advantage to them on Sundays. John Fox is an impediment on Sunday with his constant clock gaffs and ridiculously conservative approach. The Bears need someone who can out scheme and out call the opposition. I know the argument is that he has Brady, but most great play callers have a great QB, and McDaniels has been depantsing NFL DCs while starting Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garappolo, and Jacoby Brissett. He is a play calling advantage and his offenses routinely rank very highly. He has shown that he can adapt and can overcome personnel loses and change the offense to suit who is available.

3. The QB

This is more about the fact that Trubisky should make Chicago a more attractive target for coaching candidates. McDaniels can walk into a situation with a mobile, strong armed, and accurate QB to build his offense around. He does not need to worry about whether they will be able to draft a guy. Trubisky will be here with 12 games of tape to work off of. To me the only job that may open up that can offer a better QB situation is Indy, but they have other issues to work around.

I think Trubisky would fit beautifully into what New England does on offense. New England stresses accuracy and timing on throws that allow WRs to generate YAC yards and that is one of the strengths of Trubisky. Trubisky's mobility will be a huge weapon that McDaniels did not have in New England and could make a dangerous offense even more dangerous.

4. The Offensive Talent

The Patriots have always used a dynamic pass catching back as a huge part of the offense. Enter Tarik Cohen who can step into the Falk/Lewis/White role in the offense and probably offers more speed than those players.

McDaniels would inherit a bell cow RB better than anyone he has worked with in New England.

The WR core will have to be remade from the ground up so it can be tailored to what McDaniels wants to do and the players that he wants.

The Bears have a player in Shaheen they hope becomes their version of Gronk, and he has the physical tools to at least think that it could be possible. They also have a dynamic receiving TE in Miller who can threaten the seams, which is a must in the Patriots offense.

The OL is built to run the outside zone and they do so pretty well. The Patriots use a ton of zone blocking and have favoured athletic OLmen over big haulking players. McDaniels would walk into a pretty good situation on the OL.

5. No Personnel Control-Failed in Denver

To a certain degree having a coach that knows what not to do is a plus. McDaniels flamed out in Denver because he tried to run everything and he was not equipped to do so. In Chicago he does not have to do that. He can focus on the offense and the QB. I am sure that he has learned a lot from his time in Denver and the beating he took on the way out. I think the fact that he has been so picky with his next gig shows he knows what to look for now.

6. Talent on Defense

McDaniels would actually step into a decent defensive situation and if he brings an experienced DC I think he can largely let that unit run on its ow. This would be a lot like what McVay did in LA with Wade Phillips. Hicks, Goldman, Floyd, Trevathan, Jackson, and solid CBs should allow the Bears to invest more in the offense over the next couple of seasons. Not having to fix one side of the ball will allow him to invest in the WR core and other positions. Talent on defense also allows him some time to get the offense huming. The Bears do not need to dominate on offense week 1 of 2018.

Peter King made it sound like Josh McDaniels would want to hire his own GM when he accepts his next gig...

[WindyCity]

1 minute ago, G08 said:

Peter King made it sound like Josh McDaniels would want to hire his own GM when he accepts his next gig...

Then he is out.

[WindyCity]

Matt Lafleur is someone who interests me. He is young and has not called plays which is a concern, but

-He has worked under Kyle Shannahan and Sean McVay
-He has been part of RG3 Rookie of the year, Matt Ryan MVP, and bringing Jared Goff back from the dead
-Apparently he is super smart and a hot name in NFL circles

If we could pair him with a former HC as DC [Chuck Pagano] that would make me very interested.


I want a McVay or Shannahan type.

[G08]

1 minute ago, WindyCity said:

Then he is out.

All the while, both McDaniels and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will be in their current jobs for at least another year. Why? No one has a good answer. The 49ers insisted on interviewing GM candidates, which may have turned off McDaniels, who wanted to choose his own GM. McDaniels likely told the Rams and Jaguars the truth—that both their young quarterbacks (Jared Goff and Blake Bortles) were not the answer—while the GMs that traded up (Rams) or overdrafted (Jaguars) to get both were part of the interviews. Gee, I wonder why both teams then went with coaches (McVay and Marrone) who will gladly work with those quarterbacks.

[G08]

Hoge & Jahns said something interesting in their podcast... if/when Fox is fired and a new coach is brought in, would it make sense to keep Loggains around?

They argue that Fox gives him the gameplan and Loggains needs to pick plays to match that design. Maybe Loggains has a better idea if he had no reigns on him (assuming he has any reigns at all)?

Scheme consistency is always good... should be interesting to watch unfold.

[mikee]

1 hour ago, G08 said:

Hoge & Jahns said something interesting in their podcast... if/when Fox is fired and a new coach is brought in, would it make sense to keep Loggains around?

They argue that Fox gives him the gameplan and Loggains needs to pick plays to match that design. Maybe Loggains has a better idea if he had no reigns on him (assuming he has any reigns at all)?

Scheme consistency is always good... should be interesting to watch unfold.

I honestly think Loggains is smart and his playbook/scheme is fine. I'm just not convinced he is a good playcaller. Maybe that improves in time, but he doesn't seem to have a good feel for when to press an advantage, when to get creative or when to stick to the running game when needed, etc.