The Bears still have to play games (I guess it's Packers week too)

[gflore34]

 

 

its stunning, in all of professional sports, the Bears are the WORST at evaluating the most important position predicating the teams success, and they've been the worse at doing so for horsefeathering decades

 

You'd think that they'd accidentally get it right at least once. But no, 23 years ago they traded a 1st round pick for a QB that was legitimately awful his first 4 years in the league and now today they are still making terrible decisions in the face of better options. (to be fair, the 97 draft was historically awful for QBs, I believe the best one taken was Plummer but still doesn't excuse targeting that dude with your first round pick)

 

That '97 team was fun to look up. Mirer started 3 games(games 4-6) en route to an 0-7 start. After sitting at 1-10, tied with the Colts for worst record in the NFL, they'd close the season 3-2, chasing down the Cardinals, Chargers, and Raiders, dropping to the 5th overall pick(while losing the 4 way tiebreaker at 4-12)...which they used on Curtis Enis.

 

Who, besides Ryan Leaf, turned out to be the worst player in the top ten of the 98 draft.

[minnesotacubsfan]

 

You'd think that they'd accidentally get it right at least once. But no, 23 years ago they traded a 1st round pick for a QB that was legitimately awful his first 4 years in the league and now today they are still making terrible decisions in the face of better options. (to be fair, the 97 draft was historically awful for QBs, I believe the best one taken was Plummer but still doesn't excuse targeting that dude with your first round pick)

 

That '97 team was fun to look up. Mirer started 3 games(games 4-6) en route to an 0-7 start. After sitting at 1-10, tied with the Colts for worst record in the NFL, they'd close the season 3-2, chasing down the Cardinals, Chargers, and Raiders, dropping to the 5th overall pick(while losing the 4 way tiebreaker at 4-12)...which they used on Curtis Enis.

 

Who, besides Ryan Leaf, turned out to be the worst player in the top ten of the 98 draft.

 

I remember being extremely puzzled by Wannstedt trading for Mirer. he flat out sucked and I couldn't figure out why he HAD to be the guy

[UMFan83]

 

That '97 team was fun to look up. Mirer started 3 games(games 4-6) en route to an 0-7 start. After sitting at 1-10, tied with the Colts for worst record in the NFL, they'd close the season 3-2, chasing down the Cardinals, Chargers, and Raiders, dropping to the 5th overall pick(while losing the 4 way tiebreaker at 4-12)...which they used on Curtis Enis.

 

Who, besides Ryan Leaf, turned out to be the worst player in the top ten of the 98 draft.

 

I remember being extremely puzzled by Wannstedt trading for Mirer. he flat out sucked and I couldn't figure out why he HAD to be the guy

 

I think they decided that they HAD to have a QB that offseason and all the ones in the draft were garbage so he used his 1st rounder on him. But obviously like you said, he flat out sucked in 4 seasons with Seattle. If they weren't trading him, they had to be strongly thinking about flat out cutting him, he was that bad. This is not hindsight, I remember this being universally panned immediately afterwards.

 

But anyways you could write a whole book with stories of the Bears choosing or signing the wrong guy at QB. I'm so unbelievably frustrated with it and I'm close to my breaking point as a Bears fan. Like I've always complained about not having good QBs, but I've always felt at least a small amount of hope that we'd somehow luck into one. I don't feel that anymore and its eating away at me as a fan. It doesn't help that Michigan is having similar issues putting together a competent QB/offense and really making me question why I follow football outside of my fantasy team.

[gflore34]

 

Who, besides Ryan Leaf, turned out to be the worst player in the top ten of the 98 draft.

 

I remember being extremely puzzled by Wannstedt trading for Mirer. he flat out sucked and I couldn't figure out why he HAD to be the guy

 

I think they decided that they HAD to have a QB that offseason and all the ones in the draft were garbage so he used his 1st rounder on him. But obviously like you said, he flat out sucked in 4 seasons with Seattle. If they weren't trading him, they had to be strongly thinking about flat out cutting him, he was that bad. This is not hindsight, I remember this being universally panned immediately afterwards.

 

But anyways you could write a whole book with stories of the Bears choosing or signing the wrong guy at QB. I'm so unbelievably frustrated with it and I'm close to my breaking point as a Bears fan. Like I've always complained about not having good QBs, but I've always felt at least a small amount of hope that we'd somehow luck into one. I don't feel that anymore and its eating away at me as a fan. It doesn't help that Michigan is having similar issues putting together a competent QB/offense and really making me question why I follow football outside of my fantasy team.

 

 

Seems nearly impossible, regardless of the front office they've unable to find a QB guess that leaves lucking into one chances of which are slim to none.

[minnesotacubsfan]

 

I remember being extremely puzzled by Wannstedt trading for Mirer. he flat out sucked and I couldn't figure out why he HAD to be the guy

 

I think they decided that they HAD to have a QB that offseason and all the ones in the draft were garbage so he used his 1st rounder on him. But obviously like you said, he flat out sucked in 4 seasons with Seattle. If they weren't trading him, they had to be strongly thinking about flat out cutting him, he was that bad. This is not hindsight, I remember this being universally panned immediately afterwards.

 

But anyways you could write a whole book with stories of the Bears choosing or signing the wrong guy at QB. I'm so unbelievably frustrated with it and I'm close to my breaking point as a Bears fan. Like I've always complained about not having good QBs, but I've always felt at least a small amount of hope that we'd somehow luck into one. I don't feel that anymore and its eating away at me as a fan. It doesn't help that Michigan is having similar issues putting together a competent QB/offense and really making me question why I follow football outside of my fantasy team.

 

 

Seems nearly impossible, regardless of the front office they've unable to find a QB guess that leaves lucking into one chances of which are slim to none.

 

eh, they had Cutler, he was decent. unfortunately he was just overshadowed by GB pulling HOF QB's out of thin air.

 

I think the key for the Bears is they simply have to take a "quantity is quality" approach and draft qb's nearly every year until they find one that can stick. I don't mean in the 1st every year either, but in any round where they find someone who has potential and makes sense for that round (ie, not a reach).

[WrigleyField 22]

Easier said than done. They'll need to reach. But I'd definitely like to see them carry 3 QBs every year for the foreseeable future. No more coach in training types like Bray just taking up air. Get 3 young relatively moldable guys in there every year until you fall ass backwards into your Russell Wilson or Ben Rothelsbetger or whatever (see, I'm not even too greedy, I don't need a Rdogers).

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Easier said than done. They'll need to reach. But I'd definitely like to see them carry 3 QBs every year for the foreseeable future. No more coach in training types like Bray just taking up air. Get 3 young relatively moldable guys in there every year until you fall ass backwards into your Russell Wilson or Ben Rothelsbetger or whatever (see, I'm not even too greedy, I don't need a Rdogers).

Wilson is every bit as good as Rodgers at this point in their careers.

[PackLandVA]

 

eh, they had Cutler, he was decent. unfortunately he was just overshadowed by GB pulling HOF QB's out of thin air.

 

 

Not certain what you mean with "pulling ...out of thin air". The Packers traded the 19th overall pick for a QB taken the year before in the second round. And that guy threw 4 passes, completing two of them to the other team (1 returned for a TD), so it's not like he "showed something" on his brief stint in ATL. GM Ron Wolf clearly thought highly enough of him to go after him with a 1st Rounder, thinking he might be the cornerstone QB for rookie HC Mike Holmgren.

 

Regarding AR, there was back and forth for months leading up to the draft as to which QB would be taken first overall - Alex Smith or AR. Smith it was, and AR happened to fall all the way to GB. I give Ted Thompson a ton of credit for using a 1st Round pick on a QB when they still had an elite QB on the roster. He clearly felt AR was the BPA. Had the Niners taken AR and Smith fell, would TT taken Smith? We'll never know. But the AR pick was intentional.

 

I don't think anyone would've wagered both would be first ballot HoFs, but I think both were expected to be highly successful QBs for the Packers. I say similar props to the Packers if Jordan Love turns out to be an elite QB. They traded up specifically to get him.

[minnesotacubsfan]

What do you think of Louis Riddick as GM?

 

I'm a Riddick fan. Obviously the parallels with Mayock (who has done a solid job w/ Oakland) are there. Former player, but he does have NFL scouting and front office experience. And frankly, I'd love if they'd hire a minority for the first time in team history. All these white guys haven't worked out, so why not?

 

Lovie Smith

 

eta: Lovie obviously wasn't front office, so maybe I'm misreading your post. But he did have a pretty heavy say in personal and org direction after the Super Bowl, almost to the level of a Pete Carroll.

[UMFan83]

 

I think they decided that they HAD to have a QB that offseason and all the ones in the draft were garbage so he used his 1st rounder on him. But obviously like you said, he flat out sucked in 4 seasons with Seattle. If they weren't trading him, they had to be strongly thinking about flat out cutting him, he was that bad. This is not hindsight, I remember this being universally panned immediately afterwards.

 

But anyways you could write a whole book with stories of the Bears choosing or signing the wrong guy at QB. I'm so unbelievably frustrated with it and I'm close to my breaking point as a Bears fan. Like I've always complained about not having good QBs, but I've always felt at least a small amount of hope that we'd somehow luck into one. I don't feel that anymore and its eating away at me as a fan. It doesn't help that Michigan is having similar issues putting together a competent QB/offense and really making me question why I follow football outside of my fantasy team.

 

 

Seems nearly impossible, regardless of the front office they've unable to find a QB guess that leaves lucking into one chances of which are slim to none.

 

eh, they had Cutler, he was decent. unfortunately he was just overshadowed by GB pulling HOF QB's out of thin air.

 

I think the key for the Bears is they simply have to take a "quantity is quality" approach and draft qb's nearly every year until they find one that can stick. I don't mean in the 1st every year either, but in any round where they find someone who has potential and makes sense for that round (ie, not a reach).

 

I would say Cutty, as much as I loved him was decidedly average, but also the best QB I've seen on the Bears since maybe Kramer's one season in the early 90s. At his best he could lift the Bears offense up to win games. At his worst, he was the reason we lost games. We saw more of the latter than the former, but he did have quite a few games where he played good enough for the Bears to win. Clearly he had some issues with coaching staff and personnel put out there. Maybe he could have been a lower rung pro bowl guy with the right coaching, but probably not.

[minnesotacubsfan]

 

 

Seems nearly impossible, regardless of the front office they've unable to find a QB guess that leaves lucking into one chances of which are slim to none.

 

eh, they had Cutler, he was decent. unfortunately he was just overshadowed by GB pulling HOF QB's out of thin air.

 

I think the key for the Bears is they simply have to take a "quantity is quality" approach and draft qb's nearly every year until they find one that can stick. I don't mean in the 1st every year either, but in any round where they find someone who has potential and makes sense for that round (ie, not a reach).

 

I would say Cutty, as much as I loved him was decidedly average, but also the best QB I've seen on the Bears since maybe Kramer's one season in the early 90s. At his best he could lift the Bears offense up to win games. At his worst, he was the reason we lost games. We saw more of the latter than the former, but he did have quite a few games where he played good enough for the Bears to win. Clearly he had some issues with coaching staff and personnel put out there. Maybe he could have been a lower rung pro bowl guy with the right coaching, but probably not.

 

although its hard for me to understand what a "pro-bowl caliber qb" is being a Bears fan, Cutler does own many of the Bears passing records and was QB for 8 seasons which is unfathomable for every other Bears QB in my lifetime, and most of them from before my lifetime. he was...OUR BEST! and yet pretty ok - nothing great

[minnesotacubsfan]

just having stability at QB with Cutler seems like such an unknown luxury now

[champaignchris]

...which they used on Curtis Enis.

 

Fred Taylor was picked 9th.

[gflore34]

 

eh, they had Cutler, he was decent. unfortunately he was just overshadowed by GB pulling HOF QB's out of thin air.

 

 

Not certain what you mean with "pulling ...out of thin air". The Packers traded the 19th overall pick for a QB taken the year before in the second round. And that guy threw 4 passes, completing two of them to the other team (1 returned for a TD), so it's not like he "showed something" on his brief stint in ATL. GM Ron Wolf clearly thought highly enough of him to go after him with a 1st Rounder, thinking he might be the cornerstone QB for rookie HC Mike Holmgren.

 

Regarding AR, there was back and forth for months leading up to the draft as to which QB would be taken first overall - Alex Smith or AR. Smith it was, and AR happened to fall all the way to GB. I give Ted Thompson a ton of credit for using a 1st Round pick on a QB when they still had an elite QB on the roster. He clearly felt AR was the BPA. Had the Niners taken AR and Smith fell, would TT taken Smith? We'll never know. But the AR pick was intentional.

 

I don't think anyone would've wagered both would be first ballot HoFs, but I think both were expected to be highly successful QBs for the Packers. I say similar props to the Packers if Jordan Love turns out to be an elite QB. They traded up specifically to get him.

 

No offense but, boy, I'd love to see Love blow up in their faces and their string of HOF QB's stop at two.

[champaignchris]

 

 

Seems nearly impossible, regardless of the front office they've unable to find a QB guess that leaves lucking into one chances of which are slim to none.

 

eh, they had Cutler, he was decent. unfortunately he was just overshadowed by GB pulling HOF QB's out of thin air.

 

I think the key for the Bears is they simply have to take a "quantity is quality" approach and draft qb's nearly every year until they find one that can stick. I don't mean in the 1st every year either, but in any round where they find someone who has potential and makes sense for that round (ie, not a reach).

 

I would say Cutty, as much as I loved him was decidedly average, but also the best QB I've seen on the Bears since maybe Kramer's one season in the early 90s. At his best he could lift the Bears offense up to win games. At his worst, he was the reason we lost games. We saw more of the latter than the former, but he did have quite a few games where he played good enough for the Bears to win. Clearly he had some issues with coaching staff and personnel put out there. Maybe he could have been a lower rung pro bowl guy with the right coaching, but probably not.

 

Cutler brought a lot of issues down in himself with his media-unfriendly attitude and seeming nonchalance about his play. But he had a horrible o-line during the first half of his Bears career and a miserable defense during the second half. The Bears had 3 head coaches and 6 offensive coordinators in his 8 years in Chicago. Show me the qb that’s succeeded in similar circumstances. He was hardly a superstar, but he put up pretty similar career numbers to Eli Manning and Joe Flacco.

[WrigleyField 22]

Easier said than done. They'll need to reach. But I'd definitely like to see them carry 3 QBs every year for the foreseeable future. No more coach in training types like Bray just taking up air. Get 3 young relatively moldable guys in there every year until you fall ass backwards into your Russell Wilson or Ben Rothelsbetger or whatever (see, I'm not even too greedy, I don't need a Rdogers).

Wilson is every bit as good as Rodgers at this point in their careers.

Okay but that's right now where Wilson is still roughly prime age and Rodgers has an AARP card.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

No offense but, boy, I'd love to see Love blow up in their faces and their string of HOF QB's stop at two.

That's a pretty sure bet.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Easier said than done. They'll need to reach. But I'd definitely like to see them carry 3 QBs every year for the foreseeable future. No more coach in training types like Bray just taking up air. Get 3 young relatively moldable guys in there every year until you fall ass backwards into your Russell Wilson or Ben Rothelsbetger or whatever (see, I'm not even too greedy, I don't need a Rdogers).

Wilson is every bit as good as Rodgers at this point in their careers.

Okay but that's right now where Wilson is still roughly prime age and Rodgers has an AARP card.

Totes.

[WrigleyField 22]

What do you think of Louis Riddick as GM?

 

I'm a Riddick fan. Obviously the parallels with Mayock (who has done a solid job w/ Oakland) are there. Former player, but he does have NFL scouting and front office experience. And frankly, I'd love if they'd hire a minority for the first time in team history. All these white guys haven't worked out, so why not?

 

Lovie Smith

 

eta: Lovie obviously wasn't front office, so maybe I'm misreading your post. But he did have a pretty heavy say in personal and org direction after the Super Bowl, almost to the level of a Pete Carroll.

Lovie definitely wasn't at Pete Carroll level.

[WrigleyField 22]

I think the biggest change Lovie got was more control over his staff. My memory is he wanted to move on from Rivera and go with Babich, which lasted about 2 seasona before Angelo made him take back D play calling duties himself. Then he hired Marinelli the next year.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Lovie definitely wasn't at Pete Carroll level.

 

I went back and read some articles about Lovies involvement in the FO and it wasn't as much as I thought it was...I rescind the post

[UMFan83]

 

He was hardly a superstar, but he put up pretty similar career numbers to Eli Manning and Joe Flacco.

 

Pretty much the epitomy of an average QB no? Like I said he was fine. He brought consistency to the QB position which is something they havent had in my lifetime.

[gflore34]

No offense but, boy, I'd love to see Love blow up in their faces and their string of HOF QB's stop at two.

That's a pretty sure bet.

 

Hope you're correct, regardless of Packer fan' post they've had horseshoes up their asses with Farve and Rodgers. I'm not saying Farve and Rodgers were shots in the dark but, as great as they turned out? No.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The only way to break the "can't draft a franchise QB" curse is to keep drafting them.

[stitchface]

The only way to break the "can't draft a franchise QB" curse is to keep drafting them.

 

 

and try and have an offensive line at the same time . . .