2025 Bears Offseason Thread

[bddavidson]

From the twitter guys who claimed to be on this the whole time, Johnson was #1 and Monken was #2.  McCarthy was an organized smoke screen to drive up the price for NO. 

edited: DaBearsBlog says McCarthy was the contingency. 

Who know, who cares, we got Johnson!

Edited January 21, 2025 by bddavidson

[Derwood]

So, McCarthy to Raiders? He's gonna land somewhere

[gflore34]

I really like, for once, the Bears were decisive and moved quickly, hiring the top target.  This move helps to make Poles not look so wishy-washy and soft.  Now, there's the roster, which he still may horsefeathers up, but, this hiring, the money and speed at which it was accomplished suggests it may be a different Poles.

[WrigleyField 22]

20 minutes ago, Derwood said:

So, McCarthy to Raiders? He's gonna land somewhere

Hes got a relationship with New Orleans and was reportedly going to meet there yesterday or today.

[Derwood]

1 minute ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

Hes got a relationship with New Orleans and was reportedly going to meet there yesterday or today.

I forgot that job was open. I was thinking his options were Raiders or Jags

[Old Style]

27 minutes ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

Hes got a relationship with New Orleans and was reportedly going to meet there yesterday or today.

Aaron Glenn also has Saints ties. 

[Brian707]

Glenn wants the Jets for some reason

[BigSlick]

4 hours ago, BigbadB said:

Yeah, I don't see that. Too many needs in the trenches to take an RB in the first. I think Braxton Jones gets moved inside, which makes LT in the first an absolute must. Then you can fill the remainder of the positions, including RB via free agency/draft. 

By my calculations, only Wright, Jones and Amegadjie are guaranteed roster spots next year. That's a lot of holes to potentially fill, and it's only two legit starters on a line that needs 5 legit starters.

 

I hate to even say it, but Coleman Shelton wasn't horrible down the stretch of last year and I wouldn't hate keeping him on as a back up or, ugh, as a starter if we draft a Center who needs some time to develop and there's nobody all that enticing in FA. 

[Soul]

I'm stoked about this but I'll wait to see how it ultimately translates to the field.  I remember Daboll being the hot commodity too, and so far he's turned out to be a dud.  I don't think many people thought the Giants would be in this position when they landed him.  Why?  Don't know.  Must have been that there was more in place with Buffalo than just him.  It wasn't Daboll alone making that offense work.  And he hasn't been able to bring that to the Giants.

Who is handling personnel?  Only Poles?  Mildly concerned about that unless he knows how to feed the Johnson machine and he can execute on that.  Obviously the OLine needs massive improvement.  I can't see success with that dumpster fire out there every week.  Poles has failed building an OLine.  He's tried, and failed.

Sorry to toss a big skunk on the table but at the end of the day...show me.

[tfarks]

That's completely fair. It's their 3rd offseason championship in a row. 

But man, I'm excited. The Bears finally have the QB and play-caller. 

[raw]

10 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

With that being the case, it's still odd they had to fast track an interview with Eddie George to clear the way for the signing.  I'm sure they didn't really expect the Lions to lose their first game, but they could have been better prepared for that possibility.  That's really nitpicking though and, to their credit, at least they had a contingency plan with George and did what they needed to do.

My guess is the Bears got word that Johnson wanted to make a decision pretty quickly after their season was over. And the Bears have a relationship with George (was with Bears in 2023 in Minority Coaching Fellowship program), who also lives in Chicago. So, he was probably literally a speed dial case. His interview also got announced pretty much at the buzzer of Saturday night's game. 

I know it's hard to believe, but the Bears actually did everything perfectly in this entire process.

[BigSlick]

6 minutes ago, tfarks said:

That's completely fair. It's their 3rd offseason championship in a row. 

But man, I'm excited. The Bears finally have the QB and play-caller. 

You know its frustrating to keep "winning the offseason" and then having garbage years, but hell, I'd rather win the offseason than lose it. 

[gflore34]

3 minutes ago, tfarks said:

That's completely fair. It's their 3rd offseason championship in a row. 

But man, I'm excited. The Bears finally have the QB and play-caller. 

Play calling/coach and the OL, they've taken care of the first, the second must be addressed.  While Lions have a better RB room, I believe if you switched out the rest of skill players, the results would have been the same.  It's not in the skill positions, it's the OL, that's the gap.  Bears don't have to close the gap completely but, they have to make it smaller.

[raw]

4 hours ago, BigbadB said:

Agreed. However, if Allen is only interested in the LA's or Chicago, I could see him being willing to lower his expectations on a contract. Caleb has called him the best player he's worked with, and seemed to rely on him as his go to. Maybe they need to take away that security blanket to expose him to the rest of the offense, or maybe with a better line in place and coaching that has a clue, Caleb can get to his true potential and make this an offense teams fear.

I doubt the Chargers want him back at big dollars. The Rams already have potent WR's.

Not advocating for Allen, but I could see him back next year.

If he'd take a discount to stay in Chicago, I'm sure he'd take one in LA. The Chargers could use another guy for sure. I'm guessing the Rams also cut ties with Cooper Kupp, who doesn't have much of a cap hit and has been passed as the top option there. 

[gflore34]

4 minutes ago, raw said:

My guess is the Bears got word that Johnson wanted to make a decision pretty quickly after their season was over. And the Bears have a relationship with George (was with Bears in 2023 in Minority Coaching Fellowship program), who also lives in Chicago. So, he was probably literally a speed dial case. His interview also got announced pretty much at the buzzer of Saturday night's game. 

I know it's hard to believe, but the Bears actually did everything perfectly in this entire process.

All those idiots at the Score, look even more so like idiots, the constant whining about "no direction, an over correction, etc."  Poles just made you out to be fools.  One of the rare times in Bears history they one-upped the Chicago media.

[WrigleyField 22]

28 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

Glenn wants the Jets for some reason

Maybe New Orleans cap situation is scaring him.  Or just the ability to start fresh with a GM.

[raw]

2 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

All those idiots at the Score, look even more so like idiots, the constant whining about "no direction, an over correction, etc."  Poles just made you out to be fools.  One of the rare times in Bears history they one-upped the Chicago media.

Yeah, it was always pretty obvious to me that they were waiting for Johnson. If they would have not interviewed anyone until Johnson was available, then people would be saying they aren't doing enough. It does no harm to talk to a ton of people and build some relationships. Maybe someone wows you and agrees to a different role in the org. It just happened last year with Thomas Brown, who interviewed for OC and stayed on as pass game coordinator. 

I saw someone on Twitter laud the Jets process and diss the Bears, when they interviewed the same amount of people. Makes no sense.

[raw]

1 minute ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

Maybe New Orleans cap situation is scaring him.  Or just the ability to start fresh with a GM.

Jets job >>>>> Saints job

[Ding Dong Johnson]

29 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

Glenn wants the Jets for some reason

Probably because he played there for a long time.

Also someone needs to help me understand the Glenn love. I haven't paid attention very closely, but hasn't Detroit's defense been pretty terrible his entire tenure?

[gflore34]

24 minutes ago, raw said:

Yeah, it was always pretty obvious to me that they were waiting for Johnson. If they would have not interviewed anyone until Johnson was available, then people would be saying they aren't doing enough. It does no harm to talk to a ton of people and build some relationships. Maybe someone wows you and agrees to a different role in the org. It just happened last year with Thomas Brown, who interviewed for OC and stayed on as pass game coordinator. 

I saw someone on Twitter laud the Jets process and diss the Bears, when they interviewed the same amount of people. Makes no sense.

It's undeniable the Bears, as Tom tells Michael about Roth - "...Roth (Bears) played this one perfectly..." - if possible, wrap your mind around that concept.

Edited January 21, 2025 by gflore34

[WrigleyField 22]

5 minutes ago, raw said:

Jets job >>>>> Saints job

They have more talent on the roster, but Jets are such a dumpster fire org.

[raw]

Glenn was also drafted by and played most of his career with the Jets. Ended his career and I think started his coaching career with the Saints? I think he just simply has more loyalty to NYJ

[NOLA]

5 hours ago, jumbo said:

Dennis Allen selection has been praised by several NFL media types on Twitter. 

I do love the idea that DA would be head coach/defense while Johnson can be head coach/offense. 

Also word that Rizzi will come from NO to be ST Coach. 

Fraley possibly coming from Detroit as OL Coach or maybe have to elevate him to OC 

Sean Payton

Dennis Allen

Dan Campbell

Ben Johnson

Aaron Glenn

Darren Rizzi

Joe Brady

The Saints sure have churned out a ton of excellent coaches to have a bare cupboard here.

Edited January 21, 2025 by NOLA

[NOLA]

13 minutes ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

They have more talent on the roster, but Jets are such a dumpster fire org.

Saints have an old roster with one Pro Bowler (special teams player) and are $80M plus over the cap.  Great, patient ownership is the only draw.

[WrigleyField 22]

1 minute ago, NOLA said:

Sean Payton

Dennis Allen

Dan Campbell

Ben Johnson

Aaron Glenn

Darren Rizzi

Joe Brady

The Saints sure have churned put a ton of excellent coaches to have a bare cupboard here.

Johnson isn't Saints...

 

But yea I think they're actually a fairly well run org.  Certainly not perfect one, but one that I think gets a lot of unwarranted hate often.