WrigleyField 22

Teams are shifting away from giving QBs all the power? Anyways as to the structure, at the very least the NFL complicates it somewhat by having specific hiring rules for both the top level exec and top level coach jobs (both as it relates to access and the diversity requirements re:Rooney rule). So from the perspective alone it's a lot different since the NFL mandates some level of designation of roles whereas other leagues are seemingly a lot more informal and dictated more by unwirtten rules and protocol. Anyways, its usually a matter of playing with titles, but you occassionally see some writer/bloggers offseason plan where they hire a super experienced President and also one of the hottest up and coming names as a GM candidate to be their GM, which just seems like detached from reality. Like, fine, propose some structure that no other NFL team uses, but be realistic about what type of profile is filling that GM role.

Ah yea, Champ came over with Fox from Denver, so that makes sense, as there is familiarity.

I assume you mean with an outside hire, not elevating Pace? Baltimore is kind of like that now, but I think Ozzies title is like special advisor or something, which I assume will be the effect role of Elway. Atlanta promoted their former GM to Pres, though I'm not sure if he's still involved in a lot of personnel stuff or it was a legit movement to the business side. But yea, I think that's the extent of franchises organized in some manner like that currently. So it was all internal movements that led to some type of GM who has some higher football exec above them (not including cases where that guy is head coach too)

I've criticized the Bears way too many times for running the ball up the middle to freak out over them deciding to do something different, especially after doing it on that very drive. That just seems like being upset over the loss and finding one thing that could have gone better, and heaping the whole thing on it. If people really think the game hinged upon the Bears running the conservative play, then maybe they should have just taken the FG. It would have put the Bears 2 points down. FG would have been bad. Trying to keep GB from scoring would have been hard enough. They could have ran out the clock. Unless you were gonna go for the FG and just onside it. Basically they were always going need an "extra" possession to beat GB. They actually got that extra position in the 1st half, but they only got a FG out of it. I actually think they arguably should have gone for the TD at the end of the half too.

Not at all IMO.

Running it down their throats I think is putting it fairly optimistically. Yes they'd converted, but they didn't look particularly strong at it. So. I can get behind a pass. I can even get behind shotgun. But the sprint out, basically one route read felt terribly scripted and forced. Even if there was a missed pick, I don't love it. Throw in an RPO of you want to keep GB on their toes from crowding the line on a dive or sneak.

If they do make a change in the D, I just want to get out ahead and say it should be a broad search and it can be a 3-4 or 4-3 guy. I think a few guys like Mack and Quinn may actually be better in a 4-3 and most of their rotation guys are FA anyways even if they were scheme dependent. Yeah doesn't matter what scheme they run other than the fact they'd probably need more off the ball LBs than they currently have. But I will say I'd like them to give Jay Rodgers an interview at DC. He's spanned the Fox and Nagy regimes. He came over with Fox and has done a great job developing guys at his position (Hicks from average to stud, RRH a UDFA, Nichols a 5th rounder, Goldman; Edwards, Urban, and Nick Williams have had their best years with him). And the other Fangio assistant that became a DC has the #1 D in LA in his first season. Yea Jay Rodgers for sure would be worth interviewing. With his time in Denver he had 4-3 experience, so perhaps he'd even run a true hybrid scheme. I also don't know if there's anything to it, but the other month I had come across some article about young names to watch as HC candidates, and Sean Desai's name was on the list. He goes all the way back to the Trestman regime, but this is only his second year as a position coach, and it's "just" safeties at that. Anyways I was surprised when I had seen it, but maybe there's something there?

this is true. Lovie for DC? Lol. Maybe Marinelli, I think he'll be available again.

If they do make a change in the D, I just want to get out ahead and say it should be a broad search and it can be a 3-4 or 4-3 guy. I think a few guys like Mack and Quinn may actually be better in a 4-3 and most of their rotation guys are FA anyways even if they were scheme dependent. Get rid of Pagano, first of all. As for the 3-4 vs 4-3, they currently have the one guy you need to make a 3-4 work: Eddie Goldman. In fact, his absence is probably bigger then anyone else on the D this year outside of Hicks. Might as well stay with that. Also, I loved seeing Vildor break on the ball in the flat. I know he was otherwise toyed with throughout the game, but he could end up developing into a solid nickel. Yea at this point Vildor looks more promising than Shelley as a cheap nickel replacement if they cut Skrine. Kind of hope they get to see him in the WC game to get some more snaps on tape. As for Goldman, sure, but I think he'd be a great NT in a 4 man front. There's increasingly less and less difference between a 3 or 4 man front anyways, but to the extent it matters its usually you're edge guys that matter most, and Quinn and Mack both had their most success as 4-3 DE.

not sure who Mond is, but Jones is nothing like Trubisky. Trubisky had an arm but very very little playing time. Jones is almost the complete opposite. I think he meant Mond only was Trubisky 2.0. Hes a 4 year starter (I think, maybe 3) from Texas A&M. I think he's a tad less athletic that Trubisky, but above average. His biggest knock has been consistency and decision making. I've seen some Prescott comps for him, never seen a Trubisky comp.

I don’t know about very very mediocre. They were ranked 7th in the league in defensive DVOA going into this week, maybe there are better stats out there to evaluate defense, feel free to suggest. But your remarks on the individual players are valid, so maybe as a collective unit they hold their own but their individual pieces are not at the level were at 2 years ago. Still think the secondary is a strong unit but are often burdened by a lack of pass rush. Jaylon Johnson has potential but for every big play he’s made, he’s countered with a glaring mistake. But he’s a rookie and I like what I’ve seen The defense is fine. The NFL is not catered to defenses carrying teams, and hasn't been for a while, hence why the Bears have made the playoffs like 5 times in 25 years. Every 5 years or so they find the needle in the haystack that is an offense carried to the playoffs by an elite defense. Roquan is great. Goldman is coming back. Johnson and Nichols are solid building blocks. Fuller is solid and should be extended for a lower cap hit. For next year, gotta hope for better health for guys like Mack and Quinn. And you gotta hope a change in scheme (new DC) brings back whatever has happened to Eddie Jackson. I'm sure they'll keep Hicks around since everyone else is coming back (I'd probably release him and get 10.5M in cap space), but then after 2021 you can get out the Hicks, Quinn, and Trevathan deals. Either way, they should be a top 12 unit in DVOA again next year. Maybe a new DC and health gets them back to rushing the passer and creating turnovers more consistently, and they get back to a top 5 unit. But even if not, they should be good enough to win games if they get a halfway decent offense. If they do make a change in the D, I just want to get out ahead and say it should be a broad search and it can be a 3-4 or 4-3 guy. I think a few guys like Mack and Quinn may actually be better in a 4-3 and most of their rotation guys are FA anyways even if they were scheme dependent.

I'm still not convinced they let Pace lame duck it. But a token one year extension or something seems pretty blatantly admitting he's on the hot seat as well. I think barring a collapse theyre committed to Pace and probably Nagy too. I wouldn't be shocked at a Pace multi year extension. Even if they hadn't raked out a playoff spot, I think 8-8 seasons could buy this duo quite a bit more time that the average fan would want. That is unless there is any truth to the rumor about a unannounced extension and Pace already has a deal running through 22 and not 21. Needless to say this offseason will be interesting though. I think we'll see a relatively big QB investment and a lot of cap deferring games so they can go for it again in 2021, even though they definitely shouldn't be doing the latter. If a QB is drafted does anyone trust Pace? I could see him taking Jones or Mond who, from what I understand, are Mitch 2.0. Maybe, with Nagy' input this time they can get it right, don't trust they'll hit on the correct pick but, they've not had chance so, we don't know. I don't necessarily distrust him I guess? I think people put way too much stock into relatively small samples to say a GM can or can't evaluate a position. Fact is I'd expect a bad hit rate on QBs. If you count Trubisky, Glennon, and Foles as his major QB decisions, that's a pretty small sample for a position where most guys are pretty bad. Anyways there's likely a huge difference between a Jones or Mond investment. Jones may require a 1st round investment, probably at least 2nd rounder. Mond may be a day 3 pick. I would definitely like Mond as a early day 3 prospect. Hell, double up on the position, IMO. The most interesting prospect outside the top 4 consensus guys may be Ridder from Cincinnati. Seems to have as much potential as any guy in this draft. Not sure where he'll go, but I'm sure the pre-draft process will be big for him, but he could rise fast.

Eh. I'm happy to see them in a playoff game. They wouldn't be better off if they came up short. It's always been a good chance that Nagy/Pace will have a chance to select a QB in the 2021 draft, considering the timing of Nagy coming in after Mitch was already here. Unless Mitch takes them deep in the playoffs, they aren't going to need to give him a crazy deal. It will be something they can get out of in a year. If they show no progress in 2021 then they will be in a better position to clean house top to bottom and allow a new GM/Prez type to figure it out. I'm still not convinced they let Pace lame duck it. But a token one year extension or something seems pretty blatantly admitting he's on the hot seat as well. I think barring a collapse theyre committed to Pace and probably Nagy too. I wouldn't be shocked at a Pace multi year extension. Even if they hadn't raked out a playoff spot, I think 8-8 seasons could buy this duo quite a bit more time that the average fan would want. That is unless there is any truth to the rumor about a unannounced extension and Pace already has a deal running through 22 and not 21. Needless to say this offseason will be interesting though. I think we'll see a relatively big QB investment and a lot of cap deferring games so they can go for it again in 2021, even though they definitely shouldn't be doing the latter.

I don't tend to get too caught up in the individual play calls. Every playcall looks terrible when it doesn't work and brilliant when it does. They went 4-for-5 on 4th and short. Sometimes the defense just wins. Generally I'd agree with you, but that play had no chance from the outset. 2 receivers bunched to one side with a rollout that way and nobody going downfield on that side to clear any defenders. They'd crammed it down their throat several times already and gotten them with a spread formation. Why they didn't go with some variation o f what had already been successful I have no idea. Give it to Monty and have him get you a yard or have Mitch sneak it again. That's too pivotal a moment in the game to do something gimmicky like they did. I'm okay with doing something different, but that didn't seem to be it, even if there was a missed pick.

That's just a new GM Well they don't have the balls to fire Pace so this is the next best thing. But it's not really a thing I guess is my point.

That last 4th and inches call will put a damper on what was a fairly decent game plan. That was ugly as a call. Then things spiraled in minutes, mainly because they had no choice but to try and let Mitch win it.

That's just a new GM

So the NFL kind of proved you don't need a bubble for the regular season... They worked around it and it worked well enough to force a full regular season through. If one of these position groups like this misses a playoff game or god forbid the Super Bowl, man there's gonna be hell from fans.

Ball State! Had some fun nights there, and has several of my HS teammates play there. Congrats. My dad played there so I'm sure he's excited!

eh, 3 million. That isn't much, considering how much was left. It does make me wonder if the Padres are nearly tapped out, hence why they needed that 3 million. Maybe Preller isn't leaving any room for mid-season moves, and is banking on everything going well, or reaching into the farm to supplement. I had mildly wondered if they would try another big move, as they have the assets to try and make it happen still, but that 3 million does make me wonder. I mean you probably aren't doing your job if you negotiate with a big market team and don't ask for cash when absorbing a big deal. They may not need it, but it would be stupid not to demand something back.

If there is a correlation between good strip clubs and James Harden’s eFficiency rating in graph form that must be posted.

Obligatory:

I mean, after 35 year old pitcher, 28 year old catcher is the next logical piece to trade in a blow up right? What's Contreras arbitration/FA situation the next couple years?

I'm not gonna pretend I know jack about the players coming back. But let's get this fire sale going!