madlithuanian

Is Billick that much a retread? He's only been HC in BAL. I get your points why you don't want him...but I wouldn't really call him a retread. Denny Green for example is a guy I'd call a retread. What's your take on Mooch? I just fear with teams like WAS and DAL, we may be out of the running for big talent...tacked in w/ the usual Bears' fregailty regarding coaches.

Buddy is also a living being.

Well said...

Dilfer got lucky and the planets alligned for him to win a SB. He attempted an upgrade and whiffed. All his QB's there were pretty much slop...maybe McNair, but he was on the downward slide. I'd give Billick a chance. If the opetionis to keep Smith or take Billick, the choice is obvious.

He's actually more of an offensive guy...and yes, I'd take him in a heartbeat over Smith.

Actually, I'm not so sure Hester would be the #1 in St Louis or Oakland. Avery is a very good WR and Murphy has shown quite a bit. Both those guys have basically been WR's all their football career. I think they both have a leg up on Hester. In fact, I think Greg Camarillo is a more seasoned WR than hester in Miami. They know the nuances of the position better than hester. I'm not necessarily saying I'd trade one for the other...but I think hester could very well be #2's in any of those team's line-ups.

Holmgrem would more than work for me!

In gerneral you are correct...but Cox, Kennison and Krieg were all on their way to retirement when they came here... So they didn't really regress per se...just shouldn't have been brought in becasue they were too old...like Pace. Which is a seperate, yet similar problem to what you were mentioning.

Fair enough. Any thoughts of who we should get as a GM? Part of the issue w/ bringing in the big guns is that they want GM powers. So either you have to give in whether in full or by reducing GM powers, or you probably don't get those big guns.

Lack thereof. Good players get the calls (see Tom Brady). Bad or rookie players tend not to. I think it's nothing more than that along with just bad luck.

Agreed 100%

Oddly, I do think they are worse than under Wanny....

So true.

sad but true

amen

lol

Good! But I hate the fact the the move is being made for injury...it's hould be for lack of performance and for the future. But we'll take what we can get.

I thought he did decently. Granted, it's the Rams. But he is the future...

The inmates!

Well said!

That's certainly a possibility!

Yes, I'd gladly eat Smith and Angelo's contract and offer Shanahan a competitive package. I'd make it a 3 year guaranteed contract with big incentives (playoffs, decreased penalties, etc...) I'd try to build into the contract a renegotiation after the 3 years and put a placeholder in that we, as the Bears would pay at minimum to guarantee his stay. Something like, He gets $30M for the 3 years here...and then if we want we can extend for antoher 3 years for $40M. Or we negotiate for less... I give him the 3 years. I'll allow for any ups and downs as long as by the end of year 3 it appears that we are headed in the right direction and more than likely are in the playoffs with at least a puncher's chance. Hanie is OK at the moment, but we should still be looking for back-ups. Cutler is the man we build around. If he goes down, we simplymake due with what we have, like what NE did last year.

Brilliant!!!

I'm gonna be hearing that one for a while! I was expressing my repulsion for the current regime... Part of the plus and minus of being a Chicago fan is that we are so loyal. When we fill the seats when the team is hideous, the normal free market invisible hand principle fails to work. I was half-hearted;y trying to come up with something that would allow us to still go to a game and yet show our disgust at the current product. But, all's fair in love and message board posting!

Stranger things have indeed happened! If I were a McCaskey's I'd simply clean house. The dream scenario would be JA and the entire coaching staff would be gone. I'd hire Mike Shannahan and let him act as GM and HC. But woul require he bring in some personnell guys and scouts, and that he try not to run everything. I want him coaching primarily and really getting the offense, and in particular, Cutler up to par. I let him hire his own staff. I would leave Teddy-boy alone and basically keep him as a finance guy only. Let Tim McCaskey be the face of the organization as CEO or some title like that. Let Shanahan make the moves he thinks he needs to make. I'd push for certian things, like the following, but would ultimately let Shanahan make the call: 1. Move to 3-4 D 2. Get rid of dead weight, and try to get picks for some non-dead weight (like Harris, maybe Briggs, etc...) 3. Get some better OL in FA and expect to draft one early 4. Try to bring in a vet WR that is a big target 5. Bring in a bruiser RB that can get hard short yardage, like a Crockett form OAK a while back 6. Demand tough play from the D. We only want good tacklers.