BearFan PHX

he did, and my worries were more with his style of toughness, which I am happy to say, the more I hear and see, the more I am convinced arent going to be a problem. No one can predict the future, but this sure does look like a home run.

This is all well said. I do think that Johnson, and if he brings the OL coach from the Lions to be the OC here, will be able to help Poles identify the right talent. That's in the draft, in free agency, and as much as it scares me, from our current roster. Lots of OL players that have sucked for us have gone on to become good players on other teams. Maybe someone we have will be identified and developed. One thought, and Im not saying this is a good idea per se, but if Johnson does then it is (lol) might be to move Wright to LT. I dont want to debate that here, because I would be debating against it myself, Im just noting it as the kind of thing that incoming professionals might see. Or maybe Bill Murray is excellent. etc etc. From my standpoint, Wright is good at RT and the rest suck. But players Ive been happy to see go have gone on to be good elsewhere, so if the incoming guys identify someone we already have, then great. But either way they will help find players in free agency and the draft too. Also, I would recommend using this draft value chart rather than the Jimmy Johnson one. It has been derived from all the trades that were accepted since the JJ chart came out, and better fits the actual league and what they do? https://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart-Rich-Hill.asp?RequestTeam=chi

I think this is all very well said. I agree with everything you said about Caleb. I'd add this too - the playoffs showed how interceptions can send you home. That Caleb threw so few of them, even though he was also maybe over careful with the ball, says a lot of good going into the future. I also think that he was seeing perfect textbook zones in practice, and that in games the defense was looking more chaotic. With a new DC, and hopefully that is Allen, Caleb will see a lot more dirty looks in practice and that's gonna help too. But more than anything, a real OL, a run game and Johnson's guidance should elevate him far beyond what we've seen this past season. It's a good time to be a Bears fan.

for sure - he was soooo corny, and he didnt hold anyone accountable.

Oh for sure, time will tell. Right now the Commanders are kicking our ass. No doubt about that! I also think the Commanders would have taken Caleb if they had the #1 pick as well. But the future needs to be won, there are no guarantees, and until Caleb does it, he hasnt done it, thats for sure. Hopefully Johnson shows us what is possible.

Totally agree. Here's a highlight film of Daniels' big plays against the Lions. Watch his head. He doesn't look off safeties, he doesn't turn his head to make second reads. Kingsbury has given him an amazing system that works. I assume Daniels is making presnap reads, because eveyone is always so open. But you see him lock in on the WR he is going to throw to. The one exception (and I saw 2 in the whole game) is at 1:28 when he comes to Ertz at the goalline for the touchdown. Here he definitely makes a second read. But 90%+ of the time, he is throwing to his first read. And it is working. All I'm saying is that Kingsbury is doing a great job, and I haven't seen Daniels look off safeties or make reads like most NFL QBs have to do, and that makes me wonder where Daniels would be without Kingsbury. THe film is only a couple minutes long, so it's an easy watch. You have to click on the "watch on youtube" link tho - it wont play here embedded.

That's what I thought - good news! Also to our other thread about Daniels - I've been happy here to say I was wrong about my worries about Johnson as new info has come in!

Oh Im not feeling dogged - thank you for saying that! I just disagree from what I've seen. Every QB has their skill set. I've said Caleb's deep ball is nowhere near as good or accurate as Daniels' and Daniels is probably the better open field runner, although Caleb's escape-ability is pretty good. I do think Caleb's ceiling is higher than Daniels' but that doesn't mean i think Daniels is a bad QB. And for what it's worth, I am happy to be proven wrong, I just don't think so about this, at least not at the moment. When I watch Daniels and see his head moving around making reads regularly, I'll definitely admit it. I only say what I see, I can't predict the future, so if i see something different in the future, I'll say he grew or changed?

Flus was a disaster as a leader. He was physically insecure. I didnt see the fire in Johnson's press conferences per se - he didnt seem insecure at all, but he felt corporate to me. But now Im hearing about how demanding he is and how he cusses people out on the sideline, and I am starting to think he does have what i worried about. Does anyone know - was he on the sidelines as OC? If so that's a very good sign that moving to the sidelines isn't going to hamper his playcalling!

good to see. I've been vocal here (can you be vocal typing??) about wondering where his personal energy was at, but the more i read about him cussing people out on the sidelines, the less I am concerned about that aspect. I think there is a very good chance that this is the guy who, along with Caleb Williams, will lead us to being a yearly contender, and SB victories. Let's GO!

I am sure that once the play breaks down, he may be looking around etc. (I am guessing, i cant know the play they were talking about of course) but he doesn't regularly read the field the way some quarterbacks do. And they arent asking him to. I'm not trying to put him down, any more than saying Tom Brady isn't a running QB is a put down. I'm just saying that he makes good clear presnap reads, and then he locks on to his primary receiver, and if they arent open, he runs. He also has a better long ball than Caleb by a good bit. He is extremely accurate, and gets the ball out fast when that WR is open, and he is a good runner. THere is a lot to like about him, and even more to like about him in their offense. But I think Caleb's ceiling is still higher. I suppose this is another way of saying Kingsbury is doing a fantastic job in Washington, getting the most out of Daniels. I wonder how Justin Fields would look with Kingsbury too. He seems to understand how to get the most out athletic QBs who arent full field readers as a matter of course. JF has always been a tremendous athlete. But the next time they play, just watch Daniel's helmet on every pass play; how long he stares at the WR before he throws it to them, whether he looks off safeties, whether he makes multiple reads. And then marvel at how successful that offense is even so. You ask yourself "why are those first WRs always SO open?" You'll see it with your own eyes. I am assuming part of that is really good pre snap reads by Daniels too. Daniels is an athlete with a great arm, and Kingsbury has boiled it down for him so he doesnt have to think too much. It's very impressive.

well thanks very much for the sarcasm. Try looking across a football field while wearing a helmet. Why does every other QB in the league move their head?

yes, this is what Im saying. Daniels doesnt make multiple post snap reads, but he does a good job with presnap reads, and Kingsbury has designed an offense where the first read is almost always open. I'm saying that a guy like Justin Fields probably would have done well with Kingsbury's offense too. I also think it wouldnt necessarily fit Caleb's strengths, because I think he reads defenses better. In the long run, that will be more successful. But I think Daniels has a better and more accurate long ball, and fits the offense he is in really well. This isn't a one guy sucks and the other rules argument, it's more a matter of style.

All Im saying is I watched his helmet and on every pass play (except 2) it doesnt move. It stays locked on one WR the whole time. I think Kingsbury does an amazing job getting his first read open. I do think Daniels makes good pre snap reads, has an amazing arm both strong and accurate.

oh YEAH, this is not something id heard or seen, and that is excellent news. This is my biggest worry with him\ - I will be THRILLED to be wrong!

yeah one of the benefits of new coaches is what they know about players on other teams for sure. And coaches especially. I expect Johnson to bring in a top notch OL coach. That will make a huge difference for us. Johnson really knows run blocking schemes, and has successful run blocking rules, and we have been trash at that for a long time.

I dont think its a matter of him being good so much as teaching Johnson's way of thinking, and i have no reason to think brown is familiar with Johnson's style, terminology and approach? Obviously if Johnson wants him, I'm all for it - whoever he wants. But DBDB is right, it has to be Johnson's call from the beginning

Yeah you have to. The days of the Bears front office thinking they know best have GOT to be over.

having a former HC to advise a rookie HC is a great idea. Also I like that he is so aggressive. Im SO sick of sitting back in a zone on 3rd down. We will get burned sometimes too, but at least the players can compete. He also has a rep for getting into QBs heads, and he has been especially successful against Brady, so thats a good sign too. Having to play a more aggressive defense in practice will be good for Caleb too. It wont all be text book zones.

yeah i think we can say that the 17 candidates were in many cases not actual candidates, but intel gathering, coordinator hunting, intel hunting, favors and/opr Rooney rule interviews. Im glad we acted quickly to demonstrate that we werent lost in the wilderness, but just biding time until our guy came available. I hope they picked the right guy. But yes, you're right, the difference here is Caleb. And Johnson + Caleb will in turn help us find better coordinators and position coaches. There is some argument that the Raiders job is not attractive because they have no QB, no picks to get one, and play in the AFC which is harder to succeed in right now. But Caleb is the big sell, I agree. Lets go!

certainly Poles has demonstrated loyalty. I thought too much last year, and I still think so, but youre right, if you have the right guy to be loyal to, its a plus too. I guess you gotta know when to hold them and know when to fold them, and that's the GMs job, but loyalty isnt a negative or a positive inherently, just depends on when it's applied? I just hope Johnson has the right kind of energy to command the locker room. That's my main concern with him now, and I really hope he can do it. And Poles needs to get us at least three new good starters on the OL and get us a top notch pass rusher too. not easy to do in one offseason. But we have cap money, but of course free agency is a bigger crap shoot than the draft too. There are reasons for optimism for sure.

Oh, one other cool thing. According to Jeff Hughes, DaBearsBlog, who has been first with a bunch of info about this search, Ben Johnson asked McCaskey if he and Warren would stay out of football decisions, and leave it to Poles, and McCaskey told him they would. That's a very good sign, but if true, it also puts the failure of not firing Flus last year more on Poles' shoulders?

as long as they werent actually considering 17 candidates, then yes it was smart. If they had let this drag on another week while they had lots of second interviews and mulled their options, then they should have all been fired. But they didnt, so alls well. Also, I head Cunninghim was less involved, so he could go do his GM interviews, and i suppose with the idea that he wouldnt be here next year. Seems like we have him for one more year which I think is a good thing, although that 3rd rounder would make a nice center or guard.

well yes we are all reading tea leaves, none of us KNOW, certainly not me.

the loudmouth is an ahole for sure, but he does excellent film analysis and player analysis pre draft. And he doesnt just give you his opinion, he shows you the film, and of course then we are free to see things the same way or think he is wrong. I find myself agreeing with him a lot. Also youre right, they rarely have inside info. That's not their thing. So when he said what he said about Poles and Warren fighting, it got my attention, especially because it wasnt a headline, but buried deep in a podcast - I got the feeling it was just true that he'd heard that. I do know he has connections in Halas Hall, and Adam Rank and Courtney Cronin both respect him. The McCaskeys know them too, because they are always talking to them at events and stuff, but they dont give them a press pass, because they arent team friendly enough at all. But your feelings about him as a loudmouth are 100% right. He is difficult to listen to - huge ego, extremely defensive and self promoting. BUT, his film analysis is the best I've seen - better than the ex NFL QBs I see on youtube etc. Epecially when it comes to OL analysis, run fits etc. I have learned more from him than anyone. I dont necessarily take his opinion just because it's his, but when he illustrates the film, it is very enlightening. Also, I think you have to pay the $7 a month on patreon to see the analysis stuff. The regular podcasts are long, and half the time he just talks about how smart they are and how they dont follow trends, and that is unpleasant and boring to me too.