BearFan PHX

I really hope they dont screw this up, or take too long talking about it and lose him to someone else. he really would be a perfect fit for this city. I could see him here for a decade or longer. Like a real team. With a real coach. At this point it's either we go up from here, or total destruction, and becoming basically an expansion team starting from scratch, because Caleb, Jaylon Johnson and others simply aren't gonna sit around for 4 more years of corporate nonsense.

What you'd never hear from Eberflus or Nagy

Caleb IS the seed of hope, but he has a lot to carry on his back. And his own growth to attend to as well. Without him, we would have nothing firm to build on.

I dont know the players yet to have an opinion, but the trade down was certainly godly, and the positions you covered were good. Like you said, I dunno if youd have the priviledge to take a DT first and still fix your OL and EDGE. You did it here. If you could do it in reality, I'd fire Poles right now.

Yeah and watch Bagent win the game and all hell breaks loose LOL Please dont get me wrong, Ill take Caleb over Bagent for our future all day long, but it is possible that at this moment, Bagent would be better, since he gets the ball out of his hands so fast. And if Bagent has success, this circus will go up in massive flames. It's a hell of a risk, even as it seems like it's removing another risk. Trying to do the right thing for this dysfunctional team is pretty much impossible right now.

I completely agree that Johnson is an excellent OC. But what makes us think he will be a good HC? I dont see the alphness or leadership qualities in his interviews or mic'ed up footage. He doesnt need to be jacked up like Vrabel, but I look at a guy like McVey, who has a similar physicality to Johnson, and the energy is really different. The confidence and power is big with McVey, and not Johnson. Whoever our next coach is has to bring these players back from the edge. At best it is a gamble to think the Johnson will be able to do that - meaning, maybe he will, but it is unknown. I understand that looking at the smart offense Johnson runs why we would want that for us, for Caleb. If we were talking about OC, it'd be a no brianer - Id rather have Johnson than anyone else - I love the way he uses the running game, and his rhythm in playcalling, how he sets people up. It's all excellent. But head coach is not the same as OC, so make sure you dont fall in love with his offense without considering his ability as a head coach. I think it's a real risk at a time where we shouldnt be taking one. Think of Josh McDaniels. Hes a great OC. Maybe our next one But he has been a terrible head coach twice. Head coach and OC are not the same job. I wouldnt want Dan Campbell as our OC, but he is a really good HC. The dolphins hired Adam Gase to replace Campbell who had been interim head coach.Gase hed been a hot OC, but was a terrible head coach. For me, it's Vrabel easily. For head coach, not OC.

I totally agree. For many years I've followed one losing season after the next thinking "when they are finally good, all this suffering is going to make the result so sweet" But there is paying dues, and then there is insanity. Between Sunday Ticket, and YouTubeTV that I need to buy NFLST, I pay over a thousand dollars a year just to watch this team. And it's terrible. Over and over again. I still think Caleb can be great. I think with the right coach, we might be able to turn it around. But it's going to take more than a few draft picks. Some talented players are going to have to go to get this team right. I wont try to guess which ones can be saved, but there are some very talented players that i just dont know if i can ever trust on this team. Darnell Mooney is about to get 1,000 yards. Many of our OL rejects are playing well for other teams. There is a virus infecting everything, and bringing in players isnt going to be enough if they catch this BS from some of the guys we have. Guys who will go on to be great elsewhere too. Bringing in Ben Johnson isnt going to do it. I dont even know if bringing in Vrabel and quality coordinators is going to be enough. I dont think Ryan Poles has the strength of will to fix this, and I dont think Kevin Warren is some kind of football visionary either. And our owners. We should have run them out of town with pitchforks 10 years ago. I have never considered giving up on this team, but now, after 40 years of suffering (who are we kidding, the double doink team was no champion, and neither was the team thatlost to the Colts int he SB) Im seriously considering giving up on them and football all together. I will probably watch again for one more year. If we sign a good coach, I probably have one more try in me. But f*ck the McCaskeys. How dare they destroy this franchise. Someone should organize an online movement to not buy any merch until the Bears have a winning season. Maybe a total boycott if such a thing is even possible. Something that lets these jerks know that there is no more $ for them until the remove McCaskey from the chaimanship, and they have a winning season. There's probably nothing I can do, but the worst of it is that my anger is turning into apathy.

good point. McDaniels would be unlikely to leave for a HC job anytime soon Daboll would be good too. What do we think about Saleh as DC? I dont love the guy, but under Vrabel, it could work. Edit - well he was pretty good as DC for Shanahan in SF, and he was on Carrol's legion of boom team as a quality control assistant. Ill tell you what, if he brings in the Pete Carrol "theres only 5 ways to tackle someone" discipline, im ALL for it. and he preaches turnovers too. If we had three former HC on staff, itd be a huge departure from what weve had before thats for sure. More and more Im becoming convinced that Vrabel is the right answer for us.

I was just going on a report I heard where some ousted GM (from the Falcons maybe?) is being looked at for NE, and he and Vrabel have a connection? But I just read that, I dunno know if it's true or anything. But whoever it is, if we want the guy, we should move now. An exhaustive search doesnt help you if at the end you decide the guy you wanted is already gone.

yeah DM is a hell of a player. Love his heart and how much he gives of himself. I hope he heals quickly and fully.

there is no doubt Brown was an improvement over Waldron as OC. Brown didnt abandon the running game. But why are we not rolling Caleb out more? Where are the slant routes and other timing plays? Where is the short play action game? Brown was better, but not good enough. And again, I don't fully judge Brown for that, because to do that, you'd have to have the team from August where you can install your own playbook, habits, timing, all of that. But just because there are resons or excuses why it isn't working doesnt mean it would be great if Brown had had the team since the summer. So like I said, the most charitable thing I can say is that he is an unknown. And surely, this mess is not all on him 100%

for sure, they need to either extend him or fire him.

I totally agree. If you want Vrabel, dont mess around and just go get him.

Well Waldron's playcalling was SOOOO terrible, and he was abandoning the run game so that when Brown came in and just called plays normally, it looked like a huge step up. But that doesnt mean it was actively GOOD or would beat good teams, it just looked better than the crap we are used to. Watch the Chiefs, or the Bills or the 49ers etc and youll see GOOD playcalling. Then you will realize how unprofessional our product has been for so long. Im not haitng on Brown, he may have a bright future, but it really shows you how bad weve had it, when we are all drooling over a guy who was an OC last year and had playcalling taken away from him, then was an assistant coach who wasnt even allowed to talk to our QB - suddenly he is OC, and does OK, ad we are ready to make him a head coach. None of this is a fair audition for Borwn of course. You need to have a team in August to install your vision and be judged on it, but neither is it proof that brown is any good at all. Right now, he is at best an unknown.

Im not a fan of hiring Brown to be head coach. Im not even sure he has done enough to get an offensive coordinator's position right now, but building a team and a playbook starts in training camp and it is almost impossible to turn something like this around in a couple weeks. It all begins in August, which is why Poles was an idiot to retain Eberflus.

I hear ya - I worry that Vrabel might want the Patriots job too, and they might want him too.

yup

His zone blocking was excellent tonight. He is smart and knows who to hit - the anti-Leno. But he gets beat on pass protection way too much for a LT. Maybe you're right and he's a guard. I would trust him there more than Braxton at least. But if they bring in 4 new guys, Im not gonna complain.

some do. some are half assing it. but until we have a coach I wont make too many assumptions about how the players are behaving. But for example, Jaylon Jones isnt wearing a captains patch in this game. He's phoning it in. Hes got a big contract, and hes been good when the games mattered. Id love to crap all over him for giving up, but I only really care how hed be next year. This has been such a sh*it show. Cole Kmet's blocks have been halfhearted too.

right. but it can be described all in one thing. it's a lack of discipline. we are also lacking personnel awareness. not helping Amagadje for example. that's all on coaching. And yes a lot of the players are not giving maximal effort either. but again thats discipline. Caleb needs to learn to read the field faster and get the ball out too. That's been getting worse. hopefully good coaching will fix that too.

holding, drops, not reporting. Someone tell me we just need an Xs and Os guy like Johnson. LOL. Vrabel will actually spank some people. We are a bad team with a better roster.

LOL Im not actually a pessimist. Youll see when we are good. Im actually a really positive person. THe reason I think players and coaches are bad isnt because Im quick to hate, its because theyve been awful.

because our coaches are terrible.

I thought of you when it happened. I hope so too.

until he got destroyed and gave up a quick sack fumble. ugh. Good to see we didnt lose anything with Braxton out. Amagadje can give up a bull rush just as well.