BearFan PHX

great article. lots to digest. its always tough to read stats out of the context of the film, but there are definitely some interesting points here.

for sure, and Allen is getting older too, even if it's not another team that takes him away. DJ Moore is gonna be a Bear for a long time I think. He is worth what we pay him. And you need two good WRs to make an offense work. This is why drafting a WR is so important this year. Allen is more than a placeholder, hes a multiplier to mentor the rookie, and the rookie will come on as Allen fades. Plus paying DJ Moore, youre gonna need that other WR on a rookie deal. The more I think about what I read here (was it ASHKUM?) the more I think that if MHJr, Odunze and Nabers are not available to us, we could trade down from 9 to like 15 and take Thomas, the other LSU WR there.

This is my thinking too - especially now that the roster has filled out some.

I agree with a lot of this. Im not suggesting that a coach needs to be a yeller. When I was thinking of Parcells, I was thinking of him yelling "this is why you lift all them weights" to inspire - not yelling out of anger. I just dont read Fous as an alpha. Of your list i think Wannstedt and Fox were alphas. Jauron and especially Trestman were pussies. nagy had a kind of fake swagger that felt insecure to me. And youre right, lots of alpha coaches do porly too, because there are lots of things that go into being a good coach, and leadership is only one of them. But i dont think Flus is an inspiring leader. But he got the gig, and now he is surrounded by talent and what seems to be an excellent coaching staff. So while I dont see Flus as being an impediment to winning or anything like that, I also think we lost the opportunity to bring someone in who would add an edge to us winning that Flus lacks. Still I think think we can win anyway. But I wont be surprised if year 3 Caleb Williams yells at Flus on the sidelines or shows leadership to bring the team out of some mud, pulling the coaches along with him. Flus isn't a top dog type. And I will also say that some alphas are quiet. I still dont think Flus is one of them though? No doubt Landry was quiet, but he was the unquestioned alpha in the room, I'm sure you agree. Not by title alone, but by personal energy, even if it was quiet.

for sure. to me, Id add that Flus is not the kind to command respect. He may well earn respect, as a nice guy, a guy you can trust, but i just cant see him scaring anyone. Hes a good cop. Poles hugging is an example of him being a good cop too. Im not saying they cant cut anyone, but I dont know if they can motivate the kind of players who need the stick instead of the carrot to change so they don't need to be traded or cut? Or in game? I think of how motivating Bill Parcells was on the sidelines, and i think we miss an opportunity for that sort of leadership by having Flus as our HC. But maybe Caleb will take on that role. Some might say its insubordinate or inappropriate, and they well could be right on rank alone, but leaders lead, especially when (if) there is a vacuum from above. Maybe Jalen Carter wouldnt respond to that kind of coaching. Maybe they know this and are building a certain kind of culture, call it modern, I dunno.

right, but unless Caleb invited him, you cant really take any hidden meaning from it? For example, and Im totally making this up, maybe Caleb isnt sold on the Bears and has told them he is interviewing them too. Then the bears ask Allen to show up to try to convince Caleb. Im not saying that's true, Im just saying how different scenarios could all fit Allen's attendance?

for sure. There are scenarios where QBs go 1234, and the Bears trade up to 5 to get MHJr. That would be insane - unlikely, but awesome. Because youre totally right, Moore is like Steve Smith, but MHJr is like Randy Moss. More of an X. Was it you that posted earlier about Allen in the slot? Saying this same logic might also mean a trade down from 9 to 15th-ish to take LSUs Thomas as an X? I keep thinking on that, and it makes a lot of sense.

yeah, and I guess that he and Caleb have hung out before too. But youre right, it's not like he flew in. But he did already have his Bears stuff on. Also, apparently on ESPN, Caleb was asked about the Bears roster and he said "and now we have Keenan here for a 4th rounder" and in slipping up and saying "here" some people think that's a sign that it's all a done deal. I doubt very highly that Poles has told Williams it's for sure though - not until he gets his Halas Hall visit and whatever tests he wants to put him under (remember Wright last year) - and I dont think it's that the tests are necessary for the decision, but if you already tell the guy it's 100%, then how are you gonna test him after that with a straight face? LOL It's like a weird dance - they both know where it's going but they're still pretending they don't - maybe that's what's making it awkward? They arent "teammates" yet. I do think that once Caleb gets established, if he becomes great, he might take an alpha roll on the team over Eberflus and Poles - and while that's generally inappropriate, he might also drag everyone in the building to super bowl wins. Maybe Caleb will be the accountability we needed. And I wouldnt hate that.

I am seriously going to hold my breath until they actually read the name off of the card at the draft. Starting now. (deep inhale)

Yeah Flus is cringey. I still dont know exactly why they kept him, but I do feel like the staff around him is top notch. Once they all go into battle together, that should help cohere them into a family.

In my job I met and worked with a lot of celebrities. Most are extreme, either the nicest person you ever met, or a giant jerk - about 50/50. But one person I met was the most boring person Ive ever met. His personality was like mashed potatoes. it wasnt just that he was so nothing, but it like took all the energy out of everyone standing near them too. It was like a cloud of calm. And that was Joe Montana. He was like a black hole of a personality. Not negative, just incredibly neutral. I can imagine it's the end of the superbowl, and the pressure is intense, and Joe just looks at Dwight Clark and says "just run about 10 yards into the corner there, and then Ill throw the ball and you catch it. easy." that kind of calm in a storm was probably like a superpower. So yes, Caleb seems both insecure and cocky all at once. It's a lot for a young man to be capable of, and invested in, greatness, while still be a kid that has never thrown a ball in the NFL. I think he will grow into it. It's pretty impressive that he's come this far so young. But is it incomplete and somewhat awkward - it totally is.

lol

Cool - good question. I cant speak to the specific play (unless you find me a specific time on the film to look at), but in general when Caleb didnt get the ball out fast, he was generally looking for deeper receivers, where Justin was just afraid to throw. Caleb was buying more time in the pocket and still reading the defense, where Justin would be running out of the pocket and then structure would break down. Also, I very rarely saw Justin make those plays in rhythm, especially after the scripted first plays, where I have seen Caleb do it dozens of times. So I dont think Justin CAN do it, where I think Caleb just needs to do it more, but has shown he can do it a lot. Understand too, that Caleb didn't lose a game where his defense held the opponent under 34 points! All those losses were games where he had to be a Brett Favre like gunslinger. And I agree he will need to understand the wisdom of moving the chains in the NFL, but then again, he'll have a defense too? That's the difference I see. If you watch the Colorado game for example, Caleb is making all kinds of reads in tempo. That'd be my answer of the difference anyway. I dont think Caleb has any real problems as a QB, I just hope his character fits and that he wants to be here and is coachable.

awesome, thank you! I just try to look at film so sometimes that means I have ideas that aren't in harmony with whatever narratives are out there. Sometimes Im right, and sometimes Im just swinging out in the wind. But it makes for good stuff to debate anyway.

agree. I sure hope not tho.

fair enough - lets say warming to the idea. or even if you like the haul, that doesnt diminish Caleb's upside either? Something like that?

It's hard to say. I'm still a big fan of his talent, but there is something about him that I cant put my finger on. I heard one sportswriter say that maybe he's trying to thread the needle of being pro Bear, but not disrespectful to another team that might trade up for him. That seems far fetched. That Allen came out to see him might indicate that he's coming to Chicago. Poles doesnt know him yet, so I guess it's more respectful. He DID squeeze, but the look aways were fast. Did he just ignore Eberflus? Then again he slipped on ESPN and said "and Keenen is HERE for a 4th rounder" meaning Chicago... I dunno, there are so many tea leaves to overreact to. Anyway, while I'd still take him at #1, I know what you mean AZ54. Something is weird. I feel it too. P.S. Im not predicting this, but I have been talking about a scenario for a while now where if Caleb didnt want to come to Chicago, and he told Poles that privately, would Poles want to announce it? Doesnt it make Chicago look bad and powerless? So mightn't both participate in a charade that we traded down for the haul? So no one judges Caleb, and the Bears dont get publicly dissed? It's a far fetched theory. But if we dont take him, Im always gonna wonder.

here's a link to get around the paywall. All you ever have to do it put archive.is in front of the www part for any protected article https://archive.is/www.chicagotribune.com/2024/03/20/chicago-bears-caleb-williams-pro-day/

100% - hopefully they will seal up this loophole.

I truly am glad to see everyone starting to align behind Caleb. I think he is going to make all of us excited to be Bear fans. I had thought this survey was going to be more scattered, so maybe we are all going to be a community again next year.

did MHJr do any physicals? I feel like based on what Caleb did, the league should make the Combine physicals mandatory, if you want to come into the league. Participating in drills and the rest, having a pro day, thats all up to the player in my opinion, but if you want in the league, you should have to do a physical? Caleb says he only wants to do physicals for teams that could really draft him. But what about a dark horse team that wants to trade up? Do they have to alert the entire league that they are planning that in order to get a physical? Seems wrong?

yeah, I was just having fun because of you having some about the hugging comment. It wasnt related to this thread, just like your hugging comment wasnt really part of the other thread either.

I liked what was said earlier about maybe trading down to #11 or whatever to pick up the other LSU WR. You could make a case for doing that for JPJ too I guess, but id like to see us get a real WR to learn under Allen. OT and DL is on the block at 9 too if the right guys fall?

And all I sad at the time was that I think a GM should have a little more distance from the players, and with Poles being young and a former player, i was hoping he wasn't getting too sucked into wanting to be liked by the players, because that can be a kind of a conflict of interest. Then what followed was weeks of people bashing me for that comment. Just like there were months of bashing me because i was early to see that Justin wasn't going to get fixed. I posted film, I took the time to draw out what I was seeing. All to show why I was saying it, that it wasnt hating. And the funny thing is, that regardless of the personal nature of those weeks and months of crap, both my initial comments were about Bears players, not anyone here. That's what still astounds me. But like I said, I will just follow the speed of traffic. If we want to be put-downy and sarcastic, I'm all for it - it's fun. Just why does everyone get so weird when i join in? If you guys knew me in real life, you'd never expect be to be anyone's sub. So if that's the role you guys need for me here, you're gonna be disappointed. That's all. Talk nice, I'm nice, Play a little rough, which is cool, then me too. That's all pretty simple. Remember, my career was in the record biz in NYC for decades. It wasn't all please and thank you I promise you. I can play sarcastic and all that - it's a natural New Yorker skill. It's just that I grew up in the midwest, and I left NYC for Az because people are less meatheads here. I like that. I like having neighbors that go to church, served in the army or are in bike gangs. Everyone here has some kind of politeness or mutual respect. I dig that. The way Men should treat other Men. Just got tired of it in NYC, but I was never seen as the loser or the cuck in my real life. So I think it's funny that people misread my ability to write as some kind of weakness LOL Anyway, I just respond in kind. If we talk Bears, I'm good. I don't need to start any of that crap - I've already started and finished a lifetime of it in the NYC dirty world of the record business. Some absolutely rough people there. But I was always respected and a leader. It was fun.

thanks so VERY much for your input! I just want to be cool like everyone else. Love YOUR nonsense too! Thanks VERY much for this fun interaction! This post brought to you by double standards