adam

I think Fangio is more like Dick LaBeau, seen as a great DC, but never really seen as having great HC potential (for some reason). I agree with Jason, I would hate to lose him, especially after 1 year into a 3-4 conversion.

Some intrigue for the final game of the year, will this be Forte's swan song? Will this be Adam Gase's last game with the team as OC? Will any new players emerge or standout? Will the Bears avenge their previous loss? Will the refs actually call a fair game? Which draft pick will the Bears end up with? Will Mariani gain more than 3 yards on a punt return? Will SMC play and look completely lost in coverage? Will Gould miss another FG? Will we have Red Zone success? My prediction: Bears 27-20, drafting 16th

You really think with all those openings that he won't get a chance? Just look at some of the recent hires over the last couple of years. He would've had the SF job if he wanted it last year. I think he is gone. Most of the other popular candidates are on playoff teams, so he will get the jump on interviews and will probably be signed before the Super Bowl.

14. Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State Jay Cutler looked like a new man earlier in the year, but he has regressed recently. Part of the blame has to be on the offensive line, which features two struggling tackles. Kyle Long is out of place and should be used at guard, while Charles Leno is just a swing tackle, at best. 44. Austin Johnson, DT, Penn State The Bears need as much defensive help as possible as they continue to transition into their new 3-4 scheme. The defensive line is comprised of mediocre players, at best, so this is an area the front office will have to upgrade this offseason. 75. Anthony Zettel, DE/DT, Penn State A second defensive lineman in three rounds makes sense for the Bears, who continue to transition into their new 3-4 defense. 106. Devontae Booker, RB, Utah The Bears are grooming Jeremy Langford to be their starting running back of the future. Matt Forte will likely leave in free agency this offseason, so a backup will be needed behind Langford. http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2016.php I don't mind going OL, then DL, but Johnson is the only guy relatively close to his current draft ranking. I don't see Conklin going in the top half of the first. 2x Penn State Lineman? Then top it off with a RB in the 4th? I just don't see it. With the devaluation of the position, and having 2x young RB's, I don't think we can afford to go RB there. For the first 4 rounds, we need to address OL, DL, LB, and DB in no particular order unless there is a ridiculous value there.

Yep, McCoy was OC before he went to SD, and Whisenhunt was almost hired by Fox as well.

With the potential to lose Adam Gase after this season with so many HC job openings projected to be available, who do you think will be the Bears next OC and why.

Yeah, there are just too many jobs for him to pass up as he seems like the top "buzz" candidate. These seem like the jobs either open or potentially opening up: PHI, IND, DET, CLE, SD, SF, NYG PHI, is pretty dysfunctional, but you can't do much worse MIA, some nice defensive pieces, nice weather TEN, Mariota, and another high draft pick -------------------------------------------- IND, you have Luck DET, Gase is from Michigan CLE, some young pieces and another early draft pick SD, aging Rivers, uncertain location, but with a high draft pick SF, see PHI NYG, if Coughlin calls it quicks, you get Beckham to play with but an aging Eli that was not really good to begin with So to me, for Gase, it will come down to IND, DET, MIA, or TEN. Now for his replacement in Chicago, if we do not promote within, I have heard the names Mike McCoy, Ken Whisenhunt, and Pat Shurmur as potential Gase replacements. They all seem to be decent and better coordinators than HC's (for McCoy and Whisenhunt).

AZ, I am surprised about Acho, I thought he did a decent job as a role player. Nothing special, but with all the holes to fill, I didn't see him as a spot that was in dire need of an upgrade. We need some continuity to improve.

Yeah, I see 2x OL, 1x DL, 1x ILB, and 2x DB.

Interesting. I wonder if this is so he doesn't lose any more confidence or is this a confidence booster? I think it comes down to mechanics, and with him I believe he may have more natural ability on the left side. I also believe he played some LT for the Ducks, so it wouldn't be a completely new position for him. Lastly, it will probably come down to our other acquisitions. If we pick up a true RT, then he may end up on the left.

First Round, no way in hell. I would say the earliest I would consider Fuller would be if he is still around in the 3rd.

I would bring back the following UFA's: 1. Jeffery (either a team friendly/injury prevention deal or tag) 2. Porter (has been solid and I like the veteran presence) 3. Miller (still has a few strong years left if he can stay healthy, more upside than Bennett, less of a headache, and cheaper) 4. Acho (solid role player, still should be fairly cheap to retain, knows the system) 5. Jenkins (same as Acho, one less hole to fill) 6. Montgomery (give Grasu some additional time to grow, was solid prior to injury) 7. Mundy (was actually really solid prior to injury, would be nice to see him and Amos together) 8. Unrein (played well enough to consider, depth signing) 9. Thompson (he has shown me enough to bring him on as a 4th/5th WR and full time returner) On the fence: 1. Forte (On one hand, he has been such an integral part of this team for so long, is a pro's pro, and would likely contribute; on the flip-side, he is on the wrong side of 30, and history shows the drop-off is severe for RB's. He has had a bunch of touches in his career, missed some games due to injury (this year), and has clearly lost a step. I would say the only way I would consider would be if he was willing to take significantly less money (which to him would probably be an insult, which is why the Bears have probably not offered him a contract yet). Langford just looks ready to break off an 80 yard run every time he touches the ball (and always falls forward it seems). Carey has actually looked decent lately too. I think this last game will ultimately decide it. If Langford out-touches Forte again, then he is gone (just my opinion). 2. Mariani (was probably a better WR than returner, so if he is willing to take something like 700-800k, he would provide some depth insurance due to question marks) 3. McManis (I am mixed, I think we need an upgrade but he knows the system and should improve, and will come cheap) Hell to the no: 1. SMC (goodbye, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, multiple positions and he failed at all of them, lacks instincts) 2. Ball (for how much we paid, he was a disappointment, money will be used better elsewhere) 3. Ducasse (still can't believe we signed, played, and even started this automatic false start machine)

Lovie didn't touch the offense. Jay had to deal with: Ron Turner, Mike Martz, Mike Freakin Tice, Aaron Kromer/Marc Trestman.

You both are correct in a way. The draft position, based on odds does give you a better chance to pick a better player but I would say the difference between players decreases as you pick later (bigger difference between 4 and 9 than 14 and 19). The other thing to consider in this game is next year's schedule, a win and we are 3rd (playing 3rd place teams STL and NO) or a loss and we are last (playing SF and TB). Just something else to consider. On the flip side, we don't want to have a losing mentality regardless of when we play. Teams like Cleveland, Jacksonville, Detroit, Tennessee, etc who constantly lose almost get accustomed to losing, so there is no real incentive to get better. You should hate to lose more than you like to win. A 7-9 season and 2 win improvement would be great considering our schedule. So as a team, you go into this game like any other, to win. However, it is not a must win, as you can see by how may guys are hitting IR (Goldman just hit it).

If he lands in the NFL, I wouldn't be surprised if it is in Tennessee with Mariota. Here is a rundown on what he did to the Eagles: Traded away: Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy Traded for Sam Bradford and Kiko Alonso Signed via Free Agency: DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, Darren Sproles, and Ryan Mathews Released veterans: DeSean Jackson, Trent Cole, Cary Williams, Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans Allowed Maclin to leave via free agency http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14462075...adelphia-eagles Bears relation.......Gase may be a candidate for the job.

Alaska, what is the common denominator with all those players and teams? A stable coaching staff and a great defense. Brady and Bill forever with a top 10 defense every year and Gronk, Edelman, Welker and Moss to throw to. Wilson hasn't had the top flight WR's but Tate wasn't bad, Baldwin has been on fire, and they had Graham for a good portion of the year. For them, again it is a great defense, a running game, and opportunistic QB in the same system with the same coach. Smith? 3 years with Reid and they finally put it together with a dominant defense and guys like Maclin and Kelce to throw to. This year Cutler has had a below average defense, the first year in another system with new coach, a revolving O-Line and starting lineup every week and yet he has improved. I can't see any of those QB's you mentioned or Rodgers doing much better given the circumstances.

I agree, Pace has impressed, and Rodgers and the Special Teams has been a disaster. Now to his defense, he gets to use the bottom of the 53-man, and he saw a pretty good carousel of players to make into a unit.

We are now tied for the toughest SoS with 49ers, which means we lose the tie breaker and would pick lowest among teams with the same record. Updated after Monday Night Football: 1. Tennessee Titans (3-12) - (@IND) ~ 3-13 2. Cleveland Browns (3-12) - (PIT) ~ 3-13 3. San Diego Chargers (4-11) - (@DEN) ~ 4-12 4. Dallas Cowboys (4-11) - (WAS) ~ 4-12 5. San Francisco 49ers (4-11) - (STL) ~ 4-12 ----------------------------------------- 6. Miami Dolphins (5-10) - .453 (NE) ~ 5-11 7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) - .467 (@HOU) ~ 5-11 8. Baltimore Ravens (5-10) - .489 (@CIN) ~ 5-11 ----------------------------------------- 9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9) - .453 (@CAR) ~ 6-10 10. New York Giants (6-9) - .496 (PHI) ~ 6-10 11. New Orleans Saints (6-9) - .507 (@ATL) ~ 6-10 12. Philadelphia Eagles (6-9) - .520 (NYG) ~ 7-9 13. Detroit Lions (6-9) - .531 (@CHI) ~ 7-9 14. Chicago Bears (6-9) - .556 (DET) ~ 6-10 (Proj: 12th w/ loss, proj 16th w/ win) ----------------------------------------- 15. Buffalo Bills (7-8) - .498 (NYJ) ~ 7-9 16. Oakland Raiders (7-8) - .502 (@KC) ~ 7-9 17. Indianapolis Colts (7-8) - .516 (TEN) ~ 8-8 18. St. Louis Rams (7-8) - .542 (@SF) ~ 8-8

Yeah, this team in its current construct will easily go 8-8 to 9-7 with that schedule, so if we can continue to improve and fill holes, 10-11 wins is not out of the question.

Rodgers has been mediocre at best and it is amazing he has not received more flak in the media. After their 6-0 start, the Packers are 4-5 (and really should be 3-6 if not for that ridiculous game against Detroit). In the 4 wins, they beat OAK, DAL, DET, and MIN. In the last 9 games he has a 56% completion pct, and is only averaging 226 yard/game and 5.8 Y/A. He has also been sacked 30 times in those 9 games. Rodgers has clearly showed what happens when you lose or don't have a true #1 WR, a bad O-Line, no running game, and sketchy play-calling. Cutler has dealt with a combination of those and more over his Bears career. He has had a revolving carousel at OC, HC, and has also had some brutally bad defenses.

Interesting to note that the Bears have 9 losses, with 7 coming against playoff teams, and 6 with teams projected to have 10 or more wins. We did not lose to a single non-playoff team in regulation (losing to DET and SF in OT). 6 of our losses were within one score or less (8 pts). Of our 6 wins, only one was by more than 5 pts (scary). So just as easily as we could've been 12-3, we could've been 1-14. It is nice to know our schedule will be heavily in our favor next season: Schedule

After Week 16: Jay Cutler (just passed 31k Passing yards and 200 TDs) - 2,684 completions (31st, 49 from 30th and Steve McNair) - 31,163 yards (41st, 141 from 40th and Steve McNair) - 202 TD (38th, 1 from 37th and Jim Everett) - 1,192 Rushing Yards (4th for Bears QBs All-time, 93 from Jim McMahon) - 15 straight games with 0-1 INTs (dating back to 2014) Matt Forte - 8,526 rushing yards (39th, 71 from 38th and Jim Taylor, 6th among active RBs) - 12,608 yds from scrimmage (52nd, 6 from 51st and Thomas Jones, 7 from 50th and Ricky Williams) - 4,082 receiving yards (2nd among Active RBs, 54 yards from 1st and Sproles) - 484 receptions (1st among Active RBs) Robbie Gould - 1,199 Points (40th, 9 pts from 39th and Kevin Butler) - 274 FG Made (34th, 1 from 33rd and Stephen Gostkowski) - 377 XP Made (T-46th, 9 from 45th and Lou Michaels) Alshon Jeffery (Bears All-time Receiving Numbers): - 252 receptions (10th, 8 from 9th and Matt Suhey) - 3,728 yards (8th, 167 from 7th and Marty Booker) - 24 TD (11th, 1 from 10th and Bill McColl/Marty Booker) Shea McClellin (Bears All-Time Defense) - 98 Tackles (57th, 5 from 56th and Jon Bostic - he should pass Jon Bostic this season) - 7.5 Sacks (42nd, 0.5 from T-40th and Bryan Cox/Jay Ratliff) Willie Young - 16.5 Sacks (T-21st, 2 from 20th and Al Harris) Kyle Fuller - 6 INT (T-75th, 1 from T-67th and Mike Singletary/Danieal Manning)

No, we lose to all of them, only SF and DAL have a comparable SoS, we would pick last out of those 4. We are now locked out of the top 8 for sure. So right now it looks like this: 9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9) - .478 (@CAR) ~ 6-10 10. New Orleans Saints (6-9) - .513 (@ATL) ~ 6-10 11. Philadelphia Eagles (6-9) - .513 (NYG) ~ 7-9 12. Detroit Lions (6-9) - .531 (@CHI) ~ 7-9 13. Chicago Bears (6-9) - .540 (DET) ~ 6-10 (Proj: 12th) 14. New York Giants (6-8) - .496 (@MIN, PHI) ~ 6-10 ----------------------------------------- 15. Indianapolis Colts (7-8) - .504 (TEN) ~ 8-8 16. Oakland Raiders (7-8) - .504 (@KC) ~ 7-9 17. Buffalo Bills (7-8) - .518 (NYJ) ~ 7-9 18. St. Louis Rams (7-8) - .531 (@SF) ~ 8-8 A loss and we are locked in at 12 (regardless of who wins between NYG/PHI), this also assumes TB and NO losses. The worst scenario is a win where we would fall to 16th (assuming STL and IND win finales). So now it looks like 12 or 16 depending on win or loss.

Game ball goes to Jones-Quartey; what a game for the rookie. A goal-line INT, a forced fumble, and 2 passes defended. If not for some ridiculousness on some broken plays, this game would not have been this close. TB got 43 and 50 yard TD plays and another catch for 46. I have mixed feelings about the win, hurts draft position (by 3-4) but nice to get a win and beat last year's win total. Cutler with another solid game without a turnover and with very little passing options outside of Miller. Royal dropped a easy TD pass which would've given Cutler 2 on the day. He still finished with a 100.1 QB Rating. The Bears dominated TOP, Langford had 83 yards on 19 carries and besides for not finishing drives (4 FGs), the offense did enough to win. Langford/Carey duo may be enough if Forte wants too much money (if he is even offered anything). The defense actually stuffed the run and Martin only had 49 yards on 17 carries. Besides for discipline on some broken plays, and a couple of bad angles (Amos/Porter), the defense played solid even after some injuries.

Gore got 3 year 12 million with 6.5 in guarantees. I wouldn't be against something like that with the 3rd year really being an option year with little to no dead money.