Alex Smith is being released

[Stinger226]

Sounds like a perfect Nagy scenario. Wont cost much , no draft capital,  and then still draft a QB. I would say better than Foles. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Alex Smith was pretty lousy last year.  I am probably the biggest Foles disliker on this entire forum and I would take him over Smith as a starting QB and I've been on the record numerous times that the only scenario where I accept Foles as the starter to open camp is because the team has invested in a high upside young QB that it likes (i.e., 1st round pick) who they aren't quite yet ready to throw the feet to the fire on.  

I don't have an issue with Smith persay - cause maybe another off-season physically helps him, but in my opinion he is purely a back-up level player at this point. If the Bears didn't have Foles - I would be all over signing Smith to be on the roster - because I think he's a very capable back-up and just a good lockeroom guy to have around.  

[BearFan PHX]

43 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

Alex Smith was pretty lousy last year.  I am probably the biggest Foles disliker on this entire forum and I would take him over Smith as a starting QB and I've been on the record numerous times that the only scenario where I accept Foles as the starter to open camp is because the team has invested in a high upside young QB that it likes (i.e., 1st round pick) who they aren't quite yet ready to throw the feet to the fire on.  

I don't have an issue with Smith persay - cause maybe another off-season physically helps him, but in my opinion he is purely a back-up level player at this point. If the Bears didn't have Foles - I would be all over signing Smith to be on the roster - because I think he's a very capable back-up and just a good lockeroom guy to have around.  

I think you're right. The only way Foles is the starter on opening day is if they have a young QB that isnt ready yet, but should be during the season. I suppose signing a big name free agent and having him get injured might be another way, but no one can predict that.

But I agree the plan will not be Foles unless the plan is to replace Foles when a youngster is ready.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

8 minutes ago, BearFan NYC said:

I think you're right. The only way Foles is the starter on opening day is if they have a young QB that isnt ready yet, but should be during the season. I suppose signing a big name free agent and having him get injured might be another way, but no one can predict that.

But I agree the plan will not be Foles unless the plan is to replace Foles when a youngster is ready.

Haha - I almost said the other scenario - trade / acquire big name guy only to have him get hurt in camp - but I figured I didn't want to put that sort of negativity out there lol.  I also think the above scenario is still probably the most likely (i.e., Bears drafting a young QB) - really if you are Pace/Nagy - you really just need them to show some glimmer of hope and you probably can justify a rational for why the org should be patient with you at that point vs. changing directions.  

I have to think Mac Jones stock sky-rocketing had to catch the Bears off-guard though, cause reality is it almost means no matter what the Bears do at QB - they are going to have to give up assets (where as right at the start of the off-season, they probably would have guessed they had a shot at one of the top 5 QB's when they pick at 20.  

[Stinger226]

The top 5 QBs are going to be gone by 20. I think they will all be gone by pick 12 which is SF. Between us and pick 12 are NE and Wash of which will be in a better position to move up. With the unlove of Cousins in Minny, I can see them getting a replacement attempt before us. So if we dont have a chance to get a top 5 QB, as most consider the drop off begins, that means we probably dont get to draft one in the first round. The next group, Trask and Mills actually arent rated high enough to take with our 2nd pick either. So anyone we draft is way down on the list of starting in the first couple of years. Getting any of the potential good QBs being traded to us are slim and none. There are other teams with better draft capital or more cap space. I personally would be in for bringing in Minchew but that isnt even in the talk right now. So we are stuck with the potential of Foles starting with a middle round QB prospect. I would prefer a better option of Smith being added to the mix. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

15 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

The top 5 QBs are going to be gone by 20. I think they will all be gone by pick 12 which is SF. Between us and pick 12 are NE and Wash of which will be in a better position to move up. With the unlove of Cousins in Minny, I can see them getting a replacement attempt before us. So if we dont have a chance to get a top 5 QB, as most consider the drop off begins, that means we probably dont get to draft one in the first round. The next group, Trask and Mills actually arent rated high enough to take with our 2nd pick either. So anyone we draft is way down on the list of starting in the first couple of years. Getting any of the potential good QBs being traded to us are slim and none. There are other teams with better draft capital or more cap space. I personally would be in for bringing in Minchew but that isnt even in the talk right now. So we are stuck with the potential of Foles starting with a middle round QB prospect. I would prefer a better option of Smith being added to the mix. 

You are probably 100% right on the above. But if you are Pace - is that seriously how you are going down?  With Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles again as QB?  Maybe that is okay if Pace thinks highly of Minshew (in fact if he does - great - I don't fault this at all).  But otherwise - what are you going to do - tell McCaskey's at end of the season but but but? No - you can't do that.  If you are Nagy - you might have an out - if you somehow were .500 with those turds as your QB all year - whether Bears keep you or not - you probably have a resume that gets you another coaching job.  You could pretty clearly state you have always been .500 or better despite below average QB play and maybe you directly lay some of that blame on front office that never got you what you needed / pivoted despite whatever feedback you gave (it was pretty clear Nagy was done with Trubisky a whole year ago and Fole was the best the 2 could come up with).  

But bottom line - Pace and Nagy know they need to find a QB.  Pace literally has no excuse - if he doesn't deliver an answer at QB or a different path to a winning team - he's toast.  Unless of course he's cleared it with McCaskey - such as - look - I could do X or Y and we can go there, but here is the downside so my preference is this plan - but it will take a bit longer - are you committed to doing such.  

For now - I'm going to assume - Bears are going to go down one of these paths:

 - Acquire potential reclamation QB who they pair with a mid round pick (i.e., sign Winston, trade for Minshwe/Mariotta + draft in 2nd / 3rd round whomever they like best)

- Make a big strike (i.e., Carr, Wilson, Watson, type of QB (Jimmy G or Cousins I suppose would fit into this list - but much less preferable)

- Acquire QB with 1st round pick (trade up or one falls - doesn't matter - but if either shows promise - than Pace/Nagy hitch there hat on that progress) 

The "big strike" is most expensive, probably highest floor - because this team in the short team is pretty good with a major upgrade at QB and while not having draft picks hurts - it probably hurts more in 2 or 3 years than it does in 1 year (and maybe you can supplement those lost picks in years 2/3 with an expanding cap - cause revenues will normalize and cap probably has a big jump in years 2/3 - especially with new tv dollars coming in). 

Safest bet is to trade up and get one of the young QB's and just hope they don't look like instant dumpster fires.  That should be enough to buy at least a year and if you are ownership - probably easiest to sign up for because yes you've given picks away, but you certainly aren't giving up the same # of assets that it would take for the "big strike".   

Anything other than the above - I just don't see how Pace could do it, unless he got an extension none of us knew about - in which case I'd be going about this entirely differently.  

[Stinger226]

I agree with most of what you say, I think they will have to be lucky to get a legitimate starter in any of their options. They either get lucky or both will lose their job after this year. Mortgaging their future drafts for a big strike is probably not going to happen, why would the teams trade Watson or Wilson? They should get fired if they do. Although, if anybody is capable of over paying and forcing a trade it would be Pace.

[Mongo3451]

Alex Smith is better than Foles and it's not debatable to me.  That being said, I never want to see Smith carted off the field again, especially in a bears uniform.  My true belief is that we need a year of pain before we get our next QB.  Let's ride with Foles and Trubisky again while we build the infrastructure.

[Bill]

25 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

Alex Smith is better than Foles and it's not debatable to me.  That being said, I never want to see Smith carted off the field again, especially in a bears uniform.  My true belief is that we need a year of pain before we get our next QB.  Let's ride with Foles and Trubisky again while we build the infrastructure.

Hear ye, Hear ye