Smith and Angelo at Odds?

[madlithuanian]

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=518351

 

Mike Florio

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Bears coach, GM are at a crucial crossroads

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Posted: February 16, 2009

Last year, four downtrodden franchises made stunning turnarounds. And one of them made it to the Super Bowl.

 

For most of the other 28 NFL teams, the appropriate reaction should be, "Thanks for nothing."

 

 

With parity and the salary cap already eroding the five-year plan to three, at best, owners could be getting even more impatient in the wake of the resurgences of the Falcons, Dolphins, Ravens and Cardinals, whose coaches have a combined five years of experience.

 

With a quartet of big-name coaches plotting potential returns to the game in 2010, head coaches and general managers will feel the heat this year. Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, and/or Jon Gruden will seek final say over the draft and the roster.

 

The best way, then, to set the table for one of those four will be to fire both the coach and the GM.

 

Chicago is one of the potential hot spots.

 

GM Jerry Angelo has been on the job for nearly eight years, and coach Lovie Smith just completed his fifth season at the helm.

 

The Bears have made the playoffs only twice since '02, despite residing in a generally depleted NFC North. Two other times, the Bears finished last, behind even the Lions.

 

Meanwhile, the Bears have done little under Angelo's watch to compile a consistent winner. The best player, linebacker Brian Urlacher, already was on the team when Angelo arrived.

 

Though some key additions have come through the draft, such as linebacker Lance Briggs, defensive tackle Tommie Harris, cornerback Nathan Vasher, cornerback Charles Tillman, tight end Greg Olson and running back Matt Forte, Angelo has bombed on Day 1 picks like running back Cedric Benson, quarterback Rex Grossman, offensive tackle Marc Colombo, defensive end Michael Haynes, defensive end Dan Bazuin, defensive tackle Tank Johnson and wide receiver Mark Bradley.

 

Complicating matters for Angelo and Smith is the fact Benson, Colombo, Johnson and Bradley have played well after leaving Chicago.

 

Devin Hester, drafted as a cornerback and kick returner, represents a rare non-bust. But the Bears tried to make too much of a good thing, converting him to wide receiver in the hopes he'd become another Steve Smith. Instead, Hester has been mediocre on offense and the sluggish transition has caused him to lose his magic in the return game.

 

For all the struggles with the draft, free agency has been an even bigger problem area for the Bears.

 

Angelo & Co. have watched players like linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and receivers Justin Gage, Bobby Wade and Bernard Berrian walk away. The biggest acquisition has been offensive tackle John Tait. Given his reported retirement, the only remaining noteworthy free-agent signed by Angelo will be guard Roberto Garza.

 

Then there's the whole rap sheet thing. Brushes with the law have arisen with guys like Benson (drunk driving of a car ... and a boat), Johnson (weapons charges and probation violation), Briggs (leaving the scene of an accident) and cornerback Ricky Manning Jr., who allegedly beat the gigabytes out of a guy who had a laptop at an L.A.-area Denny's, only days after signing an offer sheet to join the team.

 

And while no criminal charges were ever filed, center Olin Kreutz broke tackle Fred Miller's jaw during a 2005 fight at an FBI shooting range.

 

Although the legal issues didn't create much of a ruckus they occurred, it's the kind of thing that can grow belated legs if/when the fans and media begin to clamor for change.

 

And change, the buzzword of a certain Chicago-area politician who has done fairly well for himself, could become the Bears' mantra for 2009.

 

To borrow another one of said Chicago-area politician's terms of choice, there's still hope for Angelo and Smith.

 

But it is all riding on what they do in '09. Via free agency, Angelo must bring in a quarterback who inspires confidence inside and outside the locker room. A true No. 1 wideout, from free agency or the draft, also is a must.

 

Regardless of what the Bears do in the offseason, the fates of Angelo and Smith likely will be tied to wins and losses.

 

Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News.

[ChileBear]

Read the article and yes, I can see how it is "calling out" the coaches. But heh, havn't we all been doing that for the past season? It's about time that JA gets some semblance of holding Lovie and the guys he brings in accountable.

I do agree, also, that we need to improve our player quality at the same time. If JA doesn't step it up in FA and the draft, he's got the same problem that he's alluding to with the coaches.

[madlithuanian]

You said it!

 

If JA doesn't step it up in FA and the draft, he's got the same problem that he's alluding to with the coaches.