Now the hard work for Pace begins

mattb78 · May 4, 2017

Hammer said:
In 2017 Offseason/Draft, Pace potentially shored up QB and TE position, and did absolutely nothing more (signed couple of veterans to delay fixing issues on secondary, while RT and 5-tech DE are still a problem), plus he also created a HUGE hole at WR (let Jeffery leave, while his WR pick White is a probable bust).

I agree I would have liked to see a DE and an OLB drafted. I am surprised that after 3 drafts we only have drafted 1 OLB, but that is how the draft fell.

I have alot of hope for Bullard at DE, he may have just needed a year to acclimate. He would plug a huge hole at DE if he can play.

BigUglyBear · May 4, 2017

Does the Bears current cap situation not put them in great shape to pick up cap casualties from other teams (like Sitton last season) to fill some of these weaker positions before the season starts?

PaytonHighstep · May 4, 2017

WindyCity said:
Still Need

-#1 WR
-#1 CB
-#1 S
-OT
-5 Technique
-OLB youth

Now of course guys can grow into those roles in 2017, but those are the needs that I see right now.

Agreed. I wonder if the Bears believe they have a FS on their roster between Eddie Jackson and Deiondre Hall. They had some young CB's get a ton of minutes last year. A couple had moments, so again, I wonder if those guys can take another step this year before drafting a CB early in the draft. I was surprised they didn't get a CB out of this class. I thought it was very deep and i felt a starter could be had in the 3rd/4th rd. Oh well.

Right now, I think they'll focus on LT, Edge, or maybe WR early in the 2018 draft. I think you can find an ILB and 5T in rounds 2-4 of a draft. I don't think those are premium positions and to overvalue them at the top of the 1st rd would be a mistake.

modo · May 4, 2017

BigUglyBear said:
Does the Bears current cap situation not put them in great shape to pick up cap casualties from other teams (like Sitton last season) to fill some of these weaker positions before the season starts?

that is what they have been doing.....safety, one of the CBs, and they are trying to sign Howard the DE from KC.....

they did it last year with Sitton..

Cap casualties are ok, but should not be relied upon.....we still have a couple drafts to go.

xer0h0ur · May 4, 2017

You only have so many picks in drafts and Pace already jettisoned talent from the roster so its slow climbing back up. I have renewed confidence in the man being able to get it done though. Lets see how things shake out this season before we go listing 2018 needs. Don't get me wrong, depth is always appreciated anyways even if you have stop gap guys who pan out.

dweebs19 · May 4, 2017

DaaBears said:
I like the coaching staff just the way it is. We will contend this year, and will probably make playoffs if we stay relatively healthy. Probably need to add a top receiver in draft next year, and one more key secondary defensive player, and a kicker.

contend and make the playoffs this year? wow, I'd like some of what you're drinking

xer0h0ur · May 4, 2017

dweebs19 said:
contend and make the playoffs this year? wow, I'd like some of what you're drinking

Fuck it, let him be optimistic. I expect a fairly well improved team barring another insane string of injuries like last year. I just won't go as far as saying playoffs.

Zenjohn · May 4, 2017

It's "then" not "than"

DaaBears · May 4, 2017

Well, dweebs and xerohour, you may or may not recall how pessimistic I was with the last administration, and how optimistic I was with the administration before that. I was called a homer, and then a hater, and I guess I am now a homer gone. I needed for a number of years 3 people out of here - Emery, Trestman and Cutler. This has been fulfilled. And amazingly I love everything going on now. Our defense is gonna tear it up this year. The only thing I am a little bit a afraid of on offense is that Glennon does not move in the pocket, etc. and then we start changing around the offensive line with super extra blockers, and we fall back into a prevent offense. Not that I want a run and shoot offense, but run the ball and take shots down the field, and plenty of screen passes and short passes.

I have zero doubt, that our defense is amongst the best, or totally the best in the NFL. And it would have been close to that last year if not destroyed by injuries. And I mean destroyed. They were wheeling guys out there I never heard of.

I will not promise playoffs, but pretty confident of that.

nc0gnet0 · May 4, 2017

DaaBears said:
Well, dweebs and xerohour, you may or may not recall how pessimistic I was with the last administration, and how optimistic I was with the administration before that. I was called a homer, and then a hater, and I guess I am now a homer gone. I needed for a number of years 3 people out of here - Emery, Trestman and Cutler. This has been fulfilled. And amazingly I love everything going on now. Our defense is gonna tear it up this year. The only thing I am a little bit a afraid of on offense is that Glennon does not move in the pocket, etc. and then we start changing around the offensive line with super extra blockers, and we fall back into a prevent offense. Not that I want a run and shoot offense, but run the ball and take shots down the field, and plenty of screen passes and short passes.

I have zero doubt, that our defense is amongst the best, or totally the best in the NFL. And it would have been close to that last year if not destroyed by injuries. And I mean destroyed. They were wheeling guys out there I never heard of.

I will not promise playoffs, but pretty confident of that.

Have you seen our secondary?

Adipost · May 4, 2017

nc0gnet0 said:
Have you seen our secondary?

People usually try to block out traumatizing moments in their lives.

Teddy KGB · May 4, 2017

MFW I see a new Windy post on CCS:

DaaBears · May 4, 2017

nc0gnet0 said:
Have you seen our secondary?

We had guys in our secondary that I never heard of by mid season last year, as they walked onto the field, they were carried off. We made some key changes to this in the offseason and the draft, and added depth, and guys will be coming back from injuries , hopefully for good.

In addition, in many cases the secondary looks worse if our rush is not so good, and overall that was better, but they were injured as well.

I have total trust in Fangio that our entire defense will be awesome next year, including the secondary.

Teddy KGB · May 4, 2017

xer0h0ur said:
You know, after seeing how the whole Trubisky scouting and drafting process played out I have to believe now that the coaching staff's jobs are far more secure than any of us fans actually thought. I don't too often agree with Teddy KGB but his crackpot theory is looking pretty accurate. Sure does seem like Cutler was holding the franchise hostage the last couple of seasons due to his contract and the fact we weren't in position to replace him in those two years. Those chains have been broken and we have more or less put the QB room in the right direction. The defense is far better than most give it credit. The offense is slowly gaining play makers and developing. Assuming we don't have another Special person injury riddled season I think these coaches might just be around longer than we expected.

And really, me calling it crackpot was more a shoutout to Botfly anyway who always says I pull everything out of my ass (who doesn't on an internet forum?) - really, that was more my opinion after digesting everything, and frankly, after having posted it, I don't think George was AS attached to Jay as I originally thought/speculated, but instead had a stipulation the past 2 years that they needed to keep Jay if they couldn't get a Franchise guy in the draft, as supposedly Pace tried to trade Jay twice to move up to get Mariota or Wentz. If nothing else, I think the fact that Jay's performance in 2016 plus the fact that no one wanted Jay in a trade (which is why it didn't happen) made George relent and allow Pace to release Cutler this offseason. That said, I still think the true rebuild is just now beginning in earnest and feel solid about the other items I commented on in that thread.

Ej63090 · May 4, 2017

Hammer said:
In 2018 Bears roster will need:

- WR prospect with potential to become #1 go-to receiver
- higher quality LT and RT starters who can replace Leno & Massie
- higher quality 5-tech DE
- couple of OLB prospects to replace old and oft injured McPhee/Young/Houston
- new ILB if Trevathan can't get back to his level before career threatening injury
- shutdown CB is still a need
- ballhawk FS is still a need

In 2017 Offseason/Draft, Pace potentially shored up QB and TE position, and did absolutely nothing more (signed couple of veterans to delay fixing issues on secondary, while RT and 5-tech DE are still a problem), plus he also created a HUGE hole at WR (let Jeffery leave, while his WR pick White is a probable bust).

lol point me to another team in the league that is that good at all of those positions.

DJMoore_is_fat · May 4, 2017

WindyCity said:
I actually think the hard work for Pace starts now and the 2018 offseason is far bigger for him.

Drafting a QB was a big decision, but it had to happen.

Now he needs to show that he can build a team around that QB to make him successful and to show that he can avoid the mistakes of the Cutler era.

If Trubisky sucks than that is a problem, but if he sucks because the Bears learned nothing from Cutler than that is unforgivable.

1. Probably hiring a new HC with a QB in mind
2. Addressing the OT position
3. Addressing the WR position
4. Having the defense take the next step while resources go to the offense.

Agreed. I think our biggest decisions moving forward are 1) HC/OC hire and 2) Stabilizing the lines (OL and DL). While our secondary needs a lot of help, I think we need stud players on the lines most importantly. You can always find journeymen CB's to hold things down for a year or two.

The 2018 off season will be enormous. If we suck as much as I think we will, we'll be a shoe-in for a Top 5 pick again. Should be able to get a prolific play maker at that position -- either on the edge opposite Floyd, on the DL or a stud LT. But Trubisky needs a guiding force for an OC -- somebody who can develop him. He hasn't even taken any snaps behind center before so he needs to get acclimated to a pro offense.

While I have no hope for Fox, I am more optimistic for Pace succeeding once he gets a new HC/OC.

WCL · May 4, 2017

You can't fill a team with early round draft picks and big free agents. You have to rely on mid-to-late rounders developing. You also can't expect rookies to reach their full potential in their first season. You want an upgrade at RDE? They drafted Bullard. ILB? They drafted Kwiatkoski. FS? They drafted Hall.

You can't say that they'll need to add a FS to the roster before 2018 when Hall hasn't reached his full potential and Eddie Jackson hasn't even been to rookie camp. You can't keep re-drating the same positions because the guys you drafted last season didn't play like five-year vets immediately.

If you're two positions away from winning a Super Bowl, feel free to freak out if the GM doesn't go out and sign a Pro Bowler or draft a first-rounder to fix those positions. But if you're a couple of seasons away from competing, let your guys develop.

Mongo_76 · May 4, 2017

WindyCity said:
The WR and TE group is going to be the lynch pin of the season and where they sit going into 2018

If those groups can turn into something it would be huge.

It is not crazy there are

High Picks (White, Shaheen, Wright)
Solid Free Agents (Wheaton, Sims)
Some interesting youth (Meredith, Brown)

Don't forget this guy:

WCL · May 4, 2017

Rise said:
The hard part is over, finding the QB is easily the most difficult thing to do. In Pace's mind that mission is complete. I expect him to go all out next offseason for FAs and hopefully we are able to make some trades that result in 10 or so picks in the next 2 drafts. I hope he loosens up a little in FA, I mean spend the 500k for your top guy please!

One thing I pointed out repeatedly when they let Forte walk, traded Marshall, etc. is how far away they were from competing. If your QB isn't capable of winning a Super Bowl and you can't realistically get rid of him for two years, you're at least four years away from competing for one. Rookie QBs don't win Super Bowls and I think Russell Wilson is the only second-year guy to do it.

So if you're in that situation, there aren't a lot of free agents that make sense. You're looking almost exclusively at guys who are 25 or 26 and coming off their first contract. Guys in their late twenties and early thirties are pretty useless when you're four years way from competing.

But now that they think have their quarterback in place, I expect to see them do exactly what you described.

xer0h0ur · May 4, 2017

nc0gnet0 said:
Have you seen our secondary?

Yeah. The same secondary that was a part of the same defense ranked 7th in the league against the pass and 9th in scoring if I remember right. Perhaps you've got an inflated negative image in your mind? They were 15th in total defense. The run defense was by far and away the worst aspect, ranked near the bottom in the high 20's.

Now the hard work for Pace begins

My threads are FTO !

Active member

Well-known member

My favorite teams

Based

HS Referee HoF

My favorite teams

CCS Donator

HS Referee HoF

My favorite teams

Member

CCS Donator

CCS Donator

CCS Donator

Cultural Icon

CCS Donator

Cultural Icon

Anti-Exultant Cruise Dire

New member

Organ Donator

Well-known member

Organ Donator

HS Referee HoF

My favorite teams