2015 Chicago Bears Thread

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
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Well it's time to leave 2014 behind and start looking ahead. Much like the last couple of Bears threads, I will update this first post with rumors, free agent moves, prospect meetings, etc.

Team Needs

Quarterback: Talent has never been the issue with Jay Cutler. He just doesn't give a damn. The Bears need a talented quarterback who actually cares, but they may have to wait until the second day of the NFL Draft to secure one. Hiring a coach like Mike Shanahan, who has a history, with Cutler, could also be a potential solution.

Safety: Chicago's defensive issues are well documented. The team needs help on all three levels of the stop unit, especially in the defensive backfield, where it had some horrid safety play in 2014.

Two Linebackers: Lance Briggs is an impending free agent, so Chicago will have to find two new linebackers. Jon Bostic will probably be given another year, but it's not like he wasn't a liability at times.

Guard: Cutler was constantly under pressure, as the Bears had some issues on their offensive line, particularly at the left guard spot. Everyone they started there struggled for the most part.

Defensive End: The Bears seemed like they were set at defensive end a year ago, but Willie Young and Lamarr Houston are both coming off devastating injuries, so the pass rush will need to be addressed. Chicago could take a defensive end at No. 7 overall considering the talent expected to be available there at that position.

Defensive Tackle: Chicago has a couple of young defensive tackles who need to be given a chance, but its top player at the position, Stephen Paea, happens to be a free agent.

Cornerback: Kyle Fuller was great as a rookie corner until he got injured and played hurt throughout the second half of the season. Tim Jennings is still there as well, but the Bears need some youth at the position, especially with Charles Tillman likely gone.

Right Tackle: Jordan Mills, chosen in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, was slightly sub par as a rookie, but took a major step backward in 2014. He'll need to be upgraded with another poor season.

Wide Receiver: Chicago could use a tertiary receiver to go along with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.

Punter: Pat O'Donnell was 27th in net punting.

Offseason Moves

Bears sign C Will Montgomery
Bears re-sign CB Sherrick McManis
Bears sign DE/OLB Sam Acho
Bears sign RB Jacquizz Rodgers
Bears sign CB Alan Ball
Bears sign ILB Mason Foster
Bears sign DE/DT Ray McDonald
Bears sign DE/DT Jarvis Jenkins
Bears sign G Vlad Ducasse
Buccaneers sign S Chris Conte
Bears sign S Antrel Rolle
Bears sign WR Eddie Royal
Redskins sign DT Stephen Paea
Bears sign DE/OLB Pernell McPhee
Bears re-sign QB Jimmy Clausen
Jets acquire WR Brandon Marshall from Bears for draft pick

2015 Free Agents

Stephen Paea, DT, Bears. Age: 27. - Signed by Redskins
Stephen Paea is a major liability in run support, but he's excellent in terms of generating an interior pass rush.

Lance Briggs, OLB, Bears. Age: 34.
Lance Briggs is still strong against the run, but he's just a two-down linebacker at this stage of his career. He turns 35 in November, so there's no guarantee that he won't regress further in 2015.

Brian De La Puente, C/G, Bears. Age: 30.
It was a mystery as to why the Saints let Brian De La Puente go last offseason. Capable of playing both center and guard, De La Puente sustained a season-ending ankle injury in November.

Chris Conte, S, Bears. Age: 26. - Signed by Bucs
Sherrick McManis, CB/ST, Bears. Age: 27. Re-signed by Bears
D.J. Williams, ILB, Bears. Age: 33.
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Bears. Age: 27. Re-signed by Bears
Charles Tillman, CB, Bears. Age: 34.
Danny McCray, S, Bears. Age: 27.
Dante Rosario, TE, Bears. Age: 30. Re-signed by Bears
Josh Morgan, WR, Bears. Age: 30.
Trevor Scott, DE, Bears. Age: 31.
Austen Lane, DE, Bears. Age: 27.
Jay Feely, K, Bears. Age: 39.
Montell Owens, RB, Bears. Age: 31.

SR - Senior Bowl meeting.
EW - East-West Shrine meeting.
COM - Combine meeting.
INT - Interested.
VINT - Very Interested.
PRO - Pro Day or campus meeting/workout.
LOC - Local visit.
PRI - Private visit.
WOR - Private Workout.
% - indicates more than one meeting at an event.
^ - has met with team at more than one event.
# - indicates meeting set up outside of the 2015 Senior Bowl or the 2015 East-West Shrine Game

Draft Prospect Meetings

Malcolm Agnew, RB, Southern Illinois (PRI)
Vic Beasley, DE/OLB/3-4OLB, Clemson (PRI)
Dominique Brown, RB, Louisville (EW)
Ibraheim Campbell, S, Northwestern (PRI)
T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh (PRI)
Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana (COM)
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama (PRI)
Alvin Dupree^, OLB/DE/3-4OLB, Kentucky (COM, PRI)
Cornelius Edison, G, Portland State (PRI)
Mario Edwards Jr.^, DE/DT/3-4DE, Florida State (COM, PRI)
Deshazor Everett, CB, Texas A&M (PRO)
Dante Fowler Jr., DE/3-4OLB/OLB, Florida (PRI)
Max Garcia, C/OT/G, Florida (PRO)
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia (PRI)
Eli Harold, OLB/DE/3-4OLB, Virginia (PRI)
Greg Henderson, CB, Colorado (EW)
D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida (PRI)
David Irving, DT, Iowa State (WOR)
Byron Jones, CB/S, Connecticut (PRI)
Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers (PRI)
Matt LaCosse, TE, Illinois (LOC)
Tony Lippett, WR, Michigan State (PRI)
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (PRI)
Benardrick McKinney^, OLB/ILB, Mississippi State (INT, PRO)
DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville (PRI)
Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida (PRI)
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (PRI)
Cody Prewitt, S, Ole Miss (COM)
Shane Ray, OLB/DE/3-4OLB, Missouri (PRI)
Danny Shelton^, DT/NT, Washington (SR, COM)
Trevor Siemian, QB, Northwestern (WOR)
Junior Sylvestre, OLB, Toledo (PRO)
Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State (PRI)
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia (PRI)
P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State (COM)
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (PRI)
 
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Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
Weis has had success as an OC in the NFL. He is absolutely terrible as a HC in college. But I have zero desire for him to be a part of the Bears organization.

Problem is, is he has close ties to Fox (apparently they are good friends) and Jimmy Clausen (obviously was his HC at Notre Dame) and Fox was Clausen's HC in Carolina. The connections are concerning
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
He was OK for KC in 2010

Yeah, Clausen is a free agent, but there's a lot of things looking his way with Fox getting hired. I'm thinking they retain him for at least another year

Weis was named offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs for 2010. In Weis's first year, the Chiefs improved from a record of 4ā€“12 to 10ā€“6 and returned to the playoffs after winning the AFC West Division. With Weis as offensive coordinator, the Chiefs had the NFL's best rushing attack, averaging an impressive 165 yards per game on the ground. Offensively the Chiefs ranked 9th in total offense, 11th in points per game, 1st in rushing, and 28th in passing. The Chiefs also sent four players on offense (WR Dwayne Bowe, RB Jamaal Charles, QB Matt Cassel and OG Brian Waters) to the Pro Bowl. Cassel, Bowe and Charles made their first ever trip to the Pro Bowl. Weis has also been credited with the improvement of Cassel who had a career year throwing for 27 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions in 14 games.
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
CHICAGO ā€“ A reunion between John Fox and Adam Gase seemed realistic when San Francisco and Denver both bypassed Gase to fill their respective head-coaching vacancies.

But is it that simple?

Gase was scheduled to interview for the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator position on Wednesday, sources close to the situation tell ESPN, a full five days after Fox became the 15th head coach in franchise history.

Gaseā€™s employment options have dwindled, so perhaps the 36-year old coordinator does reach an agreement with Fox to coordinate the Chicago offense.

But according to multiple NFL sources, the belief in league circles is that Fox and Gase were content to go their separate ways when Fox left the Broncos, who in turn plucked Gary Kubiak away from Baltimore to be Foxā€™s replacement.

One source noted that while Fox and Gase ā€œhave a strong mutual respect for one another,ā€ they have differing views on offense, with Fox preferring a more traditional ground attack, mixing in impact plays down the field when available, while Gase is described as a ā€œcutting edge offensive mindā€ who places of higher emphasis on passing the ball.

Fox is not opposed to throwing the football. Under Foxā€™s watch, Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad thrived in Carolinaā€™s offensive system, and Fox reaped the rewards of having talented pass-catchers Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Wes Welker in Denver.

However, Fox is known as an old-school head coach who comes from a hard-nosed defensive background.

Gaseā€™s offense enjoyed tremendous success in Denver, led by one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, Peyton Manning. With Gase calling plays, the Broncos won 25 regular season games, two straight division titles, and earned a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII.

But for all the accolades ā€“ the organization and both men parted ways.

The Bears moved fast to snatch up Fox, but Gase remains in limbo, passed up not only for a handful of head-coach gigs, but also for potential offensive coordinator openings in Atlanta, Jacksonville, Baltimore and Oakland.

Why?

One source explained that perhaps the reason Gase is still available is because teams have concerns that he will bolt after 2015 for a head-coaching job.

Does a team on the rebuild, such as the Bears, want to have to look for a new offensive coordinator after only one year?

Itā€™s also curious that Fox didnā€™t move sooner to bring Gase aboard in Chicago, if in fact, the veteran head coach wants to rekindle their working relationship.

However, Gase has several things working in his favor in Chicago. Heā€™s the son-in-law of longtime New Orleans Saints assistant coach Joe Vitt, who worked with Bears general manager Ryan Pace. Gase and Pace have a good relationship. Gase also interviewed to be the Bearsā€™ head coach before Fox and Pace were hired.

Maybe the Bears feel like Gase is simply the best available offensive coordinator (he probably is), and whatever professional disagreements exist between Fox and Gase can be squashed.

But if for whatever reason the Bears decide to let Gase leave Wednesday without a contract; remember that Fox has a proven track record of finding quality assistant coaches ā€“ including Gase, Mike McCoy, Dennis Allen, Jack Del Rio, etc.

The head coach always has the final say on the coaching staff. If Fox doesnā€™t want to reunite with Gase, then so be it. Foxā€™s background earns him the benefit of the doubt.

Some interesting analysis on Gase
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
New Chicago Bears coach John Fox admitted Monday during his introductory news conference that heā€™s not tied to a specific front on defense.

But with the clubā€™s hiring Tuesday of former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, all indications point to the Bears making the transition to a 3-4 scheme at some point, even if they decide in 2015 to utilize more of a hybrid attack.

ā€œSpending 25 years in this league as a head coach or a defensive coach, I think sometimes maybe on the outside more is made of [a defensive front] than reality,ā€ Fox said. ā€œWeā€™re going to put our players in the best position for them to have success, and thatā€™s how weā€™re going to earn their respect moving forward because they know we can help that. Whether thatā€™s a 3-4 or 4-3 has not been determined yet.ā€

The majority of Foxā€™s background places him with 4-3 defenses, while Fangio has served primarily as an architect of 3-4 schemes, having worked in the past with Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers at Carolina (1995-98) and Houston (2002-05).

ā€œIā€™ve got so much respect for him,ā€ Capers said of Fangio in 2011. ā€œHe is so intelligent. He knows what he is doing. He understands the game.ā€

Once Fox finally assembles the staff and turns his attention to schemes, thereā€™s a good chance heā€™ll defer to Fangio regarding the direction of the defense. That means new general manager Ryan Pace and the clubā€™s personnel department need to start acquiring the requisite talent to make the move.

Even if the Bears decided to continue operating out of a 4-3 look, the talent -- specifically at linebacker and in the secondary -- needs to be upgraded significantly.

Letā€™s take a look at some of the clubā€™s current front-seven defenders to figure out who might be fits for a 3-4 scheme:

FITS


DT Ego Ferguson: Fergusonā€™s size and skill set make him more of an ideal fit in a 4-3 scheme. His best position in a three-man front would likely be at end. Ferguson would have to bulk up some to play the nose in a 3-4.

DT Jeremiah Ratliff: Interestingly, Ratliff, at 303 pounds, is listed as 12 pounds lighter than Ferguson. But Ratliff has extensive experience as a 3-4 nose tackle, dating to his time with the Dallas Cowboys, and at one time he was considered one of the best at the position. Playing in a three-man front also put lots of wear and tear on Ratliffā€™s body. When Ratliff first came into the league in 2005, it was believed he didnā€™t possess the size to play nose in a 3-4. So his ascension was somewhat rare. But heā€™s certainly capable of making the move. Keep in mind, Ratliff played in more of a penetrating one-gapping 3-4 scheme in Dallas.

DE Lamarr Houston: Since coming into the league as a 305-pound defensive tackle, Houston has gradually dropped weight and in 2013 he basically played in Oakland as an outside pass-rushing linebacker, which naturally led to some of his struggles in 2014 at defensive end, according to a former Bears staffer. Houston is listed at 300 pounds but played last season at around 275 to 280 pounds. So if Houston drops to the 270-pound range, he possibly play outside linebacker on the strong side in a 3-4. If Houston stays at end, heā€™d have to get into the 300-pound range.

LB Shea McClellin: Ideal size for a 3-4 weak outside linebacker is around 6-3 and 245 pounds, and thatā€™s exactly the size the team lists McClellin, who was projected as a 3-4 linebacker coming out of Boise State in 2012. Maybe the new staff can finally coax the best from McClellin.

LB Christian Jones: Played two outside linebacker spots and defensive end at Florida State, so Jones possesses the versatility and athleticism to make the move. Jones fits a 3-4 scheme as a rush linebacker.

LB Jonathan Bostic: Inside linebacker in a 3-4 is very similar to the middle linebacker spot in a 4-3. The difference is 3-4 inside linebackers donā€™t have to cover as much ground as 4-3 middle linebackers. So Bostic fits, but heā€™d struggle fighting off blocks at the point of attack, which is what weā€™ve seen throughout his two seasons with the Bears.

NON-FITS

DE Jared Allen: Allen probably could serve as a rush linebacker on passing downs, but heā€™ll be 33 next season and isnā€™t interested in moving from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker. There was talk prior to the 2012 season of the Vikings moving to a 3-4 scheme. Hereā€™s what Allen had to say about that back then: ā€œI want to end my career as a defensive end. And I'm not playing a 2-gap, let me just throw that out the window now.[Moving to a 3-4 scheme] is something that will be addressed if and when it happens. I know that we have enough mutual respect for each other that they would at least give me a head's up and give me an option of what I would want to do. I don't see that in the future."

DT Stephen Paea: Although he possesses the strength and athleticism to play in a 3-4, Paea doesnā€™t have the physical dimensions at 6-1, 300 pounds. If Fangio and the Bears utilize a one-gap 3-4 scheme, Paea might fit. But thatā€™s doubtful.

DT Will Sutton: Suttonā€™s is similar to Paea in size, but heā€™s not nearly as strong or as athletic. Sutton looked like a bust as a 4-3 defensive tackle, and heā€™d definitely be out of place in a three-man front.

QUESTION MARK
DE Willie Young: Coming off a 10-sack 2014 season, Young is rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon. But at 6-4, 251 pounds, Young doesnā€™t possess the size to play defensive end in a 3-4. But thatā€™s not to say he canā€™t bulk up or maybe even drop a few pounds to move to outside linebacker. At outside linebacker in a 3-4 there would probably be questions about whether Young moves well enough in space. Either way, if the Bears move the 3-4 direction, it will be interesting to see how Young might fit.

.
 

Blood on Blood

rumble baby rumble
Apr 6, 2005
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670 and ESPN don't usually get into the deep analysis of pre-draft rumors, prospect meetings, etc.

Help me out here, do you have sources or direct contact with teams, or are you simply providing your opinion with your posts?

I flip back n forth between ESPN and The Score during my approx 1 hr commute to work and the 1.5 - 2 hr commute home. Both stations do provide an depth analysis of prospects, players under consideration, rumors and breaking news. Though, IMO ESPN overall does a more well rounded job.
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
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Help me out here, do you have sources or direct contact with teams, or are you simply providing your opinion with your posts?

I flip back n forth between ESPN and The Score during my approx 1 hr commute to work and the 1.5 - 2 hr commute home. Both stations do provide an depth analysis of prospects, players under consideration, rumors and breaking news. Though, IMO ESPN overall does a more well rounded job.

I repost from another football blog. The guy that does that site does far more in depth than ESPN or the score. Unless you pay for insider on ESPN. Maybe I'm listening at the wrong times, but I've never heard the score or ESPN talk about which players the bears specifically interviewed at the east - west shrine game and senior bowl.

I keep it in the first post to keep it readily available for those who want to see everything at a glance.
 

Flyn

Go ahead. I'll catch up.
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ESPN and The Score are good for getting Bears info. They're not the only sources. Rotoworld, Redzone, SB Nation, Twitter, etc. all may have info that the local stations don't yet have. Threads like this are great for putting together all the info fanatical fans like us want to see.

I look at many sites including a lot of sites outside of Chicago that post info about players and coaches from a different perspective. Might as well share the insights I find with you guys.
 

Blood on Blood

rumble baby rumble
Apr 6, 2005
56,492
46,011
ESPN and The Score are good for getting Bears info. They're not the only sources. Rotoworld, Redzone, SB Nation, Twitter, etc. all may have info that the local stations don't yet have. Threads like this are great for putting together all the info fanatical fans like us want to see.

I look at many sites including a lot of sites outside of Chicago that post info about players and coaches from a different perspective. Might as well share the insights I find with you guys.

Cliff - don't believe anyone referenced the two stations as the only sources.
 

Flyn

Go ahead. I'll catch up.
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If Gase does well, we will probably only have him for a year. Then he'll get a head coach gig.

Rotoworld:

Bears hired Adam Gase as offensive coordinator.
Gase will re-join John Fox after losing out on the 49ers and Broncos' head-coach jobs. Gase has been Fox's OC the last two years and will have total control over the Bears' offense. Gase's hire is good news for Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte. Jeffery will presumably play the high-volume "Demaryius role" in Gase's attack. The Broncos were a top-five offense under Gase the last two seasons.
 
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