Lovie's ability to coax TOs out of his players will be sorely missed, unless Tucker does the smart thing by not trying to fix something that isn't broken.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

The point isn't that Cutler and Sanchez are themselves comparable; it's that once you start employing what someone here astutely dubbed the stone soup defense on behalf of your QB, then said QB is by definition not good. The rest of this argument is simply an attempt to determine precisely how not-good Cutler is (or can be, in some fictive world where he has a great offensive line, great receivers, great tight ends, a great running game, and great coaching), and to me that's not a particularly productive conversation.

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

I hear you, but I've employed the argument only because one can objectively say he's had substandard receivers and tight ends throughout the duration of his Chicago career. I think the argument works here only because Cutler has obvious ability, and I'd like to see what he can do with WRs and TEs who are not named Kellen Davis, Devin Hester, Roy Williams, Rasheed Davis, Sam Hurd, and so on.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

We saw what he could do last year with what everyone tells me is one of the best wide receivers in the game and a solid running game; he was somewhere around the 20th best QB in the league.

Better get as much out of him this year as possible, because either you are starting over in 2014 or you are paying him like a top 5 QB, which means you'll have no room for error anywhere else on the roster.

Bright side: next year's draft includes Manziel, Bridgewater, Aaron Murray, Tajh Boyd, and A.J. McCarron. All five might be better prospects than anyone in this draft.

Dark side: we're going to muddle our way to an 8-8 record and then draft a tight end after resigning Jay Cutler because Greg Maddux happened 25 years ago.

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Fire Phil Emery

Yes, he turned in his usual middle of the pack statistics last year. The Bears averaged 23 points per game, good for 16th overall. They inexplicably finished four points behind Minnesota's high-powered offense, led by the rocket launcher Christian Ponder. Not good enough.

Now they've injected some new blood into the OL and TE spots, they've hired proven professionals on the offensive side of the ball, and we'll see if they do anything at WR in the draft. If the Bears can put up average numbers with a below average WR crew (Bennett was crippled last year and Jeffery missed some time as well), an inept OC, and a pass-catching TE who can't catch, then all I'm saying is I think you have reason to be optimistic about this year's offense after all the changes.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

So your point is that Brandon Marshall wasn't enough, but Martellus Bennett and Jermon Bushrod will be? What exactly is the supporting-cast critical mass at which we can start to judge Cutler?

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

Take away defensive TDs and they drop somewhere into the 20-23 range. FO has them as the 26th best offense in the NFL (and Cutler as the 27th best QB). They need to improve some just to get to middle of the pack.


They've signed journeymen at market prices. They will be improvements. But they are still, by definition, players that their old teams were more than happy to see move on.

Unproven. We know that Trestman has had some success at some stops and not in others. The places where he's had success has been running other people's systems, or following behind proven offensive minds where he was put into place to continue their systems. He's pretty much been the Mel Tucker of offense. And he's been out of the NFL for half a decade. He could be an offensive genius. This could also be a situation where they score 13 points across three weeks in the middle of the season and everyone says "holy shit, the head coach is a former child actor from The Little Rascals."

But hey, if you like the Bears, you can get 35-1 on them right now to win the Super Bowl. Just like the Colts and the Eagles.

_________________
Fire Phil Emery

Well, not just Bennett and Bushrod. A revamped system, an All Pro WR, a second year WR player with decent potential, a decent TE, and a slightly improved OL. You've also got Forte and Bush back at RB.

If you recall, in 2009, the talk was the Bears probably conceded a year because the picks they would use to draft playmakers were traded to acquire Cutler. In 2010, the Bears were criticized in the preseason for doing nothing to upgrade WR except for signing Roy Williams. In 2011, they had the same bad WRs and Dane Sanzenbacher, who received more playing time than he ever should have. I don't need to get into the the OL (nine sacks first half against the Giants) and TE issues either.

I think this is the most Cutler has ever had to work with in Chicago. Wouldn't you agree? So since key supporting-cast personnel issues have been more or less addressed, perhaps it is fair to now start looking at Cutler in the manner some of us have been suggesting.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

I filtered the team stats on NFL.com by offense, so I'm not sure if the point total was inclusive of offense and defense or just offense only. Regardless, your point is taken.

I do hold that you can have several average to slightly above average players on your roster and be just fine. You just have sprinkle in, say, a Forte here, and a Marshall there, and so on. Take Earl Bennett for example. By himself, he's not impressive. But if Jeffery improves and Marshall remains Marshall, then you're happy you have Bennett around.

As for Bushrod, I think he was drafted by the Saints, made the Pro Bowl, and his acquisition was a mild surprise since the Saints did want to keep him. He's an example of what I am talking about: a fairly decent player, nothing spectacular, but the type of player the Bears have been lacking across the board on offense. Now that you've got competent guys in Bushrod, Bennett, and hopefully an improved Jeffery and healthy E. Bennett, you've given Cutler much more to work with. More than he's ever had in Chicago.

I think the questions you raise on Trestman's previous NFL stops are valid, but I think the least we can say is that he's successfully implemented the systems of his bosses. Any sort of similar, successful implementation of an offensive system in Chicago will be the first of its kind in....I don't know how long. Since it's worked before under his stewardship in the NFL and CFL, I don't know if there's a reason to doubt if his offense (winning the locker room is a separate challenge) can do it here.

I don't know if I put much into him not being around for the past five years or so. Even with the gap, he still has substantial NFL experience and is well regarded around the league. It's not the NFL, but his success in the CFL has to count for something. It's not like he went there and got lost in the crowd. He won at the highest level of that league despite being pitted against career CFL guys who've been there forever.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Regarding Cutler, I'm just trying to apply a logic of interdependency to his play. If football is characterized by interdependency, then it stands to reason that the talent of the players on whom Cutler depends is as important to the Bears' success as Cutler himself.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

I think the defense will be fine, lovie never showed Tillman how to ball punch. Nothing has changed really, just got better at linebacker. The bears defense works great against bad qbs but tends to be picked apart by good qbs. Probably explains lovies 13-40 record against. 500 teams n above.

My problem with Cutler is he is not smart, turns the ball over too much. I think he's gone in a year. The defense carried his poor play and turnovers since he's been here. He also has been handed great field position many times and did nothing with it.

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Cutler doesn't really fit in with Trestmanns style of offense. He's also a pain in the ass to coach. My guess is Trestmann & the new regime isn't sold on Cutler & will draft a QB. Apparently they are looking long & hard at NC State QB Mike Glennon, who is a prototypical pocket passer. If Jay doesn't light it up this year, he's gone. I'm fine with that.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

This draft sucks for qb, I wouldn't take any of em...other than Bray from Tennessee, n that would be low risk 5th round.

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With a largely veteran roster playing to win this year, I think it's unwise to use one of only five draft picks on a QB who will most likely sit on the bench all year. If Emery believes the Bears can win with this roster within the next 1-3 years, then I don't think you draft a QB. If they've already decided Cutler is not their guy, wouldn't you start selling off your other veteran pieces as well?

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Yes, but I might take a flyer on Barkley in the 2nd or 3rd round.

_________________
CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I got zero faith in USC qbs, they have more talent around them n appear better than they are. Probably another Sanchez or leinart.

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TAKE NO QB THIS YEAR!

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Doesn't every team in the NFL (minus the 2 or 3 laughingstocks) have a legit chance at a playoff run in the NFL? If you draft well, and bring in 1 or 2 guys, BOOM championship.

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