Brad Biggs 10 thoughts today:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/fo ... story.html1. Here is something no one is talking about yet and the Bears aren’t going to admit when this season comes to a merciful end on Dec. 31 at Minnesota: Whatever opening or openings the Bears have for employment at Halas Hall aren’t going to be nearly as appealing as they’d like you to believe. They’re going to pass it off as a premier destination in the NFL — but it sure isn’t right now.
Yes, the Bears will have more appeal than the Browns, who have the worst job for a football coach this side of the University of Tennessee. Maybe it’s not surprising Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has deep ties to the Volunteers program? There are going to be a bunch of openings following the end of the season, and one veteran agent who represents coaches forecasted a minimum of seven when I chatted with him last week. It’s not difficult at all to envision the Bears being in the market for their third head coach in a five-year span. In fact, it is practically expected. And the point here is a handful of other jobs are going to look a lot more appealing than the Bears’ gig at Halas Hall. That could force the Bears to get in line for their preferred candidate or candidates and who knows how that would go.
Yes, there might be candidates that really like quarterback Mitch (Pro Bowl QB) Trubisky. It’s going to be hard for anyone to fall in love with him based off game tape from this season. There will be a couple candidates that are OK with (Pro Bowl QB) Trubisky and see potential upside in this year’s second overall pick. Then, there will be candidates that aren’t real interested in (Pro Bowl QB) Trubisky or are more enamored with another job where they could have the freedom to go out and get their own guy with potential for a flurry of veterans to be available as well as some intriguing draft prospects.
Going beyond the quarterback position, the Bears have a serious lack of playmakers. It’s an ongoing issue and it’s why they are destined for a fourth consecutive losing season. They declined the fifth-year option for cornerback Kyle Fuller entering this season and it would be a stunner if they don’t decline the fifth-year option for wide receiver Kevin White this coming offseason. Failing to hit on first-round draft picks is just one example of why the roster remains critically flawed. Failing to keep the roster healthy is another serious issue and it would be foolish and unfair to pin that on the head coach alone.
Sure, the Bears will try to sell the idea that there’s rich history within the franchise and that’s certainly true. But there’s one lonesome Lombardi Trophy in the lobby at Halas Hall and the great tradition they talk about is really rooted in the 1940’s as legendary linebacker Dick Butkus references in the video they play at Soldier Field in the minutes leading up to kickoff at each home game. Up-and-coming coaches aren’t concerned about tradition, they’re laser-focused on their chances to succeed with what can often be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Once upon a time, the Bears were an attractive landing spot because they were viewed as a patient organization and with patience comes job security. That will no longer be the case if they make moves after this season. Chairman of the board George McCaskey fired Lovie Smith after a 10-6 season in 2012. Marc Trestman lasted two seasons. John Fox is in Year 3.
How do you work around being an unattractive landing spot? It’s not easy but the 49ers seemed to have pulled it off this past offseason when they lured Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan away from the NFC champions. Shanahan is the club’s fourth coach in four years and the only way they talked him in to coming was money. The 49ers signed Shanahan to a six-year contract. That’s two more years than the typical deal, particularly for a first-time head coach. That’s two more years than the Bears gave Fox. The six-year deal for Shanahan matches the six-year contract the club gave new general manager John Lynch. Those are guaranteed deals meaning there is a ton of money invested in the men. You know what else Shanahan got? He received control over the 53-man roster. That means Shanahan can select who stays and who goes and that can be an important chip for a coach when he needs to make it clear to the locker room he has the most juice in the building. It’s difficult to envision Bears general manager Ryan Pace ceding control of the 53-man roster to a new head coach if Pace is out and about looking for a new head coach in the first week of January.
The 49ers had a bad image and bad reputation when they sought to rebuild – again. The roster was and still is a mess but they bucked up and offered huge security to get two men to come in and take over. It now appears they’ve found a quarterback for the future after flipping a second-round draft pick to the Patriots to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo. Boy, he looked pretty darn good against the Bears in completing 26 of 37 passes for 293 yards. The 49ers can sell a little hope right now and that’s one thing that is in short supply at 1920 Football Dr. in Lake Forest.
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