6 Changes the Chicago Bears Should Make for the Stretch Run

Despite being blown out in the last three games by a combined score of 133-51, the Chicago Bears will not be making any coaching changes—for now, at least.

Head coach Marc Trestman took to the podium Monday at Halas Hall as he regularly does, offering few solutions for the team's poor play, which he also regularly does.

Fans and media members alike have called for jobs to be lost after Sunday night's debacle in Green Bay coming off the bye week.

Those who want change likely are disappointed that no changes will be made at this time. But there is a silver lining, if that's what you'd like to call it.

Trestman did suggest there could be some changes on the depth chart, via ChicagoBears.com:

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We're going to talk, we're certainly going to talk personnel as I said. The guys are getting in late, they're still looking at the tape. I haven't had a chance to even engage them because things have moved so quickly this morning. But we will, we certainly have to. We're going to look at everything as a starting point moving into Wednesday.

"

It might not be the changes the masses were calling for, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

General manager Phil Emery and Trestman didn't waste much time, either. Veteran wide receiver Santonio Holmes was waived Tuesday, the team announced. Holmes' release likely means that fellow wideout Marquess Wilson is ready to return to the field after fracturing his collarbone during training camp.

"He worked hard and got a lot of work (last) week," wide receivers coach Mike Groh said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. "He looked good."

While the transaction hardly moves the needle, at least someone at Halas Hall is thinking forward. The Bears will not be able to salvage the season unless some messages are sent. With that in mind, here are a few suggested moves the Bears could make.

Lance Briggs Needs to Be Jettisoned out of Town

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Thanks for the memories, Lance. It's been real. But now it's time to go. You've given the Bears a solid 11-plus seasons, and your hard work will not go unappreciated.

Briggs and Charles Tillman are the two remaining mainstays from the Lovie Smith era in Chicago. Tillman can stay. Briggs cannot. The Bears linebacker acknowledged last week at his Wednesday press conference that his time in Chicago is running out and could be over with after the season.

Briggs has looked like a subpar player in the six games he's played this season. While he's still a decent run defender, his coverage skills are nonexistent due to the shape he looks to be in. When Briggs missed games due to injury last season, he looked and played like he was out of shape. The same goes for this season; Briggs missed three games and returned to the field looking a little bigger and a little slower than normal.

This should come as no surprise, though, as Briggs' dedication to the game of football fairly can be questioned. You have the "Double Nickel" incident from before the season, when Briggs asked for time off during a game week so he could fly to Northern California for the grand opening of his restaurant, as reported by multiple outlets.

And then there's this gem, which Briggs offered up last week to the media, via ChicagoBears.com:

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Shoot, I don't know what to do with myself sometimes. Sometimes I sit in meetings while coaches are talking and sometimes the words kind of just phase out and I'm staring at the screen. The only thing I can tell is the time, and I'll look up at the screen and be like 'Dang, still got 55 minutes left.' It's just been different man, just different...

"

What Briggs is referring to is what his life was like as an injured player. Now, it's completely understandable for an injured player to feel out of touch with the team, but Briggs—along with Tillman—is the longest-tenured Bear on the roster.

And you know who else is injured? Tillman. You know who is on the sideline during games acting like a coach? Tillman.

If Briggs goes, management will have more time to evaluate what's in the cupboard before the offseason begins. Khaseem Greene needs to be given more snaps. Greene has two starts on the season. He played well against the Falcons in Week 6 and then struggled the following week against the Dolphins. Greene does not rate well in Pro Football Focus' grades (subscription required) for weak-side 'backers, but guys need reps in order to flush out the bad tendencies.

Jettisoning Briggs will cost the Bears some money—he carries a $6.5 million cap hit in 2014, according to Spotrac—but sometimes, no dollar figure is worth the attitude of the guy who's collecting the check.

Step Aside, Shea

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

It’s time for Emery to acknowledge that he missed on Shea McClellin. The defensive end-turned-linebacker was Emery's first selection as Bears general manager in 2012.

McClellin started his career at defensive end, but he struggled mightily in his two seasons rushing from the edge. In an attempt to save face, the Bears moved McClellin to linebacker, where he also has struggled.

Reading the read-option and coverage skills are not areas in which McClellin excels. Against the Dolphins, McClellin made a few key mistakes that led to big plays. Windy City Gridiron has a very detailed breakdown of McClellin’s struggles against Miami.

McClellin is the 34th-rated coverage linebacker in the NFL, according to PFF. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 72.7 percent of their passes when McClellin was the primary coverage.

Emery spoke about McClellin's struggles after the loss to New England in Week 8, defending his draft pick even when his draft pick hasn't played well enough to earn a defense:

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The most difficult thing for Shea has been the two times he's started to roll -- he had the big game against Green Bay two years ago, a year ago, then he got hurt and never got rolling that way again. Had a good game against San Francisco, really finally figured out the play-action stuff, the reverse, the receivers running underneath the formation -- 'Hey, that means boot, I'm back.' He took away about three or four routes that game, he leveraged the run against the option well, then he breaks his hand. Comes back, has a rough game here at home. He did some good things yesterday, but he, like the other linebackers that are in there, struggled with Tom Brady's play-action. Right now, like all of us, he's our starting Sam 'backer right now, he's a 3-5 record-wise Sam 'backer, and he has to get better. And we all do.

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Emery cited two games in which McClellin "started to roll." One of those games, Green Bay, was played over one year ago while the other game, San Francisco, was back in Week 2. Against the 49ers, he only played 54 percent of the snaps, according to PFF (subscription required), recording one sack. So it's not like he's a playmaking machine or anything.

Why Emery continues to double, triple and quadruple down on McClellin seems to be an unanswerable question at this stage. It's time to admit failure and give Christian Jones a chance. Jones rates better than McClellin in Pro Football Focus' grades (subscription required) and also has more tackles while playing 48 fewer snaps.

Jones had a ton of promise coming out of Florida State, as The Sideline View documents here. He fell off draft boards after failing a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Bears got lucky with this kid, and now it's time to see just how good he can be.

Give Jay a (Short) Break

Morry Gash/Associated Press

The quarterback we've all come to know and love needs a break. Jay Cutler needs some time away from the madness. Now, you might be asking yourself why a $100-plus million struggling quarterback needs time away from the asylum. Well, it's simple.

The Bears are stuck with Cutler for at least one more season, as the highest-paid player in 2014 will count $16.5 million against the salary cap next season, according to Spotrac.com. That money is guaranteed to him, so he's not going anywhere.

To avoid a total meltdown if things get really bad around this Bears team, Cutler should watch one or two games from afar, allowing the opportunity to return with a fresh approach.

Think of this time away as a timeout for Cutler. Trestman talks a lot about accountability. He broached the subject Monday, saying his quarterback needs to play better. We've all known for a while now that Cutler needs to play better. His 15 combined turnovers is tied for the league lead with Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles.

Trestman was asked Monday if any changes would be made at quarterback, and his answer didn't even answer the question, via ChicagoBears.com:

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I think the biggest thing is that Jay's gotta play better. He didn't play well enough yesterday, and we didn't play well enough. And I'm certain he'd take accountability for that, but it's very clear he did not play well enough yesterday. We cannot sugarcoat that. But at the same time, we did not play collectively as a team.

"

With the team in disarray, the odds of a turnaround are not in the Bears' favor. This likely will get worse before it gets better. So before Jay melts down and his teammates completely lose all faith in his ability to complete a pass and not throw an interception, give him a respite.

Let Jimmy Clausen start a game or two. Seeing as the Bears likely have to win out in order to make the postseason—an unlikely scenario—the Bears would be better served to play for a better draft pick. Sure, it's a grim outlook, but that's where this team is at right now.

Odds and Ends on the Depth Chart

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Is it time for the Bears to move rookie Brock Vereen into a full-time role ahead of Chris Conte?

While Vereen made more than a few mistakes against the Packers that were very evident on film, the Bears spent a fourth-round pick on the kid. Conte hasn't been able to stay healthy and is a liability on the field, as evident by his lackluster play in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, for example. The Bears would be better served to see if Vereen can develop into a long-term starter because if he's not that player, the position will need to be addressed during the offseason. 

Is it time for Kyle Long to move from right guard to either left or right tackle?

Jermon Bushrod is going to be staying at left tackle, leaving the struggling Jordan Mills as a candidate to be moved. Mills has been flagged seven times this season, which is the third-most in the NFL, according to PFF (subscription required). The five sacks he's allowed is tied for eighth-most in the NFL. He's dealt with foot issues since Week 17 of last season. Long is hands down the Bears' most athletic offensive lineman. It's time to see if he can play either outside position. Eben Britton and Brian de la Puente are very competent replacements at right guard.

Marquess Wilson must make an impact in his return from injury.

The Bears offense has lacked a vertical component this season, as the Trestman-led offense ranks 23rd in the league in plays of 20 yards or more, according to NFL.com. As a result, Matt Forte leads the team in receptions and averages 8.5 yards per catch, doing most of his work at or near the line of scrimmage.

Wilson's speed can help change things up for the Bears offense. If Wilson can return from injured reserve and demonstrate the speed he showed in training camp, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery will have more chances to win battles in the middle of the field. The release of Santonio Holmes can be seen as a signal that Wilson is on his way back to the lineup.

All quotes pulled from team transcripts or transcribed from audio recordings.