Rebuffed by Green Bay, Chicago Bears Turn To Bengals' Ken Zampese

The Chicago Bears asked for, and were declined, permission to speak to Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements on Monday, and first choice Jeremy Bates decided to follow Pete Carroll to Seattle.

That leaves Mike Martz as the leading candidate for offensive coordinator, right?

Well, not so fast.

The Bears have interviewed Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese for the position on Tuesday and according to a report in the Chicago Tribune , he may be the leading candidate.

Zampese is given credit for developing Carson Palmer, but he has no play calling experience.  Meanwhile, it's curious as to why Bears' Head Coach Lovie Smith seems to be hesitant to bring in friend and mentor Martz for the position. Martz had publicly indicated his interest in the job.

That suits me just fine, however, as I believe Martz's offense, with flying footballs everywhere and a five to seven step drop that requires a solid O-line, may not be best suited for Soldier Field and the Bears.

But if Martz is really interested, why would there be reports that Martz himself recommended Zampese to Smith?

Interesting.

So, while Martz may not be the guy, it would be nice to get someone in with experience. That doesn't seem likely, however, as the choices are dwindling. Jim Zorn is one name who has experience, but he hasn't officially been linked to the Bears yet.

It figures that Smith would want someone young who would be no threat to his job and who would be more likely to follow his direction. Just like on defense, where Smith will be careful to keep the same scheme, he wants control of his own fate.

That stubbornness will be his downfall. Does anyone remember Terry Shea and John Shoop?

Meanwhile, the Packers refusal to allow the Bears permission to talk to their QB coach speaks volumes, not only about how much they must like this guy, but also of the intense rivalry between the teams.

On the defensive side of the football, the Smith lackey, er, coordinator position continues to drag as well.

The Bears first choice, Perry Fewell, had seemed a shoo-in heading into Monday, but he has interest from the Giants and still has an outside chance at landing the Bills head coaching gig.

Now, back to the offense. No matter who gets the OC gig, he will have plenty of work to do with that O-line, and with the mental and physical woes of Jay Cutler.

What the Bears truly need, it seems, is not an OC, but a miracle worker.

Too bad Mother Teresa is no longer around, come to think of it.