Chicago Bears: A Fan's Plan To Repair a Struggling Franchise
Let's face it. Even at 4-3 and tied for the lead in the NFC North (for the moment), Bears fans can sense that the end is near. Horrific offensive line play, a bevy of turnovers occurring at inopportune times, and an inexplicable inability to score from the one-yard line have wasted several outstanding showings from the Bears' defense this season.
Lovie Smith has gone to great lengths to try to save his job, including bringing in a staff of big-name, former head coaches to serve as coordinators and position coaches. Rod Marinelli's defense has looked good, but Mike Martz's offense cannot be considered anything but an utter failure, and the job Mike Tice has done with the o-line has been laughable.
If things don't turn around quickly, everyone in Chicago will be calling for Lovie Smith's head, and GM Jerry Angelo won't get off easily either. In the event that the Bears don't get the spark they need and fizzle to another non-playoff season, I've come up with the following seven-step plan to fix the franchise.
Step One: Fire Everyone
1 of 7
The Lovie Smith era has run its course. Everyone appreciates what Lovie did in taking the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006, but the fact that the team hasn't reached the postseason since shows a shocking lack of ability to adapt on Smith's part. I know that players like playing for Lovie, and I'm sure he's a very pleasant guy. But the Bears need someone who can come in, light a fire under the locker room, and get the guys to play with a sense of urgency. Just look at how Cedric Benson and Kyle Orton have flourished under new coaches since being forced out of Chicago.
Likewise, GM Jerry Angelo has shown that he's not only an overall terrible evaluator of talent, but also a completely inept drafter. His top two picks from the 2009 Draft (yes--the one before last season) are already off of the team. And for every late round gem he's found (Johnny Knox), he's picked several first round flops (Michael Haynes, Rex Grossman) to go along with mind-blowing selections in other early- to mid-rounds (Dan Bazuin and Garrett Wolfe? Really?).
It's time to clean house in the front office and coaching staff. Lovie can take all of his lame-duck, burned-out assistant coaches with him.
Step Two: Trade Jay Cutler
2 of 7
I know that Ron Turner and Mike Martz's offenses have not done him any favors. And I'm personally of the belief that Cutler can still be one of the best quarterbacks in the game. But the Cutler-led Chicago Interception Machine is inexcusable. He'll probably go somewhere else and become a perennial Pro-Bowler (again, see the success of Benson and Orton), but his confidence in Chicago, not to mention Chicago's confidence in him, seems irreparably shaken.
His contract will make him hard to unload, but there are still teams that would kill to acquire a cannon-armed quarterback in his prime. Especially since the asking price wouldn't be anywhere within the same galaxy as the package the Bears gave up to acquire him.
Step Three: Hire Ron Rivera As Head Coach
3 of 7
Ron Rivera was fired as the Bear's defensive coordinator because of philosophical differences with Lovie Smith. Many will argue that that was the worst move Smith has made in his tenure with the team. Rivera played linebacker for the legendary '85 Bears team, and coordinated Chicago's most feared defense since 1985 during his time of Smith's staff. It's time to bring him back where he belongs.
Regardless of whether he would decide to keep the 4-3 defensive scheme and build it back to its former glory or make the switch to the 3-4 he's adopted in San Diego, Chicago's personnel seems well equipped. In a 3-4, Julius Peppers could be a Demarcus Ware-type monster from outside linebacker (remember, he considered going to New England to play that very position). Brian Urlacher has the size to be the prototype 3-4 inside 'backer, and there's no reason to think he couldn't thrive in that system through the remainder of his career. A 3-4 switch certainly did nothing to slow Ray Lewis down. Israel Idonije is the kind of versatile, workmanlike lineman that would make him a perfect 3-4 end.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Step Four: Hire James Urban As Offensive Coordinator
4 of 7
This one is actually more important than the choice of whoever the next head coach would be. Obviously, the head coach needs to be someone fiery and inspiring, but regardless of who he is, his hiring of James Urban as offensive coordinator is absolutely vital to this plan. Who's James Urban, you ask? He's the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, and has been for the last two seasons, but he has never been a coordinator at any level of football.
Why would I want someone so inexperienced in such a critical position? Think about it. The Bears' offense is perfectly set up to run just like the Eagles run their offense. The Eagles thrive with a downfield passing attack using undersized but extremely fast receivers, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. I may just be crazy, but to me Johnny Knox and Devin Hester don't seem all that dissimilar to those guys. And while Matt Forte doesn't have the speed of LeSean McCoy at running back, he has proven to be an excellent receiver out of the backfield just like McCoy.
Just install the Eagles offense, and the Bears are set up to go without any major personnel changes at the skill positions.
Step Five: Sign Michael Vick
5 of 7
This is another reason to bring Urban to Chicago. Michael Vick's contract expires after this season. And while it's possible that the Eagles will sign him to an extension to maintain his services now that he has re-established himself as a superstar, I think it's more likely that the recent play of Kevin Kolb will convince Philadelphia to go forward with Kolb as their starter after this season.
Vick will want a starting gig somewhere, and having his quarterbacks coach in Chicago would provide the perfect incentive for him to become a Bear. Not only does Vick have the rocket arm to stretch the field with the Bears' aforementioned speedy receivers, but he's also shown the movement in the pocket to compensate for an inferior offensive line. That will obviously be a very important skill for the next Bears quarterback to have.
Step Six: Draft Jake Locker
6 of 7
With a couple of poor performances so far this season to go along with a lack of team success, Jake Locker's draft stock appears to be slipping a bit. That often happens when prospects decide to return for their senior season and receive another year's worth of scrutiny in return. If teams at the top of the draft decide to pass on Locker, it could be just the break the Bears need to acquire their next quarterback of the future.
In this ideal hypothetical situation, Locker could be acquired by the Bears in the middle of the first round and would have the benefit of sitting behind Michael Vick for a couple of seasons before taking the reigns himself. And when he does get his chance to step onto an NFL field, he'll display a surprisingly similar skill set to Vick's. Locker has a better-than-advertised arm and can get some definite zip on his deep throws. Not to mention he has the wheels to pick on some first-downs on the ground all by himself.
Step Seven: Use ALL Remaining Draft Picks on The O-Line
7 of 7
Okay, maybe not all of their remaining draft picks. But the Bears clearly need more athleticism and more bodies in general along the offensive line. Trading Jay Cutler would provide Chicago with a nice little package of mid- to late-draft choices to stock the remaining holes on the roster. And the majority of those holes are along the o-line.
The offensive line is in such a state of disarray that it will take more than one draft and free agency period to fix it completely. But in the mean time, at least the Bears could operate within an offense that's conducive to a quarterback (Michael Vick) running around and making plays down the field without the line's help. That is, if they decided to follow my seven-step plan!
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")