LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy gave their 2019 season-ending press conference at Halas Hall today. If you missed the presser, you can listen to it here:
A lot of what they said was expected, but there were some things to glean (reading between the lines) as well. As the active portion of the offseason approaches in February through April, it’ll be interesting to see how they proceed.
I provide my thoughts on what they said below. Follow me on Twitter @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.
Thoughts and Observations
1. Unsurprisingly, Pace lamented regression and inconsistencies. There was plenty of it to go around: The offensive line, the pass rush, the tight ends, etc. But none more so than the quarterback. Which brings me to my next point…
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2. Pace (to the media) said Mitch Trubisky is coming back as the Bears’ starting QB in 2020. They believe that the story hasn’t been written yet on his career, which is in some ways true. But this has to be lip speak. Remember, they were “fired up” about Mike Glennon being their quarterback before they selected Mitch Trubisky in the 2017 Draft. I expected a bit more “vagueness”, but I’m not surprised by the phrasing after reflecting on it.
3. Another interesting tidbit, which makes me feel a bit better for the time being:
4. They did say that they expect to bring in competition to the quarterback room, though, making note that Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray are out of contract. I have to believe both of them are gone. It’ll be interesting to see whom the Bears lure to Chicago — both in free agency and the draft. The QB room will look different next year, though. And that’s a good thing.
5. Matt Nagy was mum on whether he was considering coaching changes — saying they are working through that process right now. That signals to me that a few changes are certainly on the horizon, namely: OC Mark Helfrich, QB coach Dave Ragone, TE coach Kevin Gilbride, and perhaps even OL coach Harry Hiestand could be on the hook. I doubt they look to replace ST coordinator Chris Tabor. And I’m glad that DC Chuck Pagano is not (reportedly) a hot HC candidate for teams with vacancies.
If the Bears do make a change at OC, if they want to bring in someone qualified, Nagy may have to give up playcalling duties. Keep this name in mind:
Interestingly, though, Nagy said that there isn’t an inherent “sense of urgency” to make changes right away in the middle of hiring season. He wants to make sure the changes made are thought through properly with a plan in place to replace the affected coaches once the moves are made. That’s a very sound idea. You can’t fire someone without a succession plan. He’ll be gauging interest before making moves.
[NOTE — Shortly after this was published, Adam Hoge of WGN Radio broke that the Bears have fired OC Mark Helfrich, OL coach Harry Hiestand, TE coach Kevin Gilbride, and Assistant ST coach Brock Olivo. Tweet below.]
6. The Bears are pretty banged up heading into the offseason. Roquan Smith had surgery on his pectoral muscle. Anthony Miller is getting surgery on the same left shoulder he injured last season. Trey Burton had surgery on his hip. And Trubisky is likely getting surgery on his shoulder as well. They’re expected to be ready for training camp, though, so that’s a good thing.
7. Speaking of tight ends, Nagy and Pace both lamented availability for both Burton and Adam Shaheen. As they should. The TE room will look substantially different next year, after final cuts are made. Interestingly, though, Pace said he expects Shaheen to be competing for a spot in training camp. I’m not sure he’s done enough to earn a chance, but he’s cheap and under contract, so I suppose it can’t hurt.
8. Both Nagy and Pace said they are pleased with what Leonard Floyd provides the team. He certainly does have value overall, but he is a bad pass rusher. He’s owed $13M on his fifth-year option at the moment; that cannot be the price tag for someone like Floyd who can’t beat opposing tackles to get to the quarterback. Either they get rid of Floyd somehow, or they work an extension (that lowers the hit) that pays him for what he’s actually worth — which is less than $13M.
9. Pace basically admitted that switching James Daniels and Cody Whitehair was a mistake. Once they got back to LG and C respectively, they were more assignment sound. Expect both of them to resume at those spots next year. Pace also lamented the injuries to Kyle Long and Bobby Massie — he expects there to be some changes made to the OL (but also expects improvement from Daniels and the rest of the OL intrinsically.) I’m not surprised by that. The RG spot (at least) will look different, though.
10. I’m fascinated by what this offseason will entail. There are going to be quite a few changes at key positions. And, of course, there’s the question about how the Bears will attack the QB spot and their offensive coaching spots. Buckle up, Bears fans. It’ll be a wild ride.
