The Chicago Bears went 5-12. That is not good. Bill Parcells famously said you are what your record says you are. This suggests the Bears are a bad team. Now, obviously, such questions are complicated. While the product on the field might not be good, it doesn’t mean the Bears lack the talent necessary to get better. Several experts believe this roster is capable of going much further. It is a question of whether they get the right coaching after the Matt Eberflus debacle. That is why Ben Johnson was hired as the new head coach.
He was quick to praise several players across the roster, on offense and defense. However, don’t be fooled. Parcells had another saying.
“If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.”
In other words, it is safe to assume that Johnson might not be married to several players on the roster and would prefer to get some more in line with his vision. His agent, Rick Smith, hinted on 670 The Score that the coach would have a key voice in personnel decisions and could be planning considerable changes.
Ben Johnson likely has a short list of untouchable players.
They will include Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, Darnell Wright, Montez Sweat, Jaylon Johnson, Gervon Dexter, and Kyler Gordon. Maybe there are a handful of others, but that’s it. Everybody else can be considered expendable for one reason or another. There is no question that changes are coming along the offensive line after it allowed 67 sacks last season. It is also probable that the running back room will be overhauled. Don’t forget Detroit dumped D’Andre Swift after Johnson took over as offensive coordinator.
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Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen may like his initial setup on that side of the ball, but his personnel preferences don’t likely mirror Eberflus. That could lead to some unexpected adjustments. The point is there might be changes coming Bears fans aren’t ready for. Yet that is the reality of things when you hire a new head coach. Ben Johnson was brought in to turn this into a championship-caliber team. It is a safe bet a large portion of players on this roster don’t fit the bill in his eyes.
It’s hard to gauge which players need to go and which will definitely stay… remember.. you can have a talented roster but without a good coach to put them in a position to succeed…. the talent most of the time doesnt matter……we have seen many players get traded and flourish with other teams…and vice versa… players that are great with teams …leave for a bigger contract and then fail to produce … .. there are some exceptions with definite pro bowl players players… but… coaching matters …
The first thing he should look at is: “how resistant are they to coaching?”
Anyone who refuses to change, learn or improve, should be gone. That was the problem with the coaches.
@ Dr. Melhus I agree with 99% of your commentary, the 1% i don’t agree with if the reason Justin Fields was trading. I don’t see it as just merely wanting to get rid of a player, if Justin Fields would’ve been retained, with his rookie contract expiring, the team would’ve been on the hook for league average $25 Million. I can see or understand how the decision was made to start over with a new QB on a rookie contract, the NFL is a business and I feel Justin Fields being traded to Pittsburgh was exactly that and nothing… Read more »
@Dr Melhus — I know you don’t like my “negative” prognostications (Lucas Patrick, Alex Leatherwood, Nate “where’s Waldo” Davis, D’Andre Swift, Kiran Amegadjie, et al). But the Bears do need, at least another WR, to count on for some production. Tyler Scott still hasn’t shown he can track the ball; let alone catch it. Keenan Allen at $20MM per year is not sustainable. And (for as good as he can be) DJ Moore has shown serious “Antonio Brown” signs of immaturity– despite all the guarateed money, undeserved praise (team captain) and future commitment Ryan Poles squandered on him. When things… Read more »
I don’t see how people think Kmet is safe, as Scooby said. Is he good, yes, but he doesn’t threaten the defense. He is average to below average in speed off the line but does have great hands. Big-bodied tight-end a decent blocker, but nowhere near the top tier of TE talent. Remember, the Lions traded out Hockenson bc he didn’t fit in the system, and they got a good return for him.