The Chicago Bears found themselves in a predicament 48 hours ago. After agreeing to an offer sheet with Larry Ogunjobi, it felt like the team had found their needed interior pass rusher. Then Ogunjob failed his team physical, likely due to the foot surgery in January. GM Ryan Poles made the difficult decision to rescind the contract. There was no time to feel frustrated either. They had to move to a Plan B, and for them, that was 25-year old Justin Jones, most recently of the Los Angeles Chargers.
There was a problem, though. Jones was nearing an agreement to join the Indianapolis Colts. So head coach Matt Eberflus decided to take matters into his own hands. He gave the young defensive tackle a phone call and made the pitch to him about why joining the Bears was a better choice. Jones listened and liked what he heard. So he changed his mind, agreeing to a two-year deal with Chicago. News of his signing came mere minutes after the Ogunjobi incident went public.
This was the first indication that the new Bears head coach could communicate.
Being a head coach isn’t just about getting players to execute at a high level. It is also about being able to sell them on a vision. With their help and hard work, this team can win a championship. Often the best head coaches tend also to be great recruiters, luring in free agents with the promise of personal and team success. That is what Eberflus did with Justin Jones. While he isn’t as accomplished as Ogunjob, his skill set is a good fit for what the Bears will do defensively.
This entire scenario offers hope for the future. Chicago won’t be pursuing big-time free agents this year. They’re not ready for that. However, in a year or two, once the payroll is under control and hopefully they’ve stacked some good draft classes, they can start hunting bigger fish. It seems Eberflus is up to that challenge.
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