Most people didn’t think much of the move when it happened. According to widespread belief, hiring Thomas Brown was meant to add more help to the offensive staff. He’d be an extra voice to help Caleb Williams transition to the NFL. Not that it mattered much. Shane Waldron would be the offensive coordinator. He’d run the show. Brown was an afterthought. Fast forward a few months, and Waldron is gone. He was fired after only nine games due to atrocious offensive performances. Brown has since stepped in, restoring the confidence of the locker room and guiding them to one of their best games of the season with 27 points and 400 yards against the #1 Minnesota Vikings defense.
Head coach Matt Eberflus would have everyone believe he played the central role in bringing Brown to Chicago in the first place. Mark Carman of CHGO disputed that claim. He stated on the CHGO Bears Podcast that he has it on good authority that GM Ryan Poles was the one who lured the in-demand assistant to Chicago. Not Eberflus.
Was Poles already thinking ahead by pursuing Thomas Brown?
It is well-known that the GM was the primary voice in keeping Eberflus this season. He felt continuity was important to push the team forward. However, sources have told SM others inside Halas Hall preferred a change, including team president Kevin Warren. This revelation would suggest that Poles felt there was a possibility things could go sideways, and he would need some insurance, both for Waldron and maybe even Eberflus. If true, he should consider a new career as the Oracle of Delphi for such a prophetic move.
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Things have unfolded exactly as feared. Waldron was a complete disaster, and Eberflus once again stumbled into another long losing streak after a 4-2 start. Meanwhile, Thomas Brown not only has Caleb Williams playing excellent football, but he’s winning over players in the locker room with his leadership, confidence, and calm under pressure. Is it possible Poles wanted to use this season as a long-term interview to see if he could be the next head coach? This story from Carman sure makes it seem that way.
FYI: Eberflus had PLENTY of opportunity to save his job AND become a future HOF coach. You need to constantly reassess your priorities, your philosophies, and your emphasis. HITS was great for a start. That might be the basis of where you want your players in high school or college to address their attention – but the coach can’t be stuck there. Add staff. Add perspective. Add ideas. Build. And look at what you DO have. Cole Kmet is too experienced to have the same kind of penalty twice in a single game. Either he, or his position coach needs… Read more »
@TGena Thanks. The GM (Poles or anyone) think that their primary job is to acquire “Super” players. Fans love trading cards from when they are young, but finding the coaches who can squeeze every ounce of potential from every player (or even more), gives a team so much greater forward flexibility. They can get a Pro Bowl quality player from the 5th round or a useful player (comparing Puka Nucua and Braxton Jones), but Jones is now considered trade bait or “swing” tackle if they draft a more highly rated tackle. Why not coach the ENTIRE offensive line room to… Read more »
@PoochPest —
Please read Alec Lewis’ article for The Athletic:
“Why Daniel Jones signing with the Vikings makes a world of sense for both sides”
It illustrates so much of what you have been trying to teach Erik Lambert’s avid readers, for months and months now.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah targeted Kevin O’Connell while Ryan Poles jumped at Matt Eberflus — and 20/20 hindsight blinds us with the painful truth — you knew all along:
Really good coaches, really matter!
@Dr Melhus You can’t compare draft picks and where anyone is rated or position they are picked, without consider the effect a good, or bad coordinator (and head coach) will have on position coaches, and the development of every choice from drafted, UDFA, trades, free agents. Without anyone holding the position coaches to account for their positions, or anyone holding the coordinators accountable, the team simply stalls. Coordinators have fewer options and head coaches have limited choices. But the GM has to tell his choice: the head coach, to be urgent. Get on everyone’s ass. But we only have to… Read more »
I admit that I knew little about Thomas Brown except that he was the offensive coordinator who took over as the Carolina Panthers season fell off the wheels at the end of last year. Brown is either the guy who specializes in being in place when bad coordinators go belly up,.or he is really good. But I feel every team should have between 35-38 people on their coaching staff. If they want any continuity, they need to be able to watch assistants, analysts, coordinators and quality control coaches develop. They need to develop coaches. It hedges against coaches being poached,… Read more »