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Dan Wiederer & Rich Campbell discussed a few things regarding the Bears offseason moves. Highlights:
HIRING TEAM PRES/FOOTBALL CZAR
CAMPBELL: Upon reading CBS Sports' report about Polian on Sunday, I remembered something Ryan Pace said on Jan. 9, 2015, when he was introduced as the NFL's youngest general manager. He said: "I feel really good that I'm empowered. That's why I'm here."
Would ownership neuter or, at the very least, undercut their GM after only two seasons? Especially considering the old, flawed roster this regime inherited? Listen, I fully understand Polian's Hall of Fame credentials, and I think Pace still has a lot to prove. But for the organization to waver on its direction after only two player acquisition cycles would, in my opinion, reflect deeper problems about the team's stewardship.
WIED: I'm not sure that adding an overseer to the football operations would neuter or even significantly undercut Pace. For years, there has been an avalanche of criticism toward team President Ted Phillips, whose expertise remains on the business side of things and never on roster-building. So to add another set of eyes, another voice, another supervisor to the process wouldn't necessarily be a condemnation of the current decision-makers — depending, of course, on how the Bears chose to structure everything. It's an interesting hypothetical to consider.
FANGIO
CAMPBELL: The Bears would be negatively affected if Fangio were to depart, and it would be a damn shame if egos perpetuated that.
The Bears' investment in front-seven personnel has paid dividends, as shown by their No. 8 ranking in the NFL in yards allowed per play. Having talented players is the most important component to a successful team, as I see it. But the coaching staff also deserves credit for the defense's improvement, from Fox on down.
From a player development standpoint, there are signs of progress in players such as Leonard Floyd, Eddie Goldman and some less-heralded prospects. From a strategic perspective, Fangio's experience and aptitude have been essential — and that's from players' mouths.
Pace on multiple occasions has expressed his belief that the Bears' biggest strength is their coaching staff. So if this rebuilding organization were to have its offensive and defensive coordinators depart before Year 3, it would be very easy to point to that as a critical disruption in the continuity required for long-term success.
WIED: I'll quote defensive lineman Akiem Hicks from Monday: "One of the things Vic does is that he has the (opposing) offense broken down so well that he can call something on the field and you say to yourself when you get the call, 'Is this really what we're going to run on this play?' But then you run it how it's supposed to be run and you stop them for a yard loss or get a sack and you say to yourself, 'Wow! He definitely has this game broken down to another level.' That's one thing you can appreciate from your defensive coordinator. He really lives this game."
For two years, that has been a recurring theme in that locker room, the feeling that Fangio is a mastermind at dissecting opponents and formulating game plans week after week that position the Bears for success. That should not go underappreciated at Halas Hall.
LOGGAINS:
CAMPBELL: For the first time in a long while, the dynamic for the Bears' decisions about their offense won't be anchored by Jay Cutler as the quarterback. To me, that's the most interesting part of the strategic planning sessions at Halas Hall during the first half of January.
The team's willingness to target a quarterback of the future would mean a fresh start on several levels. And at that point, Fox would have another chance to take action to support his many public endorsements of Loggains.
It really is a shame Loggains has had to work with such a depleted roster for much of the Bears season. Many respected NFL coaches endorse him, including Fox, Adam Gase, Kyle Shanahan and Mike Munchak. And I've been interested to hear Cutler, Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley each compliment their connections with him at various times. Considering how the offense has struggled to score consistently, let's see if Fox stands by him.
