Bears Beat Curmudgeon David Haugh Heaps Praise on Bears

[southdakbearfan]

Pace does need to solidify his FA abilities. Hopefully the absence of Fox and/or more experience will accomplish this. But he's had too few multi-year hits.

He hasn't really signed too many multi year guys, yet, at least not too many high priced ones as rarely does that work at all in the nfl unless you are close and need one or two pieces.

Glennon, while a multiyear contract really was a one year and see deal. - miss, sort of, it was a gamble and it was a way out of Cutler. It sucks that its wasted money, but in reality any FA worth similar money signed then is probably over the hill when they are really ready to compete in a season or two.
Sitton - good
McPhee - ok, injuries have sucked it down, but productive, just not up to the contract.
Hick's - awesome
Trevathon - good
Freeman - ok, suspensions and injuries derailed him, but he was good for a bit, and cheap.
Unrein - cheap and good depth
Massie - while we like to hate him at times, fairly productive and not overpriced, he ain't Webb that's for sure.
Royal - bad, never regained form and couldn't stay healthy
Rolle - injuries
Wheaton - bad so far
Sims - I scratched my head on this one when they signed him. No real history of production but young. Doubtful this one works out.
Porter - was ok for a year then didn't live up to the extension.
Demps - ??? injuries, will they even bother keeping him.
Wright - ok

Basically, aside from McPhee and Glennon these guys were brought in fairly cheap to plug gaps while Pace is filling the lineup with the draft or were simply a severe point of need making them worth the risk. Hicks is the lone long term star that was brought in cheap and proved to be great and got an extension. He has also got some productive starters too so I would say he is hitting about average to above average on FA's as he was plugging gaps in the team not looking for all-pro's.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Pace does need to solidify his FA abilities. Hopefully the absence of Fox and/or more experience will accomplish this. But he's had too few multi-year hits.

He hasn't really signed too many multi year guys, yet, at least not too many high priced ones as rarely does that work at all in the nfl unless you are close and need one or two pieces.

Glennon, while a multiyear contract really was a one year and see deal. - miss, sort of, it was a gamble and it was a way out of Cutler. It sucks that its wasted money, but in reality any FA worth similar money signed then is probably over the hill when they are really ready to compete in a season or two.
Sitton - good
McPhee - ok, injuries have sucked it down, but productive, just not up to the contract.
Hick's - awesome
Trevathon - good
Freeman - ok, suspensions and injuries derailed him, but he was good for a bit, and cheap.
Unrein - cheap and good depth
Massie - while we like to hate him at times, fairly productive and not overpriced, he ain't Webb that's for sure.
Royal - bad, never regained form and couldn't stay healthy
Rolle - injuries
Wheaton - bad so far
Sims - I scratched my head on this one when they signed him. No real history of production but young. Doubtful this one works out.
Porter - was ok for a year then didn't live up to the extension.
Demps - ??? injuries, will they even bother keeping him.
Wright - ok

Basically, aside from McPhee and Glennon these guys were brought in fairly cheap to plug gaps while Pace is filling the lineup with the draft or were simply a severe point of need making them worth the risk. Hicks is the lone long term star that was brought in cheap and proved to be great and got an extension. He has also got some productive starters too so I would say he is hitting about average to above average on FA's as he was plugging gaps in the team not looking for all-pro's.

The reality of it is now clear. He was NEVER trying to have multi-year FA splashes. He was trying to fill gaps until he hired his coach and got his QB. There was no reason for him to do otherwise. In the process he has put the Bears in a VERY favorable cap position. I expect that the FA signing that start happening this year, will look very, very different. He said that this is a multi-year process, and that was all part of it. Again, I refer to the Cubs. theo signed shit the first couple years of the re-build. But it was all part of the plan. He was building through the draft. When he had his players in place, he signed big FA's (Lester, Zobrist, Chapman, etc.). Pace is doing the same thing. Kudos to him.

[Richie]

Pace does need to solidify his FA abilities. Hopefully the absence of Fox and/or more experience will accomplish this. But he's had too few multi-year hits.

He hasn't really signed too many multi year guys, yet, at least not too many high priced ones as rarely does that work at all in the nfl unless you are close and need one or two pieces.

Glennon, while a multiyear contract really was a one year and see deal. - miss, sort of, it was a gamble and it was a way out of Cutler. It sucks that its wasted money, but in reality any FA worth similar money signed then is probably over the hill when they are really ready to compete in a season or two.
Sitton - good
McPhee - ok, injuries have sucked it down, but productive, just not up to the contract.
Hick's - awesome
Trevathon - good
Freeman - ok, suspensions and injuries derailed him, but he was good for a bit, and cheap.
Unrein - cheap and good depth
Massie - while we like to hate him at times, fairly productive and not overpriced, he ain't Webb that's for sure.
Royal - bad, never regained form and couldn't stay healthy
Rolle - injuries
Wheaton - bad so far
Sims - I scratched my head on this one when they signed him. No real history of production but young. Doubtful this one works out.
Porter - was ok for a year then didn't live up to the extension.
Demps - ??? injuries, will they even bother keeping him.
Wright - ok

Basically, aside from McPhee and Glennon these guys were brought in fairly cheap to plug gaps while Pace is filling the lineup with the draft or were simply a severe point of need making them worth the risk. Hicks is the lone long term star that was brought in cheap and proved to be great and got an extension. He has also got some productive starters too so I would say he is hitting about average to above average on FA's as he was plugging gaps in the team not looking for all-pro's.

The reality of it is now clear. He was NEVER trying to have multi-year FA splashes. He was trying to fill gaps until he hired his coach and got his QB. There was no reason for him to do otherwise. In the process he has put the Bears in a VERY favorable cap position. I expect that the FA signing that start happening this year, will look very, very different. He said that this is a multi-year process, and that was all part of it. Again, I refer to the Cubs. theo signed shit the first couple years of the re-build. But it was all part of the plan. He was building through the draft. When he had his players in place, he signed big FA's (Lester, Zobrist, Chapman, etc.). Pace is doing the same thing. Kudos to him.

I've been using the Cubs analogy for a while with Pace.

It's so different! Theo had a plan!

Really? Do you know how easy it is to say that AFTER THEY'VE won? It started somewhere, is the point and it wasn't pretty for a few years. If you think Pace has just been aimlessly shooting from the hip, you're a dolt.

He's going about this the right way. Will he execute it? I don't know. I hope, and think we're headed for better days. Although, I really have no idea.

[malk]

Pace does need to solidify his FA abilities. Hopefully the absence of Fox and/or more experience will accomplish this. But he's had too few multi-year hits.

He hasn't really signed too many multi year guys, yet, at least not too many high priced ones as rarely does that work at all in the nfl unless you are close and need one or two pieces.

Glennon, while a multiyear contract really was a one year and see deal. - miss, sort of, it was a gamble and it was a way out of Cutler. It sucks that its wasted money, but in reality any FA worth similar money signed then is probably over the hill when they are really ready to compete in a season or two.
Sitton - good
McPhee - ok, injuries have sucked it down, but productive, just not up to the contract.
Hick's - awesome
Trevathon - good
Freeman - ok, suspensions and injuries derailed him, but he was good for a bit, and cheap.
Unrein - cheap and good depth
Massie - while we like to hate him at times, fairly productive and not overpriced, he ain't Webb that's for sure.
Royal - bad, never regained form and couldn't stay healthy
Rolle - injuries
Wheaton - bad so far
Sims - I scratched my head on this one when they signed him. No real history of production but young. Doubtful this one works out.
Porter - was ok for a year then didn't live up to the extension.
Demps - ??? injuries, will they even bother keeping him.
Wright - ok

Basically, aside from McPhee and Glennon these guys were brought in fairly cheap to plug gaps while Pace is filling the lineup with the draft or were simply a severe point of need making them worth the risk. Hicks is the lone long term star that was brought in cheap and proved to be great and got an extension. He has also got some productive starters too so I would say he is hitting about average to above average on FA's as he was plugging gaps in the team not looking for all-pro's.

The reality of it is now clear. He was NEVER trying to have multi-year FA splashes. He was trying to fill gaps until he hired his coach and got his QB. There was no reason for him to do otherwise. In the process he has put the Bears in a VERY favorable cap position. I expect that the FA signing that start happening this year, will look very, very different. He said that this is a multi-year process, and that was all part of it. Again, I refer to the Cubs. theo signed shit the first couple years of the re-build. But it was all part of the plan. He was building through the draft. When he had his players in place, he signed big FA's (Lester, Zobrist, Chapman, etc.). Pace is doing the same thing. Kudos to him.

I disagree with either the approach or the execution. Firstly, I don't think we're in a very favourable cap position. It isn't bad but, without doing a comprehensive analysis of other teams' cut candidates, we're middle of the road. In pur cap space at present we're 15th at $7.5m. It's slightly frustrating that we're not in the same postion as the Titans or 49ers with a huge war chest to use for signing up our own and adding to the roster.

Regarding not making multi year splashes, is it that much better to keep whiffing on non multi year deals? Sims, Cooper and Wheaton have cost $18m between them and contributed virtually nothing. In 2016 we used $13.5m on getting not a great deal from Young, Porter and Royal. In 2015 it was $13.5m on Rolle, Royal and Ball.

I understand that we need some players on the roster and, plus this is the key bit, we were attempting something very different in 2015 with Cutler, but those low risk/low reward vets quickly chew up 10% of your cap and don't bring that much even if they don't bust out like the players I've mentioned (somewhat harshly, Young and Porter weren't awful).

Building through the draft isn't just about securing the top end talent to resign at great cost later. It's about keeping a constant flow of decent starters and quality depth at under a million a year on their rookie deals.

I like Pace's talent evaluation, I hope he now uses it (trusts it?) in free agency to pay a few players he likes a lot rather than more of the ones he's ok with some.

[wab]

Pace is using FA as a band aid until he can get a roster full of players he likes through the draft. I have no problem with that. Most FA signings are essentially 1 year deals. While the players they have signed haven't always worked, the contract structure protects the Bears.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Pace is using FA as a band aid until he can get a roster full of players he likes through the draft. I have no problem with that. Most FA signings are essentially 1 year deals. While the players they have signed haven't always worked, the contract structure protects the Bears.

And this is the point. He's not committing to anyone, until he feels like he has his drafted players in position, the #1 of that group being the QB. In order to attract high-caliber, splashy FA's, you have to give them multi-year deals, which he wasn't going to do. Granted, he did take some chances on players like Freeman, Trevethan, and Sitton. But those were calculated chances on proven players. He is building through the draft. What was the statistic that was thrown around in 2014, when the Packers were going 12-4? 70% of their roster was brought up through the organization?

[wab]

Look at the homegrown talent on the Vikings defense. And even the Saints, who finally seem to have beaten a decade of defensive futility by drafting the right guys.

[malk]

Pace is using FA as a band aid until he can get a roster full of players he likes through the draft. I have no problem with that. Most FA signings are essentially 1 year deals. While the players they have signed haven't always worked, the contract structure protects the Bears.

And this is the point. He's not committing to anyone, until he feels like he has his drafted players in position, the #1 of that group being the QB. In order to attract high-caliber, splashy FA's, you have to give them multi-year deals, which he wasn't going to do. Granted, he did take some chances on players like Freeman, Trevethan, and Sitton. But those were calculated chances on proven players. He is building through the draft. What was the statistic that was thrown around in 2014, when the Packers were going 12-4? 70% of their roster was brought up through the organization?

And when did the Packers or Vikings or Saints last win the Super Bowl?

There's only one reason for deifying building through the draft and that's that you have a very good idea of the player's ability, scheme fit, and character. By all means prioritise those but you simply improbable tp get a good enough roster if you exclude free agency.

I'm in no way saying we need to give Suh like contracts but I'd also strongly advocate avoiding those for our own drafted players too. Even for the tier below Pace needs to be careful not to tie down the cap for too long if he does whiff but that's eminently possible.

I return again to AJ Bouye www.spotrac.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/a.j.-bouye-12795/.

In the deal he signed (again to the 3-13 Jags with a very poorly regarded QB) he had $26m guaranteed, really $27m and could be cut at the end of 2018 for a doable $6m in dead cap over 2019 or 2019 and 2020. That's not a deal that ruins you even if he doesn't pan out. I'm not entirely sure why the Jags structured it that way either rather than just using their 2017 cap space to fully guarantee his base salary rather than giving a signing bonus. Perhaps he wanted to make an end of 2018 cut hurt enough to think about keeping him on if he was average rather than a bust but I digress.

Is drafting the most important thing? Yes. Does that mean you should completely ignore the higher end of free agency? Hell no!

[G08]

Pace does need to solidify his FA abilities. Hopefully the absence of Fox and/or more experience will accomplish this. But he's had too few multi-year hits.

He hasn't really signed too many multi year guys, yet, at least not too many high priced ones as rarely does that work at all in the nfl unless you are close and need one or two pieces.

Glennon, while a multiyear contract really was a one year and see deal. - miss, sort of, it was a gamble and it was a way out of Cutler. It sucks that its wasted money, but in reality any FA worth similar money signed then is probably over the hill when they are really ready to compete in a season or two.
Sitton - good
McPhee - ok, injuries have sucked it down, but productive, just not up to the contract.
Hick's - awesome
Trevathon - good
Freeman - ok, suspensions and injuries derailed him, but he was good for a bit, and cheap.
Unrein - cheap and good depth
Massie - while we like to hate him at times, fairly productive and not overpriced, he ain't Webb that's for sure.
Royal - bad, never regained form and couldn't stay healthy
Rolle - injuries
Wheaton - bad so far
Sims - I scratched my head on this one when they signed him. No real history of production but young. Doubtful this one works out.
Porter - was ok for a year then didn't live up to the extension.
Demps - ??? injuries, will they even bother keeping him.
Wright - ok

Basically, aside from McPhee and Glennon these guys were brought in fairly cheap to plug gaps while Pace is filling the lineup with the draft or were simply a severe point of need making them worth the risk. Hicks is the lone long term star that was brought in cheap and proved to be great and got an extension. He has also got some productive starters too so I would say he is hitting about average to above average on FA's as he was plugging gaps in the team not looking for all-pro's.

The reality of it is now clear. He was NEVER trying to have multi-year FA splashes. He was trying to fill gaps until he hired his coach and got his QB. There was no reason for him to do otherwise. In the process he has put the Bears in a VERY favorable cap position. I expect that the FA signing that start happening this year, will look very, very different. He said that this is a multi-year process, and that was all part of it. Again, I refer to the Cubs. theo signed shit the first couple years of the re-build. But it was all part of the plan. He was building through the draft. When he had his players in place, he signed big FA's (Lester, Zobrist, Chapman, etc.). Pace is doing the same thing. Kudos to him.

I've been using the Cubs analogy for a while with Pace.

It's so different! Theo had a plan!

Really? Do you know how easy it is to say that AFTER THEY'VE won? It started somewhere, is the point and it wasn't pretty for a few years. If you think Pace has just been aimlessly shooting from the hip, you're a dolt.

He's going about this the right way. Will he execute it? I don't know. I hope, and think we're headed for better days. Although, I really have no idea.

... Theo said that before anything even happened. We are tearing it down and building it back up, it's going to take time. I believe he even mentioned 5 years, and wouldn't you know it we won the whole God damned thing that 5th year.

Theo is a God.

[wab]

I'm convinced that as the meteor comes hurtling into the atmosphere and the sea begins to boil...right before the sky turns blood red... Malk is going to log on and complain about not signing AJ Bouye.

[Mikefive]

Firstly, I don't think we're in a very favourable cap position. It isn't bad but, without doing a comprehensive analysis of other teams' cut candidates, we're middle of the road. In pur cap space at present we're 15th at $7.5m. It's slightly frustrating that we're not in the same postion as the Titans or 49ers with a huge war chest to use for signing up our own and adding to the roster.

Our cap number in January is irrelevant. It's our cap number when FA opens that matters. We'll be freeing up a ton of space between now and then by cutting Glennon and several others.

[wab]

I don't care about winning free agency.

[Hematite]

High priced FA acquisitions usually only pan out when the team is ready to compete for the Super Bowl IMO. Until then, they usually just set the franchise up for cap troubles. I totally agree with Pace's philosophy and I hope he continues following it.

The only way to get players playing above their contracts is usually on rookie deals.

[G08]

Know who would be a solid fit here?

Randall Cobb, and I don't think he's going to break the bank.

[malk]

Firstly, I don't think we're in a very favourable cap position. It isn't bad but, without doing a comprehensive analysis of other teams' cut candidates, we're middle of the road. In pur cap space at present we're 15th at $7.5m. It's slightly frustrating that we're not in the same postion as the Titans or 49ers with a huge war chest to use for signing up our own and adding to the roster.

Our cap number in January is irrelevant. It's our cap number when FA opens that matters. We'll be freeing up a ton of space between now and then by cutting Glennon and several others.

I agree, that's pretty much what the bit you quoted says!

@wab. I want to win free agency but win it based on a judgment three years later. I.e. exactly the same way I want us to win the draft.

[malk]

1920 Chicago Bears & Football Drive
Lake Forest
IL
60045
USA

Dear Ryan (if I may),

Apologies for brevity, the sea is boiling.

Remember free agency 2017 when you signed Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper for $12m. Well you could have had signed AJ Bouye and maybe things would have turned out differently.

Yours sincerely,

Malk.

13.5m London Street
London Town
London
England.

[UOK]

1920 Chicago Bears & Football Drive
Lake Forest
IL
60045
USA

Dear Ryan (if I may),

Apologies for brevity, the sea is boiling.

Remember free agency 2017 when you signed Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper for $12m. Well you could have had signed AJ Bouye and maybe things would have turned out differently.

Yours sincerely,

Malk.

13.5m London Street
London Town
London
England.

[video][/video]

Dearest Malk,

I don't give a shit. I wield the Masamune, and intend to X-Strike the draft, rendering your complaints pointless.

Sincerely,

Pace

[Rusty Trombagent]

Man, if only pace had got more high priced free agents last year, he could have saved John Fox's job!

[malk]

It's all good, in the past couple of weeks Cyrus' spirit has upgraded the Masamune so we can overcome the mistakes of the past.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

It's all good, in the past couple of weeks Cyrus' spirit has upgraded the Masamune so we can overcome the mistakes of the past.

[Wounded Bear]

It's all good, in the past couple of weeks Cyrus' spirit has upgraded the Masamune so we can overcome the mistakes of the past.

I'm lost. Are these guys wide receivers?

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

It's all good, in the past couple of weeks Cyrus' spirit has upgraded the Masamune so we can overcome the mistakes of the past.

I'm lost. Are these guys wide receivers?

I believe it is old Final Fantasy nerd-fest language.

[G08]

Hopefully this puts everything to bed:

"I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. Jacksonville didn't even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home, and it's in the division. I'm happy here."

[Boris13c]

Hopefully this puts everything to bed:

"I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. Jacksonville didn't even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home, and it's in the division. I'm happy here."

can't say I blame him for his decision ... at the time he made it, more money was all the Bears could offer ... and at that time, opponents were regularly leaving town after beating the Bears and commenting on how poorly coached the team seemed to be

with the new regime, hopefully this will change and Chicago will become a desired destination for more than just a paycheck

[Wounded Bear]

Hopefully this puts everything to bed:

"I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. Jacksonville didn't even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home, and it's in the division. I'm happy here."

Well, that's his loss. He had an opportunity to play for the legendary John Fox and blew it.

[malk]

Hopefully this puts everything to bed:

"I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. Jacksonville didn't even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home, and it's in the division. I'm happy here."

[Wounded Bear]

lol

[G08]

Hopefully this puts everything to bed:

"I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. Jacksonville didn't even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home, and it's in the division. I'm happy here."

God damn did I love that movie as a kid!

[malk]

I'm going to have to tweet Bouye to find out how much more it was. $100 and my point stands, $5m guaranteed and I'll shut up.

I've invested too much into this to give up so easily!