Anyone else amped for the season already?

[malk]

Amped for the season and this it will be exciting and transformative. Looking forward to free agency being over though, it's depressing how bad Pace is at it. We're going to be much better over the next year or two but I don't see anything but a very tight window for winning everything. Nagy and Trubisky need to get very good very quickly.

If the weapons Pace put around Mitch pan out, you won't get to say that pace does an awful job every agency anymore.

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If you think that then you don't understand my argument.

[Moriarty]

Based on recent free agent activity? Very much no.

Based on coaching changes? Somewhat

Based on seeing how young guys develop? Somewhat

[Otis Day]

I want to be excited about what the Bears are doing. But after 5 straight years of embarrassing futility, it's hard to keep the excitement. Yes, the futility of Trestman/Emery/Fox are gone, but it's just hard to get too excited about the first year of a new coaching staff. It's bound to be a bumpy ride in 2018, but if the team shows it's vastly improving as the season rolls along, the excitement will quickly come back for 2019.

Nicely said. Always excited for football in general, high school, some college and Bears. I will wait and see. My kool aid hasn't tasted right in years so quit drinking it. I just go week to week now. Tough division, new coach, new O, takes time to grow.

As for training camp, it has become too big a spectacle now. Not the same as it was in Platteville. Hell, even after 86 it was not too crazy up there. I stay away.

[wab]

I'm genuinely not trying to poo-poo what the Bears did in FA this week. But I'm not throwing the ship full steam ahead. I'm just cautiously wading into the waters knowing that:

- They paid a lot of money to an injured WR with two injured WR's already atop the depth chart
- They gave a lot of money to essentially another Tarik Cohen...a guy who may or may not be a gimmick.
- They gave a lot of money to an undersized TE/FB kinda player after we'd all hoped for big things for Shaheen in this offense

I'm good with Lynch and to an extent Daniels. Bringing back Sowell and Acho helps the depth and they aren't that old. Re-signing Amukamara opens up the draft a lot. I like Harkey and I think he solidifies the kicking position for a while. I'm also a closet Mega Punt fan.

So the low key stuff they've done (aside from losing Jones to a division rival) makes me happy. But to me, the big splashes don't hit home. Big money to two part time players and one who may or may not be the same.

This also means pace NEEDS to hit on his draft picks. No more long term projects. He needs 2-3 immediate impact players out of this draft.

[Mikefive]

I'm genuinely not trying to poo-poo what the Bears did in FA this week. But I'm not throwing the ship full steam ahead. I'm just cautiously wading into the waters knowing that:

- They paid a lot of money to an injured WR with two injured WR's already atop the depth chart
- They gave a lot of money to essentially another Tarik Cohen...a guy who may or may not be a gimmick.
- They gave a lot of money to an undersized TE/FB kinda player after we'd all hoped for big things for Shaheen in this offense

I'm good with Lynch and to an extent Daniels. Bringing back Sowell and Acho helps the depth and they aren't that old. Re-signing Amukamara opens up the draft a lot. I like Harkey and I think he solidifies the kicking position for a while. I'm also a closet Mega Punt fan.

So the low key stuff they've done (aside from losing Jones to a division rival) makes me happy. But to me, the big splashes don't hit home. Big money to two part time players and one who may or may not be the same.

This also means pace NEEDS to hit on his draft picks. No more long term projects. He needs 2-3 immediate impact players out of this draft.

I'm glad you posted this. I wanted to see your player by player breakdown after you said Aaron Lynch was your favorite signing. Everyone is very excited--including me--about our signings this week. But considering how FA generally works out in reality instead of in everyone's hopeful mind, I think your glass half empty view needs to be said.

[VA_Mountain_Bear]

I am always hopeful for my BEARS every year, but most years I feel I am rationalizing my hope. This year I feel like we are building towards something, genuinely on the right track, so "yes" I am hopeful. More so even for 2019 than this year though.

[wab]

Full disclosure, I've been excited about Lynch since he was a recruit for Notre Dame. I wanted the Bears to draft him when he came out of South Florida. I think if he can play at 255 like he did in SF, you'll see a really good player.

[G08]

I'm genuinely not trying to poo-poo what the Bears did in FA this week. But I'm not throwing the ship full steam ahead. I'm just cautiously wading into the waters knowing that:

- They paid a lot of money to an injured WR with two injured WR's already atop the depth chart
- They gave a lot of money to essentially another Tarik Cohen...a guy who may or may not be a gimmick.
- They gave a lot of money to an undersized TE/FB kinda player after we'd all hoped for big things for Shaheen in this offense

I'm good with Lynch and to an extent Daniels. Bringing back Sowell and Acho helps the depth and they aren't that old. Re-signing Amukamara opens up the draft a lot. I like Harkey and I think he solidifies the kicking position for a while. I'm also a closet Mega Punt fan.

So the low key stuff they've done (aside from losing Jones to a division rival) makes me happy. But to me, the big splashes don't hit home. Big money to two part time players and one who may or may not be the same.

This also means pace NEEDS to hit on his draft picks. No more long term projects. He needs 2-3 immediate impact players out of this draft.

Allow me to assuage your concerns my good sir:

Robinson had a clean ACL tear and is on pace to be fully ready by Training Camp (10.5 months after surgery). He was (thankfully) young when it happened, and we can look at Todd Gurley who tore his ACL in 2014 and 3 years later he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

That's not to say that Robinson is going to do the same, but hoping for a full recovery/return back to previous athletic levels isn't out of the question.


Meredith I am a little more worried about because he also partially tore his MCL, but by his own account he should be ready to go by Training Camp as well (just under 11 months after surgery). The luxury with him is that ostensibly he isn't going to be higher than 3rd on our depth chart (God willing everyone stays healthy).

Kevin White is Kevin White... based on the moves we made I don't see how he can be in the plans for being top 4 in targets. (Robinson, Gabriel, Cohen/Howard, Meredith/Shaheen). Anything out of him is gravy, and it won't surprise me one bit for him to stay healthy, play decently this season and return on a modest 2-3 year deal.

Taylor Gabriel really is another Tyreek Hill; Cohen doesn't have his receiving chops (which isn't to say he can't do it).

Hill:
5081
185 lbs
1.50/2.51/4.29
40.5" vert
10'09" broad
4.06 shuttle
6.53 cone

Gabriel (ran a reported 4.27 on his pro day):
5074
167 lbs (says he weighs 170 for whatever that's worth)
1.50/2.47/4.40
40" vert
10.05" broad
4.21 shuttle
6.84 cone

Trey Burton is going to be our move TE, which is entirely different to what Shaheen was drafted to do with us. I'm of the opinion you'll see this kid lined up everywhere: FB, H-Back, TE, Slot, etc. Shaheen's game should be in-line blocking/running routes from the LOS some of the time and other times being detached (think Kelce).

[Mikefive]

I want to be excited about what the Bears are doing. But after 5 straight years of embarrassing futility, it's hard to keep the excitement. Yes, the futility of Trestman/Emery/Fox are gone, but it's just hard to get too excited about the first year of a new coaching staff. It's bound to be a bumpy ride in 2018, but if the team shows it's vastly improving as the season rolls along, the excitement will quickly come back for 2019.

I'm excited about the new FAs because I'm naturally optimistic and can't yet see the flaws in the newbies, although in the back of my mind, I know that FAs aren't always in September what they seem in March.

But I've been really beaten down by Bears coaches. When is the last time the Bears had a SOLID head coach? Let's review.

Fox... Conservative to a fault. Game had passed him by.
Trestman... Disaster.
Lovie... Good on defense, but a zero on offense.
Jauron... Eh.
Wannstedt... Eh.
Ditka... Right place, right time with Finks, Ryan and several HOFers. Not good after '86.
Before that... Yuck.

The answer to the question is George Halas, who died (not coached) 35 years ago. This has worn me down when it comes to trusting new coaches to come in and fix things.

We've now hitched our wagon to Matt Nagy who has 8 years of coaching experience. Eight. And ONE year as a coordinator on his own. He only called plays for something like 6 GAMES. That might be the thinnest NFL head coaching resume in history. I know he came from the Reid coaching tree, he's brought in Childress to help, he has Fangio, he's well thought of and everybody likes him. But reality always exists. He's very VERY light on experience for a guy who is now the decision maker. I just don't walk into this year believing he's going to hit the ground running. He's going to have to prove it to me.

And I sincerely hope he does.

[wab]

Free agent wide receivers rarely live up to expectations. And the Bears doubled down on the position with a bunch of money. Maybe they get lucky, but it feel tempered excitement/expectations isn’t unwarranted.

I advocated for fixing the WR position in free agency, I just would have been much more comfortable with Landry or Watkins. Even Gabriel if one of those guys had been added. I just don’t feel great about Robinson.

[G08]

I'm excited about the new FAs because I'm naturally optimistic and can't yet see the flaws in the newbies, although in the back of my mind, I know that FAs aren't always in September what they seem in March.

But I've been really beaten down by Bears coaches. When is the last time the Bears had a SOLID head coach? Let's review.

Fox... Conservative to a fault. Game had passed him by.
Trestman... Disaster.
Lovie... Good on defense, but a zero on offense.
Jauron... Eh.
Wannstedt... Eh.
Ditka... Right place, right time with Finks, Ryan and several HOFers. Not good after '86.
Before that... Yuck.

The answer to the question is George Halas, who died (not coached) 35 years ago. This has worn me down when it comes to trusting new coaches to come in and fix things.

Man am I with you there. People call us jaded, I call us experienced Bears fans.

[Teddy KGB]

I would qualify wanny as an unmitigated disaster as well.

I became a Bears fan during Ditka's last year. Wanny and Jauron were quite awful.

2001 was all smoke and mirrors, although from a pure entertainment standpoint it was one of the most entertaining Bears Seasons because of all the crazy flukish things that broke the Bears way. Plus that all timer Keith Traylor run.

Lovie wasn't bad but post 2006 when he made his Personnel power grab they flat sucked.



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[staleystarch]

I am always pumped for a new season, but I am not drinking all the annual offseason Kool-aid being handed out. I do think the Bears will be at least marginally better than last year. Hell, the new kicker is probably worth one more win. All the free agent receiver hullabaloo is overstated. If we pick up a WR before round 3 of the draft (even if we don't) we will at least not have the worse receiving crew in the league. That is how I look at it until proven wrong. These yearly FA moves almost always look better on paper than in realization.

I am more pumped to see how the team will look without a 1940s nostalgia offensive scheme. I am also interested to see how Trubisky progresses over his rookie year. Mainly I want to see if the team stops the excessive injury count of the past few years. At this point in the off season I see the Bears getting two or three more wins than last year.

[crueltyabc]

As for all the big money signings, I'm good with them but only because I think Nagy and Pace are bros to the point where Nagy will have the greenlight to give up on dudes if it's not working. I don't think we'll have another situation where f'ing Shea McClellin is on the field 100% due to draft status. We really only need to have 2 of the 4 receivers and 1 of the TEs to work out, and we'll be better than last year when we were like "hey look at this Inman falla. He's got 40 yards!!". Similarly, the DBs and DTs will keep us in games even if we can't rush the passer. I think we're trending toward 7-9 right now. If we really get lucky and the right guys fall to us, I think we could win a couple more games and make it interesting in the last quarter of the season.