Jim Harbaugh, Bears HC wishlist thoughts

[Eriebear]

You have to think ,after this debacle of a season (and Career) that Flus has to go. Har is MY Guy for next HC. Who's your "GUY"?

[Teddy KGB]

I don't have "a guy'.

Because people blindly get attached to "guys".

But I'll take Harbaugh, because at least if he fails, it'll be failing different than the same shit ways we've been failing.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I don’t have one name either but like the sound of :
Harbaugh
Flores
Kellen Moore

The first 2 have HC experience. Moore has been a successful OC at Dallas and now the Chargers.

[southdakbearfan]

I don’t have one name either but like the sound of :
Harbaugh
Flores
Kellen Moore

The first 2 have HC experience. Moore has been a successful OC at Dallas and now the Chargers.

Is Flores any good, or just another product of Tom Brady’s greatness?

[dplank]

I don’t have one name either but like the sound of :
Harbaugh
Flores
Kellen Moore

The first 2 have HC experience. Moore has been a successful OC at Dallas and now the Chargers.

Replace Flores with Ben Johnson and I love the list. Only DC type HC I’d consider is Riverboat Ron. He made the SB with Cam Newton, Fields is very similar player IMO.

[The Marshall Plan]

I don’t have one name either but like the sound of :
Harbaugh
Flores
Kellen Moore

The first 2 have HC experience. Moore has been a successful OC at Dallas and now the Chargers.

Is Flores any good, or just another product of Tom Brady’s greatness?

He was turning Miami around until he got let go. I'd be fine if we hired him. Not ahead of Harbaugh, and maybe / maybe not with Rivera, but yeah I think he'd be a good move. The defense would have to be better; not sure how it could be worse.

[karhu]

I want George Halas.

All right, that's probably a bit too much to ask. But I want an adult at the head of the hiring process who has the stones, the smarts, and the clout to tell a HC who his options are for a running mate. Same way Halas made Ditka retain Buddy Ryan. Get a defensive HC, tell him who his OC's going to be, or at least retain veto privileges on any ideas he comes up with, that sort of thing.

With that proviso, I'm all for Brian Flores. Probably a bunch of possibilities out there that I'd like, but Flores has already kinda cleared my guy-in-front-of-a-computer vetting process. Ben Johnson would probably be right up there, too, but I don't have the same sense of him as an executive. Eberflus, for instance, had a decent (if inflated) resume as a coordinator, but he doesn't seem to have any executive instincts--the stuff that makes a DC a HC--at all. For all his success, I can't get excited about Johnson until I learn a bit about how he'd make the pivot to his new role.

[Grizzled]

Harbaugh reminds me of Ditka personality wise, probably one of the reasons they clashed so much. But both are winners by pushing their guys. Until they wear out their welcomes.

The big question, the #1 in any job interview, would be can you win with Fields? If yes, what would you do differently from Getsy to have him succeed? How would you improve his abilities to read defenses, to get the ball out of his hands quicker, to avoid too many sacks. What other tools would he need around him, another top WR, a stud LT and/or center? If you're not going to run the offense, who is your choice to?

[dplank]

“Fields can’t read defenses” is my most hated bullshit narrative in all of sports now. Dude will never shake that label no matter what he does IMO, true or not.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

“Fields can’t read defenses” is my most hated bullshit narrative in all of sports now. Dude will never shake that label no matter what he does IMO, true or not.

He will and he’ll do it in the next 9 games

[alexwilkins]

I was thinking about Fangio coming back lately. He was criticized for being pretty much completely hands off with the offense, but I’m sure he’s been picking some stuff up the last couple years with the Eagles and now under Mike McDaniel. Plus, he could get someone like Bieniemy as OC since he’ll be gone if Rivera’s gone.

[dplank]

“Fields can’t read defenses” is my most hated bullshit narrative in all of sports now. Dude will never shake that label no matter what he does IMO, true or not.

He will and he’ll do it in the next 9 games

He does already IMO

[Grizzled]

This season, Fields has gone off against 2 of the weakest pass defenses in the league. He has not looked good against Green Bay and KC, good pass defenses. Stats show he ranks in the lowest eschelon of QBs against good pass defenses in his career.

[Teddy KGB]

Is Flores any good, or just another product of Tom Brady’s greatness?

He was turning Miami around until he got let go. I'd be fine if we hired him. Not ahead of Harbaugh, and maybe / maybe not with Rivera, but yeah I think he'd be a good move. The defense would have to be better; not sure how it could be worse.

Flores seriously misread what he had with Tua though.

Tua would have been another failed quarterback had McDaniel not been hired to replace Flores.

[Teddy KGB]

This season, Fields has gone off against 2 of the weakest pass defenses in the league. He has not looked good against Green Bay and KC, good pass defenses. Stats show he ranks in the lowest eschelon of QBs against good pass defenses in his career.

So there's something deeper to this that is scheme related and is all on Luke getsy.

The Chicago Bears offense is super productive when they are predominantly in 12 personnel, while occasionally sprinkling in some other looks.

They have been at their absolute worst when running 11 personnel. His entirely independent of who's been playing quarterback now that we have some with Tyson in there.

What's baffling is that after having success using a predominantly 12 personnel, Luke then will call the next game predominantly at 11 and we will fall flat on our face.

If you're unaware, 12 has an extra tight end that's in there for blocking. Our offensive line isn't good enough to get away with just using 11.

As much as you want to blame fields, it seems a major part of the issue is the offensive coordinator not understanding what talent he has and how to best effectively utilize it.

[Grizzled]

Harbaugh has coached 168 games college and pro, winning 124 for a winning percentage of .738. He turned an Alex Smith who no one thought much of into a guy who QBed his team to an NFC championship game. He developed Kapernick (who is very similar to Fields) into a guy who led his team to a Super Bowl. F*ck the McCaskeys if they can't tolerate a strong minded coach; they'll be serving up warm pablum guys who turn in mediocre jobs till the end of time. Sign Kap, see if he can get Fields on track, draft 2 top offensive players with 2 top 5 picks. The Bears could conceivably end up with a '25 1st rounder and a high '24 2nd rounder if they trade a pick to a QB-hungry team.

[wab]

Harbaugh has coached 168 games college and pro, winning 124 for a winning percentage of .738. He turned an Alex Smith who no one thought much of into a guy who QBed his team to an NFC championship game. He developed Kapernick (who is very similar to Fields) into a guy who led his team to a Super Bowl. F*ck the McCaskeys if they can't tolerate a strong minded coach; they'll be serving up warm pablum guys who turn in mediocre jobs till the end of time. Sign Kap, see if he can get Fields on track, draft 2 top offensive players with 2 top 5 picks. The Bears could conceivably end up with a '25 1st rounder and a high '24 2nd rounder if they trade a pick to a QB-hungry team.

No thanks on Kaepernick. He'll be 37 next year and hasn't played since the 2016 season. If they need a guy that's been out of the NFL for what will be 8 years to get Fields on track...well that's a big problem.

Unless you are talking like...as an offensive assistant. Then maybe. But as a backup QB? Over Bagent?

Hard pass.

[Grizzled]

Harbaugh has coached 168 games college and pro, winning 124 for a winning percentage of .738. He turned an Alex Smith who no one thought much of into a guy who QBed his team to an NFC championship game. He developed Kapernick (who is very similar to Fields) into a guy who led his team to a Super Bowl. F*ck the McCaskeys if they can't tolerate a strong minded coach; they'll be serving up warm pablum guys who turn in mediocre jobs till the end of time. Sign Kap, see if he can get Fields on track, draft 2 top offensive players with 2 top 5 picks. The Bears could conceivably end up with a '25 1st rounder and a high '24 2nd rounder if they trade a pick to a QB-hungry team.

No thanks on Kaepernick. He'll be 37 next year and hasn't played since the 2016 season. If they need a guy that's been out of the NFL for what will be 8 years to get Fields on track...well that's a big problem.

Unless you are talking like...as an offensive assistant. Then maybe. But as a backup QB? Over Bagent?

Hard pass.

I want Harbaugh, who has already developed a QB with a strong arm and running abilities. Who would want Kapernick even as a backup?

[wab]

No thanks on Kaepernick. He'll be 37 next year and hasn't played since the 2016 season. If they need a guy that's been out of the NFL for what will be 8 years to get Fields on track...well that's a big problem.

Unless you are talking like...as an offensive assistant. Then maybe. But as a backup QB? Over Bagent?

Hard pass.

I want Harbaugh, who has already developed a QB with a strong arm and running abilities. Who would want Kapernick even as a backup?

Because he's going to be a 37 year old former player who has been out of the NFL for nearly a decade? Harbaugh and Kap aren't ying and yang.

Like, I get it. They were together the last time they were in the NFL and all, but they also only won one game that last season.

I'll put it this way. If Harbaugh needs Kaepernick to help develop Justin Fields...then Harbaugh is absolutely the wrong choice to be the next coach of the Chicago Bears.

[G08]

I want Harbaugh, who has already developed a QB with a strong arm and running abilities. Who would want Kapernick even as a backup?

Because he's going to be a 37 year old former player who has been out of the NFL for nearly a decade? Harbaugh and Kap aren't ying and yang.

Like, I get it. They were together the last time they were in the NFL and all, but they also only won one game that last season.

I'll put it this way. If Harbaugh needs Kaepernick to help develop Justin Fields...then Harbaugh is absolutely the wrong choice to be the next coach of the Chicago Bears.

I'm assuming @Grizzled asked "who would want Kapernick even as a backup" rhetorically(?)

[G08]

Give me Jim Harbaugh. The guy is quite toxic, insane and a control freak. But you know what? That's what this organization needs right now because literally nothing else has worked.

Kevin Warren I am sure is familiar with him (might be a bad thing) during his time as Big Ten commissioner.

Jim Harbaugh likely knows Justin Fields well since Fields dropped 56 on him in 2019.

Or, conversely, Harbaugh can use one of our two first round picks to draft his current QB, J.J. McCarthy.


Makes too much damned sense, so it won't happen.

[Grizzled]

I want Harbaugh, who has already developed a QB with a strong arm and running abilities. Who would want Kapernick even as a backup?

Because he's going to be a 37 year old former player who has been out of the NFL for nearly a decade? Harbaugh and Kap aren't ying and yang.

Like, I get it. They were together the last time they were in the NFL and all, but they also only won one game that last season.

I'll put it this way. If Harbaugh needs Kaepernick to help develop Justin Fields...then Harbaugh is absolutely the wrong choice to be the next coach of the Chicago Bears.

Why would Harbaugh want Kapernick, who, as you say, hasn't played in a decade and is 37. Fields' abilities are similar to a QB Harbaugh very successfully utilized. If anyone could possibly get the best from Fields, I'd like them to get that guy, not another guy (even highly rated) who might try, once again, to pound a round peg into a square hole. I also think Harbaugh would be good for developing a highly drafted QB if the Bears go that route.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

…….. Sign Kap, see if he can get Fields on track, draft 2 top offensive players with 2 top 5 picks. The Bears could conceivably end up with a '25 1st rounder and a high '24 2nd rounder if they trade a pick to a QB-hungry team.

I’m wondering if this was a typo Grizz, when you say “Sign Kap”?
Maybe you meant Harbaugh?

[Grizzled]

…….. Sign Kap, see if he can get Fields on track, draft 2 top offensive players with 2 top 5 picks. The Bears could conceivably end up with a '25 1st rounder and a high '24 2nd rounder if they trade a pick to a QB-hungry team.

I’m wondering if this was a typo Grizz, when you say “Sign Kap”?
Maybe you meant Harbaugh?

Yes it was, good catch. I have no interest in a 37 year old Kap who hasn't played competitively for a decade. But a guy who worked with Kap, whose game is similar to Fields, definite interest.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I’m wondering if this was a typo Grizz, when you say “Sign Kap”?
Maybe you meant Harbaugh?

Yes it was, good catch. I have no interest in a 37 year old Kap who hasn't played competitively for a decade. But a guy who worked with Kap, whose game is similar to Fields, definite interest.

I’m with you then, I’ve no interest in Kap.
Harbaugh is a decent bet to get a tune out of Fields which would be great for the team going forward.

I think wab might have thought you wanted Kap hence the confusion

[Grizzled]

Yes it was, good catch. I have no interest in a 37 year old Kap who hasn't played competitively for a decade. But a guy who worked with Kap, whose game is similar to Fields, definite interest.

I’m with you then, I’ve no interest in Kap.
Harbaugh is a decent bet to get a tune out of Fields which would be great for the team going forward.

I think wab might have thought you wanted Kap hence the confusion

No way. His time has passed. I'll admit I'm kind of intrigued to see if a Harbaugh can work with Fields. It's thought he might reach out to Greg Roman, his OC with the 49ers but nothing definite on that.

[wab]

Yes it was, good catch. I have no interest in a 37 year old Kap who hasn't played competitively for a decade. But a guy who worked with Kap, whose game is similar to Fields, definite interest.

I’m with you then, I’ve no interest in Kap.
Harbaugh is a decent bet to get a tune out of Fields which would be great for the team going forward.

I think wab might have thought you wanted Kap hence the confusion

Yeah, the "sign Kap" was the source of my confusion.

[crueltyabc]

It would be gimmicky but maybe also work if they put the 2013 49ers band back together

HC Harbaugh
OC Greg Roman
QB Coach Kap

Hard Knocks. Tons of national attention etc etc

Another meatball gimmicky plan that could work:

HC Chico Rivera
OC Mike Shula

Do Cam Newton 2015 (don't hire him as QB coach though...)

[otis]

i'm afraid if they sign harbaugh he will draft all michigan guys, regardless whether they're good or not. we need a gm calling the shots and harbaugh coaching. i don't think harbaugh the gm is a good thing.

[EricTighe]

I would cast my vote for David Shaw.