Have Our Expectations Changed?.................
May 1, 2018 18:42:33 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2018 18:42:33 GMT -6
Chicago Bears: Should fans adjust expectations after the draft?
by Patrick Sheldon8 hours agoFollow @p_Shels
dawindycity.com/2018/05/01/chicago-bears-fans-expectations-draft/
Chicago Bears fans have learned to temper their expectations each season. However, after a terrific 2018 NFL Draft, is it time to get excited?
Change of Pace
When Ryan Pace hired John Fox to be the Chicago Bears head coach in 2015, they made an initial mistake. Each dismissed the notion that the Bears were in the midst of a rebuild, and stated publicly that they were ready to complete. In hindsight, that wasn’t a very good idea. First, it unrealistically set fans’ expectations. Second, it made John Fox’s leash a little shorter.
However, the reality is with the roster that existed at the time, the Bears simply weren’t ready to win. Whether the front office wanted to call it a rebuild didn’t matter, because that’s what it was. Nevertheless, fans bought into the notion that the team was just a few tweaks away from being competitive. This inevitably led to disappointment at the end of each season.
Now, after a successful free agency period, and a wildly successful NFL Draft, is it time for Bears fans to buy into expectations? The short answer is “yes.” The long answer: This was likely Pace’s plan the entire time.
I am not suggesting that every one of Pace’s moves was calculated to arrive at this exact spot in this exact manner. Obviously, Pace made some terrible decisions that stunted the development of the team.
With that said, based on the moves he has made this offseason it is clear Pace believes the window to win is about to open. As a result, he has attacked this offseason much differently than he has in the past.
We examine what has changed and why fans have every reason to feel differently about the upcoming season.
Building a nucleus
Pace understands the importance of having a quarterback on a rookie contract. It gives the team the kind of flexibility to go out and sign players like Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey Burton in one offseason.
Moreover, he aggressively moved to surround Mitchell Trubisky with talented but young players that can grow with him and this new offense. During Pace’s first few years with the Chicago Bears, that was not the case.
Rather than getting these types of players in the previous offseasons, he signed (for various reasons) “stop-gaps.” These are players who filled a need, but were not a part of the long-term plans. That makes it difficult for a team to develop cohesiveness.
This year, the Bears signed the aforementioned players to multi-year contracts to mostly align with Trubisky’s deal. The expectation is these players will form the nucleus to grow with Trubisky and Matt Nagy’s offense. Consequently, the team should be able to build upon its successes and learn from its mistakes.
Production over potential
Just as they did in free agency, the Chicago Bears took a different approach in the 2018 NFL Draft. In years past, Ryan Pace would target a very specific type of player. Those players were very athletic. They were also high on potential, but often short on experience with limited production in college.
As a result of this philosophy, Pace would draft players who oozed potential but were unlikely to contribute as rookies. Instead, he drafted many longer-term projects who would need a few years to realize that potential and contribute.
Those days appear over. Nothing made that clearer than the first three picks of this year’s draft. When you examine Roquan Smith, James Daniels, and Anthony Miller, they have some things in common.
First, they were all highly productive players in college for multiple seasons, during which time they honed their skills. As a result, they will arrive at training camp more polished than some previous picks. Second, they all have a fantastic football IQ. In other words, they were successful in college not only because they were better athletes, but because they understood the game.
These traits will serve them well during their rookie seasons when they are expected to start immediately and contribute. Granted, Pace took a couple of “projects” on days two and three. However, the assumption is these decisions were a collaborative effort between Pace, Matt Nagy, and Vic Fangio. This should make fans feel better about the decision to draft some players heavier on talent than experience.
Bears could surprise in 2018
Unlike in 2015, this time around Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy were careful not to set unreasonable expectations. Nagy wanted his players excited, but also to understand they had a lot of work to do. They stopped short of calling it a rebuild.
At the time, I thought it was simply a cautionary tale. Having seen their offseason moves, I wonder if instead, it was intentional. Perhaps they refrained from calling it a rebuild because it isn’t. Maybe they knew if they executed on their vision this offseason, they might be closer to competing than everyone thinks.
Remember, the Chicago Bears finished 2017 with a top-10 ranked defense. Therefore, if their offense can provide consistent production, they should dramatically improve. And you have to feel good about their chances to do that. In fact, that is one of the main reasons Nagy is the head coach.
Additionally, opposing teams will not have a lot of film to scout the Bears. While teams can use film from his days in Kansas City, Nagy has different personnel in Chicago. Therefore, while there may be some trends teams can glean from the tape, he will still be able to catch a number of teams by surprise.
If he is able to do that, and the offense takes the strides everyone expects, this could be a playoff team. Look, I know I’m doing what I criticized Pace and Fox for doing in 2015 — setting unreasonable expectations. However, it is not difficult to get excited about this team. It’s even harder to ignore that this team has a much different feel than the one the Bears trotted out that year.
Bottom Line
Windows to win do not stay open very long in the NFL. Ryan Pace realizes that and is trying to capitalize on the opportunity. While it remains to be seen whether the Bears are able to, fans have every right to recalibrate their expectations for 2018.
by Patrick Sheldon8 hours agoFollow @p_Shels
dawindycity.com/2018/05/01/chicago-bears-fans-expectations-draft/
Chicago Bears fans have learned to temper their expectations each season. However, after a terrific 2018 NFL Draft, is it time to get excited?
Change of Pace
When Ryan Pace hired John Fox to be the Chicago Bears head coach in 2015, they made an initial mistake. Each dismissed the notion that the Bears were in the midst of a rebuild, and stated publicly that they were ready to complete. In hindsight, that wasn’t a very good idea. First, it unrealistically set fans’ expectations. Second, it made John Fox’s leash a little shorter.
However, the reality is with the roster that existed at the time, the Bears simply weren’t ready to win. Whether the front office wanted to call it a rebuild didn’t matter, because that’s what it was. Nevertheless, fans bought into the notion that the team was just a few tweaks away from being competitive. This inevitably led to disappointment at the end of each season.
Now, after a successful free agency period, and a wildly successful NFL Draft, is it time for Bears fans to buy into expectations? The short answer is “yes.” The long answer: This was likely Pace’s plan the entire time.
I am not suggesting that every one of Pace’s moves was calculated to arrive at this exact spot in this exact manner. Obviously, Pace made some terrible decisions that stunted the development of the team.
With that said, based on the moves he has made this offseason it is clear Pace believes the window to win is about to open. As a result, he has attacked this offseason much differently than he has in the past.
We examine what has changed and why fans have every reason to feel differently about the upcoming season.
Building a nucleus
Pace understands the importance of having a quarterback on a rookie contract. It gives the team the kind of flexibility to go out and sign players like Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey Burton in one offseason.
Moreover, he aggressively moved to surround Mitchell Trubisky with talented but young players that can grow with him and this new offense. During Pace’s first few years with the Chicago Bears, that was not the case.
Rather than getting these types of players in the previous offseasons, he signed (for various reasons) “stop-gaps.” These are players who filled a need, but were not a part of the long-term plans. That makes it difficult for a team to develop cohesiveness.
This year, the Bears signed the aforementioned players to multi-year contracts to mostly align with Trubisky’s deal. The expectation is these players will form the nucleus to grow with Trubisky and Matt Nagy’s offense. Consequently, the team should be able to build upon its successes and learn from its mistakes.
Production over potential
Just as they did in free agency, the Chicago Bears took a different approach in the 2018 NFL Draft. In years past, Ryan Pace would target a very specific type of player. Those players were very athletic. They were also high on potential, but often short on experience with limited production in college.
As a result of this philosophy, Pace would draft players who oozed potential but were unlikely to contribute as rookies. Instead, he drafted many longer-term projects who would need a few years to realize that potential and contribute.
Those days appear over. Nothing made that clearer than the first three picks of this year’s draft. When you examine Roquan Smith, James Daniels, and Anthony Miller, they have some things in common.
First, they were all highly productive players in college for multiple seasons, during which time they honed their skills. As a result, they will arrive at training camp more polished than some previous picks. Second, they all have a fantastic football IQ. In other words, they were successful in college not only because they were better athletes, but because they understood the game.
These traits will serve them well during their rookie seasons when they are expected to start immediately and contribute. Granted, Pace took a couple of “projects” on days two and three. However, the assumption is these decisions were a collaborative effort between Pace, Matt Nagy, and Vic Fangio. This should make fans feel better about the decision to draft some players heavier on talent than experience.
Bears could surprise in 2018
Unlike in 2015, this time around Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy were careful not to set unreasonable expectations. Nagy wanted his players excited, but also to understand they had a lot of work to do. They stopped short of calling it a rebuild.
At the time, I thought it was simply a cautionary tale. Having seen their offseason moves, I wonder if instead, it was intentional. Perhaps they refrained from calling it a rebuild because it isn’t. Maybe they knew if they executed on their vision this offseason, they might be closer to competing than everyone thinks.
Remember, the Chicago Bears finished 2017 with a top-10 ranked defense. Therefore, if their offense can provide consistent production, they should dramatically improve. And you have to feel good about their chances to do that. In fact, that is one of the main reasons Nagy is the head coach.
Additionally, opposing teams will not have a lot of film to scout the Bears. While teams can use film from his days in Kansas City, Nagy has different personnel in Chicago. Therefore, while there may be some trends teams can glean from the tape, he will still be able to catch a number of teams by surprise.
If he is able to do that, and the offense takes the strides everyone expects, this could be a playoff team. Look, I know I’m doing what I criticized Pace and Fox for doing in 2015 — setting unreasonable expectations. However, it is not difficult to get excited about this team. It’s even harder to ignore that this team has a much different feel than the one the Bears trotted out that year.
Bottom Line
Windows to win do not stay open very long in the NFL. Ryan Pace realizes that and is trying to capitalize on the opportunity. While it remains to be seen whether the Bears are able to, fans have every right to recalibrate their expectations for 2018.
