Post by Deleted on May 20, 2018 6:18:00 GMT -6
The Chicago Bears: Following The Blueprint For Team Success
Originally posted on isportsweb.com
The NFL is known as being a copy cat league. Each year, at least four teams double their win totals, and this is primarily due to the fact that teams tend to structure their rosters based off other clubs’ previous season success.
Last year, the Los Angeles Rams set the precedent, deciding to take advantage of their quarterbacks’ team-friendly contract. This method allows an organization to surround a young signal caller with a multitude of weapons as the salary cap is not hindered by a large, quarterback, contract.
Going into Jared Goff’s sophomore season, he was aided by the additions of Andrew Whitworth (LT), Sammy Watkins (WR), Robert Woods (WR), and Lance Dunbar (RB) in free agency. Young head coach, Sean McVay, also decided to keep his quarterback as the focus during the draft, in which he selected Gerald Everett (TE, Round 2), Cooper Kupp (WR, Round 3), and Josh Reynolds (WR, Round 4). In one offseason, McVay and the Rams had given the QB seven new offensive weapons, while also retaining the defense that had been respected for years past.
Fast forward to the 2018 offseason, Ryan Pace and the Bears organization decided to follow suit. Seeing a lot of promise from their rookie QB, Mitch Trubisky, Pace decided to take advantage of a favorable salary cap by surrounding Trubisky with some new toys.
Right off the bat, Pace was able to nab Allen Robinson (WR) from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Taylor Gabriel (WR) from 2017 Super Bowl runner-up, Atlanta Falcons, and Trey Burton (TE) from the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Pace also made an effort to keep Trubisky as the focal point in the draft as two of his first three draft selections were on the offensive side of the ball: James Daniels (G, Round 2) and Anthony Miller (WR, Round 2). The Bears would also add wide receiver, Javon Wims, from Georgia in the seventh round.
Perhaps Pace’s most important signing of the offseason was keeping tenured defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, as the leader of the defense. The Bears followed the Rams’ 2017 blueprint closely, as they surrounded their young QB with tons of offensive weapons, reinforced their offensive line, aided an already stable backfield, and ensured not to tamper with a rising defense.
Other teams around the league are following the same plan initiated by the Rams and continued by the Bears.
The Kansas City Chiefs recently freed up some cap space when they decided to trade their quarterback, Alex Smith, to the Washington Redskins. This was done in part, not only, because of another year without a playoff win, but because of a uniformed confidence in their 2017 first round selection, quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid and Chiefs’ GM, Andy Veach , were fortunate enough to already possess a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball with regard to Tyreek Hill (WR), Travis Kelce (TE), and Kareem Hunt (RB). However, this did not stop the team from taking advantage of some extra cash as they went out and signed the vertical threat, Sammy Watkins (WR), to a long-term deal. It appears as though Watkins knows this process well.
The Buffalo Bills have taken their fair share of notes from this process as well, as GM Brandon Beane noticed that surrounding your young QB with weapons doesn’t always mean the offensive side of the football.
Before the Bills took quarterback Josh Allen with the sixth pick in the first round, the offseason had been focused on solidifying their already stout defense with even more talent. The Bills added Trent Murphy (DE), Kyle Williams (DT), Star Lotulelei (DT), and Vontae Davis (CB). While the names don’t sound as extravagant on paper compared to what the Rams did this offseason, the mindset is similar: surround the young QB with weapons . The Bills would also add running back Chris Ivory in free agency, along with drafting Wyatt Teller (G, Round 5), Ray-Ray McCloud (WR, Round 6), and Austin Proehl (WR, Round 7), to help bolster the success of Josh Allen.
The Chicago Bears may not have been the innovative mind that constructed the “Cheap QB Contract Team”, but they are one of the first to recognize this method’s potential and are looking to reap the benefits very soon.
This article first appeared on isportsweb.com and was syndicated with permission.
Originally posted on isportsweb.com
By Julian Northcross | Last updated 5/19/18
The NFL is known as being a copy cat league. Each year, at least four teams double their win totals, and this is primarily due to the fact that teams tend to structure their rosters based off other clubs’ previous season success.
Last year, the Los Angeles Rams set the precedent, deciding to take advantage of their quarterbacks’ team-friendly contract. This method allows an organization to surround a young signal caller with a multitude of weapons as the salary cap is not hindered by a large, quarterback, contract.
Going into Jared Goff’s sophomore season, he was aided by the additions of Andrew Whitworth (LT), Sammy Watkins (WR), Robert Woods (WR), and Lance Dunbar (RB) in free agency. Young head coach, Sean McVay, also decided to keep his quarterback as the focus during the draft, in which he selected Gerald Everett (TE, Round 2), Cooper Kupp (WR, Round 3), and Josh Reynolds (WR, Round 4). In one offseason, McVay and the Rams had given the QB seven new offensive weapons, while also retaining the defense that had been respected for years past.
Fast forward to the 2018 offseason, Ryan Pace and the Bears organization decided to follow suit. Seeing a lot of promise from their rookie QB, Mitch Trubisky, Pace decided to take advantage of a favorable salary cap by surrounding Trubisky with some new toys.
Right off the bat, Pace was able to nab Allen Robinson (WR) from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Taylor Gabriel (WR) from 2017 Super Bowl runner-up, Atlanta Falcons, and Trey Burton (TE) from the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Pace also made an effort to keep Trubisky as the focal point in the draft as two of his first three draft selections were on the offensive side of the ball: James Daniels (G, Round 2) and Anthony Miller (WR, Round 2). The Bears would also add wide receiver, Javon Wims, from Georgia in the seventh round.
Perhaps Pace’s most important signing of the offseason was keeping tenured defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, as the leader of the defense. The Bears followed the Rams’ 2017 blueprint closely, as they surrounded their young QB with tons of offensive weapons, reinforced their offensive line, aided an already stable backfield, and ensured not to tamper with a rising defense.
Other teams around the league are following the same plan initiated by the Rams and continued by the Bears.
The Kansas City Chiefs recently freed up some cap space when they decided to trade their quarterback, Alex Smith, to the Washington Redskins. This was done in part, not only, because of another year without a playoff win, but because of a uniformed confidence in their 2017 first round selection, quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid and Chiefs’ GM, Andy Veach , were fortunate enough to already possess a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball with regard to Tyreek Hill (WR), Travis Kelce (TE), and Kareem Hunt (RB). However, this did not stop the team from taking advantage of some extra cash as they went out and signed the vertical threat, Sammy Watkins (WR), to a long-term deal. It appears as though Watkins knows this process well.
The Buffalo Bills have taken their fair share of notes from this process as well, as GM Brandon Beane noticed that surrounding your young QB with weapons doesn’t always mean the offensive side of the football.
Before the Bills took quarterback Josh Allen with the sixth pick in the first round, the offseason had been focused on solidifying their already stout defense with even more talent. The Bills added Trent Murphy (DE), Kyle Williams (DT), Star Lotulelei (DT), and Vontae Davis (CB). While the names don’t sound as extravagant on paper compared to what the Rams did this offseason, the mindset is similar: surround the young QB with weapons . The Bills would also add running back Chris Ivory in free agency, along with drafting Wyatt Teller (G, Round 5), Ray-Ray McCloud (WR, Round 6), and Austin Proehl (WR, Round 7), to help bolster the success of Josh Allen.
The Chicago Bears may not have been the innovative mind that constructed the “Cheap QB Contract Team”, but they are one of the first to recognize this method’s potential and are looking to reap the benefits very soon.
This article first appeared on isportsweb.com and was syndicated with permission.