Just a reminder that Poles inherited an empty cupboard and has otherwise done an excellent job upgrading this football team.
He has. You are new here so you don't know this but many of us, me included, have had high praise for all he's accomplished thus far. He benefitted from some good luck and some Carolina incompetence, but I give him credit for having the balls to do what Pace wouldn't--tear things down to the studs and build fresh. It was a year overdue by the time he came in.
He has done a really good job. He's been spectacular on defense, no question about it. He's stumbled a bit at WR (Claypool, Velus) and on the OL (Patrick, Davis).
The biggest decisions a GM makes by far (and the ones they tend to be judged on longer term) are QB and HC. Jury still out on both. I firmly believe CW is the most talented Bears QB in my lifetime. I can see watching him how much farther along he is than Mitch and Justin ever were in reading defenses and making quick decisions. He has definitely missed some throws but I am not worried about that yet this early.
What I am worried about is that the OL seems completely incapable of run or pass blocking right now and that is gonna wreck Caleb's whole first season. I am also worried that keeping Flus was a poor choice when Harbaugh was available.
I agree with every word of this. I wanted Harbaugh last year and the year was initially hired I wanted Brian Flores.
Just a reminder that Poles inherited an empty cupboard and has otherwise done an excellent job upgrading this football team.
He has. You are new here so you don't know this but many of us, me included, have had high praise for all he's accomplished thus far. He benefitted from some good luck and some Carolina incompetence, but I give him credit for having the balls to do what Pace wouldn't--tear things down to the studs and build fresh. It was a year overdue by the time he came in.
He has done a really good job. He's been spectacular on defense, no question about it. He's stumbled a bit at WR (Claypool, Velus) and on the OL (Patrick, Davis).
The biggest decisions a GM makes by far (and the ones they tend to be judged on longer term) are QB and HC. Jury still out on both. I firmly believe CW is the most talented Bears QB in my lifetime. I can see watching him how much farther along he is than Mitch and Justin ever were in reading defenses and making quick decisions. He has definitely missed some throws but I am not worried about that yet this early.
What I am worried about is that the OL seems completely incapable of run or pass blocking right now and that is gonna wreck Caleb's whole first season. I am also worried that keeping Flus was a poor choice when Harbaugh was available.
He has. You are new here so you don't know this but many of us, me included, have had high praise for all he's accomplished thus far. He benefitted from some good luck and some Carolina incompetence, but I give him credit for having the balls to do what Pace wouldn't--tear things down to the studs and build fresh. It was a year overdue by the time he came in.
He has done a really good job. He's been spectacular on defense, no question about it. He's stumbled a bit at WR (Claypool, Velus) and on the OL (Patrick, Davis).
The biggest decisions a GM makes by far (and the ones they tend to be judged on longer term) are QB and HC. Jury still out on both. I firmly believe CW is the most talented Bears QB in my lifetime. I can see watching him how much farther along he is than Mitch and Justin ever were in reading defenses and making quick decisions. He has definitely missed some throws but I am not worried about that yet this early.
What I am worried about is that the OL seems completely incapable of run or pass blocking right now and that is gonna wreck Caleb's whole first season. I am also worried that keeping Flus was a poor choice when Harbaugh was available.
He does seem to have that for sure. But that trait is what is supposed to allow him to hit his targets, lol
I'm not denying he has missed throws the first two weeks he could/should have hit. This too shall pass. But you can't deny his talent and ceiling are easy to see. He's light years better than Mitch and Justin, its obvious. Pocket awareness and football IQ way better. He's already diagnosing blitzes and changing protections (which the OL f'd up) in week 2. Mitch and Justin were lucky to be able figure out who the mike was in year 2.
The Bears offense had few good plays last Sunday night. But one of them was a sick 3rd down slant to Moore that went for 12 when you had to have it. No Bears QB in my adult lifetime could ever get that right. He made it look easy.
Just one small example of stuff I see that makes me believe. Can we just give him some time? I mean both time to throw (pass pro) and time on task (experience).
He does seem to have that for sure. But that trait is what is supposed to allow him to hit his targets, lol
I'm not denying he has missed throws the first two weeks he could/should have hit. This too shall pass. But you can't deny his talent and ceiling are easy to see. He's light years better than Mitch and Justin, its obvious. Pocket awareness and football IQ way better. He's already diagnosing blitzes and changing protections (which the OL f'd up) in week 2. Mitch and Justin were lucky to be able figure out who the mike was in year 2.
The Bears offense had few good plays last Sunday night. But one of them was a sick 3rd down slant to Moore that went for 12 when you had to have it. No Bears QB in my adult lifetime could ever get that right. He made it look easy.
Just one small example of stuff I see that makes me believe. Can we just give him some time? I mean both time to throw (pass pro) and time on task (experience).
He's got a really good chance to be really good.
Jeff Saturday, yet another great former player waded in on the Chicago debacle on OL (on ESPN). Saturday is pretty blunt. He was Peyton Manning's center for years... and he said Peyton Manning and Tom Brady couldn't do ANYTHING behind this Bears OL.
His #1 fear is that Caleb will get badly hurt. He talked about the physical beating he's taking.
On the show they said "Caleb Williams will be great - unless - the Bears give him NO chance, no chance to be great." Listening to several sharp football people this week... guys who played the game and know OL - have come out since this game questioning why Chicago didn't put an OL around their QB1. The discussion on ESPN pointed to the Trubisky and Fields failures. Basically this is how Chicago rolls on offense. It is so frustrating because even with the long/failed history here, the franchise still has no clue. None.
Just a reminder that Poles inherited an empty cupboard and has otherwise done an excellent job upgrading this football team.
He has been here 3 years now. That's 3 drafts and 3 years of FA. I get it, that he did not prioritize the offensive line for 3 years other than the Wright pick (and I loved that pick). How important is the OL to an offense? It sets the ceiling for the offense in general and the skill players in particular... especially the quarterback and the run & passing game. In the modern NFL offense is pretty important. More important than ever.
So the entire Poles' 3-year OL body of work is what we see now. Sunday was the poster boy for it.
Here is where I am at on this. If Poles (finally) invests solid resources in the OL in his 4th year here, and fixes the OL - then all is forgiven. I am not happy it took 4 years, but I get it that he put a low priority with his resource investment in the OL until year-4 (other than Wright). But if he CAN get it done in 2025, hey I'll be okay with that. But if he invests resources into anything else, until that OL is fixed right - then he is dead to me. Get a GM in here who can get the job done so Caleb Williams and the skill guys can shine and reach high ceilings. JMO.
The problem is that the Super Bowl ready window closes when contracts for some of the star players run out — Moore, Johnson, Sweat, Allen, and others expire, go free agent, or just get on the wrong side of age 30. And he will never have the luxury of #1 pick two years in a row. If we’re not there by 2027 at the absolute latest, we’re more likely headed into a rebuild with a new GM than a SB, assuming Warren is as impatient as he claims.
He has been here 3 years now. That's 3 drafts and 3 years of FA. I get it, that he did not prioritize the offensive line for 3 years other than the Wright pick (and I loved that pick). How important is the OL to an offense? It sets the ceiling for the offense in general and the skill players in particular... especially the quarterback and the run & passing game. In the modern NFL offense is pretty important. More important than ever.
So the entire Poles' 3-year OL body of work is what we see now. Sunday was the poster boy for it.
Here is where I am at on this. If Poles (finally) invests solid resources in the OL in his 4th year here, and fixes the OL - then all is forgiven. I am not happy it took 4 years, but I get it that he put a low priority with his resource investment in the OL until year-4 (other than Wright). But if he CAN get it done in 2025, hey I'll be okay with that. But if he invests resources into anything else, until that OL is fixed right - then he is dead to me. Get a GM in here who can get the job done so Caleb Williams and the skill guys can shine and reach high ceilings. JMO.
The problem is that the Super Bowl ready window closes when contracts for some of the star players run out — Moore, Johnson, Sweat, Allen, and others expire, go free agent, or just get on the wrong side of age 30. And he will never have the luxury of #1 pick two years in a row. If we’re not there by 2027 at the absolute latest, we’re more likely headed into a rebuild with a new GM than a SB, assuming Warren is as impatient as he claims.
I agree that the window of opportunity, won't be open forever. What makes me feel a bit sick is the possibility the Bears had the team to finally get it done here in Chicago - except for having the offensive line. Can you imagine what this 3rd year of Poles' tenure here would look like this year if we have a great OL in front of Caleb Williams?
The problem is that the Super Bowl ready window closes when contracts for some of the star players run out — Moore, Johnson, Sweat, Allen, and others expire, go free agent, or just get on the wrong side of age 30. And he will never have the luxury of #1 pick two years in a row. If we’re not there by 2027 at the absolute latest, we’re more likely headed into a rebuild with a new GM than a SB, assuming Warren is as impatient as he claims.
I agree that the window of opportunity, won't be open forever. What makes me feel a bit sick is the possibility the Bears had the team to finally get it done here in Chicago - except for having the offensive line. Can you imagine what this 3rd year of Poles' tenure here would look like this year if we have a great OL in front of Caleb Williams?
I thought I did but now second guessing both Flus and even Waldron. I keep having to remind myself we only played two games. I want to wait for a few more. At the same time, I don’t want some wins over weak teams to make the coaches think that our problems are gone
The problem is that the Super Bowl ready window closes when contracts for some of the star players run out — Moore, Johnson, Sweat, Allen, and others expire, go free agent, or just get on the wrong side of age 30. And he will never have the luxury of #1 pick two years in a row. If we’re not there by 2027 at the absolute latest, we’re more likely headed into a rebuild with a new GM than a SB, assuming Warren is as impatient as he claims.
I agree that the window of opportunity, won't be open forever. What makes me feel a bit sick is the possibility the Bears had the team to finally get it done here in Chicago - except for having the offensive line. Can you imagine what this 3rd year of Poles' tenure here would look like this year if we have a great OL in front of Caleb Williams?
It has to be one of two things (or both):
1. He thought all these clowns he brought in are better football players than they have shown. Not talking here about Brax and Wright. It’s G,C,TE.
2. He thought if he just loaded up at skill Q,WR,RB the OL would be “good enough”.
I agree that the window of opportunity, won't be open forever. What makes me feel a bit sick is the possibility the Bears had the team to finally get it done here in Chicago - except for having the offensive line. Can you imagine what this 3rd year of Poles' tenure here would look like this year if we have a great OL in front of Caleb Williams?
It has to be one of two things (or both):
1. He thought all these clowns he brought in are better football players than they have shown. Not talking here about Brax and Wright. It’s G,C,TE.
2. He thought if he just loaded up at skill Q,WR,RB the OL would be “good enough”.
The second one bothers me. As a former lineman, he should know that having talent is one thing but if you can't use it, then it doesn't matter. He should know you have to provide a little time