Though countless fans and media have been calling for the heads of people at Halas Hall, don't expect the Chicago Bears to make any major changes before the end of the 2013 season.
After their recent Monday night failure to the Detroit Lions put the Bears record at 2-3 and staring up at the undefeated Lions and Packers, the cries for major change at Halas Hall are now here to stay for the remainder of the 2011 season. While I fully understand the frustration that Bears fans are feeling, the reality of the situation is that the McCaskeys are highly unlikely to part ways with Angelo & his regime, which is locked up until after the 2013 season.
The head who's being called for the most is that of general manager Jerry Angelo. Many fans were reminded of the potential of Jay Cutler after his admirable performance on Monday night, but Cutler can only do so much. As such, Angelo has taken all of the blame for crippling Cutler by failing to give him the talent either through the draft or through free agency to protect him let alone to give him anyone to throw to. Several years of failed draft picks and free agent acquisitions has given the fans all the ammunition they need to call for Angelo's head.
While Jerry Angelo oversees all player acquisitions, those drafts were run by Greg Gabriel who was let go of shortly after the 2010 draft. Respectively, Bobby DePaul, the man who engineered the Cutler trade, ran the pro personnel side of player acquisitions for Jerry Angelo until he was let go of during the off-season of 2010. If there's anything that Angelo should definitely be directly blamed for it's for staying with a player personnel system that was not in-sync with each other. Angelo is still the guy on top and as such deserves to be criticized, but apparently these two departments operated mostly independent of each other and were not on the same page. That was chief among the reasons he gave for re-organizing the front office during the 2010 off-season with the acquisition of Tim Ruskell, who is signed through the 2012-2013 off-season.
The hyper-shortened off-season caused by the lockout and the recent restructuring of the Bears front office on the player personnel side will give the McCaskeys all the “cover” they need to be patient with Jerry Angelo and company. More importantly, the fact that Angelo, Ruskell, and Lovie still have years left on their contracts will also make the McCaskeys' decision to stick with the Jerry Angelo regime a very easy one. To butcher-quote DJ Quik, “If it don't waste dollars, it makes McCaskey sense.”
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7 comments postedI couldn't agree more, Roy. Also, I think a lot of the criticism is unfounded. How many losses do the Packers, Lions, and Saints have?
The Bears offense is missing some talent, but that is how they are built. The Bears philosophy is that you get more bang for the buck on D and special teams. I wish we had done better than Williams in bolstering our WR position this offseason. Watching the Badgers today, we could use their center and one of their guards with our 2nd and 3rd picks respectively. I have lots of reservations about Ruskell, but am willing to give him a full offseason.
Chicago fans are a fickle bunch. Lovie's record as a head coach is among the top in the league since he's been here. Are the current Packers or Patriots coaching staffs and from offices better? Perhaps, but the already have jobs. We could be doing a lot worse in Chicago. "Bad" years for Lovie have been 7-9. Does anyone remember the last few decades? We are playing the tough schedule because we won the division.
Right now, we have all of our eggs in Lovie's basket. We have his players, his coaches, and his front office, to a large extent. I am actually looking forward to the next two seasons, after which, I'll listen to the talk of canning the lot.
Roy I'm kinda disappointed in you my friend. Don't take it the wrong way but man if you think people are going to wait until 2014 to get new leadership in the front office...I mean maybe they make a nice little run and win a few games but bro this thing is rotten bad. I mean there is nothing there....
Roy who ya crappin. I'm sorry.
I agree with you Roy and also believe the McCaskeys will keep J.A. and remind some of those calling for J.A.'s head that contrary to their belief he is not all things wrong with the Bears and does not have total GM power. That power belongs to Ted Phillips.
Starting with the draft picks; The draft is a collective effort and not just J.A. The scouts give their annalist of the players they've scouted and turn in a "report card" on the players they've scouted. J.A., Lovie and both coordinators of Martz and Marinelli then goes over those "report cards" and watch film on the players and formulate their draft board based upon their collective assessments from the game films they watch on the players and the scouts reports. They then pick players based on grades and who is available when they pick, big example is Carimi, he was Tices pick and was heavily scouted due Tices son playing at Wisconsin with Carimi and Tice acted as the scout since he watched several games because his son was playing.
J.A. doesn't control player development or lack there of nor does he or is he a coach. and as far as obtaining F.A.'s and current contract issues such as Forte's, Kreutz's etc. it's Phillips that decides who to pay and how much, J.A. is simply the middle man/fall guy for the organization run by an Accountant/CEO and President. As his Bio reads: "Phillips is involved in all critical decisions of the Bears." When it comes to money matters within the Bears Organization it's Phillips desk in which everything has to pass. Case in point refer back to the Jay Cutler trade, J.A. had to have Phillips permission, hence J.A.'s "in it to win it" speech.
J.A. tries to acquire F.A's and draft picks in collaboration with the coaches, it was Martz's idea to ship off Olsen as he didn't fit in his Scheme and because of Martz that Manumaleuna, Taylor and Collins at Martzs recommendations as well as Roy Williams.
The problem lies at the top starting with Virginia McCaskey who is an incompetent owner who trusts Phillips, an accountant to run the team for her. They had the chance back in 09 to lure Kevin Colbert away from Pittsburgh and could have hired Cowher and turned things around. Instead both the McCaskeys and Phillips decided to keep J.A. and Lovie and company, Phillips speech said something to the effect of status quo and believed that keeping continuity was the best answer at that time. The Bears and us fans are in the shape they are in because of the McCaskeys and Phillips, blame starts with and lies at the top of the organization and filters down through the ranks.
"Don't stop believin'!"
In what? In Jerry Angelo? Are you joking? You think success of any kind is possible within five, ten years with the CF Angelo leaves in his wake?
Don't stop believin'!
Absolutely on the money my friend! We had are chance to get rid of lovie & co but they made te NFC championship game and saved there jobs. This is a nightmare that won't end...I'd rather get a new staff and rebuild then have these clowns anymore
Hmm if this continues like this I doubt fans will wait another 2 or 3 years because the family foolishly signed these guys to long contracts. I know I will be protesting.