Thread: Lack of Talent or Just Bad Coaching?....................

Originally Posted by JJ-30

Devin Aromashodu, is doing ok in MN, along with BB which I understand why he's not here. Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson have had good careers since leaving here. Thats just couple, but your right I should have said some and so many, that my mistake.

Sorry JJ for the most part I was only thinking of the WR's. DA and BB haven't been anything special in Minny. In fact not trying to outbid Minny was the smartest move we made. He's never been worth what they paid him. TJ and Benson have done well. It's kind of funny how they're linked together. Two guys who wanted to start and coddling Benson forced us to trade TJ because getting rid of Benson would have created a huge cap hit.

I'm not sorry Benson is gone though. He was a complete failure here just like TJ was with the Cards and Bucs before we took a chance on him and it paid off. Lucky with one unlucky with another.

Originally Posted by MPBears68

No matter whose screwup it was, it was a big one that went on for way too long. Given Lovie's D-mindset and lack of O experience I could see him stupidly taking that bait especially since he played DH consistently out of position as a wideout rather than in the slot where he was more likely to get mismatches in coverage. As bad as our WR corps was this year it would have been better to have RWill, Bennett, & Knox be the outside trio with Hester & Sanz inside. Please tell me someone has figured this out finally for next year...

We can only hope. Maybe the fact that they played Hester at Flanker was because of his contract and hoping that he'd finally breakout and live up to it. It's amazing to me sometimes that we as fans seem to catch things the coaches seem to miss. Everyone could tell he just didn't have it. Too inconsistent. Kahlil Bell is another great example. He looks real good when he subs for Forte in 2009 yet we go out and spend money on Taylor and he sits on the PS. I could tell Bell had some talent when I first saw him run.

Originally Posted by Jimmors

I saw plenty of former Bears still playing in the playoffs:

Brandon Ayanbadejo in Baltimore
Danieal Manning in Houston
Mark Anderson in New England

Plenty > 3 > Tebow

Originally Posted by Jimmors

I saw plenty of former Bears still playing in the playoffs:

Brandon Ayanbadejo in Baltimore
Danieal Manning in Houston
Mark Anderson in New England

Ayanbadejo is a classic example of Angelo not wanting to pay for ST guys because he drafted new ones every year and expected Toub to just make them work. That guy threw a lot of key blocks for Hester in addition to being a top tackler. Let's hope the new guy sees the benefit in paying Graham. That would be a tough loss.

Manning was another money issue. They did make him an offer but it was a weak one and Houston topped it. Probably a little short sighted too. They expected way too much out of Wright given his inexperience.

I don't know what we could have done differently with Anderson though. Each year his sack totals declined and he never could play the run. Belichick finally got something out of him this year but it's his 7th year in the league and about time he produced again.

I personally think Lovie Smith is a very good coach. He has had shit to work with since he's been with the Bears, particularly on offense, and it's a miracle that we haven't had more losing seasons than we have had. Lovie has, through all of this, managed to finish with a .500 or better record five times in eight years, and only once, in 2004, did he fail to win at least seven games. This season was well on its way to being a success had Jerry Angelo done his job and built depth at key positions, particularly at the quarterback position with a key veteran. Getting Josh McCown was all well and good, but Martz insisted that the Bears stay the course with Caleb Hanie, who is not an NFL-caliber quarterback. Part of Hanie's downfall, I'm sure, had to do with the fact that Martz didn't like him and thus he set out to sabotage him with his wild play calls that caused him to make some serious mistakes. McCown was a good pickup, but he was used too little, too late. In that sense, I do blame Lovie Smith for not standing up to Martz and reading him the riot act. Otherwise, I place 90% of the blame for the disaster the season turned out to be on Jerry Angelo. One can only thank God that arrogant bastard is gone and that a new, better GM is on the way.

I agree with Haugh's article the draft that everyone pins soley on JA's shoulders is a collaborative effort not just JA. Lovie is as much to blame as JA. I do lay some blame on JA for the FA's he's brought in but I think Phillips hinders/influenced the money side of JA's FA siginings. Angelo had to fight to persuade both PHillips and Lovie to get Cutler and it was at Martz's urgence to bring in Manumaleuna, Collins, and Williams and to get rid of Olsen and bring in Spaeth to fit his scheme. The GM tries to get players to suit the coaches needs and their Philosophy hence all the defense players drafted due to Lovie being a defensive minded coach and his tampa 2 scheme. On offense their has been so many different coordinators each with different philopsphys it is hard for any GM to get every player needed. Turner and Martz's systems are different requiring different players and in the end Lovie's defensive needs was put ahead of the offensive needs due to Lovie. JA did make his share of mistakes and misses but shouldn't bear the brunt of everything wrong with the Bears as Phillips, Smith are equally responsabile IMO. The new GM will have the same heirarchy in place and will be working with Smith in the war room and Phillips will still have a say in all major descions.

A peek in the war room 2010 draft video below, everyone you see in the room has some input into the draft picks, true enough JA spearheads it but the draft is a collabrative effort and if JA is to blame for the draft failures because he spear heads it isn't Phillips to blame for JA and remaining with him so long using the same principle.

http://www.chicagobears.com/multimed...mp;play_clip=Y