Thread: Can Bears get their own Kalil?

Originally Posted by short faced bear

Tice has been pretty honest about things even as bad as they are. He has stated that he was "good" with what he had. In fact he was very high on Rachal. Even in the seasons he was here regardless of talent he wasn't even able to raise the pass-pro of the OL by even a few places. Near dead last. Not even with removing the 7 step drop, not even with much TE chip help,and not even with blind luck was improvement seen.

Many coaches come into or find programs that will make them look better than they are. The hallmark of being such a "guru" is to do much with not a lot. We need a TON of talent at OL but if he needs an across the board infusion then all of his experiments, castoffs, and re-treads are both foolish and he is NO guru.

Did you HONESTLY expect Tice to talk to the press about how he's not very confident in his charges? Really?

Press: So, Mike, how do you feel about your O-Line this year? Will they begin to improve so Cutler isn't consistently running for his life?

Mike Tice: :laughing uncontrollably: :tearing up: Ok, ok, I'm sorry about that. What was your question again?

Press: Will the O-Line show demonstrable improvement this season?

Tice: Oh! You were serious!? Did you not watch these losers LAST season?! They were terrible! I honestly don't believe these guys could stop a bunch of pop warner kids! :laughing:

This is of course completely exaggerated but to expect a coach to blast his players when his name isn't Phil Jackson is silly. Every Bear fan would crucify Tice for poor leadership if he dared blast on his guys at the beginning of the season.

And as far as gurus go... Tice is a solid O-Line coach that did create improvement when the O-Line was his job. He did it in Minnesota and he did it in Chicago. Granted, Minnesota drafts O-Linemen consistently high but at the end of the day those guys need coaching and direction to perform as a unit. I would never call Tice a guru.

When I look at Chicago's O-Line I see an inconsistent bunch at best. They played decent enough today against the Vikings but when those guys line up against playoff teams their deficiencies come front and center. IMO, those deficiencies can only be helped by coaching so much. The main problem there is talent up front which is a very familiar refrain. As someone else mentioned, finding solid LTs is very difficult. Combine that with the fact that Cutler doesn't help by holding on to the ball too long at times and the O-Line gets even more heat.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

...keep in mind our other options are not too good. Matt Kalil was the #4 man taken in the draft. You don't get Matt Kalil's late in the first round, where the Bears will have their first pick. And, you don't get Matt Kalil players in FA very often. Teams don't let these guys walk.

THIS!!!

The Vikings lost 13 games last season for the right to pick at #4 and draft a guy like Kalil. Even then, Kalil could've flamed out because there are no guarantees. I am thankful that it appears that the Vikings made a wise decision because Kalil looks like a cornerstone for the Vikings' O-Line for many years ahead. At the end of the day, drafting a LT like Kalil means that your football team lost A LOT of games the previous season.

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I am unsure if Bear fan would support losing like that. Ultimately, I don't think it matters though as the front office in Chicago believes they're ok with what they have. Even if Tice went to the front office and said, "Let me go to war with this group and let me put my job on the line to prove these men can get the job done." The front office STILL made the decision to allow Tice to make a run without bringing in any fresh talent. In my mind, that is a front office mistake as well as a Tice mistake. We'll never know exactly what was said but one thing that I think everyone can agree on is the talent level up front isn't tremendous. Are the coaches in Chicago responsible for roster building? I mean, there are some coaches in the NFL that have both the coaching hat and the general manager hat but I am pretty sure that Tice and Smith both wear coaching hats and nothing more. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Originally Posted by purplejokr

Did you HONESTLY expect Tice to talk to the press about how he's not very confident in his charges? Really?

Press: So, Mike, how do you feel about your O-Line this year? Will they begin to improve so Cutler isn't consistently running for his life?

Mike Tice: :laughing uncontrollably: :tearing up: Ok, ok, I'm sorry about that. What was your question again?

Press: Will the O-Line show demonstrable improvement this season?

Tice: Oh! You were serious!? Did you not watch these losers LAST season?! They were terrible! I honestly don't believe these guys could stop a bunch of pop warner kids! :laughing:

This is of course completely exaggerated but to expect a coach to blast his players when his name isn't Phil Jackson is silly. Every Bear fan would crucify Tice for poor leadership if he dared blast on his guys at the beginning of the season.

And as far as gurus go... Tice is a solid O-Line coach that did create improvement when the O-Line was his job. He did it in Minnesota and he did it in Chicago. Granted, Minnesota drafts O-Linemen consistently high but at the end of the day those guys need coaching and direction to perform as a unit. I would never call Tice a guru.

When I look at Chicago's O-Line I see an inconsistent bunch at best. They played decent enough today against the Vikings but when those guys line up against playoff teams their deficiencies come front and center. IMO, those deficiencies can only be helped by coaching so much. The main problem there is talent up front which is a very familiar refrain. As someone else mentioned, finding solid LTs is very difficult. Combine that with the fact that Cutler doesn't help by holding on to the ball too long at times and the O-Line gets even more heat.

I think we both know that no coach will come out against his charges. That is coaching 101. But to the extent that he goes out of his way to oversell it then there is a problem vs. reality.

What you saw this game is what happens when you don't draft for depth come injury time. Your going to see a whole different animal when we come to Minny. Is Tice a good LINE coach? He's probably above average but as a guru? Nope, does not fit the definition.

Originally Posted by stonehouse91

I don't think Webb is our biggest issue. Webb has held his own for the most part this year, last week Aldon and Justin Smith made him look bad, in his defense they do that a lot of OL guys. His two worst games were against Clay Matthews and Smith and Co. Those guys get paid too.

Webb did pretty well today against Jared Allen. Webb has all the physical tools, he has made strides, he just needs to do it consistently.

Fact is though, we won't find another LT option in FA because other teams will be able to outbid us or with where we likely will be drafting. Webb is still what 25 years old?

I think if we get a better LG that will step up Webb's play too. Louis solidified the RG, Garza is at C, I think we can find a better RT and a better LG. I think Carimi could be a good LG though. Just saying, not sure if he'll have a chance to play there.

Great points. Carimi could still be our answer at RT. He has the perfect pedigree. Outland Trophy winner as the best olineman in the nation. Played LT in one of the nation's best oline programs. He's been hurt, and is coming back from significant surgery - so not unusual for him to struggle in his first full year of NFL play. He'll be fine at RT.

Getting solid interior linemen isn't tough. Infinitely easier than a LT (or even a RT).

Webb has been better this year, and continues to improve. Sometimes it's 2 steps forward and 1 step back (yes, he's young too....he just turned 24 years old in August). And you're right, those great "D" guys he goes up against, get paid too.

we need more talent and skill in our OL. Need to draft it this year for sure

Originally Posted by JJ-30

Sorry but your wrong, as long as Webb needs TE and RB to help him block he is not doing his job. We need a LT that can block one on one without all the help we have to give Webb.

Webb was 1-on-1 a lot more against Jared Allen and did a pretty decent job yesterday. He has to continue to improve, but as long as he continues to get better (and he is) then let's see how far he gets by the end of this season. Then if he sucks, dump him. If he's solid, keep him.