Chisoxfn

I'm not going to lie - as a fan - I really needed this win. I know they have a few more losses coming before things get easier and I couldn't handle another pounding against a quality foe. So this was nice.

I am hoping the Illinois connection and just how he bonds with his teammates somehow helps make it happen. But Ayo is legit. Like real legit. I know his FG % is good too - but as he cleans up his form he has a real high upside. Kind of reminds me a bit of a poor man's Donovan Mitchell to some extent and how he just came out of the nowhere that 1st season. I'm not saying he is Mitchell - but for whatever reason reminds me a bit of him. Honestly - right now - while I like Ball - I think him and Vuc might be the odd men out in 1-2 years when the Bulls look to package and move up for more starpower. That said - I want Ball to get back and get his consistent minutes and than really work with Derozan and Lavine on his half-court game and inside 3 game. If he can develop something remotely there - than he just takes things next level (cause he is a great 3 & D guy - but there is so much more to his ceiling if he wants to take it there).

Honestly - even though he isn't an excellent schematic guy - he is forward looking on analytics, highly respected, has a ton of connections, etc. So I think he has a lot of those qualities where he might be a better CEO (especially in his 2nd shift) vs. the first time. But it certainly doesn't excite me. I just think if you go defense - I like Bowles so much more - schematically, etc - just love the way he's built elite defenses across multiple stops and quite frankly he was the best thing the Jets have had in a long time (so I see why he failed). But nothing would irk me more than like Ireland / Frazier. Again - maybe that actually ends up being a brilliant move and they win superbowl(s) together but I would have zero buy-in / excitement out of the gate.

Hoge was on implying from what he has heard and given timeline etc - he thinks new GM will be in place by Monday.

I also think the order of GM interviews does matter a bit - the favorites (Smith / Khanh / Brown) may not have interviewed yet.

I think it will be Omar Khan as the GM - than elevate an Asst GM (potentially Champ or someone else) and you get a structure in place where you lean on your assets and Khan groes to be your VP of Football operations.

Seems like more smoke coming out that the Fields stuff is all coming from Flores - who is so committed to Watson. I liked what Flores got out of his squad in Miami, but how he did it (a turnstyle of coordinators; non-sensical way they handled Tua, etc) and now with these leaks. There is nothing about Flores that I want (unless there is this giant mis-information campaign going on out there).

I would be surprised though - to me if I'm a GM - I think I have enough work to do on building up and finding special players that I have no idea how or why you would dump Fields at this point. But I would want to have the ability to come in and blow things up and trade aging players and start over on defense and accumulate some chips, even if you are taking short-term pain in terms of cap ramifications etc. The new GM has to have that ability - if they are under some edict from George to win immediately and push in chips to do that - it just won't work. That isn't to say the rebuild should take years - cause in the NFL - you can pivot pretty darn quickly.

Who are they trading him for? Only place I could imagine would be the Texans? Otherwise doesn't seem like any big name QB on the market (unless I'm mistaken). I think people are linking this to the Flores is a front-runner w/Bears talk and if that is the case he clearly is tied to Watson thus the Bears must be looking to move on from Fields. I do think Bears need to be honest and realize any GM taking this job gets 2 bites at the apple - bite 1 might be Fields and bite 2 is whatever they do post-Fields. And that might be as honest as - we don't know what we have in Fields and need a year and really want to do a soft refresh now. Really rebuild the roster, move big pieces, and quite frankly stink next year - but stink smartly, so we are putting playmakers around Fields and putting him in a position to show US he is the right candidate - while at the same time - putting better parts around the team and positioning it so that if it isn't Fields - the infastructure is better for them to land the next QB (whether in the draft or via trade or via free agency). If I were a GM - that is what I would do.

That is where hopefully Polian is giving the right advice in this. But the Bears need to take the intel they get to really level set George & Ted on what the current state of the org is.

Twitter is saying he didn't interview well; maybe that is the case, maybe not. Fact that he worked for the Colts and the Polian ties, I tend to think this probably wasn't a good fit for him and he's better as an Asst GM. I do continue to say that I hope the Bears take one of the GM runner ups and pay them the money to become an Asst GM.

We are assuming the list is a short list - as long as the GM knows when he comes in - if he says - nope I don't like that name based upon the zoom and my own intelligence, I want to add that name, and they have full reigns to do that - I don't see any issue there. I kind of thinking of it as - they have zoom calls ready for the new GM but have calendars aligned - even if only 70% of it is right - it is 70% better than if the new GM came in from scratch.

Ok - I am catching up on news - they have a 2nd interview with Eberflus for NEXT week. I presume if anything that tells me they intend to have GM hired by that point. I have to think we hear 2nd round GM's start coming out soon and those will be scheduled THIS week. If the timing ends up differing - than that becomes a big red flag, unless they are going Harbaugh or someone else who is going to have full say with the GM more reporting into them.

I suppose the only rational would be if they think they know the coach they are getting and he is the type where the GM is going that way. But that is grasping at straws. Or they are about to make an aggressive pitch for Harbaugh but just aren't saying it. That or they are just worried - 3 GM openings vs. however many HC openings and thus prioritizing that way (but THAT is not the right answer). If anything - that would have told me if you were so dead set on hiring right GM first you wouldn't have wasted your time with any HC (yet). I do think the wide net should give very independent assessments and views on the org and roster etc - which at a minimum can be informative to hopefully give George and Ted the view that they should green light a rebuild (if that is a widely held view).

Wait - seriously? Is this real?

Not to say there is really a bright side to how hard Bulls have been hit - but It gives Ayo and White more time to shine and show what they are capable of. The person who really needs a rest is Derozan. He has hogged too much lately and despite losing Lavine for a bit needs to be more unselfish. Vuc has had a few rough ones too - needs to step it back up. I still think Vuc ends up getting traded a year from now as Bulls look to continually upgrade roster.

No official timeline - but lonzo has none contusion in his knee. Will likely miss at least 2-4 weeks. Bright side is he should be back after the all star break? I also think Caruso and Green might be back on Wednesday (unless they hold them out for one more). Haven’t see anything yet on Lavine but I am guessing if playoffs he would play but Bulls will probably go on safe side and hold him out a min of 7-10 days.

I wonder if Calvin Ridley will be in play for wherever Daboll goes. Evidently Ridley was pretty tight with Daboll when he was at Bama (talked a lot about how influential Daboll was on him and his development).

Giants starting 2nd round of GM interviews. Reailty is there are enough candidates out there that they can lose out due to speed - however, I would have to think Bears get to 2nd round of interviews by Thursday (at the latest). Would think hire made by this weekend so they can pivot to the HC 2nd round interviews next week. If I were Daboll - I don't think I am choosing the Giants. They just haven't given their head coaches enough time - but if they do hire Shoen (the reported front-runner/current Bills Asst GM) - at the very least it makes Daboll a stronger candidate there. I just don't see what you do a QB, Jones clearly isn't the guy and while they have draft picks - there isn't a top QB this year, which means you are basically punting on '22 (unless of course you plan on getting Deshaun - which is probably the Giants best path forward. That said - Deshaun in a large market knowing his whole situation is still way up in the air (from a legal / NFL suspension standpiont) - not sure getting dropped into a media market like NY is a great idea. Reality is - as much as I like the idea of pairing 2, biggest thing is GM has comfort level with the HC (and vice versa). I see a benefit to getting a Khan or someone else to pair with Daboll (who outside of Harbaugh is by far my personal favorite candidate at this point). But if you pair him with a qualified candidate from a Non Bills, but successful org, it gives you 2 people who can bring unique perspectives to solving the Bears going forward and to pushing the envelope to move the overall org to a best in class org.

I wonder if his name pops up as a DC candidate for Bears (vs. HC candidate). Could be an interview helps get you fast-tracked to grab him. Not sure how much he crossed paths with Daboll - but could be a really nice dynamic pairing (HC and DC). I say that because I presume Graham is at risk given Giants hiring a new coach (but I know he is clearly widely respected around the league - so is Desai). The thing I like about Fangio - he probably isn't going for any HC job in the future, so you get someone pretty locked in to being a DC. The only question is whether he wants to coach immediately or take a year off.

I was going to come on hear and say that play calling looked like Nagys. Awful trick plays…tons of lateral movement…inability to consistently run. Murray was awful too. I am not a Kingsbury fan either. I want to see a game so hoping they have a comeback.

Fair point - he should have made space but I feel I have seen the refs do less.

Now that is a legit gripe by Cowboys. Ref clearly made difference in them getting one more play. Still - they should have just done one more sideline pass.

Wohoo!

Wohoo!