2016-2017 NFL Thread

[iamshack]

I would not have. Cutler's the better option to win some games you have no business winning (gunslinger v. game manager) and I want this team to lose, lose, lose.

Yeah, but you know Fox isn't going to deliberately try to lose.

[iamshack]

Oh no, the Bears have years of this to come. They have a huge talent gap to make up to catch up to the good teams in the NFL.

I think you guys overestimate how large the talent gap is. I think the results on the scoreboard make us look further away than we really are.

[Jenksismyhero]

Yeah, but you know Fox isn't going to deliberately try to lose.

 

I don't see why not. The stars have aligned. No one gives a s*** about the Bears with the Cubs so close to a World Series. And you know what, if I'm Bears management, I'm honest with people. We need to lose, we need to get as much new, young talent as we can get. We're not winning the SB anytime soon. We're not even playoff bound any time soon. Look up north to see what happens if you take a patient approach to rebuilding vs. a haphazard, rebuild on the fly, one.

 

It drives me nuts when everyone can see the Bears are an awful football team but the coaches/players/FO have to pretend like they are close. Or that they're trying. Who cares?

[Y2Jimmy0]

I think you guys overestimate how large the talent gap is. I think the results on the scoreboard make us look further away than we really are.

 

 

I agree. They aren't that far. They are really injured at bad spots. Another draft and free agency period will do wonders IMO. Also need to know who the QB of 2017 and the future is. The NFL product is s*** right now though. They really don't have that far to get. Who is good in the NFL right now? Even the good teams have glaring weaknesses.

[Jenksismyhero]

I think you guys overestimate how large the talent gap is. I think the results on the scoreboard make us look further away than we really are.

 

You've got about 8 positions of need and chief among them is a QB. It'll all be for naught if they can't find anyone decent to throw the ball. That's what sucks about the NFL. Either you have a really good one and you're in contention, or you don't and you suck for the 3 to 4 years it takes to "make sure."

Edited October 24, 2016 by JenksIsMyHero

[iamshack]

You've got about 8 positions of need and chief among them is a QB. It'll all be for naught if they can't find anyone decent to throw the ball. That's what sucks about the NFL. Either you have a really good one and you're in contention, or you don't and you suck for the 3 to 4 years it takes to "make sure."

I think if you find a talented quarterback you're 75% there. Look at the turnarounds made by the Cowboys, the Eagles, etc.

 

A LOT of warts can get covered up by a decent quarterback and a few playmakers.

[iamshack]

I don't see why not. The stars have aligned. No one gives a s*** about the Bears with the Cubs so close to a World Series. And you know what, if I'm Bears management, I'm honest with people. We need to lose, we need to get as much new, young talent as we can get. We're not winning the SB anytime soon. We're not even playoff bound any time soon. Look up north to see what happens if you take a patient approach to rebuilding vs. a haphazard, rebuild on the fly, one.

 

It drives me nuts when everyone can see the Bears are an awful football team but the coaches/players/FO have to pretend like they are close. Or that they're trying. Who cares?

They need to assure him he won't be fired for losing then.

[Y2Jimmy0]

I think if you find a talented quarterback you're 75% there. Look at the turnarounds made by the Cowboys, the Eagles, etc.

 

A LOT of warts can get covered up by a decent quarterback and a few playmakers.

 

 

Look at the Packers. Aaron Rodgers has been dragging a 5-11 roster to the playoffs for years. Indy might have the worst roster in the league of any contender.

[LittleHurt05]

I agree. They aren't that far. They are really injured at bad spots. Another draft and free agency period will do wonders IMO. Also need to know who the QB of 2017 and the future is. The NFL product is s*** right now though. They really don't have that far to get. Who is good in the NFL right now? Even the good teams have glaring weaknesses.

 

Exactly. The Patriots are awesome every season, but other than that it just seems like there is a big blog of "good" teams and bad teams with not a whole lot of separation.

[Jenksismyhero]

I think if you find a talented quarterback you're 75% there. Look at the turnarounds made by the Cowboys, the Eagles, etc.

 

A LOT of warts can get covered up by a decent quarterback and a few playmakers.

 

Cowboys have the best offensive line in the game and one of the best RB's in the game. That helps with the QB play.

 

Wentz is still a project, as yesterday's game showed.

[Jenksismyhero]

They need to assure him he won't be fired for losing then.

 

I have to imagine he was told he was jumping into a rebuild and he'd be safe for a few seasons.

 

Well, strike that, it's the Bears, so who knows what the f***ed up expectations were.

[southsider2k5]

I meant the nonsensical, mostly-imaginary Cutler takes. There will finally be something else to talk about, or complain about.

 

 

Eh, the meatballs will just move on to the next guy/coach.

[southsider2k5]

I think you guys overestimate how large the talent gap is. I think the results on the scoreboard make us look further away than we really are.

 

They have no depth, and they lack star power at all of the most important positions. They might be close to being average, but they are miles away from being a GOOD football team.

[Kyyle23]

They have no depth, and they lack star power at all of the most important positions. They might be close to being average, but they are miles away from being a GOOD football team.

 

I think the point is Depth can be flipped fairly quickly, and in the NFL teams frequently go from worst to playoffs. We knew they had no depth and we knew this was a rebuild, but this isnt nearly as long as a rebuild as many think it will be

[iamshack]

I think the point is Depth can be flipped fairly quickly, and in the NFL teams frequently go from worst to playoffs. We knew they had no depth and we knew this was a rebuild, but this isnt nearly as long as a rebuild as many think it will be

Or to say another way, the margin between good and bad in the NFL isn't nearly as wide as one might think.

[Jenksismyhero]

I think the point is Depth can be flipped fairly quickly, and in the NFL teams frequently go from worst to playoffs. We knew they had no depth and we knew this was a rebuild, but this isnt nearly as long as a rebuild as many think it will be

 

Do they though? Is that really a thing? I'm not sure if the stats back me up, but it feels like the same 5-6 teams are contenders every year.

 

[Kyyle23]

Do they though? Is that really a thing? I'm not sure if the stats back me up, but it feels like the same 5-6 teams are contenders every year.

 

Panthers did it, Seahawks did it, Arizona did it, Indianapolis did it. How many more do you want

[Jenksismyhero]

Panthers did it, Seahawks did it, Arizona did it, Indianapolis did it. How many more do you want

 

Those teams were all awful for years before becoming good. And you'll notice a trend of "game-changing QB's" in all but Arizona.

[Chisoxfn]

Well he's been in a bit of a rough position, tbh. He's going to get criticized no matter what he says in regards to the qb position.

Technically, I thought he handled it the right way. Minimized the controversy as long as he could. I figured Jay would be cleared to play (mainly because Jay is a tough guy and will want to give it a go) and clearly Jay has a lot riding on his production (i.e., future career chances for other teams). Ideally he'd do good and we'd be able to trade him for something of value (even though we'll likely have little leverage). Oh and somehow we'll find ways to lose (like botched special teams play).

[Chisoxfn]

I think you guys overestimate how large the talent gap is. I think the results on the scoreboard make us look further away than we really are.

With Cutler, we are not near as bad of a team as say the Niners or Browns. We aren't a playoff team either. I'd argue that we are pretty much midway between being a playoff team and being a Browns / Niners level bad (with Jay at QB). Take that for what you want.

[Chisoxfn]

I think if you find a talented quarterback you're 75% there. Look at the turnarounds made by the Cowboys, the Eagles, etc.

 

A LOT of warts can get covered up by a decent quarterback and a few playmakers.

A big if, but I agree completely with you. We have had massive amount of injuries, etc. Our depth is improving, I've liked what I've seen from various young players. We lack high impact talent, but we can hope some young guys can develop into that and we find some more. The key is QB play, it can be the difference between being really good and really bad (all else being equal, imo). If you have bad QB play, only a truly elite d can make up for it and even then it is tough.

[Chisoxfn]

I think the point is Depth can be flipped fairly quickly, and in the NFL teams frequently go from worst to playoffs. We knew they had no depth and we knew this was a rebuild, but this isnt nearly as long as a rebuild as many think it will be

That depends. Given we are in year two of the rebuild and it won't be until year three (presumably) where we have taken the next QB, that does still put us farther away than would be ideal. Ideally we would have found that player sooner vs. later and QB's take time to develop. It is why if I were the front office, I'd be thinking long and hard at Jimmy G as he has shown enough that would make me take a chance on acquiring him, and you'd expect to be able to flip the "contender" switch sooner if it worked. Kind of the perfect storm for why a team would move him (given Brady is there...albeit, he won't be there for too long, but I don't think Jimmy G will take a back seat, nor do I think the Pats can afford to pay him enough to where it would be worth it for him to do so).

 

Now realistically, I have no idea what it would take to get him from the Pats (not to mention how much you'd have to pay him and because you'd have to pay him big bucks, you add in the fact that if he busts, it isn't juts a wasted draft pick, there is the salary cap ramifications). I'm not enamored with any of the top draft picks at QB (where I see some Andrew Luck type player out there, where I'm fairly confident at a minimum, they will be above average).

[iamshack]

I would be afraid Jimmy G would leave the Patriots and revert to a piece of crap.

 

In other news, Charles Woodson is a pimp.

[southsider2k5]

CSN Chicago ‏@CSNChicago 1m1 minute ago John Fox: 'No truth' to reports he’s done with Jay Cutler -- http://bit.ly/2dQqWNx (@CSNMoonMullin) #BearsTalk

 

 

[Balta1701]

NFL Record 23 penalties against the Raiders today, as of now.