The Bears Should Consider Ruskell For GM. There, I Said It.

Ruskell means everyone from Phillips to the coaching staff gets fired after the season, then I guess I’m ok with it. But then, why not just clean house now?

i am not ok with Ruskell as our long term GM. He is awful.

And did anyone see Jensen’s puff piece on Ruskell? Who in the hell asked him to write that? It completely glosses over everything he did to ruin that franchise, and basically says that the Seahwaks were really good before he got there, Holmgren is a jerk, and he drafted a good linebacker.

Jensen is usually a solid reporter. That article was out of left field.

Regardless of whether the Bears play well next year, the team will be saddled with Ruskell’s draft picks. I don’t think the team can afford another wasted draft, especially if they are rebuilding in 2013 or 2014.

I am one of Lovie’s biggest supporters, but I think the worst thing the Bears can do is give Lovie more power/responsibility. I think Lovie is one of those people who doesn’t realize when he is in over his head. He thought he could be a headcoach/defensive coordinator, and the team almost came apart at the seams. A lot of headcoaches have destroyed teams and their careers taking on GM responsibilities. I don’t think we know exactly what kind of input he has had on draft picks, but the consensus opinion isn’t very good. Lovie shouldn’t have any more input than he needs to have.

The Bears should bring in an outsider who can call out Lovie. The Bears and Lovie will both benefit from that arrangement. Even if next season doesn’t work out, that GM will be in a better position to address needs for 2013 than hiring a new GM in 2013-2014. Ruskell will just enable Lovie.

I’m looking at Seattle’s drafts here…

In 2005, he had the #26 pick, and drafted Chris Spencer, Lofa Tatupu, and Leroy Hill. That team went to the Super Bowl. Tatupu went to 3 pro bowls. Hill and Spencer were nothing special, but Hill was the starter for the Super Bowl year and the next few after that, and Spencer started a bunch of years as well.

In 2006, he had the #31 pick, and drafted Kelly Jennings, Darryl Tapp, Rob Sims, and Ben Obomanu. Jennings has been a solid starting corner. Tapp never carved out a starting role, but was a very solid role player who consistently had positive PFF grades. Sims became one of the better guards in the NFL, and Obomanu has stuck around as a #3/#4 WR.

Ok, I’m running out of steam, but in 2007 he had no 1st rounder (traded? I dunno), and so his first pick was 55th. He drafted Josh Wilson, who was a solid corner for Seattle for a few years before having a great season as Baltimore’s #1 corner last year. In the 3rd round, he got Brandon Mebane, a PFF favorite. He also drafted Will Herring, who was a solid rotation linebacker for a few years.

In 2008 he had the 28th pick and drafted Lawrence Jackson. Jackson didn’t do much with Seattle, but had a big year for Detroit in 2010 and was solid as a rotation DE this year. John Carlson looked like an up-and-coming TE before injuries struck. Red Bryant has developed in to an average to above average lineman. And Owen Schmitt and Justin Forsett have both contributed in limited roles.

In 2009 he had the #4 pick and whiffed on Aaron Curry. He did pick up Max Unger, who has developed into a solid starting center.

So that’s it. Ruskell has almost always had late picks, and imo he did pretty well from 2004-2008, and then had a bad 2009 draft. I think the criticism of some of his other moves – giving Shaun Alexander a massive contract, screwing up the Hutch offer sheet, over-reliance on an aging Hasselbeck and mediocre Seneca Wallace – is warranted. But I think most people agree he was a good draft scout for Tampa Bay, and I think he was mostly a good draft scout for Seattle too, one bad pick aside. I won’t say he’s the Bears’ best option, but maybe Just Dave is right that he’s better than people think.

if this happens

DeCosta passed. Reggie McKenzie willingly took the Raider’s job over the possibility of the Bears job. The point is that the McCaskeys have made this team so unpalatable that the team with the largest market in the entire NFL (NY splits, LA nada) acts like an expansion franchise and we have to “settle” for whatever leftover mediocrities are foisted on us by Ted Phillips trying to save his very incompetent touckas. I’m offended this column should have ever had a chance of being written — NOT directed at Just Dave, but at the utterly incompetent inheritors of this franchise.

Remember: they are inheritors. They have yet to prove, after 30 years, that they are owners.