I don't even know what to write about any more. I think the Bears poor play this year is starting to wear me down. It's getting tough to watch my favorite team struggle each and every week because of the same old problems again and again. What do you say for beating a dead horse after it has already been beaten into oblivion? The offensive line stinks, JA isn't a very good GM and overall the offense needs major re-tooling. It's been this way for three or four years and what makes you think it's going to change now? However, if we did change general manager, what all do we need?
I don't know what to say. I mean, maybe it is time to clean house, but that seems like such a waste, we aren't so bad that we have to rebuild, are we? Could a new GM-coach combination really tweek this team and make it better without a two-three season rebuild?Clearly we need a better offensive line (probably what, two or three new starters?), at least one new wide receiver and a better cornerback, plus possibly another two safeties. I hate to say it, but Major Wright has not looked like he's any type of long term starter.
By looking at the list I made above, you would think that the Bears need about 2-3 more picks in the first two to three rounds of the draft in order to fill those needs quickly. We also need younger linebacker depth because Briggs and Urlacher aren't getting any younger or better. Luckily we have a relatively young defensive line so somehow that becomes just about the only part of the team that doesn't need much reworking.
Let's assume under the premise of this post that we only get a new GM and not coach. That way we wouldn't have to speculate on a whole scheme change. If this team wanted to go the whole "blow it up and start fresh" route with a coach who wanted a 3-4 scheme, that seems like it'd take two or three seasons itself. However, if we replaced JA, is the above mentioned shopping list look accurate?
The way I see it we have at least two young servicable offensive lineman who look like they will be good long-term starters in Gabe Carimi and Lance Louis. Then you say, well Chris Williams isn't playing terribly at LG so maybe he's the answer there, so now we have three good linemen. Webb doesn't seem like a franchise LT but he's pretty good and he's improving so maybe after all we really only need one or two linemen; a young center (Garza is getting up there) and a solid RG.
Seems like this past week, people on here have been throwing Levi Horn's name into the mix. Horn is currently on the practice squad and don't you think that if he was ready or able to become a starter he'd either a) be on the active roster or b) have been snatched off the PS by another team? I am not sure there is any potential there...
As for wide receiver, we need a solid go-to number one guy. Bennett is good, Knox is decent as a number two guy and Hester is a decent slot option and clearly Sanzenbacher has potential. So one receiver would probably do it.
The Bears definitely need an upgrade at cornerback. Tillman suddenly (maybe "suddenly" is the wrong word) seems like he's slipping and his age is finally starting to catch up with him. The only recent JA CB pick who has been worth a damn is D.J. Moore and he's best suited where he plays as a nickel. Josh Moore is gone, Zach Bowman is in the doghouse and free agent Tim Jennings seems week-to-week as to whether he's serviceable or merely average.
We'll see in the next couple games where we're at with the safeties. Perhaps Wright will start getting it and Conte will flash some potential but my hopes aren't high. Safety in a cover 2 defense seems like a bad play for a rookie to learn by doing, since he's, by name, the last line of defense. If he messes up it's likely a big play.
So maybe we do need to rebuild, haha. I just kind of started writing this, rambling if you will and wanted to see where I'd end up and this list looks a lot longer and scarier than I thought. I don't know though, maybe it's not this bad but I know one thing for sure, I don't trust Jerry Angelo to fix any of it.
What's your shopping/quick fix list look like? What's this team need to get back in the division race in '12?