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Many changes including coaching staff and personnel should occur this off-season. With no draft picks until the third round and the impending labor agreement which hurts unrestricted free agency this year I'm very interested too see how we are going to improve this team.

Ron Turner needs to go despite these last 2 games.
Lovie should go.
Angelo should go.

It has the be the combo of Lovie and Angelo going. I don't want Angelo in charge of hiring a new staff and being in charge of changing this roster.

Turner is gone regardless.

I think its a given that at the very least Turner will be fired and made the scapegoat if Lovie and Angelo stay on. I hope that at the bare minimum Babich and Turner are fired. I dont expect Lovie or Angelo to be let go. As for this team we need to buy an OL and WR...perhaps also a DT or DE. We are set at LB for the most part, CB could use an upgrade and S is a must. Also I hope Angelo drafts Robert Johnson from Utah to play FS.

I don't really see why Babich would be fired, Lovie was the defensive play caller this season.

Angelo and Lovie aren't going anywhere IMO. As a fan I would love to see them all go and rebuild with a 3-4 scheme but it won't happen right now. Angelo was praised by all for making the splash at getting Cutler. His other moves didn't pan out (Pace/Omiyale/Gaines (TDB), but I think he will be given a chance to improve this team through free agency this offseason. Are there reasons for both of them to get fired? Of course, Angelo's minor moves turned out to be awful and hurt the team and his draft choices of late haven't worked out at all (Bazuin, Wolfe, Okwo, Williams (TBD if he can turn into a solid LT), Gilbert (?), Iglesias (did we just draft a WR to take a WR?), Melton (WTF?) not to mention dumping Benson and TJ and watching them flourish. Lovie is one of the worst time managers I've ever seen and has made lots of costly errors in that regard. I don't like his quiet, nonchalant demeanor either, but, we did make the SB a few years back (for what it's worth). There are too many impending question marks with a possible holdout in a year to eat all that money right now. If he strikes out again this off season and we fail to make the playoffs next season then I could see us cleaning house with mgmt and starting over. Given how we lost our defensive leader in the first game of the season and how we had to transition how our team plays as a whole with acquiring Cutler they'll get another year. We were a mediocre team but we did finish 7-9 with many, many chances to win a few of the games we lost. With that being said, I do believe that Turner and/or other coaches will be replaced. Lovie also might have the work he actually does (DC responsibilities) re-evaluated.

The biggest question is how are we going to improve our personnel on the field. I'm not sure how things will work with all the prize FA's being restricted instead of unrestricted. Who are we going to go after in free agency and if we have to give up a 1st and 3rd to get any of the studs are we not going to do anything but add minor pieces?

WEFFPIM wrote:I don't really see why Babich would be fired, Lovie was the defensive play caller this season.

There is the reason right there...what the hell does Babich do for a paycheck? He is a position coach making DC money. I rather have Marinelli be the DC.

ok.. im hearing all over chicagosports love smith and Turner's jobs are safe.. is this a joke?

I was so pro-Angelo after the Cutler deal but you've got to look big-picture here and see that his drafts are overall failures. I can't find the article I referenced in a previous post but the offenses he's been responsible for drafting have been ranked near the bottom every year during his tenure and he has yet to draft a pro-bowler on offense (if memory serves). That's just incredible. We need someone that can identify talent and I'm convinced Angelo isn't that guy. That being said, I'm really doubtful that happens because....well, we're the Bears. I look for Angelo/Lovie to stay and we get a new OC and Lovie will hand the defensive over to a new DC.

Personnel-wise I want help on both sides of the line before anything else. It all starts in the trenches. Cutler needs more time and Forte needs more space. An actual pass rush would keep the Daunte Culpeppers of the world from putting up those insanely high completion percentages.

I was encouraged with Cutler's showings at the end of the year but that was after the games mattered anymore so I'll reserve judgment. The fact he was taking a sack, taking off with the ball, our throwing the ball out of bounds instead of squeezing the ball in was a step in the right direction.
Only Erik Kramer (29 in '95) and Sid Luckman (28 in '43) have thrown more than Cutler's 27 TDs in Bear history. Now to work on those 26 picks....

Without picks in the first two rounds this year it will be interesting to see what's on tap in free agency and with the coaches/GM. The return of Urlacher alone isn't going to right this ship.

IbreakNeckZ101 wrote:ok.. im hearing all over chicagosports love smith and Turner's jobs are safe.. is this a joke?

I don't see that at all. I just see "Ron Turner expects to stay". Well of course he does what is he going to say? "I'm getting fired"

SportsWorld wrote:

IbreakNeckZ101 wrote:ok.. im hearing all over chicagosports love smith and Turner's jobs are safe.. is this a joke?

I don't see that at all. I just see "Ron Turner expects to stay". Well of course he does what is he going to say? "I'm getting fired"

I saw that interview. They kept asking "Well, would you be surprised if you got fired?" and he refused to answer any of those questions so its merely his opinion.

It's rather stupid for media types to ask a guy if he think he'll be getting fired, or if he'll be surprised.

If anything is going to happen, I think it's going to happen quick. Houston missing the playoffs gives them every right to axe Kubiak, a job Cowher has shown interest in, as well as Buffalo. Shanahann is likely going to Washington. If the Bears are gonna gun for Cowher, Lovie/Angelo are gone by Tuesday. If they're still around by week's end, they'll be here for another year.

That's just my thinking.

I hope we target Kubiak as the new OC if Houston does fire him. Back to back 6000+ total yard offenses in Houston. He also got the only 3 years out of Plummer where he wasn't bad and turned Schaub into one of the better QB's in the AFC. It would be nice to get someone who is competent at running an offense and developing talent as opposed to clowns like Turner and Shoop.

Cliff Levingston is guessing that Martz becomes the new offensive coordinator. The brass will treat the final 2 games as reason enough to keep Lovie and Angelo around, but they'll still take Turner's head and feed it to the rabid fans as at least something they can take away from this rotten season. Martz might not even be a bad choice so long as we can get some offensive line help; lots of 7 step drops and throwing down field. That plays to Cutler's strengths, obviously, but you can't throw down field without protection.

The offensive line showed up big against Minnesota than had a decent showing against the Lions. Maybe we only need to tweak the line a bit and not completely overhaul it like we thought we might need to for most of the season. Let Williams settle in at LT, Shaffer at RT. Though, Cliff Levingston would like to wave goodbye to Kreutz and replace him with Beekman, then find someone else to play LG while Omiyale becomes the swing backup tackle. We'll see what happens there.

Obviously we could use a big play receiver still, though Aromashodu looks pretty good going forward. Grabbing Marshall would be nice so we could go with Marshall and DA on the outside with Hester/Knox in the slot; that would be murder.

Ogunleye is gone. He started the season hot, then flamed out pretty quickly. We've got tons of other ends to replace him though, namely Gaines Adams who will be given a shot considering the price we paid for him. Anderson will probably be brought back cheap and we've got Henry Melton in the fold who had a nice preseason before getting hurt. Tommie Harris picked it up toward the end of the season and Angelo can't afford the media blitz if he cuts him, so he'll be back and we'll be counting on him again, but we could still use a lot of help there.

Linebackers are ok. Cliff Levingston would like to see Pisa Tinoisamoa brought back as he played great before getting hurt, and getting Urlacher back will help. Hillenmeyer filled in admirably while we found out that we've got 2 nice backups in Roach and Williams.

We could use a lot of secondary help. Tillman is the only guy worth putting out there right now and Afalava is a decent strong safety, though it's hard to tell when not a single safety on our team can cover anyone. Maybe DJ Moore comes out of no where to be a reliable cornerback next year.

Cliff Levingston wrote:
The offensive line showed up big against Minnesota than had a decent showing against the Lions. Maybe we only need to tweak the line a bit and not completely overhaul it like we thought we might need to for most of the season. Let Williams settle in at LT, Shaffer at RT. Though, Cliff Levingston would like to wave goodbye to Kreutz and replace him with Beekman, then find someone else to play LG while Omiyale becomes the swing backup tackle. We'll see what happens there.

Man...How did Cliff Levingston get in my head????
I think that is all that is necessary. I thought I was alone in the Beekman over Kreutz camp. Nice to see you there too. Beekman played center at Boston College. I think they let Frank O start these last few games as a tryout....didnt work IMO. There are few LG that may be available in FA that would solidify the line.

Cliff Levingston wrote:We could use a lot of secondary help. Tillman is the only guy worth putting out there right now and Afalava is a decent strong safety, though it's hard to tell when not a single safety on our team can cover anyone. Maybe DJ Moore comes out of no where to be a reliable cornerback next year.

Again again I keep hearing Cliff's voice in my head!!!!???!!!
My thought is to sign one corner in FA. There are a handful available. Then I listen to what Emperor Jones said in March 09'. Move Zach Bowman to full time Free Safety - he has a knack for the ball and can be that ball hawk we need. Make the decision now and let him know his job depends on a successful move. If the redshirt strategy continues to work as it has, DJ Moore will be in the mix next year.

The Bears have called for a press conference at 2:00 PM central tomorrow (on Comcast Sportsnet).

Based on what I have read today, Lovie will stay, Ron Turner will be fired maybe in favor of Mike Martz, and the Bears are going to bring in a defensive coordinator to run the defense again (maybe the guy who just got fired in Buffalo).

WSCR (always reliable!) is reporting that Halas Hall is divided among people who want Lovie to stay and who want Lovie gone. This will be interesting 21 or so hours. I assume the news will be leaked before the press conference though.

Not surprised in the least if the duo is staying. Should be an interesting, but uneventful press conference.

This is going to be weak.

Unless Angelo and/or his entire scouting department is replaced, I won't be happy.

Sooooo.....I won't be happy.