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****Official 2015 Chicago Bears Offseason Thread **** (3 Viewers)

Ballard is a no-brainer, he absolutely turned the Chiefs around from 2-14 to 11-5 in one offseason with Andy Reid. I posted his bio in a PDF from the Chiefs' site last week.

"In his time with the Bears, Ballard helped Chicago
draft Pro Bowlers Matt Forte, Johnny Knox, Charles
Tillman, Tommie Harris, Nathan Vasher and Henry
Melton. He was also directly involved in many
notable acquisitions and trades, including the
signings of Brandon Marshall, Michael Bush, Jermon
Bushrod, Martellus Bennett, D.J. Williams and James
Anderson."

Read a couple of snippets that Bowles prefers not to be a head coach but just a defensive coach; also, if he were to take a HC position, he'd want to go to a "low key" situation like OAK or ATL.

Cowher and Gruden? Please. Those guys are now relics and both are satisfied with their cake gigs talking about football. I posted a Biggs article a few days ago that describes why they need to do initial interviews with some of the HC candidates like Quinn and Bowles because they are in the playoffs. Obviously, Bowles now is available since the Cards' defense failed to stop the pathetic Panthers offense. Another "bend but don't break" defense that plays soft against the pass. No thanks.

Quinn is the man to hold out for. Toub would be the consolation prize. I think Bowles indeed will go to ATL and the Jets will get impatient and scoop up Marrone.

 
mbuehner said:
Its lunatic that the Bears are seriously talking to head coach prospects right now. I cant think of a better way to scare off all the decent GM prospects in the league. Theyve made this kind of mistake over and over again, and the reputation is that if you come to Chicago, you arent going to be able to do your job because McCaskey and Phillips are going to tinker and stick you with people.

I didnt object to what they said the day they cleaned house about being OPEN to hiring a head coach first if something cant miss comes along. But none of these guys are remotely in that category. Bill Cower or Chucky Gruden you might make that move... but not for the normal guys in the pipeline.

Either the Bears are ignoring Accorsi, or they hired him in the first place because he was a Yes Man with an in with the McCaskeys. Or some combination of both. My prediction is that, in a classic move, the guy tasked to find your new GM ends up getting himself hired as GM.
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They talked to two coaching candidates that had last week available, but other than that, may not be available to even speak to for almost another month. I will yell and scream to no end if they went and hired one of them, but they will be somewhat involved in any coaching search, so an initial conversation with a guy you may be interested in, is not the end of the world. If you don't get your name in there, and have an initial conversation, you may completely lose out by the time you have a GM.

I think it is being completely blown out of proportion. They are now concentrating on the GM interviews this week, and hopefully we have one soon.

 
#Bears setting up an interview for Bowles Saturday indicates they believe theyll have a GM by then. Were mostly holding off until GM hired

 
One reason Chris Ballard turned down Jets interview -- When he becomes a GM, wants full authority. That was far from certain in New York.

 
@AdamSchefter - Chris Ballard may not be well known amongst public, but he is most well rounded potential G.M (coached, pro & college scout)

 
Is Chris Ballard the Bears' Savior?

"We take a detailed look at the career of Chris Ballard, who could be the Bears’ next GM, with full breakdowns of the players he scouted during his 12 years in Chicago and how they fared as professionals.

The Chicago Bears will meet with Chris Ballard, director of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs, on Wednesday. Ballard is considered the top candidate for Chicago’s open general manager position and today turned down an interview request from the New York Jets.

If the meeting this week goes well, Ballard may soon be announced as the team’s next GM.

Ballard is considered one of the better scouts in the NFL and is widely regarded as a people person, one that meshes well with folks of all different types of personalities and backgrounds. One NFL source called Ballard one of the best scouts in the league, which is high praise.

Yet to gauge Ballard’s potential as a general manager, one must sift through the verbal accolades to find proof of his competence. The Bears have trailed the Green Bay Packers for nearly two decades in talent evaluation and acquisition, so the Chicago’s next GM must have a keen eye in scouting, particularly in the NFL draft.

Ballard began his NFL career as a scout for the Bears in 2001, covering the Southwest region until 2011, with a focus on Oklahoma, Louisiana and Dallas.

In 2001, the first of many picks from Ballard’s scouting area was fifth-round offensive tackle Bernard Robertson from Tulane. In 2002, Robertson started five games for the Bears yet je was cut at the end of the season. Robertson’s three-year NFL career ended after the Bills waived him the following year.

In 2002, Chicago drafted S Bobby Gray out of Louisiana Tech. In four years with the Bears, Gray started 13 contests, amassing 88 total tackles and one interception. Gray retired in 2005.

Ballard’s pride selection came in 2003, when the Bears took CB Charles Tillman in the second round. Tillman spent 12 years in Chicago, earning two Pro Bowl trips along the way. He’ll go down as the greatest cornerback to ever play in the Windy City.

In 2004, Ballard scouted Chicago’s first-round selection, Oklahoma defensive tackle Tommie Harris. In eight NFL seasons, Harris was named to three Pro Bowls and he was the engine of the Bears’ 2006 Super Bowl defense.

Also in 2004, Chicago selected CB Nathan Vasher in the fourth round. The following year, Vasher led the NFL with eight interceptions, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.

In 2005, the Bears used three draft picks on players from Ballard’s area: RB Cedric Benson (1st round, Texas), WR Mark Bradley (2nd round, Oklahoma) and S Chris Harris (6th round, Louisiana Monroe).

Bradley was a bust, catching just 38 passes in four seasons with the Bears. Benson’s career is looked upon negatively but when he was healthy, the powerful running back carried Chicago’s offense. Had Benson not been hurt in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLI, the outcome may have been much different.

Harris was an outstanding selection. He played eight years in the NFL, four in Chicago, where he earned a second-team All-Pro selection in 2010. Harris now serves as safeties coach for the Bears.

In 2006, Chicago took S Danieal Manning in the second round and DT Dusty Dvoracek in the third. Manning played five strong years for the Bears, starting 56 games. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2008.

Dvoracek was a bust. He missed two full seasons due to injury and was knocked out of a third campaign after just one game.

In 2007, the only Ballard pick was fifth-round safety Kevin Payne from Louisiana Monroe. Payne started one full season for the Bears, during which he had four interceptions, but his career lasted just three years.

In 2008, Chicago hit pay dirt on another Ballard player, Tulane RB Matt Forte, who will go down as the second greatest running back in franchise history.

The Bears also used a fourth-round pick in 2008 on safety Craig Steltz, who was a special-teams stalwart for six years.

In 2009, the club used a third-round pick on WR Juaquin Iglesias from Oklahoma, and a fourth rounder on DT Henry Melton from Texas. Iglesias was a bust and didn’t catch a single pass in his two-year career.

Melton, on the other hand, has developed into one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the league and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 2012.

In 2010 and 2011, the Bears had limited picks due to the Jay Cutler trade and no players from Ballard’s area were selected in either draft.

In 2012, Phil Emery, in one of his first moves as GM, promoted Ballard to director of pro personnel. Chicago’s first move in free agency that offseason was trading for Brandon Marshall.

Yet Ballard also played a big role in the substantial signings of QB Jason Campbell and RB Michael Bush, neither of whom played up to his contract. The Bears that offseason also acquired QB Josh McCown, CB Kelvin Hayden and WR Eric Weems, amongst others, while re-signing Steltz, TE Kellen Davis and CB Tim Jennings.

Jennings repaid the team by earning Pro Bowl trips the next two years in a row.

As director of player personnel in Kansas City, the Chiefs’ first draft pick with Ballard on board was Eric Fisher, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft. Fisher has been a colossal bust his first two years in the NFL, allowing 14 total sacks at left tackle, per Pro Football Focus.

Ballard also played a role in the trade for QB Alex Smith, who has been a solid game manager under Andy Reid.

So what does it all mean in terms of Ballard’s potential as the Bears’ next general manager?

First and foremost, he’s had many more hits than misses, particularly as a scout. He obviously has a good eye for evaluating talent in the draft, which is key for any NFL GM. Yet his veteran personnel moves leave a lot to be desired, which raises concerns about his capacity to supplement the roster through free agency. The last thing the Bears need is more free-agent signings like Bush, Campbell and Jared Allen.

Yet if the Bears are going to commit to building through the draft, as it has been done in Green Bay the past 20 years, Ballard appears to be the guy for the job.

In addition, his job history is unique in comparison to most NFL executives. Ballard began his career as a coach, spending seven years at Texas A&M Kingsville, working as a wide receiver and secondary coach, and then as defensive coordinator. That type of on-field experience is one of the many reasons Ballard is so highly regarded in league circles.

Finally, Ballard understands Chicago Bears tradition, having worked for the organization for more than a decade.

Phil Emery showed up and fired the head coach of nine seasons after a 10-6 campaign, then unceremoniously kicked Brian Urlacher to the curb. That absolutely destroyed the locker room, which is why we saw a 5-11 team with no heart this year.

Ballard’s history with the organization almost assures he won’t come in and immediately piss off the entire team.

Ballard may not be the perfect candidate but for all the reasons mentioned above, he looks like the right executive to lead the Bears into the next era."

 
I remember a couple of us going on and on about how Urlacher was ran out of town was a mistake and got laughed at around here. Doesn't sound so silly now, eh? Leadership was far more important than a lot of people seemed to understand.

 
All it takes is one mention of Urlacher, with nothing to back up the claim being made, to get good old flap right back on the :cry: Brian, We miss you so! :cry: campaign.

:lmao:

Can't make this #### up.

 
To think that we long suffering bears fans have been deprived of those back to back Super Bowl victoties he would have led the team too.

:kicksrock:

 
flapgreen said:
I remember a couple of us going on and on about how Urlacher was ran out of town was a mistake and got laughed at around here. Doesn't sound so silly now, eh? Leadership was far more important than a lot of people seemed to understand.
Click to expand...
leadership is a two way street sometimes. We offered him a contract, he felt he was worth more and bailed on his teammates. Turned out he wasn't, and his team suffered as well. Everybody lost

 
DaveL said:
flapgreen said:
I remember a couple of us going on and on about how Urlacher was ran out of town was a mistake and got laughed at around here. Doesn't sound so silly now, eh? Leadership was far more important than a lot of people seemed to understand.
Click to expand...
leadership is a two way street sometimes. We offered him a contract, he felt he was worth more and bailed on his teammates. Turned out he wasn't, and his team suffered as well. Everybody lost
Click to expand...
Urlacher stated numerous times he never received a call. Urlacher never bailed on his teammates. Not who he is and something he would never do.
 
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flapgreen said:
DaveL said:
flapgreen said:
I remember a couple of us going on and on about how Urlacher was ran out of town was a mistake and got laughed at around here. Doesn't sound so silly now, eh? Leadership was far more important than a lot of people seemed to understand.
Click to expand...
leadership is a two way street sometimes. We offered him a contract, he felt he was worth more and bailed on his teammates. Turned out he wasn't, and his team suffered as well. Everybody lost
Click to expand...
Urlacher stated numerous times he never received a call
Click to expand...
well that's just blatantly made up

"They came back with the offer and said, 'This is what it is, take it or leave it.' It was, 'If you want to play for the Bears, you'll play for this. If not, then you're not playing for the Bears.'"

 
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DaveL said:
flapgreen said:
DaveL said:
flapgreen said:
I remember a couple of us going on and on about how Urlacher was ran out of town was a mistake and got laughed at around here. Doesn't sound so silly now, eh? Leadership was far more important than a lot of people seemed to understand.
Click to expand...
leadership is a two way street sometimes. We offered him a contract, he felt he was worth more and bailed on his teammates. Turned out he wasn't, and his team suffered as well. Everybody lost
Click to expand...
Urlacher stated numerous times he never received a call
Click to expand...
"They came back with the offer and said, 'This is what it is, take it or leave it.' It was, 'If you want to play for the Bears, you'll play for this. If not, then you're not playing for the Bears.'"
Click to expand...
Huh. Heard him say quite a few times in interviews he never received a call. I'll have to look it up
 
I don't agree with the way management handled the Urlacher situation, but the sad truth is that he was spent and couldn't get it done any longer. Nobody stepped up and took over his leadership role to the extent he did.

 
-X- said:
I don't agree with the way management handled the Urlacher situation, but the sad truth is that he was spent and couldn't get it done any longer. Nobody stepped up and took over his leadership role to the extent he did.
Click to expand...
It's up for debate how much his loss affected the team, but how he was treated is not up for debate. It affected a lot of guys in the locker room and it was never the same. It sounds like Ballard is much more in tune with his players. I hope that's true and he pulls the team together. We need a coach who the team can rally behind.
 
flapgreen said:
-X- said:
I don't agree with the way management handled the Urlacher situation, but the sad truth is that he was spent and couldn't get it done any longer. Nobody stepped up and took over his leadership role to the extent he did.
Click to expand...
It's up for debate how much his loss affected the team, but how he was treated is not up for debate. It affected a lot of guys in the locker room and it was never the same. It sounds like Ballard is much more in tune with his players. I hope that's true and he pulls the team together. We need a coach who the team can rally behind.
Click to expand...
I love Urlacher and everything he did as a Bear. But, seeing Briggs' play diminish this season I think it was best not to negotiate with Urlacher. I don't think it would have helped either party look better.

The last thing the Titanic needs is another anchor.

 
So wait....Ballard has not even interviewed yet? Think I just saw Lake Dawson today, Ballard tomm.

 
lots of talk about how embarrassing this franchise is/has been and you people are applauding the potential hiring of a guy who's career is basically born and bred Halas Hall?

But hey! He found Nathan Vashar!

 
Well, let's see, who else is there? Lake Dawson (Titans)? Nope. Brian Gaine (Texans)? Pass. That's about it.

Toub talk is really heating up, too. Tommie Harris gushed on the radio about how he's a Ditka-type and takes charge (unlike wishy-washy Trestman). He improved the Chiefs' special teams play dramatically in a short time and obviously our special teams were always near or at the top when he was here.

GM & HC need to be joined at the hip and this is as ideal of a situation as can be found in that respect.

 
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Wonder why Matt Patricia gets no consideration for these jobs. Bad track record for the Bellichick disciples? Been reading up on him and he intrigues the hell outta me. He was a freakin aeronautical engineer before going to football full time. I'm a huge fan of guys with experience coaching both sides of the ball.

 
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RBM said:
Wonder why Matt Patricia gets no consideration for these jobs. Bad track record for the Bellichick disciples? Been reading up on him and he intrigues the hell outta me. He was a freakin aeronautical engineer before going to football full time. I'm a huge fan of guys with experience coaching both sides of the ball.
Click to expand...
look elsewhere

 
Despite success with Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, I'm told #Bears do not have Mike Shanahan on list of HC prospects

 
Weird twitter reports. Started out with some reports the Bears were parting ways with Marshall. The Michael Wright made reference to something coming "soon". Finally, there is a report that Tim Jennings was arrested for DUI.

Still looking for something on Marshall? No way to trade him right now. Bears front office can't be stupid enough to cut him before they hire a GM/HC? Can they? ? ?

Also wondering if this is coming out of some of the coach, GM interviews. Is the front office telling candidates they want to trade away Marshall? I know it's lots of speculation.

 
KCitons said:
Weird twitter reports. Started out with some reports the Bears were parting ways with Marshall. The Michael Wright made reference to something coming "soon". Finally, there is a report that Tim Jennings was arrested for DUI.

Still looking for something on Marshall? No way to trade him right now. Bears front office can't be stupid enough to cut him before they hire a GM/HC? Can they? ? ?

Also wondering if this is coming out of some of the coach, GM interviews. Is the front office telling candidates they want to trade away Marshall? I know it's lots of speculation.
Click to expand...
...don't get so worked up over rumors.

 
DaveL said:
KCitons said:
Weird twitter reports. Started out with some reports the Bears were parting ways with Marshall. The Michael Wright made reference to something coming "soon". Finally, there is a report that Tim Jennings was arrested for DUI.

Still looking for something on Marshall? No way to trade him right now. Bears front office can't be stupid enough to cut him before they hire a GM/HC? Can they? ? ?

Also wondering if this is coming out of some of the coach, GM interviews. Is the front office telling candidates they want to trade away Marshall? I know it's lots of speculation.
Click to expand...
...don't get so worked up over rumors.
Click to expand...
I usually disregard things. But this twitter post coming out the same time you hear reports of Brandon Marshall and Bears parting ways was concerning.

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright · 2 hours ago
Never a dull moment on the Bears beat.

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright · 2 hours ago
Soon. RT @CTownSportsTalk @mikecwright what happened?

Michael C. Wright @mikecwrighthttps://twitter.com/mikecwright 2 hours ago

Guys, has nothing to do w/GM-coach search.

 
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KCitons said:
Weird twitter reports. Started out with some reports the Bears were parting ways with Marshall. The Michael Wright made reference to something coming "soon". Finally, there is a report that Tim Jennings was arrested for DUI.

Still looking for something on Marshall? No way to trade him right now. Bears front office can't be stupid enough to cut him before they hire a GM/HC? Can they? ? ?

Also wondering if this is coming out of some of the coach, GM interviews. Is the front office telling candidates they want to trade away Marshall? I know it's lots of speculation.
Click to expand...
Haven't heard the Marshall rumors
 
KCitons said:
DaveL said:
KCitons said:
Weird twitter reports. Started out with some reports the Bears were parting ways with Marshall. The Michael Wright made reference to something coming "soon". Finally, there is a report that Tim Jennings was arrested for DUI.

Still looking for something on Marshall? No way to trade him right now. Bears front office can't be stupid enough to cut him before they hire a GM/HC? Can they? ? ?

Also wondering if this is coming out of some of the coach, GM interviews. Is the front office telling candidates they want to trade away Marshall? I know it's lots of speculation.
Click to expand...
...don't get so worked up over rumors.
Click to expand...
I usually disregard things. But this twitter post coming out the same time you hear reports of Brandon Marshall and Bears parting ways was concerning.

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright · 2 hours ago
Never a dull moment on the Bears beat.

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright · 2 hours ago
Soon. RT @CTownSportsTalk @mikecwright what happened?

Michael C. Wright @mikecwright 2 hours ago

Guys, has nothing to do w/GM-coach search.
Click to expand...
that's just the jennings news, back to defcon 4

 
flapgreen said:
KCitons said:
Weird twitter reports. Started out with some reports the Bears were parting ways with Marshall. The Michael Wright made reference to something coming "soon". Finally, there is a report that Tim Jennings was arrested for DUI.

Still looking for something on Marshall? No way to trade him right now. Bears front office can't be stupid enough to cut him before they hire a GM/HC? Can they? ? ?

Also wondering if this is coming out of some of the coach, GM interviews. Is the front office telling candidates they want to trade away Marshall? I know it's lots of speculation.
Click to expand...
Haven't heard the Marshall rumors
Click to expand...
In hindsight, I think some people got wind of big news at Halas Hall and speculated. Turned out to be the Jennings DUI.

 
The Inside the NFL gig was so stupid. How he was allowed to do that is beyond me. But other than that I don't have any issues with Marshall. The guy is a special talent and I hope he's a Bear next season.

 
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