So I offered a little diatribe over in So the Bears still suck, but I figure this thread is a better place to talk about the non-changes in Chicago.
While Pace and Nagy are coming back, Pagano “retired” so the Bears get a nice little scapegoat. Sure, Pagano was utterly terrible as a DC, but that doesn’t change the fact that his leaving is a face saving event for Nagy. It also means the Bears need to make a really important hire under some really disadvantageous circumstances. Is a blue chip DC candidate really going to be excited to come to Chicago and work for a GM and HC who both may be 1 more mediocre season away from being canned?
Who the Bears May Consider For Vacant Defensive Coordinator Position - Windy City Gridiron
The above covers most of the popular candidates for DC in Chicago. I won’t restate the discussion there but some of the names to look for are Jay Rodgers, the Bears current DL coach. He apparently has a close relationship with Brandon Staley who was just hired as HC in SD. Rodgers contract is also up so if the Bears want him, and he wants to be here, they’ll probably need to lock him up quickly. I’m in favor of hiring a fast rising young guy and his track record here is good, but the Bears need some fresh ideas. There are a couple other internal candidates, DBs coach Sean Desai is a popular one and I really don’t want him. The regression of Eddie Jackson and frequent turnover in the position group are both big red flags.
Looking outside the organization, James Bettcher seems like a nice fit. Can’t say I know him well, but the bio and track record look good. He sounds like the anti-Pagano which sounds like a move in the right direction. Keith Butler is the dream candidate but honestly, I can’t imagine why he’d take a job here. He’s too accomplished to risk hooking his trailer to the smoking carcass that is Pace/Nagy. If the Bears want to fully alienate the last few fans they should hire Gregg Williams.
Anyways, hope we have news soon.