Bears have complete coaching staff in place Brad Biggs
Apparently, Lovie Smith’s search outside the Bears’ organization for a defensive coordinator with a background in the Tampa Two and some fresh ideas was limited to one candidate—Perry Fewell.
When he turned the Bears on Jan. 14, it led Smith to backtrack and eventually name defensive line coach Rod Marinelli as the team’s third defensive coordinator in three seasons.
Did Smith really backtrack?
Asked if Marinelli was a candidate for the job on Jan. 5, the day he fired most of the offensive staff and announced he would be relinquishing his role as play caller on defense, Smith said: “We’re going to bring someone in from the outside and we’re going to go from there.”
Asked Monday after he hired Mike Martz as offensive coordinator if he was still looking outside the organization, Smith said: “Keeping all options open right now.”
From the looks of it, all options for the Bears were two men. When Plan A turned down Smith’s offer to rejoin the franchise, he turned to Plan B. And the Bears waited until late this afternoon to announce the news.
“We considered outside possibilities, but I didn’t feel our defense would benefit the same way it will with Rod in the coordinator role,” Smith said in a statement released by the team. “From the first day I became head coach of the Chicago Bears I envisioned Rod as our defensive coordinator. I considered him for the role last year, but wanted him to have the opportunity to work exclusively with our defensive line and become acclimated to our team. He will remain in our defensive line room, but will add the responsibility of the defensive calls on game day.
“As I mentioned at the end of the season, I think we have an excellent defensive staff. Our position coaches bring a valuable expertise to their respective areas and our defense evolves every year based on the input they bring to our planning meetings. We are excited to get to work and we expect to play the type of disruptive defense we have been known for.”
So, essentially Marinelli is being asked to double dip as the line coach and coordinator. That was one of the problems with moving Marinelli to coordinator in the first place. He was hired to revamp the defensive line and the Bears simply were not good enough on the line last season. There is major work ahead too with turnover coming at defensive end. Eric Washington, the assistant defensive line coach for the last two seasons, has been promoted to line coach.
As expected, Shane Day was hired as quarterbacks coach. Smith also promoted a front office assistant Andrew Hayes-Stoker to offensive quality control coach. Smith named his oldest son Mikal Smith the new defensive quality control assistant.
The Bears’ defense has gotten progressively worse since the appearance in Super Bowl XLI three years ago. Maybe with Marinelli things will turn around. But consider that he’s never been a coordinator before, and his agent Frank Bauer told me last week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., that he didn’t think Marinelli would want the job. On some level, clearly he had to be talked into it.
Smith said his goal was to get his staff finalized before the Super Bowl. He accomplished that. Now, it’s time to set out to improve the team.
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As a Bears fan I had high hopes for the team, after hiring Martz as OC thinking if he could get us to 24-27 points a game and the Defense recovered to be in the top 10 we would be ok. However those hopes relied on a competent defensive coordinator coming in from the outside who did not have the Lovie stink on him. Obviously Lovie thought that his stink was not stanky and promoted Hot Rod to lead another mediocre defense that is screaming for leadership and fire from the top. Leadership is just not Lovie's forte. By all accounts he is a nice guy and a fairly good DC hes just a bad HC. For our once great franchise and once great defense this is depressing.
Lovie threw nobody under the bus, players will remember that. Marinelli was fiercely loyal as a Lions coach as well, perhaps to his detriment. This coupled with Gaines Adams' untimely passing leaves the Bears with limited draft picks from several high end trades and in huge demand from their scheme perspecitve.
Coverage teams must have edge rushing presence on their lines.
Perhaps Briggs or Hillenmeyer could switch to end? Where else will the speed for an end come from? They need someone with some arm span to keep those blockers off him, someone who can close down a pass lane in addition to rushing the passer and defending the run.
This comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the team. Smith wanted him in his first season to be DC and Tampa wouldn't let him go. He'll be fine.
Contrary to ignorant opinion, the Bears don't play Cover Two every down. Their scheme is a 4-3 but they mix it up.
The needs on defense are primarily at DE and FS. They need an edge rusher and they need a playmaking ball hawk. They drafted some guys last year that may work out. A healthy Tommie Harris would be huge too.
At some point they may convert Charles Tillman to FS. It is a tantalizing thought. He has great cover and ball hawking skills. He can tackle and strip.
If Angelo has one strength in the draft it is finding decent DBs in the mid to late rounds. Maybe he can put lightening in a bottle.
I hope that offense comes out roaring, because we are going to need points aplenty to make the playoffs.
Gee, we're back to 'training coaches again'....once again I have to admit the Packers fans are correct, 'the Bears still SUCK!
I remember watching Carr take his first snap in training camp two years ago. It was a a no-contact drill. He took the snap and literally sprinted for the sidelines. I think he was ragdolled so badly when he came into the NFL that it got into his head. But mentally he is improving. The Rams have a good tackle to help keep him upright. Carr is mobile and healthy. He has Stephen Jackson to lean on.
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Feb 05, 2010
05:21 PM
The Bears are one of those teams going to ground in a season without a salary floor.
Why pay a D coordinator when ye can get your D Line man to do it for much less?
Why fire a a coach, albeit an extremely unimaginative and bad one, when ye have to pay him anyway?
Why care about the fans when ye can cash a massive cash windfall?
The Bears are a terrible team with the direction of a sinking battleship.
And the owners do not care.