Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Bears Draft Grade B This would be an A if they could draft a new coach


April 27, 2020


Prior to the 2018 season the Bears traded for Khalil Mack, one of the top defensemen in the NFL, ceding two first round draft picks. This may seem to be a high price to pay. However, this did prevent general manager Ryan Pace from picking another number one draft bust. You have to give Pace credit for his picks in subsequent rounds.  Defensive lineman Eddie Goldman and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair were second round picks. Eddie Jackson and Jordan Howard were fourth round picks. All four have been selected to play in a Pro-Bowl. The problem is that somehow his moves left the Bears without a third and fourth round pick.

In the 2020 draft the Bears chose Cole Kmet to be the tenth tight end on the roster. There is a feel good angle to this pick. Growing up in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, he has always been a Bears fan. This was a dream come true. He was a standout baseball and football player in high school and decided to play football at Notre Dame. He is very athletic and the best tight end in the draft. I guarantee he will be better than Pace’s last tight end pick, Adam Shaheen. He was a second round pick in the same year they drafted quarterback Mitch Trubisky in the first round. That could be one of the worst drafts in Bear history. Among the sea of tight ends is free agent Jimmy Graham, once a premiere player. However, he is 33 years old and there may not be much more left in his tank. Kmet should get plenty of playing time this year and is probably the tight end of the future.

Pace was smart enough to know that before his next pick the cornerback they needed would be available. Unlike many rookies, Jaylon Johnson should be able to start immediately. He was a first team All-Pac 12 selection and an All-American in his junior season. The reason he was available in the second round was due to injuries. He played most of last year with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and had surgery. The Bears feel he’ll recover in time especially if the season’s start is delayed. He also had two labrum injuries in his left shoulder that were successfully repaired.

Now that free-agency and the draft are over, what is there left to do? The defense can return to 2018 form with Robert Quinn replacing Leonard Floyd at outside linebacker and players staying healthy e.g. Akiem Hicks. It would be nice to acquire another safety.

I have a different slant on the Bear quarterback situation. Many are assuming Nick Foles will be the starter. Presently, I think this is Trubisky’s job to lose. The Bear brass see no reason to extend Trubisky’s contract and guarantee a fifth year. Unless he has a remarkable turn-around, this is his last year as a Bear. If Foles is the quarterback this year and next, it will be important for Pace to draft a franchise QB in the first round whom Foles can mentor. The Bears are in need of a speedy receiver. They did choose a speedster, Darnell Moody out of Tulane. However, he is 5’10”, 175 lbs. and was the 26th receiver selected. If the Bears hadn’t frittered their way out of round three and four they could have gotten a much better prospect.

Friday, April 10, 2020

SPORTS Yes They Still Exist


April 9, 2020

The world of sports may have stopped but there has been news looking forward. Golf’s Masters Tournament has been rescheduled for November. Wimbledon tennis has been canceled, so I’ll just have to settle for the movie
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The NFL is looking to start up in September or October. The Bears starting quarterback should be Nick Foles. He is already familiar with Coach Matt Nagy’s offense and so is the rest of the league because he calls pass plays 70-80% of the time. In the second game, Charles Leno Jr. misses his block and Foles gets sacked and injured. Mitch Trubisky replaces him and has MVP season leading the Bears to the watered down NFL Playoffs. Fairy tales can come true…


Baseball is looking at a 100 game season, which is good news for the Cubs. A decreased schedule could be a benefit for the aging Jon Lester. Jose Quintana may also rebound after faltering last September. He went winless and had an ERA over 11.00. That figure may not indicate how bad he was, however 38 hits in 18 innings does. Games being only seven innings is another option being discussed. This could lessen the appearances of Craig Kimbrel. You can’t have a one inning closer with a 6.58 ERA. He gave up nine home runs in just a little bit over 20 innings.

The biggest problem could be that MLB is looking at playing games at neutral sites. Therefore, the Cubs don’t get the advantage they have at Wrigley Field. You can take solace that they probably won’t have a September collapse.

Though the shortened season may stunt the growth of top prospects Luis Robert and Mick Madrigal, the White Sox   have enough talent to contend. In a short season you can’t have too much pitching.  Michael Kopech should be ready to go and Carlos Rodon will return batting sometime in August. The line-up is filled with speed and power. They have the major league leader in average in Tim Anderson. Yoan Moncada will be in the conversation when talking about the best third basemen. These two also possess blazing speed. Jose Abreu, who hit 33 home runs and  led the league with 123 RBI is joined with power hitting free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal and DH Edwin Encarnacion.  I believe Eloy Jimenez will put up MVP type stats.

The NHL and NBA are looking to resume the season. They may not finish the season and start with the playoffs.  With no fans, the major reason for continuing is TV money.  The play will probably look sub-par.  As usual the Blackhawks and Bulls won’t be involved. They should cancel the season. That would make it extra special when the games return.

When the Blackhawks return, they will have the dilemma that Corey Crawford is a free-agent. The Hawks should coax Tony Esposito and Murray Bannerman out of retirement to share the goaltending duties. Training camp will start by getting players in shape, skating from the defensive zone to center ice to practice dumping the puck. Scrimmage fools the Hawks that this a good strategy because their defense can’t clear the zone. In the regular season, more often than not, they turn the puck over. Skating and passing to get into the offensive end and winning scrums and making good passes to get out of their own end should be their top priorities.

The Bulls have hired Arturas Karnisovas, well respected General Manager of the Denver Nuggets to replace John Paxson as Vice-President of Basketball Operations. It’s about time. The most pleasant surprise is that a Reinsdorf owned team went outside the organization for a replacement. His first order of business will be hiring a GM to be his right-hand man. The next move is firing Coach Jim Boylen.  Anyone not in a coma would be a better option. Next move is to open talks with the teams who have the top three picks in the draft. Hold on to Coby White and Lauri Markkanen and offer them your first round pick plus any four players on the roster. I’m not sure if teams would make this trade but it’s worth try. Does Phil Jackson want to coach again?