The Bears are hoping that their newest coaching hires will bode well for their offense in 2020. And from the sound of things, the Bears hired the right guys for the job.
There were several players at the Pro Bowl that have worked with new Bears coaches Bill Lazor and John DeFilippo, and they had nothing but praise for their former coaches and what their presence in Chicago could mean for the Bears, particularly when it comes to the quarterback position.
The Bears are facing uncertainty at quarterback. While they remain committed to Mitchell Trubisky as their starter in 2020, there are doubts about whether or not they can win with him at quarterback. Look for the Bears to bring in veteran competition for Trubisky — perhaps even someone that could take over as starter should Trubisky struggle in 2020.
But with the coaching hires of Lazor and DeFilippo, you have to believe that they’re looking to get the best out of Trubisky — and to see if his best is enough to win them a championship.
Considering Lazor’s success with the Dolphins — they averaged 24.3 points and 350.1 yards per game, which was the most in nearly 20 years — there’s a hope that the Bears offense could see a similar resurrection.
“He’s very detailed, and that’s something that goes a long way, especially being an offensive coordinator,” former Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry said. “He wants to make sure that every guy is in the right place at the right time for the quarterback. It’s a quarterback-friendly system as well.”
Look no further than Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who learned under Lazor during his time with the Dolphins. In 2014, Tannehill passed for 4,045 yards and a career-best 27 touchdowns.
“Bill did a great job,” Tannehill said. “I have a ton of respect for Bill and what he was able to do [during] my short time with Miami. He’s extremely intelligent, thoughtful. He does a great job of game-planning, and I wish him the best in Chicago.”
While Lazor won’t call plays (that remains Matt Nagy’s job), he’ll be heavily involved in the install and weekly game plan of the offense.
Then there’s DeFilippo, whose reputation grooming quarterbacks precedes him. While DeFilippo hasn’t found success at the offensive coordinator position, he’s one of the best in coaching quarterbacks.
Look no further than Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who had an MVP-caliber season in 2017 before his injury. The Bears are hoping he’ll work similar wonders with Trubisky.
“[DeFilippo] will be outstanding,” said Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who worked with him in Minnesota . “He’s a great coach. He’s been around this league for a long time. I think it says a lot when someone like [Bears coach] Matt Nagy who knows quarterbacks so well hires him. I think that says a lot about ‘Flip.’
“When you look at what he did with Carson Wentz as a young player, I think there’s a lot to like there and he’s going to add a lot to that staff. I guess it’s going to be to my detriment because we’re in his division, but he’s a great coach.”
The Bears insisted this offseason would be about fixing the offense, and Nagy has already started with bringing in two coaches that could should be able to bring the best out of Trubisky — or whoever winds up as quarterback for the Bears.
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