Category: 2017 Season

The Browns wanted to select Mitchell Trubisky with 1st overall pick in 2017 NFL Draft

Former Browns HC Hue Jackson confirmed Cleveland wanted to select former Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky with the first overall pick in 2017.

Although quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is no longer a member of the Chicago Bears, the 2017 NFL Draft will forever be a talking point when it comes to missed opportunities for Bears GM Ryan Pace.

The decision to not only select Trubisky, but to move up one spot and trade draft assets has been the biggest mark against him during his tenure as general manager. But the decision was almost taken out of his hands completely, thanks to the Cleveland Browns.

Former Browns head coach Hue Jackson joined NFL insider Mike Silver and his daughter Natalie on the Pass it Down podcast to talk about the 2017 NFL Draft. The Browns were picking first overall and wound up with Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett. Jackson explained that he was all-in on Garrett from the start, but said the Browns front office wanted to go in a different direction.

“At the time, there was divide between who should be the first pick,” Jackson said. “I wanted Myles Garrett and I’m an offensive coach. I didn’t think there was a quarterback worth being the first pick in the draft.”

Jackson, who coached the Browns from 2016-2018 and compiled a 3-36-1 record, went on to describe why he was enamored with Garrett. He then explains the front office wanted to select Trubisky instead.

“I was lock and barrel on Myles Garrett,” he said. “But there were others that were lock and barrel on Mitchell Trubisky and me being a quarterback guy, I did not want that. I liked Mitchell, but I didn’t think he was the first pick of the draft at quarterback. There were some rumblings about that and I think everybody knew that. There was truly divide. But the day of the draft, we obviously ended up picking Myles and rightfully so.”

During the pre-draft process, many experts believed the Browns would wind up taking Garrett, but those rumblings about Trubisky were always prevalent. Even after the draft, insiders believed the Browns were gearing up to trade up for Trubisky after picking Garrett, but the Bears beat them to it.

Interestingly enough, Jackson also said he didn’t find out Garrett was their pick until the day before the draft, which is a similar approach Pace took with the Bears when he reportedly refused to tell his coaching staff who he was selecting until the day of.

Chicago traded up one spot with the San Francisco 49ers to select Trubisky, and the rest is history. But if the Browns front office had their way, the entire landscape of the NFL could be drastically different. Instead, Garrett has become one of the best defensive players in the league for the Browns and Trubisky is now on the Buffalo Bills as a backup after a tumultuous career in Chicago.

Would the Bears have selected another quarterback if Trubisky wound up with the Browns? We’ll never truly know the answer, but Cleveland’s front office almost made us find out.

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The Browns wanted to select Mitchell Trubisky with 1st overall pick in 2017 NFL Draft

Former Browns HC Hue Jackson confirmed Cleveland wanted to select former Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky with the first overall pick in 2017.

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Although quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is no longer a member of the Chicago Bears, the 2017 NFL Draft will forever be a talking point when it comes to missed opportunities for Bears GM Ryan Pace.

The decision to not only select Trubisky, but to move up one spot and trade draft assets has been the biggest mark against him during his tenure as general manager. But the decision was almost taken out of his hands completely, thanks to the Cleveland Browns.

Former Browns head coach Hue Jackson joined NFL insider Mike Silver and his daughter Natalie on the Pass it Down podcast to talk about the 2017 NFL Draft. The Browns were picking first overall and wound up with Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett. Jackson explained that he was all-in on Garrett from the start, but said the Browns front office wanted to go in a different direction.

“At the time, there was divide between who should be the first pick,” Jackson said. “I wanted Myles Garrett and I’m an offensive coach. I didn’t think there was a quarterback worth being the first pick in the draft.”

Jackson, who coached the Browns from 2016-2018 and compiled a 3-36-1 record, went on to describe why he was enamored with Garrett. He then explains the front office wanted to select Trubisky instead.

“I was lock and barrel on Myles Garrett,” he said. “But there were others that were lock and barrel on Mitchell Trubisky and me being a quarterback guy, I did not want that. I liked Mitchell, but I didn’t think he was the first pick of the draft at quarterback. There were some rumblings about that and I think everybody knew that. There was truly divide. But the day of the draft, we obviously ended up picking Myles and rightfully so.”

During the pre-draft process, many experts believed the Browns would wind up taking Garrett, but those rumblings about Trubisky were always prevalent. Even after the draft, insiders believed the Browns were gearing up to trade up for Trubisky after picking Garrett, but the Bears beat them to it.

Interestingly enough, Jackson also said he didn’t find out Garrett was their pick until the day before the draft, which is a similar approach Pace took with the Bears when he reportedly refused to tell his coaching staff who he was selecting until the day of.

Chicago traded up one spot with the San Francisco 49ers to select Trubisky, and the rest is history. But if the Browns front office had their way, the entire landscape of the NFL could be drastically different. Instead, Garrett has become one of the best defensive players in the league for the Browns and Trubisky is now on the Buffalo Bills as a backup after a tumultuous career in Chicago.

Would the Bears have selected another quarterback if Trubisky wound up with the Browns? We’ll never truly know the answer, but Cleveland’s front office almost made us find out.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears S Eddie Jackson’s coming out party

On this day in Bears history, safety Eddie Jackson scores two touchdowns to lead the Bears past the Panthers.

Every Thursday throughout the 2020 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

October 22, 2017: Eddie Jackson scores two touchdowns to lead the Bears past the Panthers

Remember when Chicago Bears All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson was just a mid-round rookie who had much to prove following a broken leg suffered in college? It feels like a lifetime ago that he was an unknown commodity, but that changed on this day three years ago when the Bears took on the Carolina Panthers on a rainy, October afternoon.

Like most games against Carolina, which always seem to take place in the month of October for some reason, this one was painful to watch at times. The Bears generated very little offense, totaling just 153 total yards, 70 of which came on one play as quarterback Mitchell Trubisky found rookie running back Tarik Cohen for a 70-yard gain. Trubisky only threw the ball seven times but he didn’t need to light it up that day thanks to Jackson and the defense.

Jackson shined on this day, scooping up a fumbled pitch from Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to wide receiver Curtis Samuel, returning the ball for the game’s first score. Later in the half, Newton’s pass to wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin was tipped and intercepted by Jackson, who once again ran to the endzone to put the Bears up 14-0. Jackson became the first player in NFL history to have multiple defensive touchdowns of 75 yards or more. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star has himself a day, but the rest of the Bears defense showed up to play as well.

Newton and the Panthers offense scored just three points on the day and threw two interceptions while getting sacked five times on the day. Neither offense performed well by any means but the Bears were able to play mistake-free football to preserve the lead. This win also marked the Bears first winning streak in nearly two years. While it didn’t mean much in the end seeing as the team only had five victories on the season, this game marked the beginning of the Eddie Jackson era in Chicago.

What if the Bears had drafted Mahomes or Watson instead of Trubisky?

Bears fans will be pestered with questions regarding the Bears’ decision to draft Mitchell Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

For the duration of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson’s careers, Chicago Bears fans will be pestered with questions and statements regarding the Bears’ decision to draft Mitchell Trubisky rather than either of those players.

It’s a storyline that’s already played out over the last couple of years on several occasions, and it doesn’t appear to be losing steam anytime soon. Especially as Mahomes and Watson’s stocks continue to rise.

Sports Illustrated asked the question Bears fans have been asking for a couple years now — what if Chicago had drafted Mahomes or Watson instead of Trubisky? That “what if” ranks among the NFL’s 10 biggest what-ifs of the last decade.

If the Bears had taken Mahomes, and still fired John Fox after his rookie year, and still hired Andy Reid protege Matt Nagy, would the team find the same level of success? If Mahomes was not given the chance to sit his rookie season behind Alex Smith and smooth out the rough patches in his game, would he emerge as the same firebrand? If Watson was a Bear, without the comically high catch radius of DeAndre Hopkins and a foundationally sound offense (Trivia Question: Who led the Bears in receiving yards in 2017? Kendall Wright with 614!), what would’ve become of him?

Obviously all three quarterbacks’ situations were different. Mahomes got to sit behind Alex Smith his rookie season and learned from one of the best in Andy Reid. Watson went to a Texans team with a good enough offense and one of the game’s best receivers in DeAndre Hopkins.

Meanwhile, Trubisky had to take guidance from John Fox and Dowell Loggains — and the ball was taken out of his hands for most of the season — and the lack of offensive weapons in the passing game was laughable.

Still, it’s clear that Ryan Pace made the wrong decision in choosing Trubisky over Mahomes and Watson. Although I guess we’ll never know how Mahomes or Watson would’ve panned out in a Bears uniform. Maybe they’re better off for it.

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2017 NFL Draft do-over: Bears land defensive stud, not QB

If there’s one draft that Bears fans would give anything to redo, it’s the 2017 NFL Draft.

If there’s one draft that Bears fans would give anything to redo, it’s the 2017 NFL Draft. It’s not the entire draft they’d like to redo — nabbing former All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson in the fourth round was one of general manager Ryan Pace’s best moves.

But it’s one pick in particular.

It wasn’t enough knowing the Bears traded a handful of draft picks just to move up on spot to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky No. 2 overall. But knowing that Chicago passed on MVP Patrick Mahomes and rising star Deshaun Watson, it’s enough to make anyone weep.

And Bears fans will be reminded about it through the duration of both Mahomes and Watson’s NFL careers.

Knowing what he knows now, you figure Pace would certainly do things differently if given another chance. But second chances aren’t awarded. Only in draft re-dos that feel more painful than satisfying.

Bleacher Report conduced a 2017 NFL Draft do-over, but unfortunately the Bears still don’t land a star quarterback. If the Bears were to stay firm at pick No. 3, theoretically Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson would’ve been the top two picks off the board.

So instead of the two best offensive players, Bleacher Report has the Bears targeting pass rush with Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt.

Knowing now that it was a mistake to use a 2016 first-round pick on Leonard Floyd, and knowing how injurious Khalil Mack’s contract is, T.J. Watt would be perfect in this spot. He’d still be extremely cheap in comparison to Mack (whom they acquired a year later), and he’s coming off an All-Pro season in which he earned 10 Defensive Player of the Year votes at the age of 25.

With Mahomes and Watson off the board in this scenario, it makes sense for the Bears to target a defensive stud. And in his three seasons in the league, Watt has already garnered two Pro Bowl nods and first-team All-Pro honors. Just imagine this Bears pass rush with Khalil Mack and Watt.

It’s hard to imagine having to live through an entire season quarterbacked by Mike Glennon, but Trubisky just hasn’t done enough to prove he was worthy of being drafted in the first round.

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Ranking each Bears’ free agency class under Ryan Pace

Bears GM Ryan Pace has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his FA classes stack up against one another?

There’s no doubt that NFL free agency is one of the most exciting time of the year for football fans. It’s the first major opportunity for teams to find new talent, shuffle their roster, and make the necessary changes to contend for a playoff spot in the season to come.

However, while a free agency class can take a team to the next level, another can cripple them financially and pull them down to the bottom of the division. When it comes to the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Pace, they’ve experienced both situations.

Pace, now in his sixth season leading the Bears, has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his free agent classes stack up against one another? Below is a ranking from Pace’s worst to best free agent groups between 2015 and 2019.

5) 2017 free agent class

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Key hits – CB Prince Amukamara

Key misses – QB Mike Glennon, S Quintin Demps, TE Dion Sims, WR Markus Wheaton

What a group, huh? When free agency officially opened, Pace inked Glennon, Demps and Sims to three-year deals right off the bat, possibly becoming one of the worst “big three” ever assembled in sports. Glennon, signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was given the opportunity to start but only lasted four games before rookie quarterback and first-round selection Mitchell Trubisky took the reins.

Demps, meanwhile, truly only had one memorable play as a Bear which took place in week one when Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper stiff-armed the veteran to the ground on his way to an 88-yard score. Demps went on injured reserve just two weeks later. Both only lasted one season in Chicago.

Sims at least made it through two seasons, but was lackluster at best. Other signings such as receiver Markus Wheaton, who caught three more passes than I did for the Bears and cornerback Marcus Cooper, who’s most memorable moment in Chicago was showboating after an interception, turning a pick-six into a pick-three.

The only true standout from the class was cornerback Prince Amukamara, who was a consolation prize for the Bears after other corners such as A.J. Bouye and Stephon Gillmore spurned them for other teams. Amukamara became a solid starter for an eventual playoff team and turned his tryout into a bigger contract. But overall, this class was a colossal failure for Pace.

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Mike Glennon dubbed second worst free-agent signing of last 10 years

Believe it or not, there was a time when the Bears QB situation was worse than Mitchell Trubisky.

The quarterback curse has followed the Bears for the better part of their storied 100-year history. Aside from players like Sid Luckman and Jim McMahon, Chicago has seen some pretty rough quarterbacks.

While Mitchell Trubisky occupies that current spot for the Bears, as the former No. 2 overall pick continued to struggle in Year 3, there was a time when things were worse than Trubisky.

Believe it or not.

Remember a little someone named Mike Glennon? Glennon, who got $18.5 million guaranteed to be a decoy for Ryan Pace in his pursuit of Trubisky. Glennon, who started four games in 2017 before he was replaced by Trubisky.

Sporting News called Glennon the second worst free agent signing of the last 10 years, and it’s easy to see why.

Glennon struggled through the first four games of the 2017 season before he was benched in favor of the rookie (Trubisky.) Fortunately, Chicago structured Glennon’s contract in a way that allowed it to cut him with a dead cap charge of just $4.5 million, but that was after it paid him $16 million for his four starts, three of which resulted in losses.

On the bright side, Bears fans only had to endure Glennon for four games. That, and Chicago structured his deal in a way where it didn’t cost them a fortune to part ways with him the following offseason.

But Pace’s overspending on Glennon and subsequent trading up to select Trubisky made it one of the worst moves of Pace’s tenure in Chicago.

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Ranking the top 20 Bears games of the decade

On the eve of a new decade, we’re counting down the Bears’ best games of this past decade — including some real blasts from the past.

Between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019, the Chicago Bears played 164 games, including three playoff games, compiling a record of 78-86. Surprising playoff runs in 2010 and 2018 were sandwiched around lengthy stretches of mediocrity from 2013-2017, and fans were treated to a below-average product for much of the decade.

Still, there were quite a few bright spots for the NFL’s charter franchise during the last 10 years, including memorable games that provided thrilling victories. As a disappointing 2019 season concludes, let’s look back on some of the better games and moments the ’10s had to offer.

To kick off the next decade as we enter 2020, here are my top 20 Bears games from the 2010s.

20. 2019, Week 14, Cowboys at Bears

Bears 31 – Cowboys 24: Easily the best game of an otherwise disappointing season, the Bears offense came alive in primetime against the Cowboys, with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky accounting for all four touchdowns with his arm and legs in arguably his best game as a Bear. On defense, despite not creating a turnover, the unit frustrated the Cowboys offense all evening with QB pressures and excellent play from their secondary. The matchup was a pseudo-playoff game, with the Bears keeping their hopes alive for one more week in a complete-team win.

19. 2018, Week 8, Bears at Bills

Bears 41 – Bills 9: While the Buffalo Bills weren’t a powerhouse in 2018, the Bears defense still made their offense look completely inept in a blowout. Forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions from quarterback Nathan Peterman, the Bears scored twice on defense thanks to outside linebacker Leonard Floyd’s pick six and safety Eddie Jackson’s fumble recovery, and limited the Bills’ offense to just 264 yards. The reason this game isn’t higher on the list is due to the Bears offensive performance, as they gained just 190 yards.

 

18. 2011, Week 1, Falcons at Bears

Bears 30 – Falcons 12: No, this wasn’t the Bears-Falcons matchup that saw the debut of quarterback Mike Glennon, this was the first game following the Bears heartbreaking loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship game. Led by quarterback Jay Cutler, who threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, the Bears won convincingly against the reigning NFC South champions and held the Falcon offense to just six points. This game also featured an impressive performance from Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, who had an interception and a fumble recovery for a score. The defense had a total of three takeaways and started the 2011 season with a bang.

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