Category: 2021 season

Report: Chargers expected to hire Saints assistant Joe Lombardi

The Los Angeles Chargers are expected to hire New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi as their offensive coordinator, per ESPN.

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The New Orleans Saints are on the verge of losing another assistant coach to this year’s hiring cycle. Quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi is the favorite among candidates for the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator job, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

This move would reunite Lombardi with one of his old college quarterbacks — first-year Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. Lombardi coached Staley for a year at Mercyhurst University back in 2005, before Staley graduated and began his own coaching career.

If Lombardi does end up leaving, he’ll be the third Saints assistant to do so this offseason — along with tight ends coach Dan Campbell and secondary coach Aaron Glenn, who were hired as Detroit Lions head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively. Vice president of pro personnel Terry Fontenot was also promoted from the Saints front office to become Atlanta Falcons general manager.

Lombardi has left New Orleans before. The Lions hired him as offensive coordinator in 2014 before firing him midway through the 2015 season, having struggled to adapt his offense to Matthew Stafford’s play style and to the personnel available in Detroit. He’ll be hoping to use what he’s learned from those mistakes to set up Chargers franchise quarterback Justin Herbert for a long, successful NFL career.

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What is the best-case scenario for Bears at quarterback in 2021?

The Bears’ future at quarterback remains gloom. But PFF believes drafting Mac Jones would be the best-case scenario for Chicago.

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The Chicago Bears have plenty of concerns heading into this offseason, but there’s no bigger concern than the quarterback position, as has been true for the better part of the last century.

With general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy returning in 2021, there’s not much confidence that the duo can suddenly find an answer at quarterback. Barring trading for someone like Deshaun Watson, which isn’t going to happen.

It was clear that neither Mitchell Trubisky nor Nick Foles was the answer at quarterback for Chicago, which leaves the Bears in a precarious situation. With Trubisky likely to walk in free agency, that leaves Foles as the only quarterback under contract for the Bears in 2021.

The Bears are going to make a move at quarterback this offseason — Pace and Nagy got another year because of it — which means Foles isn’t going to be the guy in 2021.

Pro Football Focus believes that drafting Alabama quarterback Mac Jones — should he drop to No. 20 — is the best-case scenario at quarterback for the Bears in 2021.

Here’s what PFF had to say about Jones being a fit for the Bears:

Jones’ arm may not be a bazooka and he may not have the mobility of the modern-day NFL quarterback, but his accuracy, decision-making, timing and processing are all incredible traits a team such as the Bears needs to take a chance on. Jones is fresh off breaking Joe Burrow’s record for highest PFF grade by a Power Five quarterback in the PFF College era (95.4). He also broke the mark set by Burrow last year in single-season negatively graded throw rate by a significant margin. 

Is Jones a slam dunk? No, but he’s the most realistic best-case scenario that the Chicago Bears have in front of them.

With Pace and Nagy’s jobs on the line in 2021, it’s certainly likely that they’re looking to make a splash move, whether that’s in free agency or, most likely, through the NFL draft.

Unless the Bears trade up in the NFL draft, there’s a chance that the top-tier quarterbacks in the draft — Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Kyle Trask and Jones — could be off the board by the time Chicago’s pick rolls around at No. 20. Which means they could have to trade up to lock up their guy.

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Chicago Bears 7-round mock draft features overhaul on offense

2021 NFL Draft: In a new seven-round mock draft, the Chicago Bears overhaul their offense with several picks throughout all three days.

The Chicago Bears are finally back in the first round of the NFL draft after paying off their debt to the Las Vegas Raiders for the Khalil Mack trade back in September 2018.

Armed with the 20th pick overall and a total of six selections (before compensatory picks), GM Ryan Pace will have a great opportunity to address several of his roster’s biggest needs.

Most of those needs come on the offensive side of the ball, and that’s where this seven-round mock draft gets started.

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Round 1: Rashod Bateman | WR | Minnesota

There’s going to be a huge run on wide receivers in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, so if the Bears want to find an adequate replacement for the expected departure of Allen Robinson, they’ll have to strongly consider using their first pick.

Enter Bateman, who possesses a skill set similar to Robinson’s in how he can win on all three levels of the field. At 6-2 and 210 pounds, Bateman would be the perfect complement to Darnell Mooney and provide the Bears with an up-and-coming tandem at wide receiver.

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Cowboys to face both Super Bowl teams on 2021 schedule

The Cowboys path to their next Lombardi will take them to the home of the champions, regardless of who wins the Super Bowl.

The Dallas Cowboys are going to have to work hard in order to return to the playoffs next season. While the 2020 regular season’s easy schedule might have earned them top spot in the rotation of draft picks with other clubs that finished 6-10, there will likely be no such luck when it comes to their 2021 opponents.

The order of the matchups is unclear, but the actual list of opponents has been known since the end of the regular season. Part of that rotation? The Cowboys are going to have to face off against both of the two conference champions who punched their ticket to Super Bowl LV on Sunday evening. Dallas will have to take on both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs next season. Not only that, they’ll have to take on both on the road.

So it won’t matter who wins the Lombardi trophy in two weeks as far as the Cowboys are concerned. They’ll be hanging out in the visiting locker room of the defending champs whether Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs defend their title or whether Tom Brady wins his seventh for the Buccaneers.

Each team in the NFC East will square off against each team in the NFC South as well as the AFC West in 2021 as part of the rotating opponents each division goes through. Divisions face off against the each other division in their conference every three years and against each of the opposing conferences teams every four years.

They also square off against the same-place finisher in each of their conference’s divisions, plus in 2021 there is a 17th game being added. For this first iteration, the NFC East faces off against the similar-place finisher in the AFC East. For Dallas that’s New England and Bill Belichick.

Coincidentally, Dan Quinn will have a revenge game on the schedule, as part of the NFC East rotation against the NFC South. At least that one will be a home game.

For a look at the complete list of Dallas’ 14 opponents, click below.

Cowboys list of 2021 opponents, 17th-game opponent finalized

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Have we seen the last of Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay?

Following the Packers’ NFC Championship loss, Aaron Rodgers sounded uncertain about his future in Green Bay, which left many speculating.

Aaron Rodgers had one of the best seasons of his 16-year career, but there is speculation as to whether Rodgers has played his last season with the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers suffered a brutal 31-26 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game — much to the celebration of Chicago Bears fans. While there’s been plenty of discussion about Matt LaFleur choosing to forgo an opportunity to go for a touchdown rather than kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal in the closing minutes, there’s also been plenty of discussion about what’s next for Rodgers.

In his post game press conference, Rodgers sounded uncertain about what his future looks like with “a lot of unknowns” headed into this offseason.

“I’m going to have to take some time away, for sure, clear my head and kind of see what’s going on with everything,” Rodgers told the media.

Rodgers’ postgame presser generated a ton of discussion about his future with the Packers beyond this season.

Obviously there’s a bit of an overreaction to speculation about Rodgers potentially leaving the Packers, especially considering he’s a shoe-in to win MVP for an impressive season. But, at the same time, Green Bay made it clear that they were preparing for his departure when they drafted Jordan Love in the first round last year.

Bears fans would certainly be excited to see Rodgers go and welcome the Jordan Love era with open arms. Because after back-to-back Hall of Famers in Brett Favre and Rodgers, they couldn’t possibly get lucky with a third. Right?

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A look at the defensive backs participating in the 2021 Senior Bowl

Here’s a look at the cornerbacks and safeties that will be participating in the 2021 Senior Bowl.

With the 2020 season in the books, the Chicago Bears’ attention shifts to the offseason, including the 2021 NFL Draft.

Which means it’s almost time for the Senior Bowl, which kicks off later this month in Mobile. The Bears should certainly be looking to bring in some young cornerbacks and safeties in this draft, and they’ll get a good look at some of them here.

Here’s a look at the defensive backs that will be participating in the 2021 Senior Bowl.

The Bears are showing interest in Duce Staley to join coaching staff

The Bears need a replacement at running backs coach, and they’re showing interest in Duce Staley for the job.

The Chicago Bears have found their new defensive coordinator in Sean Desai, but they still have some other positions to fill, including Charles London’s replacement as running backs coach.

According to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Bears are showing interest in Duce Staley joining Matt Nagy’s coaching staff, where he would replace London as running backs coach.

Staley currently serves as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, but Garafolo and NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark have reported that he’s been asked to be released from his contract. That comes after Staley was passed over for a chance to interview for the head coaching job, and he’s now drawing interest from multiple teams, including the Bears and their NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions.

If the Bears were to land Staley, it would be a huge hire for Nagy. Staley has served on the Eagles’ coaching staff in different roles over the last 10 years, including two of those years with Nagy. He’s been the Eagles’ running backs coach since 2013 and has served as assistant head coach for the last three years.

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Report: OLB coach Ted Monachino not expected to return to Bears

The Bears have another coaching vacancy to fill as outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino isn’t expected to return to the team in 2021.

The Chicago Bears already have several openings on their coaching staff on both offense and defense. And not long after promoting Sean Desai to defensive coordinator, they’ll now be looking to fill another vacancy.

Outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino isn’t expected to return to the Bears, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.

Monachino served as outside linebackers coach for the last two seasons under Chuck Pagano, where he worked with Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Leonard Floyd among others.

That now leaves the Bears with three defensive coach vacancies to fill, as they need coaches for outside linebackers, safeties and defensive line, following Desai’s promotion and Jay Rodgers’ departure to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chicago also has two spots to fill on offense as passing game coordinator Dave Ragone and running backs coach Charles London have left to join Arthur Smith’s staff in Atlanta.

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The Mighty Mulligan: Do the Cowboys regret these 5 recent decisions?

There have been so many questionable decisions made by the Cowboys in the past two years. Which one would they most like back?

So much went wrong for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, it’s impossible to pin the failures of a 6-10 season and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year on any one specific issue. In golf, amateur players are granted a mulligan after a wayward shot, a chance to pretend the last one didn’t happen. That doesn’t exist in professional football, but it would be nice if it did.

If granted the chance for a do-over on any single decision made within the recent past, which one would have the biggest impact on the current Dallas team today? While hindsight is always 20/20, even in the moment some of these choices stood out for what they might one day mean.

Here’s what people are saying about new Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai

Here’s what people around the league have to say about Sean Desai’s promotion to Bears defensive coordinator.

The Chicago Bears have found their new defensive coordinator in Sean Desai, who served as Chicago’s safeties coach for the last two seasons. He’s been with the Bears since 2013, where he served as a quality control assistant.

The Bears ultimately decided to promote from within rather than look elsewhere, which not only allows them to avoid an overhaul on the defensive staff but also gives a young, rising star and opportunity to lead a talented defense.

Desai has already been receiving a ton of praise. Here’s what people around the league, including former players, media and even Matt Nagy, have to say about Desai’s promotion to defensive coordinator.