Category: 2021 season

NFC North: Lions leaning toward hiring Dan Campbell as head coach

The Detroit Lions are inching closer to naming their next head coach.

The rebuild in Detroit is about to take its next and arguably most critical step, as multiple NFL insiders are reporting the Lions will hire New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell to replace Matt Patricia as head coach.

While Campbell hasn’t been officially hired, when there’s smoke as thick as this, there’s usually fire.

Campbell, a former NFL tight end, played for the Lions from 2006-2008 before retiring from the league in 2009. He began his coaching career with the Miami Dolphins in 2010 and has been with the Saints since 2016.

Campbell served as the Dolphins’ interim head coach after Miami fired Joe Philbin in 2015. He went 5-7 over the team’s final 12 games.

2021 Senior Bowl: Bears should take long look at these quarterback prospects

A look at three quarterbacks the Bears should scout closely at the 2021 Senior Bowl

The 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 30, but the real focus will be on the all-important week of practices in the days leading up to the game.

The Bears won’t have the benefit of coaching either roster this year, but they should have a contingent of scouts and front-office personnel on hand to evaluate the nation’s top senior prospects.

Of critical importance for Chicago this offseason is quarterback, where the failed Mitch Trubisky pick and the disaster trade for Nick Foles has left the franchise searching for QB-next once again.

The Senior Bowl will feature a few intriguing names Bears fans should keep a close eye on during the televised practices and, of course, the game.

Here are the three most appealing options for GM Ryan Pace to consider.

Kyle Trask, Florida

-At one point during the college football season, Trask was considered a Heisman Trophy favorite and a potential first-round pick. The shine has dulled on Trask’s assessment and it looks more like he’ll be a quality second-round target who could be on the board when the Bears pick on Day 2.

Trask has the size and baseline passer’s skill set to provide the Bears with a potential rookie starter. He isn’t the best athlete, but he’s capable of beating defenses with his strong football IQ. And we know how much Pace loves players with a good football IQ.

Ian Book, Notre Dame

-Book won’t check every box when it comes to the traditional quarterback scouting report — he isn’t the biggest guy playing the position — but he has a certain moxie about him that will serve him well on the next level.

Book can win outside of structure and is an above-average athlete who can make plays with his legs. His pocket presence needs some work, but as a Day-3 pick? The Bears could use a guy with Book’s developmental skill set.

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

-Mond has a live arm and an NFL quarterback’s frame to go along with better athletic ability than he’s given credit for. His processing speed needs an uptick, but he has the physical traits to develop into a legitimate passing threat on the next level.

PFF’s draft recommendations for Cowboys’ ‘ugly’ defense

Pro Football Focus spotlights the Cowboys’ defensive deficiencies and lists several top college prospects who could help in 2021.

Pro Football Focus has analyzed the Cowboys roster top to bottom and come away with a conclusion that was obvious to anyone who watched the team for more than a few quarters this season.

The new defensive scheme under coordinator Mike Nolan was an “utter disaster.” When it comes to identifying their drafts needs for 2021, the club could literally pick any position on that side of the ball, according to their latest recommendations.

The trouble spots were indeed numerous. In posting 10-plus losses for the first time since 2015, the Cowboys defense in particular shouldered most of the blame. Nolan’s unit was Dallas’s worst at stopping the run since 2000, and they allowed the most points per game in franchise history.

Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, once billed as the best linebacking duo in the sport, both set career-low grades in PFF’s system. And while edge rusher Randy Gregory was singled out as a bright spot who exceeded expectations, the site’s reviews of the team’s defensive tackles were less than glowing. The Cowboys interior linemen posted a grade that ranked them 30th among all 32 teams; former second-round pick Trysten Hill dragged down that curve significantly with a 33.8 grade, “one of the lowest among the position in the league.”

So how do new coordinator Dan Quinn and the Cowboys address their defensive woes via the draft? Where do they start?

According to PFF:

“Literally anywhere along that defensive line, linebacking corps, cornerback group, safety,” goes the advice. “They could go anywhere on that roster, defensively. That’s how many holes they have. That’s how ugly it was for them this season.”

For what it’s worth, here’s what Pro Football Focus has to say about several of the highest-rated defensive prospects in this upcoming draft, listed by their overall rank within the site’s Top 100. Most- if not all- of these players will be available when Dallas goes on the clock with the tenth overall pick.

Report: Former Cowboys OC Scott Linehan may join Urban Meyer in Jacksonville

Scott Linehan was run out of Dallas on a rail after the 2018 season, but could find new NFL life under a new Jaguars staff being assembled.

Following the 2018 season, Cowboys fans couldn’t wait to see offensive coordinator Scott Linehan sent packing. But one team’s trash is another team’s treasure, and Linehan’s name has surfaced this week as a prime candidate for the same role in Jacksonville under newly-tabbed head coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer was hired as the Jaguars’ sixth head coach this week, following three national championships in the college ranks at Florida and Ohio State. Meyer had been a studio analyst for the past two seasons at Fox Sports. Now as he assembles his Jaguars coaching staff, he is reportedly- according to ESPN- eyeing the former Cowboys offensive coordinator, a longtime friend.

Linehan joined the Cowboys staff in 2014 as passing game coordinator. He came into the job with considerable coaching experience under his belt at the college and pro levels. In the NFL, he had spent time on staff at Minnesota, Miami, and Detroit, and had been the head coach for the St. Louis Rams for three seasons.

In Dallas, Linehan ended up serving as the de facto offensive coordinator after playcalling duties were transitioned away from Bill Callahan. Linehan took over the OC job officially in 2015.

In his four seasons with the Cowboys, the offense finished 22nd, 5th, 14th and 22nd in total offense and 31st, 5th, 14th and 22nd in points per game. Kellen Moore was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator after Linehan’s departure.

Linehan spent the 2019 season out of football. He worked as LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2020. After the Tigers’ remarkable championship season in 2019 with Joe Burrow under center, Linehan’s passing offense finished this past college season ranked 35th in the country in terms of average passing yards per game.

If hired for the Jacksonville job, the 57-year-old Linehan may be charged with building an offense around Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, widely thought to be the Jaguars’ desired pick when they select first in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys will make their pick with the No. 10 slot.

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10 biggest salary cap hits for the Chicago Bears in 2021

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest cap hits for the Bears in 2021, which includes several offensive linemen and defensive players.

The Chicago Bears have an important offseason ahead where general manager Ryan Pace is going to have his hands full with what’s expected to be a decreased salary cap.

The salary cap is expected to decrease by nearly $22 million in 2021, which is due to the effects of COVID-19 during 2020. Currently where things stand — as OverTheCap projects — the Bears are $89,572 over the salary cap.

Which means Pace is going to have to make some changes in regards to cutting players and restructuring contracts, especially given the Bears have plenty of vacant positions to fill this offseason.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest cap hits on the books for the Bears in 2021. (Salary cap numbers courtesy of OverTheCap.)

Jay Rodgers, Sean Desai are the top in-house candidates for Bears defensive coordinator

With the Bears in market for a new defensive coordinator, there are two internal coaches that are favorites to land the gig.

The Chicago Bears are on the market for a new defensive coordinator following the retirement of Chuck Pagano, who served in the role for the previous two seasons.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapport, the top internal candidates for defensive coordinator are defensive line coach Jay Rodgers and safeties coach Sean Desai.

Rapoport also noted that Rodgers, whose contract with the Bears expires next week, is expected to receive defensive coordinator interest from around the league as head coach spots are filled.

Rodgers has served as the Bears defensive line coach for the last six seasons, and he’s a rollover from the John Fox era. It’s easy to see why given the defensive line has been one of Chicago’s best units during that span.

Desai is one of former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s guys. The Bears blocked Fangio from taking Desai to Denver, according to Brad Biggs. Desai is familiar with the scheme and this roster of players, and like Rodgers, he could be an up-and-coming defensive coordinator.

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Bears QB odds for 2021 look promising for those who want change

The Chicago Bears have high odds to have a different starting quarterback next season, someone outside of the current quarterback room.

After 4 years in the Mitchell Trubisky era, it looks like the Chicago Bears will part ways with him during the offseason. During an end-of-year press conference this week with Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy, they expressed how the quarterback play was a key factor to the lack of success this season. Instead of putting blame on Coach Nagy or Nick Foles, who was 2-5 as a starter, most of the blame fell on Trubisky’s shoulders.

Later on in the week, George McCaskey had this to say about Trubisky:

“He’s an outstanding young man. His teammates loves him. He works his butt off. He loves the game of football. Off the field, he was outstanding as a representative of the Bears.”

For starters, if the Bears cannot find another quarterback during the offseason, they could find themselves in some trouble. I’m sure Trubisky and his agent watched what Nagy and Pace had to say this past week. Neither one of them have to be happy after hearing what the team had to say.

Trubisky’s teammate Cordarrelle Patterson has called for Deshaun Watson to come to Chicago on Twitter. This is something Patterson did last season, tweeting at players asking them to come to Chicago. This time, it’s a quarterback. So much for Patterson having Trubisky’s back.

During the last three seasons, Trubisky has taken blame for every loss. For every win during the last three years was because of how well the defense played. There’s been a lack of appreciation for him. I guess a 25-13 record with two playoff appearances wasn’t good enough.

Going forward, it looks like the Bears will make a change at quarterback. According to FanDuel, Trubisky has -225 odds of playing for a new team next season. Teams brought up in that same article were the Jets, Patriots, and Washington.

SportsLine has different odds for the quarterback position. According to them, the Bears Week 1 starter will be:

  • A current NFL QB via trade or a free agent -200
  • Nick Foles +300
  • 2021 NFL Draft pick +750
  • Mitchell Trubisky +1000

It seems like fans are split on social media. A lot of them are looking for a change, some of them want Trubisky back as a bridge quarterback and another group wants him back, but without Nagy as his coach.

The Bears are also in the Watson sweepstakes. They have the fifth best odds to land him (+550), with the Texans having the best, as he is already on their team.

Fans will have more of an idea after the Super Bowl. Here’s the official offseason schedule for the NFL.

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Cordarrelle Patterson wants Deshaun Watson to come to the Bears

With questions continuing to loom at quarterback in Chicago, Cordarrelle Patterson shot his shot with Texans QB Deshaun Watson.

Cordarrelle Patterson has been known to put on his general manager hat before, as he’s lobbied for the Bears to re-sign receiver Allen Robinson and also reached out to prospective free agents through Twitter.

Well, Patterson is at it once again. And if he could land his latest target, it would be the biggest accomplishment of his career — which is certainly saying something considering he’s one of the best kick returners of all time.

With questions continuing to loom at quarterback in Chicago, Patterson shot his shot with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is unhappy with the situation unfolding in Houston.

There have been reports that Watson, who signed a four-year, $156 million extension last offseason, might want out of Houston after the franchise failed to involve him in the general manager and head coach search. Oh, and that’s after they traded his best receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals last year.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace famously passed on drafting Watson back in the 2017 NFL Draft, opting to select Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick, a decision that has tarnished Pace’s reputation. He’ll always be the guy that passed on Patrick Mahomes and Watson.

With Pace and head coach Matt Nagy facing a make-or-break season, it was made clear in their end-of-year press conference that they’re going all-in on quarterback. That means Trubisky will likely hit the open market while Nick Foles remains the only quarterback currently under contract in Chicago.

If Pace were to land the highly-coveted Watson — which could cost three first-round picks and possibly more — the Bears would become an immediate contender. And it might just be enough to save Pace and Nagy’s jobs.

But, coming back to reality here, it remains highly unlikely that the Texans will trade away their franchise quarterback. Unless they figure a certain price is right. If that is the case, the Bears need to be all-in on bringing Watson to Chicago — and giving the team its first proven franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman in the 1940s.

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Roy Robertson-Harris appears to be moving on from the Bears this offseason

DE Roy Robertson-Harris seems ready to pick a new team when free agency begins after 4 years with the Bears.

The Chicago Bears are only a few days into their offseason following their 21-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the wild-card playoffs, but it appears one player is already planning to move on when the new league year begins.

Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris, an impending free agent after playing four years in the navy and orange, seems ready to pick a new team when free agency begins.

His wife, Krystal Robertson-Harris, recently made a post on Instagram with photos and videos of her husband in uniform, as well as backdrops of the city of Chicago. The caption reads:

“CHICAGO!!!!! Man ima miss you! So many memories. Such a bittersweet feeling. Thank you to all the bears fans ya’ll [expletive] rock! Ya’ll will be missed #beardown”

While she doesn’t come out and say it, the message seems pretty clear that Robertson-Harris will not be re-signing with the Bears this offseason.

The former UTEP Miner signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent back in 2016, but didn’t see the field until 2017 due to ending up on the reserve/non-football injury list. In 2017, Robertson-Harris registered two sacks for the Bears in 13 games. He saw more playing time as the seasons passed, becoming a key member of the team’s defensive line rotation. While he was an exclusive-rights and restricted free agent following the 2018 and 2019 seasons respectively, he signed his tender to remain with the Bears each time.

He started six games and played in eight this past season, before he wound up needing shoulder surgery and landing on injured reserve. The 27-year old finished the season with 10 tackles, five quarterback hits, and no sacks.

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49ers DC Robert Salah to be Jets head coach, face Saints again in 2021

The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh as their new head coach, meaning he’ll face the New Orleans Saints in 2021.

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The New Orleans Saints will have to hit the road to play the New York Jets in 2021, and there will be a new head coach patrolling the opposing sidelines: Robert Saleh, who isn’t too unfamiliar with New Orleans. ESPN reported that Saleh reached an agreement on a five-year deal with the Jets on Thursday evening following a busy round of interviews around the league.

Saleh previously worked as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator since 2017, facing the Saints twice in that time. And his defense was put in a tough spot both times. They allowed 46 points in a last-minute win in 2019 before yielding a more-respectable 27 points in a 2020 loss. His next game with New Orleans will be his third meeting in as many years.

It’ll be interesting to see how his unit performs when the Saints visit next season. He has a solid foundation in players like defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and safety Marcus Maye, but the rebuild could take time. Maybe his past experience coaching against New Orleans can give him an edge.

One other point worth noting: Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn was a candidate for this job, though the Jets ultimately went another way. Glenn hasn’t shown much interest in other openings around the league, so it’s possible he returns to New Orleans in 2021.

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