Tag: JUAN CASTILLO

NFL.com believes Bears are well-off at running back in 2020

The Bears’ run game struggled in 2019. Yet, there are some that believe that Chicago is in a good situation with its run game.

The run game was one of the most criticized aspects of an abysmal Bears offense in 2019. And yet, there are some that believe that Chicago is in a good situation with its run game this offseason.

NFL.com’s Jeremy Bergman believes the Bears are in good position at running back heading into 2020. He cited the fact that the entire offense struggled as a whole in 2019, as well as Chicago having two running backs in David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen still on their rookie deals and trending in the right direction.

Chicago’s ground game regressed in 2019, dropping from 11th to 27th after the drafting of David Montgomery and the decision to trade away Jordan Howard. There were other variables at play there, namely the frenzied play of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the inconsistency of the Bears as a whole.

But it’s hard to argue that wholesale changes should be made to the backfield, considering Montgomery and Tarik Cohen are both still on their rookie deals and ascending. Chicago should lean on Montgomery much more in 2020 but the Bears could use someone not named Ryan Nall to complement the youngsters. A cheap veteran pickup in free agency is warranted.

Of course, when you look at it from a monetary standpoint, the Bears are in a decent spot, especially when you consider their current predicament in terms of the salary cap. But there’s a reason that one of the focuses of this offseason has been to fix the ailing run game.

Matt Nagy isn’t necessarily someone known to have an affinity toward the running the football, which is exactly why he brought in some new offensive minds that specialize in just that.

New offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and even tight ends coach Clancy Barone will no doubt have their fingerprints on Chicago’s plan to address the run game.

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5 questions for Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy ahead of NFL Scouting Combine

Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy will meet with the media ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, and there are sure to be no shortage of questions.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy will meet with the media on Tuesday ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, and there are sure to be no shortage of questions directed at them.

Pace will meet with reporters at 9:00 a.m. CT and Nagy is scheduled to talk to the media at 11:15 a.m. CT.

While reporters will come out firing with questions, it’s unlikely that Pace or Nagy will give away any information that could tip off any teams. Still, there are important questions that will be asked — and then those questions will be answered without answering at all.

Still, here are five questions we have for Pace and Nagy heading into the NFL Scouting Combine:

1. How are the Bears going to continue to clear salary cap space?

AP Photo/Jim Mone

The Bears have already freed up $13.5 million in salary cap space with the release of cornerback Prince Amukamara and receiver Taylor Gabriel. But those are just the first cap-casualties of this offseason, and Pace is expected to make some more roster cuts to free up more cap space.

Pace needs to make a decision on outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who is due to make $13.2 million this season. The Bears have until the start of the new league year to release Floyd and save an additional $13.2 million guaranteed by his fifth-year option.

Other players that Pace will need to make some decisions about include at the tight end position with Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker. While Braunecker is a valuable special teamer, Shaheen is at the greatest risk of being cut this offseason.

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Kyle Long says Bears’ offensive struggles boiled down to 2 things

The Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL in 2019, and Kyle Long said it had to do with health and lack of a running game.

The Bears offense was far from explosive in 2018. But they were good enough that — with a dominant defense — the Bears were able to make a postseason appearance.

It was understandable. They were learning a new system — one that they were told was complex and would take a couple of years to master. But there was comfort in the fact that, after a full season and another offseason, the players would grow to master Matt Nagy’s offense in Year 2.

Only, that didn’t happen.

In fact, they regressed beyond their wildest imaginations. Chicago’s offense was one of the worst in the NFL in 2019, ranking near the bottom of most statistical categories.

There are many factors that went into the Bears’ offense struggles, starting with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and trickling down through play calling, offensive line play, lack of production from tight ends and the complete absence of a run game.

Retired Bear Kyle Long said that the offense’s struggles came down to two factors.

“Health and the running game,” Long said, via WGN. “Those are the two things that separated the seasons.”

While Nagy and Trubisky have garnered most of the blame for the offense’s regression, Long said that it was more than just them.

“People want to place the blame on Matt (Nagy), or they want to place the blame on Mitch (Trubisky), and that’s unfair because there’s so many people on the field that dictate how the game ends up,” Long said.

Changes are coming to the Bears offense. Some have already happened, with the hirings of offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.

Long offered up his opinion on how the Bears can fix their offensive struggles.

“I think if you draft early and invest in early picks on the offensive and defensive line, you’ll never go wrong,” he said. “Everybody else does well when the offensive line does well. And you look around the playoffs and you look at Super Bowl Sunday and what do these two groups have in common? Great o-lines.”

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5 reasons for optimism for Bears in 2020

Believe it or not, despite a disappointing 2019 season, there are reasons to be optimistic about the Bears in 2020.

Believe it or not, following a disappointing 8-8 season, there are reasons to be optimistic about the Chicago Bears heading into 2020.

While there were plenty of causes for concern, especially on the offensive side of the ball, remember that the core from the 2018 playoff team remains in tact. There are certainly areas of concern that need to be addressed, but there are reasons to believe that this Bears team can be better in 2020.

The offseason has just begun, and the Bears are expected to make plenty of moves. But if the season were to start today, here are five reasons to be optimistic about the Bears in 2020.

1. Defense remains a top unit

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

While the 2019 season was considered an overall disappointment, the Bears defense was a top-five unit in the NFL. Chicago allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league at 18.6 points per game. There’s no doubt that the Bears defense regressed in 2019, which was bound to happen considering their production and the lack of injuries the season before.

Chicago’s defense isn’t without its flaws — it needs to force more turnovers and better the pass rush. But with their core players in place, this defense remains one of the best in the league — and if the offense can get going, could be a championship-caliber unit.

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John DeFilippo says Bears offensive staff reminds him of 2017 Eagles

John DeFilippo said the biggest draw of joining the Bears’ coaching staff was how it reminded him of his time with the Eagles in 2017.

Some of the biggest moves Matt Nagy has made this offseason has come as part of his offensive coaching staff. Following an abysmal offensive outing in 2019, Nagy brought in four new coaches that have a combined # years of coaching experience.

One of those new coaches is quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, who is highly regarded for his work molding young quarterbacks. He’ll be tasked with turning around fourth-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who regressed in 2019. Considering DeFilippo initially interviewed for the Bears’ heading coaching job in 2018, he’s quite familiar with Trubisky and the Bears.

After offensive coordinator stints with the Vikings and Jaguars, DeFilippo joined Nagy’s coaching staff as the new quarterbacks coach, which is exactly his specialty.

DeFilippo said one of the biggest allure of joining the Bears’ coaching staff was how it reminded him of his time with the Eagles in 2017. That Eagles staff consisted of head coach Doug Pederson, offensive coordinator Frank Reich, quarterbacks coach DeFilippo, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, running backs coach Duce Staley, wide receivers coach Mike Groh and tight ends coach Justin Peelle.

“We had a lot of very experienced guys that had no ego,” DeFilippo said on Bears All-Access. “And that’s what attracted me to this job most was the experience on this staff that Coach was putting together, with no ego, and our only goal is to win.”

Aside from DeFilippo, Nagy brought in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone. All of which will be tasked with fixing an element of the Bears offense, ranging from quarterback to run game to tight ends to offensive line.

“When you have no ego, a lot of experience, a lot of guys that have called plays before and a lot of guys that have coached in a Super Bowls and been around good teams,” DeFilippo said, “I think that can do nothing but help your team.”

Obviously we’re months away from seeing the finished product and how the hiring of these new offensive minds will ultimately shape the Bears offense. But bringing in coaches with an affinity for different aspects of offense can’t hurt an offense that was one of the worst in the NFL last season.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ new offensive coaching staff

There’s plenty to unpack here, given the direction of Matt Nagy’s new offensive coaching staff, including the value of experience.

The Chicago Bears officially announced the new additions to Matt Nagy’s coaching staff, which includes a continued overhaul on offense.

Nagy confirmed the hirings of Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator and John DeFilippo as quarterbacks coach, as well as the promotion of Dave Ragone to pass game coordinator. They joined previously-announced coaches Juan Castillo (offensive line) and Clancy Barone (tight ends).

There’s plenty to unpack here, given the direction of Nagy’s hirings. Here are my five takeaways from the new additions to the Bears’ offensive coaching staff:

1. Fixing the offense a major priority this offseason

AP Photo/Amr Alfiky

Ask anyone about what doomed the Bears in 2019, and the answer will be an overwhelming chorus focused on the offense. While the Bears offense didn’t need to be a top-10 offense to live up to expectations, they needed to show progress in Year 2 of Matt Nagy’s system. Instead, they ranked near the bottom of nearly every statistical category.

Naturally, someone had to take the fall. And it wasn’t going to be Nagy. So it’s easy to assume that the firings of offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride were an attempt to pawn off the blame for the offense’s struggles. But it feels like it’s more about accountability at this point.

The offense needs to be significantly better this season than it was in 2019. It’s as simple as that. If not, Nagy’s seat will grow even hotter.

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Bears announce coaching staff additions

The Bears have announced their coaching staff additions, which includes some previously announced hirings and some new promotions.

The Chicago Bears have announced their coaching staff additions, which includes some previously announced hirings and some new promotions.

Chicago has hired Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator and John DeFilippo as quarterbacks coach. They also announced Dave Ragone’s promotion from quarterbacks coach to pass game coordinator.

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The Bears had previously announced the hirings of Juan Castillo as offensive line coach and Clancy Barone as tight ends coach.

Aside from those hirings, the Bears also announced some more staff promotions, including Brian Ginn to assistant special teams coach, Chris Jackson to assistant wide receivers and Shane Toub to defensive quality control.

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Report: Juan Castillo joining Bears as offensive line coach

Matt Nagy has appointed NFL veteran assistant Juan Castillo as the Bears’ new offensive line coach, with a speciality in the run game.

The Chicago Bears didn’t wait long before addressing an offensive coaching vacancy. Following the firing of four coaches, including offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, on Tuesday, Matt Nagy has already made a new addition to his coaching staff.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Juan Castillo will be joining the Bears as their new offensive line coach.

Castillo will be replacing Harry Hiestand, who served as Chicago’s offensive line coach from 2018-19 and also previously from 2005-09. Castillo is a veteran NFL assistant who also has experience as a running game coordinator, something that Nagy clearly valued as that’s a key area where the Bears need to get better on offense.

Castillo most recently served two years as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, where he was let go following a disappointing season from his offensive line. But some insisted it was more about the personnel than the coach.

Before his time in Buffalo, Castillo spent four years as an assistant to John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent one season as run game coordinator before changing over to offensive line coach.

Castillo does have some ties to Matt Nagy, as he worked with Nagy under Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact, Castillo was with the Eagles from 1995 to 2012, where he served different roles. He worked as an offensive assistant, tight ends coach, offensive line coach and defensive coordinator.

It’s clear that this hiring is reliant on Castillo’s reputation as a running game coordinator, which remains one of the Bears’ biggest offensive concerns.

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