| 18 December 2009
The problem is this, the Chicago Bears' offense has been deplorable this season. Ron Turner has been the head of the offense since 2005 and the Bears' offense has never performed better than 17th in the league.
Since there is absolutely going to be some changes this off-season, there needs to be a full house cleaning in Chicago, not just of the offensive staff but the entire staff as a whole. This isn't an indictment of Turner or Smith, but an indictment of Jerry Angelo and whether or not he's going to hurt the long term development of the future of the franchise.
Jay Cutler has currently been through two different offenses in two years. Last year with Denver, and this year with Chicago. The likelihood that Ron Turner will be fired after this season will make it a third offense in three years for Cutler in 2010.
The chance that the Bears will have enough success in 2010 for Lovie Smith to keep his job with one year left on his contract is pretty slim. The chances that the Bears fire Smith after a fourth lackluster year in a row in 2010, and him having a more financial friendly one year left on his contract means that Cutler would likely face a fourth offensive coordinator in four years in 2011.
A new coach coming on board in 2011 wouldn't likely keep Lovie Smith's offensive coordinator around given that Smith is a defensive minded coach and hasn't had much success with the coordinators he has brought on.
Historical evidence points to QBs who are young and talented but have dealt with constant change in offensive systems and coaches have struggled to settle in and develop in the NFL. For someone like Cutler who could also struggle to pick up offenses this could be a career death sentence.
This is why it's so important for Jerry Angelo to evaluate all aspects of the Bears after the 2009 season. If Angelo is going to choose to make changes he needs to have the forethought of protecting his most important asset. Cutler is the future beyond the $8-million-dollars still owed Lovie Smith on the two years left on his contract.
Angelo needs to ensure that Cutler is put in the best position to succeed for the long term. He needs to treat it much like the Colts have treated Peyton Manning, allowing him to lead the same offensive system for nearly a decade, instead of playing musical chairs with the offensive coaches.
If the Bears are intent on firing Turner, then they need to bite the bullet and fire Lovie Smith as well. A quarterback like Cutler needs as stable of a system and team as he can find for himself.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
