I was 51/49 in favor of keeping Emory

[noonthirtyjoe]

For the record I wanted Emory to stay with limited powers. He was a mover and a shaker and kept things interesting. I thought he was good at bringing in talent and drafting. I think his drafting got better. He certainly deserves to go, but I'll miss the constant action and aggressiveness of Emory. I can't remember any GM ever working so hard for the Bears. He failed but he gave it his all. I could see him learn from these mistakes and be a top top GM one day in the near future. I respect the hard work.

 

[RobBase]

Emery. And he ruined KC too.

 

[beardown07]

I won't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

I won't lose any sleep over it.

thats cause youre drinking

 

[Wounded Bear]

I'm sorry, but I thought the guy was a dumb turd and surprisingly naïve especially when you take into consideration his age.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I will miss the constant action. Not Emory himself.

 

[anotheridiot]

He was just getting better at the draft, his choices of Houston, DJ Williams twice and Jared Allen, along with his constant pushing money to get more free agents to handcuff the roster with dead money were bad.
I have read alot of the limited power comments, are you really calling running the draft his limited position? I agree he is getting better, but still not good.
He seems to believe you can miss on the draft and build with free agents. That just flat out does not work.
He mad bad choices with coordinators, then hired a coach, then seemed to make sure the coach knew figured he could still get another year by firing the coordinators after this bad season.
As far as constant action, I wouldnt care if I dont know the name of the bear GM and a great team is on the field. Constant action can also be called a "look at what I did" personality too.
Yes he was getting better, this pace we might have had a cant miss draft class by 2017. I wanna see two starters out of the next draft.

 

[NCChiFan]

He was just getting better at the draft, his choices of Houston, DJ Williams twice and Jared Allen, along with his constant pushing money to get more free agents to handcuff the roster with dead money were bad.
I have read alot of the limited power comments, are you really calling running the draft his limited position? I agree he is getting better, but still not good.
He seems to believe you can miss on the draft and build with free agents. That just flat out does not work.
He mad bad choices with coordinators, then hired a coach, then seemed to make sure the coach knew figured he could still get another year by firing the coordinators after this bad season.
As far as constant action, I wouldnt care if I dont know the name of the bear GM and a great team is on the field. Constant action can also be called a "look at what I did" personality too.
Yes he was getting better, this pace we might have had a cant miss draft class by 2017. I wanna see two starters out of the next draft.

I don't agree that he missed on the draft... He had a lot of great picks. Very few GM's pick with better consistency than Emery did. Just look over the last few drafts and other team picks. Emery's picks have been as good as any others.

To me, his issue where some hit/miss with Free Agents, which will happen. Personally, I think once you pay folks they tend to relax and that is true for home grown guys like Paea who decided THIS year, HIS CONTRACT year to live up to expectations... I mean, where the hell has he been till this year? Once he's paid, will he revert?

And... Bringing in "his" guys. Trestman and his lacky's were a bust. This is his biggest fault.

 

[thunderspirit]

Phil Emery is, by all accounts I've read and heard, a great guy and a well-respected scout. Unfortunately, it's fairly clear he was in over his head as GM.

His decision to hire Trestman apparently cost the Bears retaining Rod Marinelli. That'd be okay if Trestman was successful — no sense losing sleep over a coordinator, after all, since successful coaches lose them all the time — but he wasn't; and the guy Emery selected to replace him was Mel Effing Tucker, an unmitigated disaster.

The Brandon Marshall trade was one that's paid dividends for the Bears, but it was on the heels of a nightclub incident (for which the investigation was closed with no charges filed) about which at least one source insists the Bears weren't aware. And the Dolphins were purportedly considering releasing him outright anyway.

Regarding the Cutler extension, I'm sure I come off as a Cutler apologist here with some of my posts, trying to show another viewpoint on him; but I'm honestly lukewarm on him as the Bears QB, particularly after this season. His performance clearly regressed this season — some of that was injuries to the OL and WRs, some of that the Bears' abysmal defense, some of that playcalling that the rest of the league had figured out but inexplicably the Bears coaches had not, and no small amount of it was Cutler himself seeing pass-rush apparitions and throwing without fundamentals. Cutler is what he is: a poor man's Brett Favre who doesn't seem to have the wherewithal to change. JMSO, his performance last season was a textbook case of "show me that again" for which the franchise tag was made — I'd've tagged him coming into this year.

The point is, Emery didn't have the experience to be a GM, and while he might have grown into the role, learning on the job is rough in the NFL.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

I don't agree that he missed on the draft... He had a lot of great picks. Very few GM's pick with better consistency than Emery did. Just look over the last few drafts and other team picks. Emery's picks have been as good as any others.

To me, his issue where some hit/miss with Free Agents, which will happen. Personally, I think once you pay folks they tend to relax and that is true for home grown guys like Paea who decided THIS year, HIS CONTRACT year to live up to expectations... I mean, where the hell has he been till this year? Once he's paid, will he revert?

And... Bringing in "his" guys. Trestman and his lacky's were a bust. This is his biggest fault.

I'm really mystified by this view of yours. Except for Jeffery, his whole first draft was crappy. One pick out of a draft is a bad draft. The next year, yes we got Long, but interior linemen are easy to draft, and he blew a chance to get an extra third rounder, and the rest of the picks are really mediocre to useless. Everyone touts Wilson, but he hasn't actually done anything yet. So even if he does eventually develop, 2013 was at best a two player draft, and that's simply not even average (most standard decent drafts produce three guys per team). Last year's draft was clearly his best, there's a chance 3 of the guys will develop into solid players, time will tell. But even that (3 guys) is an average grade draft.

Two sub-par drafts, a missed trade opportunity, and one average draft does not a good drafter make.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Just look over the last few drafts and other team picks. Emery's picks have been as good as any others.

.

Later today, when I have time, I am going to tally the other teams with better drafts, so you can see how absurd this claim is.

 

[beardown07]

Ya, I think his drafts are below average. Couple of hits, but one or two starters out of a whole draft isn't that great.


I just think Angelo was SOOO shitty at drafting offensive players, that Emery's picks look that much better. Overall tho, his drafts have been pretty average, with a few great picks, and moire than a few head-scratchers.

 

[anotheridiot]

I don't agree that he missed on the draft... He had a lot of great picks. Very few GM's pick with better consistency than Emery did. Just look over the last few drafts and other team picks. Emery's picks have been as good as any others.

To me, his issue where some hit/miss with Free Agents, which will happen. Personally, I think once you pay folks they tend to relax and that is true for home grown guys like Paea who decided THIS year, HIS CONTRACT year to live up to expectations... I mean, where the hell has he been till this year? Once he's paid, will he revert?

And... Bringing in "his" guys. Trestman and his lacky's were a bust. This is his biggest fault.

I wrote his draft was improving. If Shea was left at linebacker and drafted as a linebacker and had a chance to play linebacker its a big difference. Lets remember he also chose Washington as a linebacker and converted him to DE as well. Not getting anything from Rodriguez and Hardin hurts, those are mid round misses.

Thats what sticks most in my mind, choosing players to play a different position that got them picked.

 

[beardown07]

There's an article out there now, stating that Emery had Marinelli interview with new coaching prospects to get his opinion on the matter. Marinelli chose 1) Bruce Arians, 2) Darrell Bevell and a distant third 3) Trestman. Emery went ahead with Trestman, and this decision is ultimately what pushed Rod out.

This goes back to what I was saying earlier about how fucky his first two years were, and how even hiring him to begin with was fucky. They made it sound like it was to placate Lovie, but then canned his ass the following year, making that reason to hire, obsolete.

Pretty sure most were saying he was Angelo 2.0 due to learning much of what he knows directly from him.

 

[NCChiFan]

I'm really mystified by this view of yours. Except for Jeffery, his whole first draft was crappy. One pick out of a draft is a bad draft. The next year, yes we got Long, but interior linemen are easy to draft, and he blew a chance to get an extra third rounder, and the rest of the picks are really mediocre to useless. Everyone touts Wilson, but he hasn't actually done anything yet. So even if he does eventually develop, 2013 was at best a two player draft, and that's simply not even average (most standard decent drafts produce three guys per team). Last year's draft was clearly his best, there's a chance 3 of the guys will develop into solid players, time will tell. But even that (3 guys) is an average grade draft.

Two sub-par drafts, a missed trade opportunity, and one average draft does not a good drafter make.

Would have been better if that H back hadn't DUI'd himself off the team, but the hardin pick was a mystery I will agree. If the Bears would have made Shea a LB instead of experimenting with him at DE, things might have turned out differently for him. Basically, this year Shea was a rookie.

Long is a x2 All Pro. Alshon a Pro Bowler has had his moments. Jones pick up, not even drafted is looking real good. Fuller great starter for years to come. Yes, the jury is out on Wilson, but he was a 7th rounder... a 7th rounder. Bostic is going to be a starter. Ego Furgueson has preformed well and will be a starter in the future. These are a lot of names from 2-3 drafts that should make the team, forgetting some marginals out there like Vareen or Mills.

That isn't bad, especially if you look at that flunky Jerry Angelo. I think it is critical you hit on 1st and 2nd round talent. He did do that. Fuller/Ego, Shea/Alshon, Long/Bostic... This is how you do it. Will you always hit, no, but a lot more hits than misses.

Now, picking a coach... Eeeh Gads...

 

[NCChiFan]

Later today, when I have time, I am going to tally the other teams with better drafts, so you can see how absurd this claim is.

Granted, I haven't gone team by team to examine drafts, but no one drafts perfectly. Even the great draft analytical team up in Green Bay make mistakes, like Baluga.

Datone Jones/ Lacy
Nick Perry/ Jarel Worthy
Dix/Adams

Looks about the same as our Bears picks... Datone Jones? who? Lacy solid, Nick Perry who? Jarel Worthy?
Dix is looking solid as well as Adams.

Looks awful similar.

 

[DaSuperfan]

Choosing Trestman over Arians was a bit of a head scratcher for me at the time. And right now, it looks downright idiotic. I think Emery was decent at the draft, but his evaluation of HC's was obviously terrible. Glad he's not around to pick another HC.

 

[beardown07]

Again, just the haphazard way allot of shit went down. Hanging on to Lovie for a year, then hiring all the assistants for the new head coach, all of which have been awful....Jay's contract...passing on Arians for Trest...his drafts are ok, better than Angelo. (and ftr, Christian Jones, an undrafted rookie finding a starting spot on the roster, is probably more of an indictment on his drafting than not) but I digress..... still some big misses.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

OK so check this out. I am actually glad this point got brought up, because ultimately it forced me to do a pretty interesting exercise. I looked through the last 3 (Emery years) drafts for every team, and simply listed the possibly successful hits. If guys are no longer with the team (example Cody Sensabaugh) but now on another team, they didn't count. If they were kickers or punters, I didn't count them. I gave a little bit of consideration for rookies (benefit of doubt) compared to year 3 guys. A couple of guys I put question marks around because I didn't know myself.

I excluded guys who I think totally suck and shouldn't be playing or are otherwise really easily replaced.

Obviously, this is a somewhat subjective exercise, and it's a little silly to assume all these guys are created equal, because some are Pro Bowl grade and others just contributors. But here was the list of draft "hits":


Arizona: Bucannon, minter, Mathieu, okafor, ellington, Michael Floyd, massie, bethel, lindley,
Atlanta: Matthews, Hageman, southward, shembo, trufant, alford, goodman, toilolo, Ishmael, massaquoi, holmes, konz?

Baltimore: Moseley, Jernigan, gillmore?, Brandon Williams, simon, wagner, Upshaw, pierce, osemele, gradkowski

Buffalo: Watkins, brown, Henderson, woods, Alonso, Gilmore, glenn, branham, carder
Carolina: Benjamin, ealy, turner, louteiei, short, klein, keuchly, silatolu,
Chicago: Fuller, Ferguson, Sutton, Vereen, Long, Jeffery
Cin: Dennard, Hill, Bodine, Flowers, Eifert, Bernard, Williams, Kirkpatrick, Zeitler, Sanu, Thompson, Iloka
Cleveland: Gilbert, Bitonio, Kirksey, West, Mingo, Gilkey, Schwartz, Hughes, Johnson, Winn,
Dallas: Martin, Hitchens, Frederick, Escobar, Williams, Wilcox, Crawford, Wilber
Denver: Roby, Williams, Ball, Webster, Wolfe, Hillman, Jackson, Trevathan
Detroit: Ebron?, Ansah, Slay, Warford, Taylor, Reiff, Broyles, Whitehead
Green Bay: Dix, Linsley, Jones, Lacy, Bakthiari, Hyde, Perry, Hayward, Daniels, McMillan
Houston: Clowney?, Su’a-Filo, Blue, Prosch, Hopkins, Swearinger, Jones, Griffin, Mercilus, Brooks, Jones, Crick
Indianapolis: Mewhort, Newsome, Jackson, Werner, Thorton, Hughes, Luck, Fleener, Allen, Hilton, Chapman
Jax: Bortles?, Lee, Robinson, Linder, Smith, Bowanko, Joekel, Cyprien, Gratz, Robinson, Evans, McCray, Bratz, Anger, Marshall, Harris
KC: Ford, Gaines, Fulton, Fisher, Kelce, Davis, Johnson, Poe, Allen, Stephenson
Miami: James, Landry, Aikens, Tripp, Jordan, Taylor, Davis, Jenkins, Sims, Jones, Tannehill, Vernon, Miller, Matthews
Minnesota: Barr, Bridgewater, McKinnon, Exum, Stephen, Price, Floyd, Rhodes, Patterson?, Mauti, Kalil, Smith, Robinson, Wright, Ellison, Blanton, Cole
New England: Easley, Stork, Collins, Dobson?, Ryan, Harmon, Jones, Hightower, Wilson, Ebner, Dennard?
Nola: Cooks, Powell, Vaccaro, Armstead, Jenkins, Stills, Hicks, White
NYG: Beckham, Richburg, Williams, Berhe, Kennard, Pugh, Hankins, Moore, Randall, Hosley, Mosley, McCants
NYJ: Pryor, Amaro, Dixon, Reilly, Milliner, Richardson, Smith?, Winters, Coples, Hill?, Davis, Bush, Allen
Oakland: Mack, Carr, Jackson, Ellis, McGill, Carrie, Hayden, Moore, Murray, Rivera, Burris
Philly: Matthews, Allen, Johnson, Ertz, Logan, Poyer, Cox, Kendricks, Curry, Foles, Boykin, Brown
Pittsburgh: Shazier, Tuitt, Bryant, Jones, Bell, Wheaton, Thomas, Williams, DeCastro, Adams, Ta’amu, Beachum
San D: Watt, Fluker, Te’o, Allen, Williams, Ingram, Reyes, Green, Troutman
SF: Hyde, Borland, Ellington, Johnson, Lynch, Reid, McDonald, Cooper
Seattle: Britt, Hill, L.Wilson, Irvin, Wagner, R.Wilson, Turbin, Sweezy
St Louis: Robinson, Donald, Mason, Gaines, Austin, Ogletree, McDonald, Stacy, Brockers, Quick, Jenkins, Johnson, Givens
Tampa: Evans, Banks, Glennon, Spence, Gholston, Barron, Martin, David, Tandy
Tennessee: Lewan, Sankey, Huff, Williamson, Mettenberger??, Warmack, Hunter, Gooden, Schwenke, Stafford, Wright, Brown, Martin
Washington: Murphy, Breeland, Amerson, Reed, Rambo, RG3?, Cousins?, Morris, Compton

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

OK, so what was interesting about this was a couple of things.

One, some GMs are red hot one year, and way off the next. Tampa, for example, had a fantastic 2012 draft, but this year's draft looks like shit (only one hit...Mike Evans...a lot like our 2012 draft).

Two, I went into this with some preconceived ideas. Like, fuck, St Louis has been drafting great. And in some cases, like St Louis, that bore out about right. Other times, I was surprised. Like how bad San Diego's drafts have been. I assumed the Giants were a lot worse, but that list isn't that bad actually.

Three, this reaffirms my belief that Minnesota is the rising star in the NFC North.

I would say the following: the best 3-year drafts, I would give to St Louis, Minnesota, Carolina, Houston. Look out 2016!

I would still say the Bears are somewhat below average, although not by quite as much as I thought. At least Emery was better than Washington (yikes!).

To the point GB has drafted about as well as we have, I might give them a slight edge, but not by much. Of course, they did it with lower draft picks the whole time, making more out of less.