One of the biggest questions surrounding the Bears – Mike Vrabel smoke might have been answered in latest report
The Chicago Bears have become a lost team with no morale after a second blowout loss under interim head coach Thomas Brown.Barring any major improvements over the final three weeks of the season, the Bears will likely be turning to a new candidate to take over the full time position as the team's head coach […]
The Chicago Bears have become a lost team with no morale after a second blowout loss under interim head coach Thomas Brown.
Barring any major improvements over the final three weeks of the season, the Bears will likely be turning to a new candidate to take over the full time position as the team's head coach this offseason.
The search is expected to be an exhaustive one for the Bears who are hoping to land someone that can finally turn this franchise around and get them headed in the right direction for once.
The candidate with the most smoke the last few days has been former Tennessee Titans' head coach Mike Vrabel given his previous experience leading a successful team and creating a strong culture with his players.
On Tuesday, Albert Breer added even more smoke to the Vrabel-Bears connection noting that Vrabel is at the top of the Bears' head coach list.
While Vrabel certainly fits the "leader of men" vibe the organization is looking for in this search, many are worried about pairing rookie quarterback Caleb Williams with a coach who isn't offensive minded, favoring candidates like Lions' OC Ben Johnson.
If the Bears decided to go the Vrabel route, his pick to become the Bears' next offensive coordinator will be an important decision. Vrabel has had prior success picking capable OCs in Tennessee in coordinators such as Mike LaFleur and Arthur Smith. When it comes to picking Vrabel's next option as OC, Breer went on to suggest two names: Tommy Rees and Josh McDaniels. Let's break down each option.
Tommy Rees is the current passing game specialist and tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns on the same coaching staff Vrabel is helping out with this season. Rees was considered the favorite for the UNC head coaching gig until the program hired Bill Belichick last week, according to Adam Schefter.
Rees has a prominent name in his corner in former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who also has connections with Belichick and Vrabel. Prior to joining the Browns, Rees was Saban's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama and held the same roles at Notre Dame before joining the Crimson Tide.
To learn more about Rees' offensive mind, coaching history, and impact as a coach, I reached out to our own Ryan Roberts, who covers Notre Dame and college football with A to Z Sports:
"Rees has had a very interesting rise through the coaching ranks. He spent some brief time with the San Diego Chargers and Northwestern before returning to South Bend with his old coach Brian Kelly. Beginning as a quarterbacks coach, Rees ended up being named the offensive coordinator at just 29 years old. Rees spent one year with head coach Marcus Freeman before heading down to work under Nick Saban. Eventually he ended up with the Browns following Saban retiring.
As an offensive mind, Rees is well respected in coaching circles. Despite being a former quarterback, he has a heavy run influence to his offensive approach. He implements a true pro style offense, and likes to utilize the play action passing game as well. Throughout his career, the passing game impact has been what has plagued Rees the most." – Ryan Roberts
As for Josh McDaniels, everyone should be well aware of his triumphs and failures in the NFL both as an offensive coordinator and a head coach, if not let me remind you.
McDaniels was an impressive offensive coordinator under Belichick with the New England Patriots coordinating the offense led by quarterback Tom Brady. McDaniels' work in New England led to two different head coaching opportunities in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos and most recently the Las Vegas Raiders.
His coaching tenures each turned out to be gigantic failures with McDaniels posting a 20-33 combined record with both teams. However, as an offensive coordinator, McDaniels was one of the best in the league under Belichick with Brady at quarterback. What he can do as just a coordinator without either historic name remains to be seen, however.
To get further insight into McDaniel's capabilities as an offensive play-caller, I spoke with our Las Vegas beat writer Justin Churchill and New England beat writer Sophie Weller. Here's what they had to say:
"Under McDaniels, the Raiders' offense struggled, despite having talented players like Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Kolton Miller, and more. His choices, like moving from Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo, didn't pan out, and the team's strategy in free agency and the draft was criticized. There was a significant disconnect with players, leading to a breakdown in team cohesion and morale. A particularly notable team meeting where players expressed their frustrations reportedly left McDaniels "broken." This was also because McDaniels' rigid system and management style clashed with the team's culture, contributing to his and GM Dave Ziegler's dismissal after less than two seasons. Nonetheless, he still deserves a position in the league somewhere. His success under Belichick was no fluke." – Justin Churchill
"Josh McDaniels has a good grasp of the offense and is great when working with quarterbacks. He was a big reason why Mac Jones had such a strong rookie season. While he's not an ideal head coach, he can bring a lot to the table as an offensive coordinator." – Sophie Weller.
Both options don't inspire much confidence in my mind to lead the Bears' offense like Ben Johnson or Joe Brady would, but Vrabel as a head coach gives me more confidence to lead this team than an unproven coordinator would. That's what makes this search so complicated when it comes to what the Bears are truly searching for.
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