Mel Tucker’s Future Remains Undecided and Other Bullets

Jan 03, 2014

TrestmanEmeryEdit — Pic via Peggy Kusinski on Twitter/@peggykusinski

I’m officially tired of winter, and it’s only January 3rd. That’s what having to shovel snow when the temperature is -10 will do for you, I suppose. Regardless, yesterday’s press conference ended up being a massive one, and while I focused yesterday on the obvious headlines (the new contract for Jay Cutler here, and the new deals for Tim Jennings and Matt Slauson here) Phil Emery and Marc Trestman touched on a wide variety of topics. (A lot of the conference is up at the Bears official website, if you’d like to watch it for yourself.) I’ll try to hit a couple of the more interesting points here.

I wrote the other day (back when I thought that the biggest news we might learn at yesterday’s press conference was Mel Tucker’s future) that if Emery and Trestman were anything other than completely behind Mel Tucker returning, it’d be fair to start to speculate. After reading Marc Trestman’s quotes on Tucker, I’m just not sure what to think. ESPN Chicago’s Jeff Dickerson collects them here, and includes this interesting bit: according to Emery yesterday, Trestman has final decision on assistants. Trestman is very cagey in his remarks on the topic, and he hides behind the notion that they’re still evaluating everyone, he has yet to speak to Tucker, and that he hopes no one jumps to any conclusions based on his non-committal stance at the press conference. On one hand, if he’s confident in Tucker returning but the decision is not 100% until they go through their entire process, it makes sense not to box yourself in with a definitive statement that he’s returning. On the other hand, if a reporter had asked if Aaron Kromer was returning, would the answer have been the same?

In any case, it’s hard to guess which way they’re leaning, especially if they truly aren’t leaning one way or the other. After the Green Bay game, I thought Tucker would be relieved of his duties, but now I sort of think they’ll keep him for another year, with a theoretically healthier and more talented defense. Trestman went out of his way to note that in the first three games of the year, before the injury plague, the defense looked good. Adam Jahns has those quotes for the Sun-Times, and he adds a few of Emery’s thoughts on the topic. The GM added that he was at fault for a lack of depth defensively that proved costly when injuries mounted. I’m not sure that Tucker is the right guy moving forward, but I definitely think that last season was a tough task for any defensive coach. Emery and Trestman are analytical enough to base their decision on factors beyond results, and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do.

If you haven’t seen/heard the press conference, this Jeff Dickerson post gives you a taste as to the long-windedness of Phil Emery. When asked about Shea McClellin’s lack of production, Emery launched into a monologue that compared Shea to other defensive ends who started slowly (including Jason Babin), and blamed himself for not putting Shea in a better position to succeed. He obviously said a lot more than that, but the gist is that he still thinks McClellin can produce in the right situation; that being one in which he’s used as a situational pass-rusher. While I agree that for Shea to be effective he’d have to be used differently, I’m not nearly as confident in his potential as Emery seems to be. While other defensive ends may have started poorly and then found new life, there are plenty of defensive ends who start poorly and never improve.

CBS Chicago’s Adam Hoge has a great summary of the day, including a section on whether the Bears would consider switching to a 3-4 defense. The topic came up, and it wasn’t ruled out by either Trestman or Emery. That’s a switch that would probably benefit McClellin, but I’m not sure who else is a natural fit for the scheme. Of course, considering the likely turnover on defense, if the Bears were going to switch this might be the offseason for it.

Hoge also mentions this Pro Football Talk article, which dives into the Cutler contract numbers. As was reported, the entire guaranteed portion will be paid over the first three seasons; that means the Bears will essentially have a team option every year for the final four years of the contract. The cap hit for next season is likely going to be $22.5 million, as that’s the base salary for 2014 (there was no signing bonus involved.) It falls for the seasons following next year, which makes sense; the Bears have a lot of cap room for 2014, so the bigger number upfront allows for lower amounts in the following years, when cap room might be a lot tighter. I like the deal, for both sides, and I think if Jay plays out the full seven years of the deal, that means things will have gone very, very well for the Bears.

Speaking of contract details, numbers for Tim Jennings began to leak this morning, and finally Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported the exact figures: 4 years, $22.4 million, $11.815 million guaranteed. He notes that’s a good contract for a 30 year-old cornerback. I guess so, although the average base salary is only a slight bump from the $4.25 base salary he received in 2013; considering his performance, importance to the offseason plan, and the fact that the final two years of the deal look like they’re not guaranteed, I think it’s more than fair for the Bears as well.

Lovie Smith was officially hired as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be interesting to see how many free-agent Bears find their way to Tampa. I tend to think that sort of thing is overblown, but one or two veterans wouldn’t surprise me. (Devin Hester was my guess for most likely, due to his contract status and roots in Florida, along with his obvious affection for Smith.) I think Lovie is a solid hire for the Bucs; he’s as far from Greg Schiano as you can possibly get, which is certainly a good thing. The defense is talented, and I don’t doubt that they’ll play hard. As always with Lovie, the offensive side of the ball is the challenge; this time, he’s brought in longtime Cal coach Jeff Tedford as his offensive coordinator. That echoes his decision to hire former Illinois coach Ron Turner as coordinator when he took over in Chicago. Anyway, Lovie had an impressive run for the Bears, and I wish him well. But he’s now the coach for another team, so hopefully people can move on. I’m very happy with the direction the Bears decided to go.

written by

Brett Taylor

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more bears news

bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

Chicago Bears

NFL Schedule Release Update, Shane Waldron Trends, Can Rookie QBs Thrive? And Other Bears Bullets

Something interesting should go here. But I'm leaving the interesting stuff for the set of Bears Bullets that follow below. We've got an NFL schedule release update. And for those who were hoping it would drop this week, I hope...

Luis C. Medina

May 08, 2024

Chicago Bears

Report: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice In Trouble With The Law Again

Chiefs rookie receiver Rashee Rice is in legal trouble for the second time in just over a month. According to ABC News Dallas, Rice is under investigation for hitting a photographer at a club on Monday night. Dallas Police is...

Matt Rooney

May 07, 2024

Chicago Bears

Around the NFL: Burrow on the Mend, Boyd to Tennessee, Changes at NFL Network, More

Joe Burrow is on the comeback trail, his former teammate Tyler Boyd is heading to Tennessee, and did you see the Roast of Tom Brady? That and more in today's NFL Notes. Joe Burrow Working His Way Back from Wrist...

Patrick K. Flowers

May 08, 2024

Chicago Bears

Must-Read: Inside the Decision Process Behind the Bears Drafting Caleb Williams

Few people have had the Chicago Bears pegged like The MMQB's Albert Breer. Particularly, when it comes to the team's pursuit of Caleb Williams. For instance, Breer had the scoop on the Bears' dinner with Williams in April during the...

Luis C. Medina

May 07, 2024

Chicago Bears

Ian Cunningham Saved the Bears a Draft Pick

Chicago Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham reportedly earned an extension from the team in late April. It appears to already be paying dividends. In discussing what was going through his mind ahead of making the No. 9 pick in...

Luis C. Medina

May 07, 2024

Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams is Wasting No Time Organizing Team Activities

QB1 is already working to bring his teammates together. In an interview with 670 The Score's Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel, Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet said that quarterback Caleb Williams had already begun ironing out a plan to...

Luis C. Medina

May 07, 2024

Chicago Bears

Building For Caleb, Shedeur Sanders Noise, Teddy Gives Back, and Other Bears Bullets

If you're reading this, I never circled back to create a more compelling opening for Bears Bullets. It seems like it is time to pump the brakes on a potential NFL schedule release dropping this week. Pro Football Talk's Mike...

Luis C. Medina

May 07, 2024

Chicago Bears

These Chicago Bears Will Have New Numbers in 2024

A bunch of notable Chicago Bears starters and key contributors will have new numbers in 2024. Let's run it down. No. 1 Jaylon Johnson — Justin Fields' number didn't stay out of circulation for long. Because about a month after Fields'...

Luis C. Medina

May 06, 2024

Chicago Bears

2024 Chicago Bears Offseason Reset: Who’s New? Who’s Gone? Projected Starters, More

It's the first Monday in May. What better time for a Chicago Bears offseason reset? For reference, this is what things were looking like for the Bears when they opened the new league year back in March. Chicago Bears free...

Luis C. Medina

May 06, 2024

jaylon johnson bears NFL salary cap raise beneficiary

Chicago Bears

Bears Schedule, Jaylon, International Fandom, Brady Roast, and Other Bears Bullets

In an interview with GQ Magazine's sports department, Megan Armstrong chops it up with Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a variety of topics. Most notably, for me, topics such as sex addiction, dealing with trauma, and therapy pop up....

Luis C. Medina

May 06, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Seiya Suzuki’s First Rehab Game is in the Books (and He Looked Good!)

The Chicago Cubs are on the mend. Justin Steele and Cody Bellinger returned to the team this week, and it looks like Seiya Suzuki isn't far behind them. Suzuki started a rehab assignment with Iowa today and had an impressive...

Patrick K. Flowers

May 08, 2024

Betting

FanDuel Promo Code: Bet $5, Win $150 in Bonus Bets Today!

In the bustling arena of online sports betting, the FanDuel promo code emerges as a beacon for bettors with an offer too tempting to pass up. For those ready to dive into the action, the FanDuel promo code unlocks an...

Andy Molitor

May 08, 2024

Chicago Cubs

WATCH: Owen Caissie Stays Alive to Crush a 424ft Homer

Owen Caissie's third home run of the season was a scorcher! The 21-year-old took Columbus Clippers pitched Adam Oller deep in the bottom of the first inning to give the Cubs a 4-2 lead. The four-seamer was placed perfectly over...

Elias Schuster

May 08, 2024

Picks

Pascal Siakam Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Knicks – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

The Indiana Pacers play the New York Knicks at 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires just one make from...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Picks

Tyrese Haliburton Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Knicks – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Tyrese Haliburton must make three 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Indiana Pacers meet the New York Knicks on Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET, in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs.Tyrese Haliburton's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Picks

Donte DiVincenzo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pacers – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Donte DiVincenzo's New York Knicks meet the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make four from downtown.Donte DiVincenzo's...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Picks

Myles Turner Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Knicks – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Myles Turner's Indiana Pacers face the New York Knicks on Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point prop, he must make two from downtown.Myles Turner's Three-Pointer...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Picks

Jalen Brunson Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pacers – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Jalen Brunson's New York Knicks face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make three from downtown.Jalen Brunson's...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Picks

Josh Hart Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pacers – Conference Semifinals Game 2, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

On Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET, the New York Knicks face the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Josh Hart's 3-pointer over/under for this matchup requires two trifectas.Josh Hart's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Picks

Top Player Prop Bets for Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 on May 8, 2024

Player prop bet odds for Jalen Brunson, Pascal Siakam and others are listed when the New York Knicks host the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (at 8:00 PM ET).How to Watch Knicks vs. PacersDate: Wednesday, May 8,...

Data Skrive

May 08, 2024

Mel Tucker’s Future Remains Undecided and Other Bullets

Read More

more bears news

Latest News

more bears news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular