The AAF Is Open For Business and It’s Loaded With Ex-Bears (And Other Bullets)

I never thought the day would come when the 2018-19 Bulls would surpass the 2018 Bears’ win total, but it happened on Friday. Unfortunately, every win puts them that much further away from drafting a player who can change the direction of the franchise. Grumble.

• If the Bulls want a Bears-like turanround, they’ll need to start adding impact talent … like, right now.
• In case you missed it: Da Bears’ defense OWNED PFF’s top-101.
• “Worth the investment” feels like an understatement:

Khalil Mack was worth the investment for Chicago this season pic.twitter.com/ZHF8JpIl0p

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) February 9, 2019

• See … that’s what I mean by impact talent.
• The Bears don’t have a first-round pick in either of the next two drafts. But that was the price of doing business with the Raiders and it’s a deal that I figure will pay off for both teams in the long run. Chicago wouldn’t have reached the heights it did without Mack in its lineup. And even if it did, the Bears would be hoping to use those first-round picks to land a player of Mack’s caliber. Not only are you not likely to find one of those types of players in the middle parts of the first round, it will probably take some time for them to develop into the player you dream they can become. Again, it’s a win-win for the Bears.
• If going the last five days without professional football was giving you the itch, well then I have the thing to help you scratch said itch:

The wait is over.
The Alliance is here. #JoinTheAlliance pic.twitter.com/7yfw0woroL

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 9, 2019

• Super Bowl winning executive Bill Polian provides the mission statement for the league, which debuts today. This league is littered with ex-Bears. Among the names who caught my eye: punter Ryan Winslow, defensive tackle Will Sutton, cornerback Doran Grant, long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, offensive tackle Brandon Greene, wide receivers Mekale McKay and De’Marcus Ayers, and tight end Evan Rodriguez.
• Even the coaches will take you into the way-back machine. Steve Spurrier, Brad Childress, and Mike Martz are head coaches. Pro Bowlers like Mike Vick and Bob Sanders are coordinators. I mean, come on!
• Alrighty, well … Childress resigned and Vick recently stepped away. Not great for timing in an up-start league. Might be a good time to update the website, folks. Onward.
• OK, so maybe a fresh-faced football league with players who couldn’t quite make it in the NFL isn’t your bag. I get it. Heck, I’m not even sure it’s my bag. But I find myself rooting for Mike Singletary, who is getting a new lease on life as a head coach with the Memphis Express. Go get ’em, coach!
• Best-case scenario here is that the AAF provides a developmental component that the NFL doesn’t allow for because of the league’s structure. Think of it like what NFL Europe was at the peak of its powers. Perhaps it will do like the XFL and provide ideas that the NFL can snag (improved camera work, mic’d up players and coaches, combative reporters, etc.) and apply to its own game.
• While the AAF gets a one-year head start on Vince McMahon’s XFL re-boot, it’s the XFL who has landed the biggest name on the coaching market:

Allow Bob Stoops to re-introduce himself. @XFLDallas has a head coach and general manager.#XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/5OVwgAFXGh

— XFL (@xfl2020) February 7, 2019

• This is a win-win for Stoops. He gets to jump back into coaching, while also keeping his Saturdays free to watch Oklahoma football.
• Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ …:

Rollin' into the weekend like @TarikCohen rollin' into the @ChiAutoShow! pic.twitter.com/3G4ufBVmp2

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 8, 2019

• Over at the Bears’ official website, Brian Urlacher pulls back the curtain on the NFL’s 100th anniversary commercial.
• The NFC North had $88.5 million worth of quarterbacks who did not make the postseason last year:

Highest Average Annual Value
Current QB Contracts

Aaron Rodgers – $33.5M
Matt Ryan – $30.0M
Kirk Cousins – $28.0M
Jimmy Garoppolo- $27.5M
Matthew Stafford – $27.0M

These players combined to go 28-37-2 in 2018

None of these players led their team to the playoffs

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) February 8, 2019

• The offseason is always training season for some players:

https://twitter.com/Ryannall34/status/1094118274919350272

• Spot the Bears in this clip:

https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1094002096226000898

• There’s something that doesn’t feel right about this:

Packers have named Dick Butkus’ nephew, Luke Butkus, as their assistant offensive line coach.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2019

• For a while there, Johnny Hekker was the Rams’ best quarterback:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1094053638715072513

• I’m not sure why the Rams didn’t use a fake punt with Hekker in the Super Bowl. Unless the Patriots scouted and covered every fake punt look the Rams could have thrown out there, there was no excuse not to use it.
• Adam Gase added Jim Bob Cooter to the Jets’ offensive coaching staff. Cooter will serve as the team’s Running Backs Coach under Gase and with Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains. And with that, the Jets have three ex-NFC North OCs in their coaching room. Neat.