Bringing Back O’Donnell, Brown Heads to the Jets, Free Agent Teases, and Other Bullets
Because I’m waiting for the last minute to pack for my March Madness-fueled Vegas trip, I’m going to forget to pack something, aren’t I?
- The Bears shared a tweet that made our hearts skip a beat for a moment:
https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1107806964107616256
- Oh, you tease! Using an image of free agent pass-rusher Justin Houston (who we’ve talked about as a possible fit) with a wink-and-a-nod is deliciously evil.
- And in what might be just a coincidence, the Bears *did* sign a free agent shortly after that post. In case you missed it, punter Pat O’Donnell is back in the mix after reportedly agreeing to a two-year contract.
- It’s a deal that brings mixed feelings. On one hand, the Bears are bringing back a familiar face, someone who had a solid regular season, and was the best available free agent punter on the market (and it’s not as if an average annual salary of $2 million is prohibitive). On the other hand, O’Donnell’s last punt was a playoff shank-job that is still fresh in everyone’s memory. A better punt gives the Bears defense more of a fighting chance to stop the Eagles game-winning touchdown drive, thus keeping Cody Parkey away from being the goat because the game wouldn’t have come down to his 43-yard kick.
- To be clear, two kicks did not cost the Bears a playoff win against the Eagles. But there was a point this offseason when Chicago didn’t have a kicker, punter, or long snapper, which could have allowed for a much-needed clean slate across the board. It’s possible the Bears could have found an O’Donnell replacement in the draft who could provide more production at a lower cost. That wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world for a team with certain salary cap restraints.
- I’m not sure how much the holder has to do with the kicker, but I suppose it’s worth sharing these numbers for the sake of conversation:
For O'Donnell's career his kickers are 94-120 on FGs for a 78.3%.
Without him they are 531 for 609 for an 87.2%.
O'Donnell's holding is a net -8.9%.
That doesn't take into account the difficulties of kicking at Soldier Field but Gould had his worse numbers in Chicago with POD.
— Bill Zimmerman (@ZimmermanSXM) March 19, 2019
- In the end, the punter won’t matter too much if the Bears offense does this on every possession:
- Seriously, though. If you don’t want to put the game in the hands (or at the feet) of the special teams units, score touchdowns. It’s as simple as that!
- More touchdowns, more swag. And the new guys are all about it:
This, right here, is our swag.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 19, 2019
- It’s wild to think that it wasn’t all that long ago when the Bears weren’t viewed as a destination. As a public-facing head coach, Matt Nagy has led the charge in this change. And while we’re just one year into the Nagy era, it sure looks like GM Ryan Pace made a good hire.
- Clear some time in your day to read Dan Wiederer’s free-agency storylines at the Chicago Tribune. The Bears weren’t as active in free agency as they had been in the past, but it allows for a deeper look at the few free agents they snagged off the market.
- Another ex-Bear is off to New York:
#Jets signed former #Bears TE Daniel Brown, according to his agent.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 19, 2019
- Tight end Daniel Brown is signing with the Jets, where he’ll join wide receiver Joshua Bellamy, Head Coach Adam Gase, and Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains. Brown had a disappointing 2018, though he didn’t get much playing time to show off what he could bring to the offense. In 2017, the Bears used him as a receiving tight end (who might as well have been a receiver) who I thought could have potential in Nagy’s offense. But because Brown fell behind Ben Braunecker on the depth chart, it wasn’t happening.
- Eric Kush held his own in pass-protection last year:
Among guards last season, Eric Kush allowed a pressure just 1.5% of his pass-blocking snaps – leading the league in pressure % allowed. pic.twitter.com/sXqPSbZqNV
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) March 18, 2019
- That left guard platoon worked out pretty well, didn’t it? Kush held it down while James Daniels sharpened his tools. And when the time was right, Daniels took over and never looked back. Onward!
- Right there with you, #58:
Staring down the 2019 season like… #BearDown pic.twitter.com/yxo7hQGrVy
— Quan (@RoquanSmith1) March 18, 2019
- LOL:
I would like to posit that “The Khalil Mack trade was a huge victory for the Raiders” is not the official consensus opinion of Football Analytics, Inc.
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) March 19, 2019
