Matt Nagy Has a Sense of Humor When It Comes to the Bears’ New Kicker and Other Bullets

It’s worth sharing here that we are hiring a full-time Bulls writer to do what I do here at BN Bears and what Brett and Michael do over at the original BN site. For the writers/Bulls fans among you who are interested, make sure you check out the details here.

• I’m glad that Matt Nagy can have a sense of humor about the unfortunately named Bears kicker:

Matt Nagy on the pronunciation of Chris Blewitt’s last name: “It’s French. It’s Blue-ay.”

— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) March 26, 2019

• Wait a minute. The Bears’ new kicker’s name is Blue-ay? I’ve been calling him Blewitt. Why didn’t someone tell me!? Oh, I’ve been making an idiot out of myself! *runs out of room crying*
• I’m torn about the process the Bears are using to find their new kicker. My gut tells me I want someone who is experienced and has a track record of success. And it’s not like I have a problem with the team spending available cap space on a kicker because we have seen what happens when a team tries to cut corners and save money at that position. But on the other hand, I love the idea of a true camp competition producing a winner who the team goes to battle with in Week 1. And history suggests that good kickers can come from anywhere at any time. Who was Robbie Gould before he was #RobbieGould? Did anyone know Aldrick Rosas before he was an Pro Bowl kicker? What about Harrison Butker? I won’t bore you with the lengthy list of quality kickers who were anonymous before they found their stroke, but know there is plenty of evidence behind the idea that competition breeds excellence.
• I’ve been looking forward to this:

Pace says to maximize the talents of Cordarrelle Patterson the team will have to utilize him in a lot of different ways. So we could see him in the backfield as well.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) March 26, 2019

• Nagy tried to be creative with how he used certain running backs and receivers, espcially when it came to motioning them into and out of the backfield. Coach’s heart and mind were in the right place, but the execution wasn’t always crisp (in part because the personnel might not have been a perfect fit). But imagine upgrading from the likes of Benny Cunningham, Taquan Mizzell, and Josh Bellamy to Cordarrelle Patterson, who can be used in any number of ways. Giggity.
• Patterson isn’t the only speed merchant who figures to get in on the action:

Ryan Pace on new Bears WR Marvin Hall: “We’ve always admired his speed. He’s such an explosive player. He’s legit in the 4.3s and you feel it on tape.”

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) March 26, 2019

• ((Aggressively fans self))
• Between Patterson and Hall, it seems as if the Bears have upgraded an area of their game they sought to improve upon from last year. Good stuff.
• Elsewhere on the Bears’ list of offseason additions, Nagy seems to really be digging Buster Skrine. “He’s feisty,” Nagy said, via the Bears’ official website “He’ll stick his nose in there on a nickel slot blitz. He’ll go in there and take your legs out. He plays the game hard, and he’s not a big guy.”
• On the other hand, Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton believes Skrine’s production is destined to decline. It’s a bit of a troubling read when you consider Skrine is widely believed to be a step down from what Bryce Callahan brought to the defense. Issues with penalties and blown coverages out of the slot are going to be a sticking point in a division that features three Pro Bowl quarterbacks throwing to three-receiver sets early and often. I’m getting itchy just thinking about it.
• This is where another fresh face (new DC Chuck Pagano) can really make some hay. Pagano has long had a reputation as an excellent secondary coach. And while he has bigger responsibilities than getting hands-on with members of the defensive backfield, getting Skrine in a good place should be a priority.
• The Bears are going to miss Vic Fangio:

Matt Nagy's full answer when asked about Vic Fangio: pic.twitter.com/PjCFbBH8wW

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) March 26, 2019

• I’m always excited about the possibilities for new throwbacks:

Attn: @patrickfinley. The #Bears will have a major uniform announcement next week for their 100th season, per chairman George McCaskey.

— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) March 27, 2019

• The betting public has helped move the line already, shifting Chicago from a 4-point favorite to a 3.5-point favorite:

NFL – Week 1

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Green Bay Packers 46
Chicago Bears -3.5

— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) March 26, 2019

• This should be a good viewing experience:

https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1110617878590562306

• I guess there’s only one thing left to do:

#Bears chairman George McCaskey has not been a participant in "Club Dub" yet. What would it take for him to get in there and dance?

“A Super Bowl victory."

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) March 27, 2019

• Toys, luggage, cat needs, and much more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon today. Also, if you like to listen to your baseball games, the Echo Plus is 27% off today, which is a really considerable sale.