Bears have an offensive style in mind for next OC |
Everyone knew the Bears vacant offensive coordinator job would be a hot commodity and you have already seen plenty of applicants apply and interview for the position. Five players have said they want to interview for the position, and three of them have already conducted their interviews.
That may not seem like a lot, but with the playoffs still going on, more names will likely be added to the list based on who wins and who loses in the postseason. Regardless of who this team picks as their OC, one thing that appears to be happening is what type of offense this team wants to run. When you look at some of the best offensive-minded coaches in the game, Sean McVay and Kyle Shannahan come to mind, and it's no secret that is what the Bears have been targeting thus far. According to reports, the Bears will hire someone from the McVay or Shannahan tree to get more modern with their offense. Although that isn't surprising when you look at some of the coaches that have come off that tree, it's surprising to hear that come out publically as that potentially takes some other names off the market that may have wanted to interview for the position. When you look at the five candidates already mentioned as interested or interviewed for the position, they all coached with McVay or Shannahan at one point, so that report may be accurate. As good of a head coach as Andy Reid and Bill Belichick are, their successors have yet to have much success elsewhere, which has been one of the biggest knocks against them. For whatever reason, assistants under Reid and Belichick have difficulty making it anywhere else. The same can't be said about the McVay and Shannahan trees, as their coaching tree is not only healthy, but most of the coaches that branch out and do their own thing have instant success. These two guys are credited with creating some of the game's more dynamic and complex offenses, while their play playcalling is second to none. There is a reason why the 49ers' offense has been ranked in the top 10 almost every season: Shannahan has been at the head, with McVay following suit. Their success goes well beyond the days of a head coach, as McVay and Shannahan were some of the best offensive coordinators in the game before getting their shot at a head coach. Shannahan was a mastermind with the Atlanta Falcons, while McVay had things cooking for a while in Washington. Not to mention that both of them coached together during their time in Washington, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that their coaching styles and offensive schemes are so similar. The Bears went into the OC search with a plan of what they wanted their offense to look like. Sure, they have been considered a run-first team the past two seasons, but with DJ Moore and several other explosive players, it may be time to open things up offensively. Why not look at the Shannahan/McVay tree as your option to make this offense more explosive? This team has a type they like, and the fans shouldn't be mad about it. They know it is now or never when it comes to Justin Fields, and they will do whatever they need to do to get this offense to the level they hoped it would be under Luke Getsy. Greg Roman is the only one who has been interviewed so far who doesn't fall under that coaching tree, but that may be a good thing, too. As nice as it is to have a specific coaching style in mind, having variety also opens up different possibilities, and with Roman, he opens up a more unique opportunity than the rest of the applicants do. He has experience with running QBs, as he spent several seasons with Lamar Jackson. That alone could be huge for Fields and his development, so the Bears will continue to take a thorough approach to this process.
