Head coach Matt Nagy is focused on one thing for the Chicago Bears now. That's finishing strong. He intends to do everything in his power to win the final two games of 2019 and get the team to a 9-7 record. It may not get them to the playoffs, but he believes it will at least provide them a bit of momentum and confidence going into 2020. Hopefully, a strong offseason and some needed adjustments will put them right back in the picture.
Some out there though might ask the obvious question. What's the point? These last two games are basically preseason outings at this point. Whether they win or lose means nothing to the Bears. It's just more unnecessary wear and tear on their best players. That's why many argue Nagy should just use them as an evaluation period for the younger guys on the roster. See what is there and if the team has to make changes.
There is one thing at stake though. Draft position. If the Bears lose their remaining games, they are guaranteed higher slots in the 2nd round of the upcoming 2020 draft. Common sports lingo calls this "tanking." Obviously it is typically used in reference to the 1st round but Chicago has no pick there. So they must make do with what they have. That begs the question. Is there any noticeable benefit to picking a few spaces higher in the 2nd?
Teams who finished 7-9 in 2018
- 45. New England Patriots (via ATL) - Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
- 46. Cleveland Browns (via WSH) - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
- 47. Seattle Seahawks (via CAR) - Marquise Blair, S, Utah
- 48. New Orleans Saints (via MIA) - Erik McCoy, C, Texas A&M
Teams who finished 9-7 in 2018
- 51. Tennessee Titans - A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss
- 53. Philadelphia Eagles - Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State
Chicago Bears unlikely to benefit much from losing
The truth is based on that list, the Bears wouldn't really benefit all that much from choosing to lose. The Williams corners have a combined zero interceptions for the Patriots and Browns. Marquise Blair has started just three games for Seattle and looked average doing so. Only Eric McCoy has stood out as the starting center in New Orleans, paving the way for a top 5 offense.
On the other hand, A.J. Brown is an emerging force for Tennessee with 893 yards and seven touchdowns. Miles Sanders is starting to take off too. He has 1,120 yards from scrimmage with five touchdowns this season. Both are looking like long-term weapons for their respective teams. If this isn't enough to convince people that tanking wouldn't help much, just look at the track record of Ryan Pace as GM.
- 2015 - Eddie Goldman at #39
- 2016 - Cody Whitehair at #56
- 2017 - Adam Shaheen at #45
- 2018 - James Daniels at #39 and Anthony Miller at #51
He had successes at both the higher end and lower end of the round. Pro Bowl-caliber successes. This pretty much cements that the Bears can do whatever they want the final two weeks, win or lose. It won't really impact how the board falls for them in the 2nd round next April.
Comments
Join the discussion below. Keep it civil and focused on the content.
Loading comments...