Rob Chudzinski emerges as Bears’ latest candidate
Rob Chudzinski – Come on down!!! You’re the next contestant on The Great Coordinator Search 2010!
As quickly as I can fire off the latest Bears coordinator candidate names, the quicker the candidates wind up elsewhere. Chan Gailey: Bears offensive coordinator candidate one day, Buffalo Bills head coach tomorrow. Mike Nolan: Bears’ defensive coordinator candidate today, Miami Dolphins DC… later that day. That’s just the way this coordinator search will go with Lame Duck Lovie at the helm.
“Chud,” as he’s called, is the Chargers assistant head coach/tight ends coach. He served as OC for the Cleveland Browns for a couple of seasons before his most recent post in San Diego. In fact, in 2007 he guided Cleveland’s offense to finish the season as the 8th ranked offense. Yes, those Cleveland Browns. He also served as tight ends coach and later OC for University of Miami, where he was part of a couple of National Championship teams in the late 80’s.
On the surface, it seems like a decent fit. He’s worked with a bratty QB – Phillip Rivers – and a marquee tight end in Antonio Gates. We’ve got one of those and a wannabe/supposed to be. I’ll let you figure which is which.
While the Chargers running attack has been in decline, you have to believe that a lot of that has to do with the decline of Ladanian Tomlinson. Matt Forte has yet to decline. Let’s call last year a slight dip rather than a full-fledged decline. Plus, Mike Tice will whip our O-line into shape. Why else would the Bears have made him their first hire this offseason?
Heck, we even have our own version of Darren Sproles in Garrett Wolfe. I’ll wait a second for you to stop laughing. Yes, I just compared Wolfe to Sproles. Dont’ you see it? Jerry Angelo sure did.
No matter what happens – and with our luck he’ll take a job with Mother Mary’s School of the Blind tomorrow – he’s not a first choice. In a spot when it’s win or die trying, it’s a shame we’re left picking over the scraps.
As a quick aside, you’ve got to give Norv Turner some respect. Since the Bears aren’t offering a head coaching position, it was well within his rights to reject the Bears’ interview request in much the same way the Packers did with Tom Clements. He could have stuck up for brother Ron, recently excommunicated from Beardom, but he allowed a coach under contract for him in San Diego to go interview for the job from which his own brother was recently dismissed. Way to stay classy San Diego!