The Chicago Bears seem to be adopting Matt Nagy’s thoughts to team building
The Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy might have an entirely different thought process than Andy Reid. That is an obvious statement but just look at the team’s build since Matt Nagy has been the head coach compared to what Andy Reid has done in Kansas City.
I have long been studying Ryan Pace and have found that he attempted to build what he knew of the New Orleans Saints. From Kevin White to Mitch Trubisky, the build was a clone of what the New Orleans Saints became. The only issue is, Kevin White couldn’t stay on the field, and Mitch Trubisky was not becoming Drew Brees. Although, Trubisky did seem to follow a similar path as Brees and was not retained by his original team.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid had Alex Smith, speedy pass-catching backs, and slow possession-styled receivers. The Chiefs morphed into a vertical attacking, agile but slower pass-catching backs and possession-styled tight ends. Most teams transition from what they are known for based on the talent they have.
However, once the Chiefs found Tyreek Hill, they continued to add speed at the receiver position. Outside of Eric Fisher and Mitch Morse, the Chiefs haven’t invested in the offensive line inside the top 50 prospects. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace wanted to upgrade the offensive structure over the past few years.
Since Matt Nagy has been in office, the Chicago Bears have brought in aggressive mentality players that love football regardless of their athletic ability. I believe Ryan Pace, who still values athleticism, wants to continue to bring in athletic profile players but is willing to sacrifice some athleticism for the love of the game. Some examples I have noticed are:
Ryan Pace before Matt Nagy
- Mitch Trubisky over Deshaun Watson
- Adam Shaheen over Jonnu Smith
- Jonathon Bullard over Javon Hargrave
Ryan Pace with Matt Nagy
- Roquan Smith over Tremaine Edmunds
- Anthony Miller over D.J. Chark
- David Montgomery over Alexander Mattison
- Riley Ridley over Darius Slayton
- Cole Kmet over Adam Trautman
- Jaylon Johnson over Trevon Diggs
There are a ton more examples. The 2021 NFL draft might have some people thinking that Justin Fields was selected over Mac Jones purely because of his athleticism. There is a false narrative going around about Mac Jones isn’t athletic. Field’s athletism alone isn’t the reason.
Mac Jones is between Arron Rodgers and Ryan Fitzpatrick when compared to athleticism. Justin Fields is exceptionally athletic. However, his love for the game and his experience tops that of Mac Jones. Due to injuries, Jones played a bit in 2019, but Tua Tagovailoa was the starter that season. Justin Fields was the starter for two years despite only playing in eight games due to the Big Ten in 2020.