Bears Blitz

Published by Jeff Chase on January 3, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Well, the Mike Martz era is officially over for the Chicago Bears, as the longtime coach has officially resigned from his duties as offensive coordinator in a day that has seen many changes in the team’s personnel.

Today, the Bears fired general manager Jerry Angelo, while they decided to keep on head coach Lovie Smith. While many would argue the Bears need to make a lot of changes in their personnel, many won’t complain about the departure of both Angelo and Martz.

The dismissal of both men will have many Bears’ fans wishing for a way to go back in the future, as the team made many moves over the past year to change the roster to fit Martz’s scheme.

One of the most confusing and likely regrettable moves that the Bears had made was trading Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen to the Carolina Panthers for virtually nothing.

Olsen was quarterback Jay Cutler‘s primary target back in the 2010 season, as he had 41 receptions—five of which were for touchdowns. Without Olsen in the lineup this season, Cutler failed to find a reliable go-to guy.

The Bears brought in pieces to fit what Martz wanted, but ultimately those players just didn’t do the job. Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams did virtually nothing for the Bears, and the same goes for running back Marion Barber.

Coach Smith will have a his hands full this offseason targeting new coaching candidates, but here are a couple that he could consider for the Bears’ 2012 campaign.

Mike Tice

The Bears have seen a lot of success with Tice as the coach of their offensive line, and he has been rumored as a possible solution to fill the void now left by Martz.

Tice is most famous for his days with the Minnesota Vikings, where he had both Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss in their primes. Whether his results were just a product of those two players remains to be seen, but he has a resume that shows he can run an effective offense.

Coach Smith could find some comfort for the organization by promoting Tice, but he may decide that he is best to continue his work with the offensive line.

Ted Cain

Another guy the Bears could consider is the former offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt, who was there during the glory days of both Cutler and wide receiver Earl Bennett. Cain coached both players, who saw a lot of success playing under him in college.

Under Cain, Cutler threw for 3,071 yards during his senior season. He also found Bennett 82 times for 1,462 yards.

Perhaps with the addition of Cain, the Bears could find some success with two of their primary guys who they will be looking to make some noise for years to come.

Currently, he is unemployed, so it isn’t out of the question if he will be available. While he may not be the flashiest candidate, he is definitely a guy the Bears will be willing to look at.

Todd Haley

The Kansas City Chiefs relieved head coach Todd Haley of his duties this past season, but the former Bears wide receiver coach could be an intriguing option for the club.

Haley coached with the Bears from 2001-03, which was during the time that wide receiver Marty Booker had some of his best years as a pro.

Following his stint with the Bears and Dallas Cowboys, Haley found himself coaching under head coach Ken Whisenhunt for the Arizona Cardinals. There, he was able to run one of the most high-powered offenses in the league with quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. 

There is no doubt that Haley had a ton of talent down in Arizona, but he could likely make some big things happen with Cutler and potentially the return of running back Matt Forte. 

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