Putting a bullet in the head of this disappointing football season, the dismissal of general manager Jerry Angelo demonstrates as clearly as possible that the ball club is doing something to change things around next year. The move made many fans happy, because the failed season was largely because of Cutler’s injury and the inability to replace him.
Some Bears fans do not know who Angelo is, but they should, since he was the general manager from 2001 to 2012. That’s a long tenure. In the beginning, he was given great credit for building one of the best teams in the NFL, and one that went to the Super Bowl against the Colts, but that luck did not last.
More than anything, this single season did Angelo in. The Bears showed such promise after a rough start, and then went on to roll through team after team, even pushing a five game winning streak. But the mid-season difficulties sank the team to settle for an 8-8 season. Anyone that watched the season crumble apart knows the frustration of waiting for a good quarterback to take the place of Cutler.
Although his record with the Bears was not so bad, this season hurt him. Specifically, the ballclub feels he did not rush enough to find a replacement for Cutler, nor spend the resources and funds needed to get the replacement. They felt that because he “dragged his heels” on the drafting, the Bears lost out on a great season.
Personally, I don’t think he deserves all the blame for the collapsed season. To say he does is too simplistic. Far more people are to blame for the season. However, I do agree with the decision in part. This season turned into a sort of “perfect storm” of lineups. Almost every aspect of the team was weak. It needed offensive and defensive linemen. It needed another wide receiver. It needed another quarterback. All these weaknesses pointed to a nerve-wracking season.
Although he’s far from retirement, Angelo still has not declared what his next move with be, but whatever it is, I hope he stows away a little player insurance this time.