Big Lead Sports Bar

1/28/2010

BEARS INTERESTED IN CIGNETTI



No one wants to take the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator job, basically for a couple of reasons:

1. Your fate is in the hands of Jay Cutler
2. Lovie Smith could be a dead man walking
3. Your fate is in the hands of Jay Cutler

The Bears have blown through their initial list of potential candidates, and they've either missed out or got apathetic responses from everyone to this point. Now, it looks like Pitt's Frank Cignetti Jr. is next on their call list, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Cignetti took over a Pitt offense coming off of a 3-0 Sun Bowl and turned it into one of the most exciting units in the country, averaging 32 points per game and flashing the ability to dial up the big play at any given time. The Bears have apparently noticed this, and have included him in their revised search, which also names Saints TE coach Terry Malone and Vikings QB coach Kevin Rogers as candidates.

Cignetti could potentially be the next Pitt coach someday, but who knows if or when that will ever happen in the fragile world of college football. He basically has to weigh the pros of another year of Dion Lewis-fueled offensive domination and Wannstache-fueled enthusiasm against a higher-paying gig that might only last one year and requires looking at this jolly mug every morning in meetings:



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8 comments:

MOVE the NEEDLE said...

Well, for me personally I was calling talk show and posting comments around the net hoping the Steelers would walk down the hall and hire Cignetti. All during the two days of joy that Bruce Arians was rumored to be fired. I hope the bears pass and maybe Cignetti is avail for the Steelers to look at next year. So, yes I don't think Bruce and Ben can help themselves and will play nice for a few weeks with a fullback until the offense sputters then back to empty sets on 3rd and 1. Cignetti is a great choice for the bears if that happens.

Adam said...

Diomination?

Ehhhh.

I think you'll see an Evan Royster like regression this season with his offensive line graduating like Royster's did in 2008. He might put up similiar numbers, but I'm not sure he'll be as good as he was this year. Just throwing it out there.

NickDawg said...

Adam dude you are delirious -

Royster is a good back but isnt half the back Dion Lewis is or Shady McCoy was. It must be nice to be in a parralel universe where you see things in only blue and white. Lewis will be a Heisman finalist whereas Royser wont even be mentioned.

Stay in school dont be a fool!

Anonymous said...

Pitt is losing 3 OL, TE and QB to graduation. If you don't think this will result in teams loading up against the run and Dion having fewer holes you're crazy. It's called a sophomore slump for a reason.

That said I hope they get him in the weight room and get him up to about 205. He could be a beast for a long time as long as he gets big enough to take the beating. With the success Jones-Drew and Michael Turner are having as short, big backs he would have a great shot in the NFL.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Pitt is losing 3 OL, and their TE. But they have some guys who will be coming in and starting on the OL that got a good deal of experience as backups last season and played well in the starter's stead. Not as much coming back as I would like, but who knows how much of a difference a year makes with a RB's mental development, too.

He also has the Polish Hammer in front of him to clear the way.

@Adam,

Of course you are going to come on here and start talking trash. All you do is whine about how people jump on Penn State's back. Well, on this blog at least, YOU give all of us who don't drink the Penn St. Kool-Aid reason to hate your beloved home of the defending NIT Champs.

NickDawg said...

clint pitts - change your name to Clint Penn st - it would be way more fitting....the guys coming in on the OL got some decent playing time last yr. I'm not saying they wont lose a beat but they are not losing too much. I dont see any sophmore slump just visions of the Heisman pose.

Hail Pitt!

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize the backups got that much time. Losing Stull will probably hurt more than the O-Line losses but its normal to regress a little second year. Not due to talent but due to how defenses change the way they play against you.

The same thing happened to Peterson at Oklahoma. He didn't ever match his freshman year number again. Part of that was due to injuries but also do to being focused on more by the defense.

One of Lewis' most important contributions will be forcing teams to put 8 in the box to help the new QB and force single coverage on Baldwin but unless your passing game starts clicking quickly I don't think he'll be able to match those numbers from this past season.

Its just a prediction, I've been wrong a lot in my life about football (ex. Leaf will be better than Manning). I see Royster in the same situation at PSU.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

I dont think Tino Sunseri is going to be great, but I think he will be serviceable much like Stull.

However, who knows who the QB is even going to be at this point.


Clint is right in that defenses will plan more against him. However, Stull could have told Cinci exactly what play was coming and they still didn't stop him. But only time will tell.