Bears hire Mike Martz to be their new offensive coordinator...

Finally, the Bears have their offensive coordinator. Mike Martz has been hired today as the Chicago Bears new offensive coordinator. I feel that Martz should have been the first and only guy interviewed for the job all along. Now Bears fans will have to wait and see whether head coach Lovie Smith abandons his "We get off the bus running" philosophy in favor of an offense that throws the ball downfield more. With Jay Cutler at QB, Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, and Kellen Davis at TE, and  Devin Aromashodu, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Earl Bennett as the top 4 WRs, I'd like to see the Bears throw the ball around more than they have in the past. Obviously, Martz's hire doesn't solve the O-line's woes, Matt Forte's newfound ineffectiveness, Cutler's erratic play, or the raw talent of the WRs, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Martz will add at least 1-2 wins from the 7 the Bears notched last year. A healthy Urlacher, Briggs, Tillman, and Tommie Harris on the defensive side should also give this team a boost in 2010.

Could it be...Mike Martz?

Mike Martz arrived at Halas Hall on Friday to interview for the vacant offensive coordinator position with the ChicagoBears. Martz worked with head coach Lovie Smith in St. Louis, and he is considered the mastermind of "The Greatest Show On Turf". He helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 1999, and he led an offense that scored 500 points a NFL-record 3 seasons in a row. Martz eventually became the Rams head coach, hiring Lovie Smith to be his defensive coordinator. The Rams made another appearance in the Super Bowl in 2001, losing to the New England Patriots. Martz has a reputation as a know-it-all, and many believe that he ignored Marshall Faulk's ability to run the ball during his tenure, as his tendency is to throw the ball around. After leaving St. Louis, he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2006 and 2007, and held the same position for the San Francisco 49ers in 2008. Martz is the fourth candidate to be interview for the job, and easily the most accomplished and has the highest profile. It has been reported that QB Jay Cutler has been involved in the process of hiring a new offensive coordinator, and I assume that we will learn shortly of the Bears decision.