Chicago Herald-American

The cynic in me wonders if Rod Marinelli is like the black guy who fronts ownership of a white business to allow it to get a minority contract. In other words, Marinelli makes it look like the Bears have a new defensive coordinator, but Lovie Smith still might be the guy calling the shots. I don't think Smith ever wanted to give up that job anyway. 

The Tribune's David Haugh outlined the incongruity of it all in this column in Saturday's paper: Marinelli's agent indicated last week at the Senior Bowl that Marinelli wasn't keen on becoming the defensive coordinator. It takes a coach away from a position where he has superior qualifications -- defensive line coach -- and puts him in a spot where he has zero experience. Marinelli was right for the job when Smith wanted him in 2004 when the Bears were in a "growth mode," but wrong for it now, when the Bears are in "survival mode." 

Of course, they were doomed to this kind of conclusion from the Bears announced that Smith would give up his coordinator duties but still run his defense. It's not like they were going to get Dom Capers, or anything close to the defensive equivalent of Mike Martz. I agree with David: if Lovie wanted a puppet to run his defense, secondary coach Jon Hoke would have been a better choice. Marinelli needs to spend as much time with his defensive linemen as he can. 

This is just a wild guess, but it appears Lovie Smith, knowing he has nothing to lose, has snookered his boss, general manager Jerry Angelo, on both coordinator hires. He convinced Angelo to agree on Martz by conducting a "search" for an offensive coordinator so unimpressive, Martz couldn't help but look like the Bears' only choice. Now with Marinelli, a first-year play-caller, it appears Smith will have nearly as much say in the defense as he had last year. 

The hiring of Shane Day as quarterbacks coach appears to be even more transparent. With Martz around, Jay Cutler doesn't need a quarterbacks coach. Day worked with Martz in San Francisco. Nothing against Day -- who could parlay this job into a nice NFL career if he plays his cards right and the Bears catch lightning in a bottle in 2010 -- but it's likely Martz hired him because he knows he'll stay out of the way. With headstrong people working in a dysfunctional operation at the most important position in the game, two is company, three is a crowd.