Just to be clear, you don't believe the Bears would be vastly different if they got Mahomes? If any of the QBs they took were that level they would have risen elsewhere.
I believe the Bears would have screwed Mahomes up, yes.
Would he still be a little better than Justin Fields? Sure, but the Bears have a 30+ year history of inability to get production out of QBs, whether it's a veteran, whether it's a high draft pick, whatever.
I wonder if it has something to do with their culture of worshipping the defense and making the offense an afterthought?
(Spoiler alert: Yes)
The Bears never have a cohesive offense, they are always shit at WR, or at OL, or their coach doesn't know offense, there is always some major problem holding it back. It's philosophical at it's root.
And it absolutely impacts their player development.
I think almost everyone here would say that Lafreniere's biggest weakness by far, is a lack of speed.
There are some players who excel without some speed, but that number shrinks every season. They have become the exceptions to the rule.
To rise to the level Lafreniewre did, he had to have a very good hockey IQ. That he has now lost that makes no sense.
Well all you need to do is watch the guy on the ice and see that he makes bad decisions. His decision making is shit at this level.
He's not processing quick enough, which to me, tells me that he doesn't have the confidence that he used to have and he doesn't have a mastery of what decision he should be making so that he can make it quick enough. This could be coming from lots of things, not least of which is (1) lack of reps on offense, (2) instruction that runs counter to his instincts and what he's good at, (3) lack of foot speed leading to increased pressure to make a quick decision, (4) lack of structure/scheme that is conducive to a young, inexperienced player being able to read the play and make the right decision.
It's definitely all of the above, so you aren't wrong when you say he's slow, but the Rangers have as much a hand in it as anyone.
It's patently absurd to simply blame the players four times in a row. Andersson and Kravtsov are completely non functional as NHLers and two others were supposed to be can't-miss superstars and can barely play the third line at a good level.
Our organization is the opposite of a force multiplier for offensive talent. It's a force weakener. We get 30 cents on the dollar for offensive talent. It has happened again and again. It's undeniable. Even if Lafreniere lacks the elite speed to be a 100 point player, his hockey smarts should be getting him to 60 with no problem. He should be able to pass even if he's not fleet of foot.
But he can't do that either because he's lost on offense. The team is to blame for his bewilderment.
