The Chicago Bears had a really busy offseason and brought in a lot of big talent. Fans have every right to be excited by this new chapter in the franchise’s history.
But not everyone is ready to reserve the team’s route to the Super Bowl– or even to the playoffs.
In a recent ESPN piece assessing the quality of each NFL starting lineup, analysts Mike Clay, Seth Walder, and Aaron Schatz ranked the Bears no. 17 overall in the NFL.
And, while this middle-of-the-NFL ranking is an improvement over last year’s no. 22 placement by the ESPN crew, it still screams of “not quite good enough” for post-season play. As a matter of fact, the no. 17 slot puts Chicago squarely in third place in the NFC North, behind the Detroit Lions (ranked no. 5) and the Green Bay Packers (no. 13), but ahead of the Minnesota Vikings (no. 23).
Chicago Bears’ Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses
The analysts rated the Bears’ wide receiver crew as the team’s biggest strength while pointing out the quick turnaround from before last season, when the team sported one of the “shakiest WR rooms” in the league. To help matters this season, the team acquired veteran pass catcher Keenan Allen via trade from the Los Angeles Chargers and also drafted Washington’s Rome Odunze with their second first-round draft selection (no. 9 overall). Allen and Odunze will join DJ Moore who was, far and away, their best wider receiver last season and a true elite-level presence.
The Bears’ chief stated weakness, though, was a predictable one and one in which, unfortunately, the team didn’t make a whole lot of improvement this offseason– Defensive line.
Per Mike Clay:
“Montez Sweat is a star, but he simply doesn’t have proven help right now. Consider: Sweat had 12.5 sacks last season, whereas every other lineman on the roster combined for 9.0. At DT, Andrew Billings is a serviceable vet and while 2023 Day 2 draft picks Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens could make a Year 2 leap, neither impressed in situational roles as rookies. At edge, Sweat will be joined by an uninspiring group of veterans that includes DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson and Jacob Martin.”
The X Factor
Another predictable assessment came when the analysts pointed out the team’s “X factor” for the coming season. The unknown entity that could mean the difference between success and failure is, of course, incoming rookie quarterback and overall no. 1 draft pick, Caleb Williams, who is being touted in some circles as a potential franchise-altering presence.
Per Seth Walder:
“Forgive the obvious selection but the Bears have a wide range of outcomes, and it all hinges on Williams. If he can hit the ground running in the NFL then the upside for this team is high because of all the parts around him on offense. But the team won’t run without him, and so that roster will be for naught if he comes along slowly.”
Reality May Hit Hard
There’s no denying the fact that the Bears improved themselves ahead of this coming campaign. The additions of Williams, Odunze, Allen, along with running back D’Andre Swift and several others, should make this team better than last season. There’s also the fact that the front office pretty much rebuilt the entire offense, along with its coaching staff. The experts are unanimous in agreeing that this Bears team should be better than last year’s.
Unfortunately, the experts are also almost unanimous in their belief that Chicago will probably NOT be a playoff team this season. Pro Football Focus (PFF), for example, only gives the Bears a 44% chance of making the playoffs.
Fans will be disappointed if all this improvement doesn’t result in a playoff berth, but the team and its front office seem focused on the big picture of turning the franchise around, long-term, and creating the kind of winning culture that breeds multiple championships. Time will tell.
