As the NFL offseason officially begins for all 32 teams, we will examine what each franchise must do in free agency and the NFL Draft to emerge a better, more complete team when the 2025 season kicks off in September.
For years, the Bears have been a toothless organization but now, as evidenced in the top photo, the Bears have finally sprouted a tooth, what with a potential franchise QB on a rookie deal and $79 million in cap space to misspend.
Still, the Bears offensive skill players are at best a C+ group. Odunze may become a true #1 WR; Moore definitely isn't . Kmet is a mid tier TE and RB Swift, on his third team in five years, is a replacement level runner. The line gave up 68 sacks, and if we apportion 20 sacks to a rookie QB holding the ball too long and spinning in the pocket like a blender blade, that's still an average of 3 sacks a game.
Gotta get off to work. Bottom line, if Bears ownership / management gives new head coach Ben Johnson a chance to get to a fourth year without scrapping every coach after year two, the Bears might build something to compete in the NFC North. Picks and cap space mean little for an organization without a set organizational vision and the discipline to hold the line during downturns. A tooth takes a long time to come in; it may take a couple more years for the Bears to grow that second one.
This feels like Poles finally has HIS coach and exactly the kind of coach Caleb needs in order to reach his potential. I’d argue Moore is maybe a tier higher than you suggest. But, this definitely is a pivotal offseason for them, given their resources, to close the gap, IMO.
Poles, as I wrote above, is still a problem. He's not without a couple good moves, but his teams have won 15 games in 3 years, he hired the worst HC in recent football history, and his personnel moves have been a C minus, at BEST. Probably a D.
Kmet is better than mid tier. He had a couple OCs who, after it looked like his career was ascending, chose to marginalize him.
- Not excited about Zeitler UNLESS ... they can get him cheap and on a 1 year deal and make him a 'bridge' guy. He'll be 35 this year and if they're serious about building something here, you don't do it with guys at the tail end of their career
- Trading for Garrett? Costs way too much. I've seen other projections where he'll cost more than what you've projected. Two 1st rounders is the base. More like 2 1sts and a 3rd and something else. Please no. That said, your comment about him paired with Sweat being a division changing move, that's probably true. Just costs too much. They need need too much help elsewhere
- The biggest concern most Bear fans have is the guy making the decisions. Ryan Poles has shown terrible judgment. Matt Eberflus was one of the 3-4 worst HCs of my lifetime, any level. Some terrible drafting; signing Nate Davis when he was warned about him; Claypool, traded a 2nd round pick. More.
For years, the Bears have been a toothless organization but now, as evidenced in the top photo, the Bears have finally sprouted a tooth, what with a potential franchise QB on a rookie deal and $79 million in cap space to misspend.
Still, the Bears offensive skill players are at best a C+ group. Odunze may become a true #1 WR; Moore definitely isn't . Kmet is a mid tier TE and RB Swift, on his third team in five years, is a replacement level runner. The line gave up 68 sacks, and if we apportion 20 sacks to a rookie QB holding the ball too long and spinning in the pocket like a blender blade, that's still an average of 3 sacks a game.
Gotta get off to work. Bottom line, if Bears ownership / management gives new head coach Ben Johnson a chance to get to a fourth year without scrapping every coach after year two, the Bears might build something to compete in the NFC North. Picks and cap space mean little for an organization without a set organizational vision and the discipline to hold the line during downturns. A tooth takes a long time to come in; it may take a couple more years for the Bears to grow that second one.
This feels like Poles finally has HIS coach and exactly the kind of coach Caleb needs in order to reach his potential. I’d argue Moore is maybe a tier higher than you suggest. But, this definitely is a pivotal offseason for them, given their resources, to close the gap, IMO.
Poles, as I wrote above, is still a problem. He's not without a couple good moves, but his teams have won 15 games in 3 years, he hired the worst HC in recent football history, and his personnel moves have been a C minus, at BEST. Probably a D.
Kmet is better than mid tier. He had a couple OCs who, after it looked like his career was ascending, chose to marginalize him.
- Not excited about Zeitler UNLESS ... they can get him cheap and on a 1 year deal and make him a 'bridge' guy. He'll be 35 this year and if they're serious about building something here, you don't do it with guys at the tail end of their career
- Trading for Garrett? Costs way too much. I've seen other projections where he'll cost more than what you've projected. Two 1st rounders is the base. More like 2 1sts and a 3rd and something else. Please no. That said, your comment about him paired with Sweat being a division changing move, that's probably true. Just costs too much. They need need too much help elsewhere
- The biggest concern most Bear fans have is the guy making the decisions. Ryan Poles has shown terrible judgment. Matt Eberflus was one of the 3-4 worst HCs of my lifetime, any level. Some terrible drafting; signing Nate Davis when he was warned about him; Claypool, traded a 2nd round pick. More.
He's capable of effing this up too.