The Chicago Bears 2017 offense is probably one of the biggest mysteries in the NFL this year. It features an interesting mix of notable veterans and upside youngsters but at the same time is completely unproven. Sitting at the heart of it all is quarterback Mike Glennon. A former third round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he started eighteen games in his NFL career, 13 of them in 2013.
He went 4-9 that season, throwing for 2,609 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. That extended preview along with his excellent locker room reputation was enough to convince the Bears he might be worth paying to start this season. Since then opinions have flown in all directions about whether that's wise.
Perhaps the best way to answer that is with another question. Is this 2017 Bears offense better, as bad or worse than the unit he played with four years ago? That's what this article will explore. It will take each position group, break it down and see which should be considered the stronger of the two. Will there be a winner?
Running Back
Buccaneers:
- Doug Martin
- Brian Leonard
- Mike James
- Jeff Demps
- Bobby Rainey
Bears:
- Jordan Howard
- Tarik Cohen
- Taquan Mizzell
- Benny Cunningham
Wide Receiver
Buccaneers:
- Vincent Jackson
- Tiquan Underwood
- Chris Owusu
- Eric Page
- Russell Shepard
- Skye Dawson
Bears:
- Kevin White
- Kendall Wright
- Markus Wheaton
- Deonte Thompson
- Josh Bellamy
- Tre McBride
Tight End
Buccaneers:
- Tom Crabtree
- Tim Wright
- Nate Byham
Bears:
- Zach Miller
- Dion Sims
- Adam Shaheen
- Daniel Brown
Offensive Line
Buccaneers:
- Donald Penn
- Carl Nicks
- Jeremy Zuttah
- Davin Joseph
- Demar Dotson
Bears:
- Charles Leno
- Kyle Long
- Cody Whitehair
- Josh Sitton
- Bobby Massie
Conclusion
The reality is Mike Glennon has a much more talented offense around him this year than he did as a rookie four years ago. One could also argue he has a better defense to lean on too. It comes down to a simple question. Can he be productive despite having what is, from most accounts, a weak wide receiving corps? If he can't then his hold on the starting job isn't going to last long. Head coach John Fox is under a ton of pressure to start winning some football games this year. Maybe the playoffs are out of the question but certainly improvement from going 3-13 last year. He believes Glennon can be the guy to do that for him. Otherwise he's all but fired. Desperation may move him to start Mitch Trubisky in the event things turn south.Comments
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