After a dismal 2016 season that saw the
Chicago Bears finish last in the NFC North yet again, Bears GM Ryan Pace vowed that the team would be thoroughly evaluated and that results were coming.
He promised that everything was on the table with respect to the all-important quarterback position, and that he was going to use every avenue and resource possible to add talent and depth to the roster.
Considering the plethora of resources available at the Bears’ disposal, namely all the cap space in the world and high draft picks, this offseason seemed primed to be one of the busiest in recent memory.
Indeed it has been … and we’re barely three days into the new league year.
The Bears, though missing out on the top 3 defensive backs in free agency despite heavy pursuit, have already made a substantial number of moves this offseason: both additions and subtractions to their previously thin roster.
And one can guarantee that more moves are coming before we hit the wonderful craziness that is the NFL Draft in April. Rumors are already flying that the Bears are meeting with other players that would add competition in training camp.
But at this stage, barely three days into free agency, where do the Bears stand? Let’s examine.
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Quarterback
After eight years, the Jay Cutler era came to an end in Chicago. Cutler asked for and was granted his release from the organization, ensuring that all 3 quarterbacks that started regular season games for the Bears last year would no longer be on the roster, as Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley both departed for San Francisco.
To compensate, the Bears went out and signed Mike Glennon away from Tampa, and at his introductory press conference, Ryan Pace mentioned he was “fired up” about Glennon starting next year.
While the moves to let Cutler go and replace him with Glennon were met with a strong amount of disappointment from Bears fans, I’ve warmed to the idea after letting it marinate for a couple days.
Let me make one thing clear: on no planet is Glennon a more talented quarterback than Cutler. And if I’m a team that’s a quarterback away from competing for a title (looking at you, Houston), I’m on the phone with Bus Cook, Cutler’s agent. But at least in Chicago, the Cutler era ran its course, and both sides really needed a fresh start. Sometimes, that’s just the way it is.
With the release, the Cutler Cloud will no longer hover over Halas Hall. And the Bears could do a lot worse than Glennon taking over the reins.
At the very worst, he’s a one-year bridge quarterback, allowing whomever the Bears presumably draft in April to get a year of seasoning before handing them the keys to the kingdom. But if Glennon pans out, he offers Chicago immense flexibility. As in, they can trade him for the moon. It’s a no-lose situation.
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Wide Receiver
Alshon Jeffery is no longer a Bear, departing for Philadelphia on a one-year deal to join forces with Carson Wentz. While his loss weakens the Bears (temporarily), with the uncertainty over his availability and high demands from a contractual perspective, Pace was OK with letting him go. And Eddie Royal figures to be on his way out the door as well.
The Bears then went out and signed Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright – two players that share a common trait sorely lacking currently from the Bears offense: Speed.
Wright, in particular, is an absolute steal for the Bears. He had his best season in Tennessee when Dowell Loggains was the offensive coordinator. In Chicago, he gets to reunite with Loggains while being paired with a strong-armed quarterback like Glennon. Incorporating his speed and quickness into the offense has to have Loggains and Glennon salivating.
A pass-catching mix of Cam Meredith, Kevin White, Wheaton, Wright, Rueben Randle and Daniel Braverman is actually sneaky-talented (sorry, Josh Bellamy). Look for the Bears to add another receiver in free agency (Cordarrelle Patterson, perhaps?) and/or during the draft to continue to add depth and improve competition. It should be a fun set of battles to watch.
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Tight End
The Bears signed Dion Sims away from Miami and re-signed Daniel Brown after he showed flashes towards the end of last season catching passes from Matt Barkley.
Sims is an intriguing add. He has good receiving and blocking ability, something Pace clearly seems to value in his tight ends. He never really found a role with the Dolphins, so he should have the opportunity for significant playing time in this offense.
Not to mention, this upcoming draft is loaded with tight ends as well, so look for Pace to add one to the mix and further improve competition and depth here.
Are you starting to sense a pattern?
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Secondary
Let’s get one thing straight: The secondary SUCKED last year. Plain and simple. It was not a professional unit whatsoever. If there was one area of the roster that needed a complete and utter revamp this offseason, this was it.
Pace went into free agency looking to add one of the top three cornerbacks on the market. But he made it clear when striking out on all three that Chicago was simply unwilling to overpay. It was either the Bears’ price or no price. And I respect the hell out of them for it. After all, it was Pace who said
“You can recover from the player you didn’t sign, but you can’t recover from the player you signed at the wrong price”. Truer words have never been spoken.
Never fear, though. They did get a boost by adding S Quintin Demps, CB Prince Amukamara and CB Marcus Cooper. All of them are already better than what Chicago employed in the secondary last season. And they surely aren’t finished tinkering here.
In what is expected to be a loaded upcoming draft at both cornerback and safety, expect the Bears to invest multiple picks to add competition for both positions. One thing is for sure: This unit is going to be so much better and deeper than last year’s unit. And that’s already pretty damn exciting.
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What's Next?
Look for the Bears to continue to add (you guessed it) depth and competition throughout the second and third waves of free agency. The defensive line and secondary are places that could use some work. Guys like Benny Logan and Johnathan Hankins on the defensive front could make a lot of sense. And Chicago is already rumored to have interest in Darius Butler as another safety addition, among others.
And then we have the draft. Pace’s style has been to fill holes and add depth via free agency so that he can truly draft the best player available in each round as he builds this roster from the ground up. And he’s certainly seemed to stick to that methodology this time around, too.
As mentioned, this draft is stacked at CB, DB, and TE – all areas of need for the Bears. And the Bears are expected to take their (presumed) quarterback of the future at some point, too.
I don’t know about you, but I’m excited as hell to see how this shakes out. All while knowing that whatever Pace has done so far has resulted in a stronger and deeper roster than what was deployed in 2016. That’s all we can ask for.
In Pace we should, and shall, continue to trust.
