A news-filled Chicago Bears season ends Sunday with a visit to Lambeau Field, the place the Green Bay Packers have a playoff bid on the road.
After that the Bears will shortly flip the web page to what could possibly be a seismic offseason at Halas Hall.
General supervisor Ryan Poles already is aware of he owns the No. 1 decide in 2024, and the primary order of enterprise shall be saying the way forward for coach Matt Eberflus and his workers. The workforce’s enhancements since November absolutely assist Eberflus, however there’s one closing piece to the analysis puzzle earlier than consideration flip to free company and the draft.
What does Poles plan to do along with his picks? Will he select to construct round quarterback Justin Fields or chart a path with a rookie and a roster that’s much better than most groups have when selecting a passer at No. 1? The clearest choices are to maintain Fields and commerce down for much more picks or to decide on a quarterback with the highest decide.
Before we go headlong into the largest Bears offseason since … the earlier one, let’s spotlight some developments and have a look at some nuggets from the 2023 season.
1. Among the teachings we should always take from the season is that Poles is fearless in his bid to construct the Bears right into a place the place they will get pleasure from sustained success.
That’s one factor of the Oct. 31 commerce for defensive finish Montez Sweat that in all probability hasn’t gotten sufficient consideration. The deal was made solely 25 days after Poles shipped broad receiver Chase Claypool to the Miami Dolphins.
Poles was roundly criticized — and rightfully so — for the November 2022 commerce with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Claypool, which value him the No. 32 decide in final yr’s draft. Claypool made no influence final season, and within the first few weeks of this season it was clear he wasn’t a match for the workforce’s tradition.
Many GMs of a 2-6 workforce would have been cautious of going buying once more with important draft capital. Poles might have added a much bigger title — Chase Young, whom the Washington Commanders additionally had been buying — at a smaller worth. He needed the higher participant in Sweat, was prepared to satisfy the asking worth and didn’t care that it got here on the heels of such a one-sided commerce with the Steelers.
Some panned the deal for Sweat, noting the Bears must overpay to signal him to an extension on prime of the big-time draft compensation they gave the Commanders. That’s precisely what occurred in a matter of days, when Sweat signed a four-year, $98 million extension.
Funny what can occur in two months. It doesn’t seem like they overpaid now. A protection that had 10 sacks by means of the primary eight video games has 19 during the last eight. The Bears have 18 takeaways during the last seven video games. They’ve improved dramatically in almost each key defensive metric.
It would have been simple for Poles to sit down on his draft capital on the finish of October with the season showing on its strategy to a wreck. He proved to be daring, and that’s one thing to remember when contemplating what choices he would possibly select transferring ahead.
2. Sweat has been higher than anticipated in making these round him higher, and broad receiver DJ Moore has been the whole lot the Bears hoped for and possibly extra.
Moore enters the finale with 92 receptions for 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns. Had Fields not missed 4 video games with a proper thumb damage in the course of the season and if a December ankle damage hadn’t slowed Moore, it will be simple to think about him close to 1,500 yards and greater than 100 catches already.
Sweat turns 28 in September earlier than subsequent season begins. Moore shall be 27 in April. They’re within the prime years of their profession. The commerce with the Carolina Panthers to accumulate Moore and the highest decide within the upcoming draft shall be a present that continues to provide.
3. Fields has remained emotionally unflappable throughout a season with intense stress.
Shortly after his feedback about “robotic” play in September, Fields threw 4 landing passes in consecutive video games in opposition to the Denver Broncos and the Commanders. The most spectacular factor he has executed since coming back from the thumb damage is cut back turnovers and sacks, displaying improved means to hunt a goal downfield whereas on the transfer.
He’s coming off a terrific recreation during which he carved up the Atlanta Falcons’ man protection, and the Packers doubtless will take a look at him with a heavy dose of zone ideas. It’s yet another recreation for Poles and his workers to think about — and an essential one in the event that they’re placing extra weight on Fields’ most up-to-date performances.
4. The single biggest enchancment — and it’s no contest — is the run protection.
The Bears enter Week 18 No. 1 within the league, permitting 84 speeding yards per recreation, a yr after Eberflus’ entrance was routinely trampled and opponents averaged 157.3 yards. That’s proof constructive the bottom Tampa-2 scheme isn’t a sieve with regards to stopping the run.
As former Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop used to say, it takes a village to run the ball. The similar is required to cease the run, and the Bears have some higher villagers in nostril sort out Andrew Billings, finish DeMarcus Walker and linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. That’s a pleasant signal the personnel division can establish and purchase items that match the coaches and scheme.
That sounds easy, however the course of isn’t at all times so well-matched.
5. It shall be fascinating to see what occurs on the offensive line within the offseason.
The Bears know they’ve to handle the middle place and they’re going to have choices. The way forward for left sort out Braxton Jones shall be a scorching matter, significantly if the workforce opts to maintain Fields and commerce down from No. 1. Jones had a tough journey in opposition to Myles Garrett three weeks in the past in Cleveland, however Garrett has that impact on almost each opponent.
“You talk about personality differences from Year 1 to Year 2,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy mentioned of Jones. “That’s been reflective in his play. Here’s a man who, he obtained right here, was type of quiet, didn’t run off the ball, wasn’t actual bodily, however then he obtained this confidence about him final yr and began believing in his recreation and that confirmed up this yr.
“You see the way in which he runs off the rock. He obtained referred to as for a false begin (in opposition to the Falcons) — that’s as a result of he was anticipating the snap depend and perhaps Lucas (Patrick) was only a tick late with (the snap). That wasn’t a (regular) false begin — he’s able to go rip. He’s able to run.
“(It) has just been really cool to see him grow and have that mentality. Super smart guy, so he can handle a lot. But the mentality part of it has been the coolest part about his game and the way his game is translating.”
With Darnell Wright at proper sort out and Teven Jenkins at left guard, the Bears have youth up entrance that ought to be higher transferring ahead.
6. The roster is crammed with younger gamers, and the secondary has the best focus of youth.
Rookie cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith have stood out and gotten a ton of taking part in time. Pro Bowl choice Jaylon Johnson is barely 24 as he completes his rookie contract, headed towards a probable contract extension or franchise tag. Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon has taken off in his second season as soon as allowed to give attention to just one place, and robust security Jaquan Brisker can also be in his second season.
It’s arrow up throughout the board, and the one query is how the workforce will tackle free security with Eddie Jackson signed for $14 million in 2024 and a call due on his future.
The secondary is making performs on the ball, and an upgraded cross rush with Sweat is a key cause. But it’s additionally as a result of these younger gamers have tailored to the scheme and grown because the season progressed.
7. Some people across the league had been a bit of leery when the Bears dumped large cash into not one however two linebackers.
Edmunds (4 years, $72 million) and Edwards (three years, $19.5 million) had been signed to compensate for the departure of Roquan Smith and to enhance the place. The cause for the skepticism was easy. Off-the-ball linebacker will not be thought of a premium place, even when the weak-side spot — Edwards on this case — is a key part in Eberflus’ scheme.
Like everybody else on the protection, they’ve been extra impactful since Sweat arrived. Edwards has been constant versus the run, in protection and as an occasional further rusher. Edmunds has improved over the course of the season as he match into the scheme. Edmunds turns 26 in May, and Edwards shall be 28 in August.
8. After the foremost payday for Sweat and modest extensions for Billings and kicker Cairo Santos, the Bears are eighth in obtainable cap house for 2024.
They have $38.3 million obtainable, in response to overthecap.com. That quantity ought to climb earlier than the brand new league yr begins, too, that means the Bears could have loads of house to get a deal executed with Johnson and be nimble at different positions they deem crucial.
Poles’ technique has been to make the bigger contracts flat as they transfer ahead by way of the cap hit. Cap-strapped groups will backload offers to push off bigger cap hits. The Bears’ strategy, one thing Poles did from the beginning, ought to preserve them in a wholesome cap scenario for a while earlier than a slew of younger gamers reaches the purpose the place they need to be paid.
This is at all times simpler to execute when the quarterback is on a rookie deal, as Fields is.
9. If you’re trying to stump your buddy, ask who was the final Bear to execute a pretend on particular groups.
The workforce has gone 57 consecutive video games with out trying a pretend. The final try got here in Week 9 of the 2020 season when private punt protector DeAndre Houston-Carson obtained a direct snap and handed off to linebacker Barkevious Mingo on a reverse.
Mingo zipped round the proper facet for 11 yards and a primary down. The play, on fourth-and-6 from the Bears 36-yard line, was their longest run of a 24-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The play title? Roger. Pretty easy. “Roger” advised the road the play was designed to go to the proper. “Larry” was the decision for a pretend to the left.
The Bears had been trailing 3-0 within the second quarter. The drive quickly stalled and coach Matt Nagy elected to punt for actual on fourth-and-2 from the Titans 45.
10. A victory over the Packers would give the Bears an 8-9 end, a five-game enchancment over 2022.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Bears have improved by 5 wins or extra on 4 events (not together with the strike-shortened 1982 season).
- 8 wins: 2000 (5-11) to 2001 (13-3)
- 7 wins: 2017 (5-11) to 2018 (12-4)
- 6 wins: 2004 (5-11) to 2005 (11-5)
- 5 wins: 1989 (6-10) to 1990 (11-5)
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Source: www.bostonherald.com