NFL Offseason Roadmap: Chicago Bears

NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.

After the Chicago Bears lost in the Super Bowl to the Indianapolis Colts, they made several decisions before trying to defend their NFC crown. They gave Cedric Benson the starting tailback job, kept the quarterback position intact, signed Adam Archuleta to play safety and fired defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. It's hard to imagine any of them could have gone worse and each played a big part of the trip to a 7-9 record. The early word out of Chicago is that there won't be any big moves this time around but it's hard to see how such an approach would make for a markedly better 2008.

1. Quarterback – GM Jerry Angelo has been talking up a competition for the starting job in 2008 and that's certainly a good idea. None of the three quarterbacks who started for the Bears this season deserve an unfettered move to the top of the chain but the team won't do well to stand pat with the players they have. Rex Grossman is a free agent but unlikely to find big money offers and guaranteed starting jobs flooding his inbox.

Bringing him back is okay at a reasonable price and Kyle Orton showed enough to earn another season in Chicago but the team should sign a veteran and draft a quarterback to groom this offseason. Let the older three compete for the job while the youngster becomes the number three and joins the mix down the road.

2. Offensive Line – This group needs to get younger and more athletic in a hurry. Fred Miller is no good at right tackle while Ruben Brown's laudable career has probably reached its last stop. Terrance Metcalf isn't the answer at left guard which means each of those spots needs to be addressed. There's no depth on the line in Chicago and their first round pick will likely have to be a lineman with more coming later in the selection process. All the changes in the world in the backfield won't matter if the guys up front play as poorly as they did this season.

3. Running Back – The Bears can go in a couple of directions here. They can try to replicate the success they had when Thomas Jones and Benson split the tailback job or they can try for an outright replacement of the disappointing former Longhorn. Michael Turner of San Diego is an attractive option in either case. He's speedy and has always looked good in relief of LaDainian Tomlinson. His outside running would allow Benson to emphasize toughness and inside yards, which could have bear fruit for both team and player. We don't know if Turner can be a workhorse because he's never had the chance but if he proved able, time on the bench could light a fire under the often dispassionate Benson.

4. Free Agents – In addition to Grossman, two key players, Lance Briggs and Bernard Berrian, are free agents this offseason. Briggs is almost surely gone but the Bears have a decent looking replacement in Jamar Williams. Brian Urlacher got healthy toward the end of the season and looked like the beast of earlier days which makes losing Briggs easier. Berrian is a tougher call. He's not a game breaker but he's a capable receiver who could probably do more in a better scheme. The cupboard is essentially bare behind him so franchising him is probably the right move for the short term. Working Devin Hester into the mix and adding another wideout would supplement him and make him better while making life easier for whoever is throwing the ball.

5. Safety – As mentioned above, Archuleta was a disaster and probably the worst offseason pickup in the entire league. Mike Brown, a talented player, cannot stay healthy. That makes it impossible for the team to count on him in '08. Danieal Manning can replace him at free safety but the team needs to find a strong safety that can both support the run and play the pass to avoid the big plays that sank them so often this season.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-30-2008 @ 7:22AM

Shady said...

You're right on the money identifying the positions the Bears need to seriously address this offseason. However, I would rank O-Line #1 then S #2, RB, QB, WR then linebacker.

Angelo has a history of building the O-line through free agency, and I believe he'll do it again this year. There are several FA linemen who can come in an make a difference right away, some expensive and some not so pricey. If the Bears pick up an OT or a OG in FA, they could afford to select more of a playmaker with their 1st pick. But you can guarantee the Bears will draft at least 1 o-lineman this year.

What was once thought to be teams biggest strength last offseason turned out to be one of the most glaring weaknesses. Injuries and poor play were to blame for the downfall of the safety position. As much as I like Kevin Payne, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be a happy man if Kenny Phillips fell to the Bears at #14.

Although the poor play of the O-Line certainly played a role in the poor play of the RBs, Cedric Benson showed everyone he's not a gamebreaker and is becoming injury prone. You hear the term 'light a fire under' way too much when you talk about Benson. Great RBs don't need a light, they can spark their own fire. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 1st or 2nd rd. pick spent on a hard-working RB like Oregon's Jonathan Stewart, Michigan's Mike Hart, or Rutgers' Ray Rice.

Again the O-Line made it difficult to evaluate just how bad things were. For the given QB at the time, there was no support of a decent running game, decent pass blocking, or a consistent receiving corps. Rex seemed to improve after his sabbatical and Kyle held his own for the last 3 games. Neither has shown the ability to consistently perform as a franchise QB in Chicago, but what else is new? I like the kid Flacco out of Deleware, Henne from Michigan and Flynn from LSU. They all seem to have the ability to make it in the NFL, but will need at least a few years to become a reliable starter. I like your plan of bringing Rex back at a reasonable price, having KO as the backup, bringing in a vet (McNabb), dropping Griese and grooming a rook.

I don't see the Bears slapping the franchise tag on Bernard Berrian. It didn't work out well with Briggs last offseason, and BB just isn't worth $5+ million a year. Angelo isn't in the business of overpaying for talent, except for Benson and Moose, but you're right that the cupboard is bare behind BB. I would love to see the Bears go after an elite WR with a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Losing Berrian could really hurt the offense, even if Hester improves, because Moose is NOT a #1 WR.

And Linebacker. If Briggs leaves, and he's going to, then J. Williams is going to have to fill some big shoes. Briggs was a difference maker on the field, often when Urlacher wasn't or couldn't be. If Wiliams doesn't perform well enough or gets injured, the Bears would have to play Brendon Ayanbadejo (assuming he's still a Bear in '08) or Michael Okwo? Izzy Idonije? Who would it be?

Bottom line: Angelo is going to earn his money this offseason. If he is serious about turning the team around, he's going to need the funds at his disposal to sign key FAs and perhaps a trade here or there. Don't be afraid to make a splash or a change Jerry. Lovie grew a gray goatee because he said he wanted a change, so maybe a change wouldn't be such a bad thing... At least it couldn't be worse than last year offseason.

1-30-2008 @ 7:27AM

JAlper said...

Shady - Thanks for your thoughts. A lot to think about.

I think you're right about, acquisition-wise, O-line being the first thing up. Just think that the offensive scheme has so much to do with the backfield that they need to figure out what they want from those positions as soon, if not sooner, than picking up new players to play on the line. Obviously they could have Brady and Tomlinson and still do nothing behind such a leaky line but Angelo, Lovie and Turner need to figure out what kind of players they want quickly.

As for QBs, if you bring in McNabb, as you posit, don't think there's much reason to bring back Rex. I was thinking a little lower than McNabb, although I think he's still got something left in the tank. And as a Michigan graduate who watched most of Chad Henne's starts, I think the Bears can do better.

Guilty as charged about light a fire and Cedric Benson. It probably isn't ever going to happen for him.