Chicago Bears 2018 Preview

Chicago Bears 2018 Preview

Opening Statement: The Bears finally had had enough of John Fox last season, and fired him, replacing him with rookie head coach Matt Nagy, the former journeyman NFL backup QB and Kansas City OC. He is just 40 years old, and is more of an offensive mind, which made it paramount that the team retained the services of DC Vic Fangio, which they did. Nagy brought in former Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich to run the offense, so look for the Bears to look more like a college team with the offense that will be installed to help Mitch Trubisky make the leap to the next level, if he can. Trubsky will be squarely on the hot seat in year 2, as he has to show the Bears that he is the franchise QB that they gave up a large haul to acquire last year.

Quarterback Breakdown
It's all lights on Trubisky now, as the Bears did a lot to add quality talent around him during the off-season, especially in the receiver corps. If Trubisky cannot get it done in 2018, his time as starter may be done, and the Bears may start looking elsewhere for his replacement, if they can acknowledge that failure.

Depth is not great behind Trubisky. Chase Daniel has thrown just 78 passes in the NFL in 8 years, while Tyler Bray has attempted just one pass in the last four years. The Bears could use an upgrade here, but there are no other bodies in camp.

Running Back Breakdown
Jordan Howard returns as the starter at RB, but look for Tarik Cohen to get more work and reps in the new offense that Helfrich will be installing. Howard rushed for 1122 yards last fall, and scored 9 times. He should be able to adjust to the new system and have more of a breakout year than he did a year ago. Cohen should continue in his role as utility back, and should shine on passing downs.

Benny Cunningham is an all-purpose back that fits well into the Helfrich scheme on offense, and should have a role as the 3rd back. Taquan Mizzell never got going last year, but the staff thinks that he should be able to break out in camp. If he doesn't, he will be gone.

Michael Burton is the starter at FB, but is more of a special teams ace, and he probably will not see many touches on offense. Ryan Nall was brought into camp as a UDFA, but may find it tough going to break camp on the active roster.

Receiver Breakdown
The Bears went shopping to upgrade their lagging receiver corps during the off-season, and upgraded significantly. Last year's receiving leader, Kendall Wright, is gone, and replacing him will be Allen Robinson, who was allowed to walk by Jacksonville after ending up on the IR with a torn ACL last year. He should be healthy and ready to go, and will be the big body bruiser in the passing game that will open things up for other receivers. Taylor Gabriel was brought in from Atlanta, and has speed to burn, and he should open up the field to allow a better flow of the passing attack. Bennie Fowler was brought in from Denver, and his size/speed ratio makes him a solid fit for this offense.

Kevin White is back from injury, but he has never been able to break out of his shell. It is hoped that the new offense will suit his abilities, but if not, he could be on his way elsewhere. Anthony Miller was drafted out of Memphis in the 2nd round, and he should have instant impact in this offense, and could be the guy who pushes White out the door. Joshua Bellamy is back as well, but should see most of his time as a special teams gunner.

Javon Wims was drafted in the 7th round, and could fit as a rock solid possession receiver in the offense, and if he makes it out of camp, could be a fantastic story. Marlon Brown has been a constant injury issue since his rookie season in Baltimore, and could be out of town by the end of camp.

Tight End Breakdown
Trey Burton may be one of the most underrated offensive weapons that the Bears could have, and he could see a massively expanded role in this offense. He can line up as a traditional TE, but could be moved all over the field and used in a variety of roles. Adam Shaheen is developing nicely, and will be used as a blocking TE, and will have a role in the red zone as a secondary big body receiving option. Dion Sims could be the 3rd TE, and actually fits this offense better than the old system, which he was brought in to run in.

Ben Braunecker and Daniel Brown look to be camp casualties, but Brown could stick if Sims somehow is let go.

Offensive Line Breakdown
Charles Leno is back at LT, but the Bears would love to eventually upgrade the position. Leno was not all that disciplined last season, and his pass block skills are suspect. Bobby Massie has some of the same issues Leno has on the right side. He is not a great pass blocker, and again, the Bears would love to eventually upgrade this spot. Dejon Allen was signed as a UDFA out of Hawaii, and projects as a backup to Leno on the left side, while Matt McCants was signed to bring some help to the right side. Neither are rock solid options at this point. Bradley Sowell is also in camp as a swing tackle, but his job is not a lock but for the fact that depth at Tackle is not great.

Rookie James Daniels is the future on the line, for now, but will end up at LG rather than Center to start. Kyle Long will start at RG, but the needle is pointing down on him, and his injuries are mounting. Again, the Bears would love to find an upgrade. Sowell is expected to move inside in camp to get some work in backing up at OG, while Jordan Sowell spent last season on IR, and has to prove himself to make the cut this camp.

Rashaad Coward is moving over from the D line to work at OG, but could see himself back on the defensive side as a NT. Brandon Greene is back, but still lacks the size for the position, and could be cut in camp. Eric Kush was supposed to get a solid amount of reps last year, but tore his hamstring in camp, and spent the year on IR. Earl Watford is a veteran who could see time at Tackle or Guard in camp. Cameron Lee is a long shot to make the cut, but is, once again, a practice squad candidate.

Cody Whitehair was solid at Center last season, and will be the one keeping Daniels from his natuaral position, for now. He may have more value at OG long term, so look for some fluidity in his situation. Hroniss Grasu is on the roster for camp, but looks like he may see the cutting room floor.

Defensive Line Breakdown
Akiem Hicks returns, and just continues to improve as he heads into his 7th season. He is largely named as one of the leaders on this defense. He led the team with 8.5 sacks last season at DE. Jonathon Bullard returns opposite Hicks, but the team needs to see consistency, or else he could eventually see his way out of his starting job. Roy Robertson-Harris backs up Hicks, but he needs to show his long game potential on the field, and he has not yet. The Bears got one of the best college players out of FCS football in the draft in Bilal Nichols, and long term, he could replace Bullard. Nick Williams was brough over from Kansas City, and should see some rotational work, but is a real special teams asset.

Eddie Goldman starts at NT, and is in a contract year. He has shown flashes in the past, but needs to put it all together in 2018 to get his deal. John Jenkins appears a lock to back up the NT spot, and has some ability to back up at DE as well.

Linebacker Breakdown
The Bears have some holes to fill at LB in the 3-4 set, and some guys coming back have got to prove themselves, startying with Leonard Floyd, who needs to prove that not only can dominate, but stay healthy as well. Aaron Lynch was brought over from San Francisco, and has a suspension in his past, and injuries as well. Both will start camp as starters at the OLB spots, but can they hold those spots?

Jonathon Anderson and Sam Acho are the backups at OLB, but neither have proven themselves on the field when given chances. Acho is a special teams ace, so that keeps him on the roster. Kylie Fitts was drafted from Utah in the 6th round, and has skill, but also has had his share of injuries, costing him field time. Isaiah Irving looked promising early last season, but then fell off hard.

First round draft choice Roquan Smith should have immediate impact as a starter at LILB, but has yet to sign his deal. Apparent language about the new head on tackle penalty seems to be a hold up point. Once in the throws of camp, he should be an Urlacher styled beast. Danny Trevathan has all the talent in the world at RILB, but cannot stay healthy. Nick Kwiatkowski backs up Smith, but again, he has had too many injury battles. John Timu is a smart backup at RILB, but his value card is shrinking with the addition of rookie Joel Iyiebuniwe out of Western Kentucky.

Secondary Breakdown
Prince Amekamara is back at CB, and is one of the better tight man coverage corners in the league, but he does not create turnovers. Kyle Fuller is back opposite him, and is on a new contract. He has to now prove that he was worth his weight in those negotiations on the field.

Bryce Callahan is the Nickel, and is one of the better players in the league at that spot, but needs to show more ability in the red zone, where he can get beat in traffic. Marcus Cooper figures in as the 4th corner, but was a real let down last season, and has more value on special teams than in coverage. Cre'Von LeBlanc is the backup at Nickel, but he could end up pushing Callahan down the line for the full time job. Sherrick McManis is a special teams leader. and a calming veteran presence in the locker room.

Doran Grant is on his fifth team, and this may be the end of the line for him if he cannot make it out of camp. Deondre Hall is not much use in coverage, and may be a camp cut.

Adrian Amos is in a contract year, and has been solid throughout his first 3 years in the league. If he has another solid season, the Bears have to pay him. Eddie Jackson is back at FS, and was a breakout star as a rookie. He and Amos make up one of the more solid Safety tandems in the NFL this season. Deon Bush has a huge opportunity as the 3rd Safety in camp, and has to make the most of it. Hall could also be given a shot to slide over from CB and back up at Safety.

DeAndre Houston-Carson finaly settled in at Safety, and should be given a shot to win a backup job in camp. He is a developer, and is rising.

Special Teams Breakdown
Cody Parkey is back as the PK, but his specialty is onside kicks, and he was successful 4 times in that area last season.

Pat O'Donnell is the perfect Punter for Solider Field, as he has several techniques he can use, depending on the conditions.

Cohen and Eddie Jackson are the KR men, and are solid in that role, while they also inhabit the depth chart as the PR men.

Final Analysis: I am not sold on Trubisky as the future at QB in Chicago. Having watched his college film, which was limited, I do not see him as the fit in the new offense that others do, and I feel like he would benefit more from being a pro set, drop back, pocket QB. He does not have the overall agility and accuracy that this offense will require of him under pressure. The line is not great, either, as both tackles and one OG spot are really questionable for me.
Defensively, the Bears have some real skill guys across the board, but the OLB spots scare me a bit, as those guys now have to prove that they are front men instead of role players, and in that defensive set, those questions are problems. The secondary and line should be decent, but Bullard, if he cannot be consistent at DE, could be a liability.
The Bears should be better this season than last, but Trubisky is squarely on the hot seat, and with several questions left to be answered, it's hard to say how much better that will be, especially with a young, first time head coach, and an OC who is probably better fitted to the college game than the pro game. Should be fun to watch, anyway.