Quarterbacks may always get the attention, but the NFL is a team sport. All 53 players on a roster must give their utmost effort and energy to simply win games. Never mind a championship. The Chicago Bears rediscovered this in 2018, going 12-4 and winning the NFC North. However, they received a tough but valuable education from the Philadelphia Eagles on how much higher they need to raise their game.
The good news is they have the talent to make it happen. Their defense was the best in the NFL last season and are returning nine of their 11 starters with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Buster Skrine being the newcomers. GM Ryan Pace also spent most of the 2019 offseason stockpiling the offense.
David Montgomery, Mike Davis, Kerrith Whyte, Riley Ridley, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Emanuel Hall suddenly give them more explosiveness and more depth than they had last year. This in addition to getting Anthony Miller back healthy after he spent most of 2018 battling a dislocated shoulder. All five starters on the offensive line are back as well.
There aren’t many weaknesses on this roster, at least on paper. Something Adam Schein of NFL.com seems to agree with.
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Chicago Bears have 8th-most complete roster in the NFL
Schein picked out nine teams across the league that he considers having the most complete rosters in football. Teams that look good on offense, defense, and even special teams. His #1 choice was a surprising one in the Los Angeles Chargers while the hyped up Cleveland Browns are at #3. The Bears sit near the bottom of the list at #8 but are ranked ahead of the defending champion New England Patriots.
“Khalil Mack is an absolute stud — one of the best players in the sport. He changes the entire feel of this team. Roquan Smith lived up to the billing in Year 1. And then there’s the criminally underrated Akiem Hicks. And Eddie Jackson. And down the line. This defense is flat-out fantastic.
Mitch Trubisky’s development is key, and I believe in Matt Nagy’s ability to foster it. The surrounding pieces don’t get enough pub for being really solid, from Allen Robinson to Trey Burton to Tarik Cohen.”
It’s rather amazing how subdued the talk about the Bears is considering the success they had last season. Then again they did have four-straight losing seasons prior to it. People don’t seem convinced yet that they’re legitimate. This probably suits the coaches and players just fine. Less attention means less pressure, and more motivation to go out and prove it again.
