Defense was never going to be the issue this season. It was all about whether Ryan Pace could do enough to help the Chicago Bears offense not be awful like it was in 2019. With limited resources at his disposal, the GM had to find a way to make it work. He signed Jimmy Graham in free agency and traded for Nick Foles from Jacksonville. Everybody knew though he couldn’t afford to misfire when the NFL draft arrived.
His two most notable moves on the offensive side when the action started were grabbing tight end Cole Kmet with the Bears’ first pick and then trading up in the 5th round for wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Neither move garnered much praise from experts. While Kmet and Mooney had their share of admirers in the draft community, it was never expected they’d possibly change the fortunes of this offense.
Yet signs out of training camp indicate the Bears may have gotten more than anybody expected. Both Kmet and Mooney have stood out in practice consistently for two weeks now. These aren’t just occasional nice moments for rookies. These guys are making plays consistently. Saturday at Soldier field was no exception according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic.
“Kmet scored on the final scripted play of the day. It was a short throw for Foles, but he delivered a great one: low and away from trouble — which was close to Kmet…
…As far as receivers, rookie Darnell Mooney and Javon Wims had good days.”
Chicago Bears offense ceiling may rest on the offensive line
If it’s true and those two turn into instant contributors, then the Bears offense is in far better shape. Graham is ripping up camp as well. Allen Robinson remains a stud and Anthony Miller seems to be ramping up. It feels like this team finally has an array of playmakers at every position. The big sticking point will be whether either of the quarterbacks can make full use of them.
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That will come down to the offensive line. Pace wasn’t able to invest much in that area due to contract situations. The only notable move was bringing in former Seahawks 1st round pick Germain Ifedi who will be switching to guard. Other than that, it’s the same front they fielded a year ago. One that struggled quite a bit, especially in the run game.
Can Juan Castillo do enough to iron out those problem? If he can, the Bears offense could be one of the biggest surprises this season.