Chicago Bears
2019 Record: (8-8) 3rd
NFC North
2019 Season Recap:
Offense
Points: 17.5 (29th)
Yards: 296.8 (29th)
Pass Yards: 205.7 (25th)
Rush Yards: 91.1 (27th)
Defense
Points: 18.6 (4th)
Yards: 324.1 (8th)
Pass Yards: 222.1 (9th)
Rush Yards: 102.0 (9th)
When the Bears hired former Andy Reid
disciple Matt Nagy to be the new face in Chicago, everything opened like a
Cinderella story fit for a storybook finish. Going 12-4 in 2018 but seeing
grave misfortune off that “double-doink” missed field goal in the wildcard loss
to the Eagles – optimism was supremely high for the 2019 edition of the
Bears.
Seeing three major adjustments to this
roster before the season began, first was the trade of Jordan Howard to the
Eagles, then the signing HaHa Clinton-Dix to add more punch to an already stout
defense, to finish off in drafting the high potential running back David
Montgomery. For a club that went 12-4 the season prior, these additions were
viewed as finalizing pieces to bring them over the top to possibly contend for
the super bowl. And while champions aren’t crowned in the off-season, what
transpired from the year was more than a mere shock.
To sum up, this version of the Bears
were extremely anemic to say the least. Not finding any levels of consistent
play offensively, the team defense literally carried this club for the entire
campaign. What came to pass was a terrible run attack behind limited in game
touches from play calling and what appeared to be a drastic regression in skill
from Mitchell Trubisky. A number of key issues led to the Bears demise and we
can pin a great deal of the inadequacy on coach Nagy. Frustration was witnessed
from the sidelines on more than one occasion as his anger came from poor
execution. Perhaps adjustments earlier in the season to his system would’ve
been of benefit?
With that said, what we observed was a
defense that would no longer play lights out for an offense that was unable to
sustain drives and put points on the board. Even the best in the business aren’t
immune to sinking when the ship has a massive hole.
An 8-8 season and missing the playoffs
was the end result – but we still have a good level of optimism that things can
turn around and rather quickly for this franchise.
2020 Offseason
WorkBook:
The Offense
In dissecting this roster as a whole, we
see two major concerns that must be rectified for the Bears to have more
success. First, the offensive line needs a major upgrade to support higher
levels of achievement in both the run and the pass. Bears quarterbacks were
sacked a healthy 48 times in 2019 and any holes that appeared for their running
back closed faster then you could blink an eye at. Holding penalties were a
massive concern as well which seemingly put the offense in poor starting
positions more often than not.
The second issue we have is somewhat two-fold
with the horrendous play of Mitchell Trubisky and inept play calling of coach
Nagy. While we believe that Nagy will figure things out to be more productive,
we truly question if Trubisky will be better than what he’s placed on the
field. At this point, Trubisky has only shown great performances in a few
contests that would make us believe. Outside of that, his main problem is
throwing to the left when standing in the pocket. Inaccurate passes were a common
thread when reviewed from film in this regard. Could we witness the Bears bring
in a free agent quarterback to push the progression of Trubisky – absolutely.
Perhaps Marcus Mariota finds his way to the fold in hopes to resurrect his
career in what could be a true training camp competition.
Outside of that, if improvements are
made, this offense does have the ability to be a game changing unit with the
other pieces they have in place. Allen Robinson proved he was back to star
levels even on an enigmatic system. We expected more for their second year pass
catcher (Anthony Miller), but he started to come on later in the season. With
that, secondary receiving help did take a back seat with injuries to Trey
Burton and little usage from Taylor Gabriel. It would be smart for coach Nagy
to again integrate all weapons in his systems to help get back to winning ways.
The Defense
Even as it seems we have many negatives
to say for the Bears offense, we can’t say anything sour toward this elite
defensive squad. Completing the season in the top 10 in most statistical ranks,
this group was again very dominating for the most part in 2019. As we
mentioned, you did see some drop off in productivity as the year wore on, but
that was simply from over work and carrying the load.
Starting with the defensive front which
is lead by all star Khalil Mack, we did see his worst sack output since coming
into the league back in 2014. With that said, the loss of Akiem Hicks for most
of the season ultimately contributed to Mack’s lower numbers as support in the
pass rush just wasn’t the same. Adding more play-makers to this front would be a
welcomed sight to lift them back to 2018 levels which saw them gather 50
overall.
In terms of the line backing core, how
can we not preach our affinity for a group that is one of the best in the NFL.
With a trio built as well as this, the production each week is almost a
formality. Roquan Smith and Leonard Floyd are two youngsters that should have a
place on this team for many years, while the future of Danny Trevathan will be
in question as he requires a new contract. Nevertheless, rolling with Floyd and
Smith (even without Trevathan) will still bear fruit on the stat sheet.
When it comes to the defensive
backfield, Chicago has two of the better safeties in the NFL in Eddie Jackson
and Clinton-Dix. While Kyle Fuller is a sound corner in his own right, we
wouldn’t hate an upgrade to Price Amukamara. Buster Skrine is also a notable
name to highlight as he rebounded in 2019 while primarily playing the nickel
spot. Even as we preach the belief in what this room of play-makers can do,
Clinton-Dix is up for a new contract which could send him packing. Adding defensive backs will be another area the Bears focus on this
off-season.
Team Free Agents / Team Salary Cap
With a subpar season in the books and
looking to improve the shortcomings on this roster, difficulties will be faced
as the Bears hold a meek 13.3 million in free space. And while that would
normally be problematic for most 8-8 clubs, this roster is still loaded with
talent and only hold 21 team free agents to consider.
As stated above, Danny Trevathan, and
HaHa Clinton-Dix will be viewed as the top commodities to earn new deals from
the Bears this off-season. With others simply viewed as depth pieces, perhaps
the exchange will be made at line backer in resigning Nick Kwiatkoski to
replace Trevathan? While it may not be a popular choice – the option is on the
table.
When it comes to finding more money on
the books, the Bears do have some options to consider. While I would never
suggest releasing Allen Robinson or Leonard Floyd, their collective cap hits
are astronomical to the tune of 28.2 million or 13.09% of the team’s current
space. It would be incumbent for Chicago to offer contract extensions to both
players to drop the overall hit in 2020.
In the respect to removing money from
the books altogether, we must stay on point to cut bait with Prince Amukamara
and his 10 million dollar cap hit. Releasing him would only burn one million in
dead funds which could create positive cash flow to bring back Clinton-Dix. Adding
to that, eliminating either Tyler Gabriel or Cordarrelle Patterson would be
something to entertain. If cut post June 1st, both men would save
roughly the same amount of money (5.5 - 5.7 million), while incurring another
minimal hit of one million to the dead cap.
As the Bears enter the off-season looking
dire to add new weapons to the club, extra money can be acquired with a little
tinkering making the outlook far better in 2020.
The NFL Draft
When we review what Chicago has upcoming
for the NFL Draft, they currently house seven picks to their name, while still
being without another first round selection (Khalil Mack trade). As it stands
today, the Bears hold two second round picks and two sixth rounder’s, with no
first and third selection on the books.
When it comes to restocking this roster,
the Bears should focus on the offensive line first and foremost. Needing more
depth and talent on that line will go a long way in improving the offense this
season. Staying the course with our suggestion to release either Gabriel or
Patterson, this draft is loaded with wide receivers to which the Bears could
upgrade the position at a much lower rate.
Outside of that, adding adequate depth
to the defensive line and defensive back positions would provide much needed
assistance to groups that took a sidestep last season. The outlook will be
strong with a very sound draft class.
Comments
Post a Comment