The Real Bears Problems Spelled Out

Analysis: As work begins for the Bears at Halas Hall and the team enters the later part of free agency before the draft, the issues they face seem monumental in assembling a team capable of competing.

Bears GM Ryan Poles has barely begun to rebuild this team so the number of problems ahead seem unlimited.

Some need addressing more rapidly than others. The NFL season begins Sept. 8—Sept 11 for most teams. It's probably not sufficient time to remedy all shortcomings for a totally reconstructed team.

Free agency's yield has come in quantity rather than quality for the Bears.

The draft can only do so much to solve immediate deficiencies. Eventually those younger players blossom but in most cases it is not in the rookie year.

When Matt Eberflus brings his team to training camp it will look different than it does now, but at this point these are the major problems facing the Bears ranked in order.

If you look at social media, you'd think the problems are listed in reverse order, but they're not.

5. Lack of Tailored Talent

Players held over from last year still constitute the bulk of the roster. They can't replace everyone at once. In many cases, those holdover players fail to fit exactly what the team wants to accomplish.

On the defensive line, Khyiris Tonga and Angelo Blackson are big, hulking guys who don't fit a single gap attacking line approach at all. Robert Quinn isn't a versatile defensive end like the 4-3 demands but is a dominant pass rusher. They really can't be sure of how Trevis Gipson fits, although in college he played in a defense somewhat like the new one. Their extra minicamp will help somewhat as they look at the hand they've been dealt while making more changes.

The situation is the same on offense, where it's questionable whether Larry Borom is a fit for wide zone blocking. They could have similar situations with two other line positions.

Their wide receivers might be a bit too small for a scheme where an emphasis is placed on receivers who can assist the running or screen games by also blocking.

Faster and more athletic players are required on both sides of the ball. They can only do so much with what they have until they get the type of pieces they really need.

4. Lack of Quality Receivers

This means receivers of all types.

All the social media demand has been to get more big-name receivers for Justin Fields to target. They do need more receivers but if they fail to solve the other problems ranked more critical, then their need for receivers becomes a moot point.

The Bears at receiver are no worse than when last season ended. They still have their top three pass catchers—Darnell Mooney (81 catches), Cole Kmet (60 catches) and David Montgomery (42). Allen Robinson is gone and had 38 receptions last season. He has been replaced, essentially, by Byron Pringle, who made 42 with the Chiefs.

Now, no one will ever forget Robinson because they have Pringle. But the simple truth is Robinson had far less impact last year than in the past and he isn't Robinson of 2019 and 2020 but the player in 2022 who they couldn't afford within their cap situation.

The goal now is to elevate the entire receiver group in a new offense. They need help badly, but they do have other areas in worse shape after signed two receivers in free agency. 

3. Poor Cornerback Quality

Considering how fast all the work a team puts in on offense can be ruined by a blown coverage and big pass play against their own defense, improving this position is critical. And they've done nothing at all to help it, yet.

The losses to Pittsburgh and Baltimore last year were prime examples of cornerbacks ruining a good comeback by Justin Fields or former Bears QB Andy Dalton. 

Last season the Bears gave up 12 passes of 40 yards or longer last year, the fourth highest total in the league. They had the worst passer rating against. They've had only one interception from a cornerback each of the last two seasons. 

Like with receiver, the three main principles at cornerback have returned for the Bears. Only one of the three, Jaylon Johnson, is worthy of a starting spot. The same problem can't be said for the top three returning Bears receiving targets.

2. Run and Pass Blocking

This is a coin toss with their second biggest problem but on the Bears offensive line are at least two veterans who have been somewhat successful or have been part of a successful offensive line. One is former Pro Bowl player Cody Whitehair and the other is former Packers center Lucas Patrick. The two best Bears blockers according to Pro Football Focus are gone now with the departure of tackle Jason Peters and guard James Daniels. It's questionable whether second-year players Teven Jenkins and  Borom can even replace them adequately, let alone approach their level of play. Any way they can still improve the offensive line must be explored to fix this problem. 

If they don't get Fields the blocking, it won't matter who his receivers are.

1. Run Defense

This is easily one of the biggest obstacles facing the team at the moment, and probably the biggest in terms of on-field production. 

The Bears looked like they were better on pass defense than they were last year because teams chose to run on their suddenly anemic run defense instead of passing. Only nine defenses had to defend more rushing attempts than the Bears. On the other hand, the Bears faced the fewest pass attempts in the league last year and it wasn't even close. The 28.1 passes per game they faced where 2.2 less than the second fewest. They ranked 23rd at stopping the run. So it was easier to run on them than to leave a quarterback exposed to one of their greatest strengths, the pass rush. Teams simply chose to run on them. When an NFL team is run on, the game's over. Opponents will just keep running on them. There's less risk than passing it.

What's been done to improve the situation? The entire interior of the defensive line is gone but mainly because of expiring contracts, salary cap savings and scheme change. They didn't get the job done last year anyway. They have attempted to replace part of this by signing defensive tackle Justin Jones and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. Jones has 4 1/2 sacks in his four-year career. Muhammad wasn't a starter until last year, his fifth in the league, and he's an edge defender. Beyond that, the holdover talent doesn't have a riser in the ranks to step in, so they'll need to find more talent in the draft and remaining free agency.

It goes beyond the defensive line, because linebackers are keys in the run defense. Even with Roquan Smith inside last year, they struggled. They didn't have a capable complement. Now the scheme demands two other linebackers instead of one. Nicholas Morrow is a solid player but his strength is pass defense. His run defense has been average or below average according to PFF grades. The other players already on the roster at this position offer little.

To top it off, they are in a division where the three opponents they face six times a year already have strong running attacks (Vikings, Packers) or they set about committing to the run last year (Detroit).

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