What's Now Apparent About Bears Needs

Minicamp put it all out on the table and their biggest needs might not be the ones described most often by analysts.

The draft next week will allow the Bears to address positions of need.

It won't even begin to fill all of those holes, from offensive and defensive lines to wide receiver and cornerback.

Minicamp this week has probably made it clear where the Bears can use the most help, even if it was only players wearing shorts and helmets.

Although coach Matt Eberflus sees the holes, he is sticking to the often-repeated need in the draft to improve talent across the board.

"I think we're looking at the whole team," Eberflus said. "I know that's a coach answer. I understand. But we really are.

"I was talking to (GM) Ryan (Poles Wednesday) during part of practice there, and we're really just looking at every position and where can we add value to our football team. That's really what we're doing. And I know that's a general answer, but that's really what we're going to do."

Eberflus said a more thorough discussion was to occur on Thursday afternoon at camp's conclusion.

"We'll talk about it as a scouting staff and a coaching staff together and talk about each individual player and see where they are—positives and things they can improve—and where that fits in," Eberflus said. "Then we'll have a meeting later that day and talk about where that fits into the draft.

"So we're on top of it and it's just a process we have to go through."

Simply, from watching workouts and seeing the assembled talent, it was a bit like laying all the cards out on the table. Here is what it told us about their biggest needs.

1. It Starts Up Front

Apologies to the countless people demanding a star wide receiver in the draft to help Justin Fields, but the need to get better and more defensive and offensive linemen is greater than anything they have at receiver or the secondary.

The defensive line they trotted onto the field is sadly lacking in both numbers and quality, as well as fit and depth. The line of Trevis Gipson, Justin Jones, Angelo Blackson and Sam Kamara that they threw onto the field for minicamp is not going to cut it. Even if Robert Quinn is part of their plans for the season —and this is not guaranteed—they still have questions at both defensive tackle and end in terms of both numbers and quality. Blackson might be able to play as a rotation player at one technique, the 4-3 nose, for this season. He's no long-term answer as he's essentially a two-gap player. Second-year nose Khyiris Tonga dropped weight but still looks like a holdover from the two-gap defense of Vic Fangio.

Al-Quadin Muhammad's absence from camp didn't help but even then, this is a player who has started one season and has 11 career sacks in five years.

The three technique can't just be a part of this defense. It needs to be a position filled by an extremely talented player who consistently penetrates against the run and pass. They have no one doing this, considering Jones has 4 1/2 career sacks and is an average player at this point.

Eberflus had praise for Gipson but acknowledged he is no finished product.

"He was more of an edge guy," Eberflus said. "Can he play different spots for us in terms of outside a tight end, inside a tight end, five technique, can he kick inside on pass rush downs? Really, just trying to figure out where he fits holistically in our defense."

Logan Hall's name has been repeated often as a possible draft choice at 39 or 48 for the Bears, and others like Perrion Winfrey also have come up. They really need to go in this direction for the draft, and possibly a few times because of the lack of overall talent they have.  

The Bears might have the worst offensive and defensive lines in the league if they don't solidify them through the draft.

A look at the other side of the ball makes it even more likely they'll think about drafting one of the best guards they can find. Dakota Dozier or Sam Mustipher might be fine as backups but if the Bears are starting either then their interior becomes a question and their two second-year tackles will be exposed all the more.

These are serious problems they need to address.

2. Brian Asamoah anyone?

The Texas A&M linebacker visited the Bears and seeing Nicholas Morrow teamed with Roquan Smith as a middle linebacker/weakside linebacker combo made it clear they could use him. They want a real force to combine with Smith.

Eberflus started talking about the past situation the team had at these spots.

"I would say Roquan playing the position that he's in, playing inside linebacker for us is a huge role," Eberflus said. "(Brian) Urlacher and (Lance) Briggs were big components to the great defense that they've had here in the past and that's going to be no different.

"We're looking for those same type of guys. We want a pair of guys in there that are really dominant and we're going to work towards that. Roquan is in those plans, so we're excited about where he is."

So what does that say for Morrow? He's on a one-year deal, which should say it all.

Smith and Asamoah or some other standout linebacker in the draft would have a far better ring than Smith and Morrow going forward. Expect the Bears to give a good look to this position.

3. Pass Catchers

No one will fear Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown as a receiver group. They do need a big-play X-type receiver on the outside. But St. Brown as a slot isn't scaring anyone, either.

Still, all three have played in the NFL and produced, Mooney at a high level. If you compared that to the defensive and offensive lines, they're a step ahead.  

If they use the first two picks on linemen on either side of the ball or linebacker, it will mean a receiver in Round 3. They're far less likely to find an immediate impact receiver in Round 3.

Pringle and St. Brown are only in Chicago on one-year deals to prove themselves. Any receiver the Bears draft will automatically be considered on level or even above those two, as they'll be tied already to the future while it's still a question mark for those veterans on one-year deals..

This is a need like the line spots, although not nearly as dire because the offensive line will get Justin Fields injured quickly if not addressed and the understaffed defensive line will put far too much pressure on the newly revamped offense to put up points.

If, as Eberflus stated, they're looking for that really good inside linebacker combination like the Bears had with Urlacher and Briggs, then it's hard to see how receiver rates higher than third or fourth among actual pressing team needs.

To fill all those needs, they may need to move back somewhere in Round 2 in order to get extra picks.

It's always easy to find a lower-level street free agent receiver or two for depth's sake who can actually add something but it's much more difficult to find linemen on both sides of the ball who do both. And adding linemen needs to be done now so they can work into the system. 

4. DBs of All Types

Lump the safeties with cornerbacks in here. 

In fact, they may need another starting safety even more. Dane Cruikshank wasn't even practicing. Eddie Jackson missed one workout and they were using DeAndre Houston-Carson with a tryout guy, Christian Uphoff, until Jackson returned. There were no other safeties. 

Duke Shelley and Kindle Vildor take a beating from fans and media for being ineffective last year, but in this minicamp with Jaylon Johnson not participating those two proved the closest thing they had to seasoned vets. 

The late-round picks can be used for filling up defensive back depth. They won't find a standout starting cornerback then but they can at least fill the backup spots to challenge their substandard starters. They need to because players like BoPete Keyes, Lamar Jackson (not that Lamar Jackson) and Michael Joseph just won't suffice as possible fill-ins when a starter is injured.

It looked bleak without Johnson on the field, and imagine what would happen if he had an injury for a sustained period.

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