Bear Digest

Stunner: Bears Roster Ranked Stronger than Green Bay Roster

One analysis of NFL rosters not taking into account quarterbacks has the Bears in a surprising spot and solidly ahead of their biggest rivals.

Gene Chamberlain

Packers tight end Tucker Kraft is tackled by T.J. Edwards in Green Bay last season.
Packers tight end Tucker Kraft is tackled by T.J. Edwards in Green Bay last season. / Wm. Glasheen-USA TODAY Sports
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The process of picking over rosters and rating them continues with extremes in the case of the Bears.,

On one day, Nick Wright of Fox Sports is saying the Bears are going to the Super Bowl, another day, Bleacher Report's David Kenyon calls them one of the most overrated team in the league. 

Assessments like power rankings have put the Bears somewhere near the mid-point of the league. ESPN and NFL.com had them 16th, SI.com was a little less generous at 19th.

The problem seems to be selling anyone on the Bears being better than Green Bay or Detroit. Whether a team is better or worse in objective evaluation of their roster should not take into account what division they play in, but Bleacher Report's Kenyon called them overrated and admits he can't get past the fact the Bears play Detroit and Green Bay twice.

What difference does this make in terms of assessing a team's strengths and weaknesses relative to the league overall? None, that's what. You could have the top four teams in a ranking be from the same division. It shouldn't matter. If you're predicting an order of finish in a division or conference this is one thing, but team strength and power ranking should only assess the roster.

From this standpoint, Bears fans might be interested in the latest evaluation from ProFootballNetwork.com. They assessed the full rosters of every team minus quarterbacks. The Bears are not 15th, 16th or even 19th in this assessment.

PFN's Dallas Robinson says the Bears have the seventh-best NFL roster without taking quarterback into account.

WHERE UNCERTAINTY MOST PLAGUES SHANE WALDRON'S OFFENSE

BEARS RECEIVERS HAVE MORE THAN MERE TALENT WORKING ON THEIR SIDE

BEARS SCHEDULE OFFICIALLY OUT AND IT'S CALEB WILLIAMS FRIENDLY

The Bears are graded four spots higher than the Packers.

Only the Lions, at No. 2, are graded higher among NFC North teams. And remember who had the upper hand in those games last year. The season split didn't indicate how play went in both games, as the Bears had control for 116 minutes of play.

The 49ers are first, Browns second, Lions third, Jets fourth and the Chiefs don't come in until No. 5. The Dolphins are sixth and the Bears are seventh, ahead of media darlings like the Eagles, Bengals and Texans.

Consider what this could mean if Williams is actually better than most rookies who play quarterback in the NFL.

"Williams has the best weapons of any QB drafted first overall over the past 15 years," Robinson writes.

Actually, BearDigest did this assessment and found no QB drafted first since the AFL-NFL merger had better receivers than Williams.

Robinson's defensive assessment carries with it a more astute observation than most other analysis of where the Bears are on that side of the ball after their addition of Montez Sweat last season.

"Chicago rarely blitzes, so it needs another edge rusher capable of winning 1-on-1 matchups," Robinson wrote. "DeMarcus Walker appears likely to hold onto his starting job unless the Bears make a late free agent addition."

This is the key. The Bears do not want to blitz. Last year they blitzed more than almost any Matt Eberflus defense has blitzed because they had no pass rush, and as a result they weren't playing coverage the way he wanted. Once Sweat arrived, the rush existed, they played seven men in coverage and the defense rose toward the top 10. With another rush man, it's lights out for opposing quarterbacks.

Putting the Bears in the top 10 among NFL rosters is a bold move but it's one not made with the schedules in mind or divisions. It's an assessment of overall roster strength.

This isn't quite Nick Wright predicting Super Bowl, but it's yet another indication of the positive work being done at Halas Hall and where the trend is going.

It also suggests a high amount of pressure is on Williams for his rookie year. They could be a strong team if he can develop quickly, but is he capable of this?

BEARS ROSTER BREAKDOWN: DESPERATE FOR DEFENSIVE LINE IMPROVEMENT

BEARS ROSTER BREAKDOWN: JAQUAN BRISKER DEVELOPMENT CRITICAL

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.