Chicago Bears: Top 2011 Offseason Needs the Team Must Address
Published by Brett Lyons on July 16, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The image of the Bears quarterback standing on the sideline of the NFC Championship game with his over-sized coat and knit cap is one that Bears fans will not forget anytime soon.
The 2010 season was surprisingly good to the Monsters of the Midway, despite the sour taste it left in fans’ mouths back in January. Considering that the Bears had a QB who still had a whiff of “new quarterback” smell, a brand new offensive coordinator in Mike Martz, key splurged free agent signings, no go-to No. 1 wide receiver, a porous offensive line and an aging defense, the Bears did just fine with the pieces it had. The squad finished 11-5 on the season, securing the NFC’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
Without high expectations whatsoever, the Bears played a fantastic and exciting season of football last season. Now with the bar set even higher, will Chicago be able to live up to the new expectations?
With talks that the current NFL lockout may be coming to an end within days (perhaps hours), it feels appropriate to focus back on the X’s and O’s of football rather than the dollars and cents.
Certain elements of a traditional NFL season have yet to take place. Once the league and the players come to an agreement, all hell will break loose in Virginia McCaskey’s checkbook. On top of free agency, every NFL team still has to sign its draft picks, undrafted players, veterans and practice squads.
With such an incredible rush to get deals and contracts done, teams will more than likely overpay for talent instead of casting their best deals and waiting for a bite. Having said that, don’t expect any team to financially afford multiple key free agents. The early estimated salary cap of $120 million will disappear quickly, so spending every penny wisely will be extra crucial in 2011.
So what do the Bears need to address exactly? Every fan will point out an immediate need like tackle or receiver, but the current roster also requires aid in specific areas.
Here are the top five areas of concern the Bears must address to contend once more in the upcoming campaign…
