Reassessing the Bears’ Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What’s Left to Address
Published by Matt Eurich on April 9, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
When the Chicago Bears hired Ryan Pace to be the team’s new general manager back in January, Pace briefly discussed how he wanted to build his roster this offseason.
“We are acquiring football players that fit the Chicago Bears,” Pace said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “There will be a major emphasis on character, toughness, instincts and intelligence. Guys, it’s all about winning games and that’s what I’m here to do. Every decision we make goes back to what’s best for this organization.”
In his first big move of the offseason, Pace traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall and a seventh-round pick to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick. Pace later said he felt the move was best for both sides.
“He’s a good football player,” Pace said, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “And, going forward, we felt this was the best for us, and quite frankly, it’s the best situation for him, too. So that’s where we’re at.”
After moving on from Marshall, Pace added outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, safety Antrel Rolle and wide receiver Eddie Royal on the second day of free agency.
McPhee was Chicago’s biggest free-agent signing, and Pace thinks he is getting an ascending player in McPhee, saying, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago:
There’s a couple things that stand out with him. First of all, he’s disruptive. He hits the quarterback a ton. I think he’s an ascending player. Like he said, I like the violence that he plays with. He’s got length, gets off blocks, I think he’s a well-rounded player, too. I think he’s a productive pass-rusher, but also a steady, consistent run defender. Those are some of the things that jump out.
After making a big splash on the second day of free agency, Pace and the Bears signed a handful of players to one-year deals over the course of the last month.
The Bears have addressed a lot of needs on both sides of the football this offseason, but they still have a lot of work left to do in free agency and the draft.
Need to Add Another Starting Wide Receiver
Even though the Bears added Royal in free agency, the team still has a need at the wide receiver position.
Alshon Jeffery and Royal will likely be leaned on heavily in the passing game in 2015, but the Bears lack much proven depth behind them. The only other receivers on the roster are Marquess Wilson, Joshua Bellamy, Marc Mariani, John Chiles and Rashad Lawrence. Of those five, only Wilson and Mariani have recorded a catch in the NFL.
“I would say the receiver position, we are looking at that. We are exploring that in free agency, in the draft,” Pace said last month, per Wright. “There are guys, honestly, on our own roster that we could see have ascending roles. We’ll add talent to our entire roster. But, yeah, we are looking at receivers.”
The free-agent market has thinned out at the position, but guys like Michael Crabtree, Greg Jennings and Hakeem Nicks are still available.
However, Crabtree would likely come with a large price tag, Jennings will turn 32 in September and Nicks has struggled with injuries throughout his career.
If the Bears decide to address the position in the draft, they should have plenty of options available. West Virginia’s Kevin White and Alabama’s Amari Cooper could be options in the first round for the Bears, but they could wait until the second round to target guys like Miami‘s Phillip Dorsett, Ohio State’s Devin Smith, USC’s Nelson Agholor and Auburn’s Sammie Coates.
Wilson still has a chance to develop into a solid option in the passing game, but Pace and the Bears would be wise to add more depth to the position this offseason.
Continue to Add Depth to the Defensive Line
The Bears filled a lot of holes on the defensive side of the football this offseason, but after positing two of the worst defensive seasons in team history under Marc Trestman in 2013 and 2014, the team would be wise to continue to add depth to the defensive line.
The additions of McDonald and Jenkins help give the team much-needed depth and experience along the defensive line, but outside of Jenkins, it lacks a true 5-technique defensive end.
The free-agent market lacks options at the position, but the draft has a handful of players who could develop into starters in the NFL at the 5-technique position.
The top prospect in this year’s draft at the position is Oregon’s Arik Armstead. He is explosive at the point of attack and has the ability to get after the quarterback. He can also set the edge and anchor the defensive line against the run. He is likely not an option for the team in the first round, but he could be a steal in the second round if he is still available.
Stanford’s Henry Anderson and Florida State’s Eddie Goldman are both projected to go in the second round and have the flexibility to play both inside at nose tackle and outside at defensive end.
Another area the team still needs to address this offseason is the nose tackle position. Jeremiah Ratliff and Ego Ferguson will likely get the majority of reps at the position, but the Bears have little depth behind them. Will Sutton, a third-round pick last year, could potentially play the nose tackle position, but he is better suited to play the 3-technique position in a 4-3 defense.
Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton could be an option for the Bears in the first round, but he may not be worth taking as high as seventh overall.
Fix the Safety Position
Pace addressed the safety position by signing Rolle to a three-year deal, but he is 32 years old and is coming off one of his worst seasons in the NFL.
He played well against the pass in 2014, but he struggled against the run. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the season with a plus-0.5 grade in pass coverage but registered a minus-10.5 grade against the run. He will help add stability and credibility to Chicago’s secondary, but the team needs to add more youth and upside to the safety position.
Ryan Mundy and Brock Vereen will likely battle for a starting position this offseason, but the team should add another safety or two in the draft.
Pace noted at the NFL Scouting Combine in February that it is difficult to evaluate talent at the safety position, saying, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago:
I think the reason why that position is difficult is because it’s such an instinctive position. I think if there’s an area where scouts, we make mistakes, is judging instincts. When I think of a safety; No. 1 is instincts, ball skills and open-field tackling. Those are things that come to mind. You know, sometimes the ball is coming out quick in the college game now with the spread offense. But the No. 1 reason why that position gets misevaluated sometimes is because of the instincts.
Landon Collins is a projected first-round pick and could potentially thrive in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense in Chicago, but the Bears may not be willing to use the seventh overall pick on him. He is at his best against the run, but there are some concerns about his ability in pass coverage.
The talent level drops off significantly after Collins, but guys like Ole Miss’ Cody Prewitt, Fresno State’s Derron Smith and Northwestern’s Ibraheim Campbell should all be available in the middle rounds and have the potential to develop into starters down the road.
Pace has added a lot of new pieces and depth to his roster this offseason, but the Bears have a long way to go if they want to be competitive in 2015.
Roster information and stats courtesy of ChicagoBears.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
