\n Rome Odunze will lead the Bears in most receiving statistics, including targets, and will be the most dangerous skill player the Bears have on the roster, writes columnist Marc Silverman.
\n AP\n <\/p>\n
Congrats. We\u2019ve made it.<\/p>\n
From the hiring of a new head coach and staff, to free agency and trading for an all pro, to the draft with four picks in the top 62, to Ryan Poles\u2019 premature contract extension, to building a new stadium in Arlington Heights (we think), to Ben Johnson\u2019s refreshing honesty and accountability, it\u2019s been a heck of an off-season ride to get to opening night.<\/p>\n
Have the Bears finally made it?<\/p>\n
Many of you have stated that you want to see it during the regular season, are sick of winning the off-season and won\u2019t make projections.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t blame you.<\/p>\n
Last year Caleb Williams brought the dawn of a new day. Instead, the Bears fired their new offensive coordinator after nine games, and soon after, Matt Eberflus was the first Bears head coach ever to be dismissed during a season.<\/p>\n
I also don\u2019t blame the many fans filled with their usual optimism. There is a lot to look forward to, and success could finally be around the corner.<\/p>\n
This will be my 31st season covering the Bears as a reporter, talk show host, or columnist after growing up a diehard fan. I\u2019d like to think I\u2019ve seen it all and have refined the way I predict a season.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I know about this team:<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0The Bears are not at a schematic disadvantage for the first time since 2018, when Vic Fangio coordinated the Bears defense and had coaches like Sean McVay confused. For the first time in my lifetime, the Bears have a premier playcaller on offense. If Ben Johnson isn\u2019t the home run hire I believe he is, his floor is a solid double.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Caleb Williams will establish himself as a true franchise quarterback by the end of the season. One word of caution: keep your seat belt fastened as there will be turbulence. The bad habits will slowly disappear, and Williams will take the gray out of his long-term viability as a playmaker. Having Johnson and a boatload of weapons will help, but Caleb will prove to everyone that the Bears didn\u2019t make a mistake drafting him first overall.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Rome Odunze will lead the Bears in most receiving statistics, including targets, and will be the most dangerous skill player the Bears have on the roster.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Cole Kmet\u2019s value will shine once again. Yes, Colston Loveland is Johnson\u2019s first overall pick and will make an impact in his rookie season, but Kmet\u2019s demise has been greatly exaggerated. He\u2019s finally cast in the proper role.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Bears\u2019 left tackle position will be a question mark all season and won\u2019t be totally repaired until the 2026 off-season. Poles dropped the ball here yet again.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Bears\u2019 leader on defense will be Grady Jarrett. The Bears don\u2019t have many alphas on the roster, so it will be easier for a newcomer to be the engine up front.<\/p>\n
Things I don\u2019t know:<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Who is Montez Sweat? Is he ready to be more of a force in the prime of his career, or is he an eight-sack-per-season guy disguised in a big contract?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0How available will Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon be this season? This isn\u2019t about their value because each is extremely important for a successful year. Johnson missed all of camp with a groin injury, so how long will it take to get up to speed? Is he ready to handle Justin Jefferson in the opener?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0What will DJ Moore\u2019s role be? With Rome Odunze possibly taking over as the No. 1 receiver, Luther Burden doing a lot of what Moore does, and Loveland getting plenty of targets, will Moore justify last year\u2019s extension?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Do the Bears have enough talent at running back? D\u2019Andre Swift was a major disappointment last year, and Johnson moved off him once in Detroit. What will Kyle Monangai and Roschon Johnson provide coming off injuries? I always say it\u2019s more about the run game than the running back, but I\u2019m just not sure how this position will produce even with an upgraded offensive line.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the \u201cWaddle & Silvy\u201d show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rome Odunze will lead the Bears in most receiving statistics, including targets, and will be the most dangerous…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340918,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2070],"tags":[374,692,391,2493,769,7,6,767,768,9,770,771],"class_list":{"0":"post-340917","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago-bears","8":"tag-bears","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-chicago-bears","11":"tag-chicagobears","12":"tag-content-providers","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-nfl","15":"tag-pro-sports","16":"tag-shaw-local","17":"tag-sports","18":"tag-sports-leagues","19":"tag-sports-types"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115145909451836411","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}