Windy City Gridiron
Following a year where three of the four teams in the NFC North made the playoffs, the division has once again reshaped itself this offseason. We’ll dive into some of the moves made, and more moves that need to be made before Week 1.
The home stretch of the offseason before the start of training camp is approaching quickly. All 32 teams around the league will wrap up their mandatory minicamps within the next two weeks before taking a break for a little over a month. This period allows NFL front offices to reassess their rosters and make corrections before the start of training camp.
For teams like the Chicago Bears, their first-year coaching staff has had access to the roster for the better part of two months. This allows them to better understand their existing players, new additions, and any potential holes they’d like to address heading into training camp. The other three teams within the division are returning the bulk of their coaches, which should help give a clearer vision of what they have moving into the preseason. At this time of year, rosters are in constant flux, but most of their key needs have been addressed. We’ll examine each team’s most improved position and forecast which spot could be addressed in the coming weeks.
Chicago Bears
Outside of the New England Patriots, the Bears have the most active offseason among all 32 teams in the league. It began during the hiring of a new coaching staff, which heavily carried over into free agency and ultimately the draft. When all was said and done, the Bears had six new starters and the potential for another three, depending on how training camp and the preseason play out. Unlike past offseasons, the team didn’t shift its entire focus to one side of the ball. The offense received more of the considerable resources, but that didn’t stop General Manager Ryan Poles from also giving the defense some new pieces.
Most Improved Position: Offensive Line
Shortly after hiring Ben Johnson, the new head coach made it clear that the offensive line would be a priority. His comments at the combine about adding multiple new starters in free agency came to fruition a week later when they traded for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. Five days later, they struck early in free agency to sign center Drew Dalman. The fun didn’t stop there, though. Despite striking out in the first round of the Top 3 tackles, the team took tackle Ozzy Trapilo with the second pick in the second round. There’s a real potential for four new Week 1 starters, pending the health of incumbent starting left tackle Braxton Jones. No matter what shakes out at left tackle, this should be a vastly improved group, and having one of the league’s best offensive line coaches, Dan Roushar, only helps that cause.
Most significant Remaining Need: Edge Rusher/Running Back
Looking around the league, you’ll never find a roster that is truly complete. Even teams...
