Bill Parcells always said you are what your record says you are. The Chicago Bears are 3-8. That makes them one of the worst teams in the NFL. However, such blanket statements are rarely accurate. There is more nuance involved. Sometimes the problems aren’t with everything, but with specific things. Maybe the team has a terrible quarterback situation. Or perhaps their head coach is totally out of his depth. Injuries could also be a problem. There are often different explanations. For the Bears last year? It was talent. They didn’t have enough.
That is no longer the case. Bob McGinn is an NFL insider for Go Long TD. He has several connections in the scouting community and has reached out to discuss the Bears. The feedback he got was unexpected. A lot of respectable people are big fans of what GM Ryan Poles has done over the past two off-seasons. McGinn took those words to heart and took a deeper look at the roster. He realized it was true. The Bears are building something serious. He explained this to Tyler Dunne on the Ty And Bob podcast.
It starts on the offensive line. Rookie 1st round pick Darnell Wright already plays like a solid starter. He figures to get even better as he gains experience. Left tackle Braxton Jones has improved considerably from last season. Teven Jenkins has played like a Pro Bowler since returning from his calf injury. Nate Davis looks healthy as well. If they can find a capable center, this could be one of the best fronts in the league. D.J. Moore is in his prime and on course for his best season. Cole Kmet is playing even better than last year. Their running back room is also deep.
Defensively, they have four starters in the secondary under the age of 25. All of their linebackers are under 28. Montez Sweat is already a force off the edge, while Gervon Dexter is emerging as a legitimate presence on the interior. If the Chicago Bears can upgrade their coaching staff, this feels like a team that might be an off-season away from making a legitimate playoff run. They still have to figure out what to do at quarterback. Either they keep Justin Fields or draft somebody in the 1st round.
These remaining six games will point the direction.
