Rebuilds are difficult to execute because many things can go wrong along the way. The organization can lose a key free agent. They might get too bold with a trade. The head coaching hire might prove inadequate, or they hitch their wagon to the wrong quarterback. Few teams know this better than the Chicago Bears. They’ve run the gambit of these setbacks over the years. GM Ryan Poles knew the challenges ahead when he took over. Still, he also knew the only way to get this organization back into the championship conversation was by building this thing right.
Based on recent accounts from people around the NFL, he has done a stellar job. Insider Matt Lombardo reached out to several sources, asking who the most improved team in the league is. The vast majority chose the Bears.
“In conversations with league sources, no team was mentioned more often than the Chicago Bears, and for good reason.
Not only did general manager Ryan Poles draft generational quarterback prospect Caleb Williams, but dropped him into the softest landing imaginable after trading for Keenan Allen and then selecting field-stretching receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9 overall on the heels of inking running back D’Andre Swift in the opening moments of free agency.”
It isn’t hard to understand the optimism. Despite several setbacks last season, along with subpar quarterback play, the Bears still finished 7-10. Their defense is back to being one of the league’s toughest and their offense is arguably more talented than it’s been in a decade.
Their path to the playoffs is never easy, but it feels like this could be their year to enter the conversation. Much of the NFC is in turmoil, and San Francisco is seeing some of its key players get older. Philadelphia is in a transition period with quarterback questions. Dallas’s coaching staff faces immense pressure and seems to have lost some key players this off-season. Matthew Stafford is reaching his expiration date in L.A. The NFC South isn’t anything to fear. Truth be told, the biggest roadblocks for the Bears are in their own division with Detroit and Green Bay.
It comes down to how well head coach Matt Eberflus can manage things. The defense shouldn’t be a problem. He will trust Shane Waldron with the offense, but it remains his responsibility to get everybody executing at a high level. That will be a challenge with a rookie at quarterback. Then again, Caleb Williams isn’t an ordinary rookie. He’s considered a rare prospect that is only seen once or twice per decade. If he lives up to those expectations, the Chicago Bears won’t be denied from the postseason this time.
