So fellow Bears fans, are you optimistic or pessimistic for the season? Post your concerns

[AZBarbarian]

I am a fan. I am always optimistic until they crush my hopes and dreams once the season starts.

 

[Antobears]

Great write up OP. You'd expect that the offensive system will take time to bed in and right now I don't see the defense carrying the team early on. Still nothing is written in stone.

 

[Toast88]

Here’s the thing: The Bears make it SO EASY to be pessimistic at nearly every step, and have done so for decades.

I’d love to be one of these people who choose to be optimistic and assume every move is the right one because they simply want to live in that bright world and always give the benefit of the doubt.

But I’ve seen too much for too long to be one of those folks. God bless em, though. It takes all types.

 

[Antobears]

Here’s the thing: The Bears make it SO EASY to be pessimistic at nearly every step, and have done so for decades.

I’d love to be one of these people who choose to be optimistic and assume every move is the right one because they simply want to live in that bright world and always give the benefit of the doubt.

But I’ve seen too much for too long to be one of those folks. God bless em, though. It takes all types.

Well the focus is back on the offense at least and johnson has a better pedigree than trestman or nagy. It takes a superhuman leap of faith to be optimistic though for all the reasons you set out.

 

[Aquineas]

Here’s the thing: The Bears make it SO EASY to be pessimistic at nearly every step, and have done so for decades.

I’d love to be one of these people who choose to be optimistic and assume every move is the right one because they simply want to live in that bright world and always give the benefit of the doubt.

But I’ve seen too much for too long to be one of those folks. God bless em, though. It takes all types.

They like to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory .

 

[Myk]

I'm optimistic about the team but pessimistic because this is the off season and this team and media has always spun it to win the offseason then it all falls apart by September.

It's the Bears. The pre-injured TE will probably die. The 3 injured FA oline will have career ending injuries the first game but we won't admit they're career ending for 2 years. A lost note from Virginia will be discovered stating, "No HoneyBears Ever".

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

This might be one of the most complete coaching staffs the bears have ever put together imo. Minus the odd OC hire, who really sounds like BJs yes man.

I am cautiously optimistic that they will at least be coached a lot better that in and of itself will fix a lot.

 

[pseudonym]

Optimism:

• Love the Ben Johnson hire and his influence on off-season/draft
• Great off-season, plugged a lot of holes
• Draft was especially good first four rounds, they have a plan

Pessimism

• Seem to have ignored a few holes or potential upgrade situations (RB, LT, DE)
• Really tough SOS this year

Overall while we may struggle to get to 9-8 I think we'll LOOK much better.
I think we have a CHANCE to play very well this year.
I'm excited to watch and see how this all goes.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

My biggest concern, AT THE MOMENT, is that I don't trust Cairos Santos.

I reserve the right to change my opinion as new information is presented to me.

 

[modo]

My biggest concern, AT THE MOMENT, is that I don't trust Cairos Santos.

I reserve the right to change my opinion as new information is presented to me.

He is accurate but no leg.

Teams are finding some guys with booming legs. Bears should find one too.

 

[Doubledown]

*** Matthews was correct " The Bears still suck" until proven otherwise, I like the draft more than most but at this point give Wright a try at LT, Quit the soft ass coaching. Build the Stadium on the Lake.

 

[JUSTFINGWIN]

I'm getting Trestman second-year vibes with regard to offensive talent and "potential". Hopefully, BJ can pull it all together here, and CW can deliver. If they do, we’re in for a spectacular season! Of course, there’s always that lingering Bears history of letdowns in the back of your mind.

 

[Midwaymonster75]

The draft is over and from now until the first regular season game is the height of peak post-draft optimism.
Every team has their new shiny objects. Personally I didn't get any of the players I clamored for, but I am not a professional talent evaluator and don't have a team of scouts on my phone.

Despite them not drafting the guys I wanted, they didn't blatantly ignore huge weaknesses like they did in the past. After last year's draft, I kept worrying (both privately and aloud), "but that offensive line!! They didn't address the interior offensive line!" We all know how that turned out. This year, with the notable exception of safety, despite them not choosing the players I wanted (or enough of the positions I wanted), they did at least add some players.

Reasons for optimism:

• Head coach- Ben Johnson is an intense mofo- this team is going to be disciplined.
• QB, we have an elite QB; in fact the number one QB of the last two drafts
  • He's a baller with elite arm-talent
  • He wants to win; he hates seeing all that praise hyping Jayden Daniels
  • He's had a good cleanse-of-palate.
• Interior offensive-line improvements. The Bears got themselves a legitimate set of "handle their bidness" linemen
• Offensive weapons- Caleb Williams will have his choice of targets and there will be multiple weapons at their disposal:
  • Multiple TEs that can get open. A tight-end and a running game are a QBs best friend.
  • Legitimate screen targets besides DJ Moore
  • A "Where is he? Oh shit!!!" running back addition
  • Rome Odunze's progression and more explosiveness at the WR position in general
• The Bears have some very good corners that will benefit from (hopefully) better coaching.
• The additions of Grady Jarret and Dayo Odeyingbo are going to help get Sweat back on track
• Some really solid return guys

Reasons for pessimism:

• Culture. This team only played the 2nd half of too many games last year. Why get in the habit of starting off games getting punched in the mouth and then adjusting? There needs to be more Allen Iversion "We aint afraid of nobody"
• The guy we just fired (whom we play this year because he's the DC at Dallas) knows how to significantly slow down the guy we just hired's high-fallutin' offense, and in fact, only lost to him by 3 in the second game.
• Our new head coach ran a right-tackle pass-option last year (it went about as well as you'd expect)
• With Braxton out, the offensive line (which is part of the team which needs the most time together to gel) will not be practicing together for the entire off-season, which incidentally is how we started off last off-season
• Billings health- how is his recovery? Will he be able to hold-up?
• The Bears lost the best route-runner on the team from last year (and one of the best in the NFL)
• Left-tackle questions- this will be sorted out by next year, but this year, it might not be
• Defensive questions- I feel like this team is an edge-threat away from being elite, and that's just not going to happen this year. Also Trumaine Edmunds has some work to do to live up to his contract.
• Lots of questions at both safety positions
• Lack of quality depth at offensive line. We have a ton of offensive-linemen on the roster. It remains to be seen how many good ones we have
• I'm unsure if we legitimately have a true deep threat at WR. Deep speed keeps defenses honest. Dubernay maybe, if he's not lost too much speed.
• Can CW consistently play structured and get the ball out on-schedule?
  • How many more first downs would the team have had if he'd hit Kmet last year all the times when he was open? I get sometimes that he wants to be MJ, but sometimes you have to be a point guard and distribute that rock. Lots of good things happens when you take the "gimmies"
    • More first downs
    • Keeps your defense fresher
    • More yards
    • More points
    • More wins
    • More chances for the brand when the networks are all flying to Chicago during the week to interview the "surprising" Bears for the Sunday pre-games
  • Not every pass can be 25 yards down the field

(edit: gramer kleen-ups)

Im neither. Im at the point now that ive heard the optimism so many times from April to August only to watch a complete shit show that now my attitude is show me something on the field to be optimistic about. Till then i expect the same bullshit us fans have gotten for the better part of the last 40 years.

 

[EDPeezy]

Hoping for the best. Expecting the worst.

 

[pseudonym]

My biggest concern, AT THE MOMENT, is that I don't trust Cairos Santos.

I reserve the right to change my opinion as new information is presented to me.

We picked up a Michigan kicker. IDK if he is going to replace Santos, but I hear he has a big leg.

 

[hebs]

This is the elephant in the room that no one is talking about

I think his accuracy will come back as the Hair on Fire plays are reduced and the offense functions more within structure. It wasn't an issue in college. The Bears somehow succeeded in making his rookie year more dysfunctional than any of his years behind that shaky line @ USC.

 

[hebs]

As for the season... I'm sure something will come out of left field that will derail it. It is the Bears after-all. Hell, if they come out of the gates firing on all cylinders and appear to be charging hard for the playoffs, Williams will break a pinky on a freak tip ball INT that he tries to tackle before they take it back on a pick six.

 

[Washington]

Mr. Washington, I respect you as a poster but I’m pretty sure both Loveland and Burden can be day 1 game changers.

In all fairness, I did not discount the possibility at all if you look at what I posted.

"Nobody in this draft is a Day 1 game changer unless Loveland becomes what LaPorta was in his rookie year or at least close to it. While there is potential at WR3, I see him being mostly gimmick type plays (jet sweeps, WR screens) until he can learn to run routes better. I hope he doesn't have an attitude problem when he doesn't get the ball as much as he would like."

Many TEs struggle their rookie seasons. Bowers and LaPorta did not and Loveland would need to be Bowers and LaPorta like in that regard. I do believe BJ will need to scheme for Burden in order for him to be successful this year. I don't believe that will come on his downfield route running.

 

[Washington]

This might be one of the most complete coaching staffs the bears have ever put together imo. Minus the odd OC hire, who really sounds like BJs yes man.

I am cautiously optimistic that they will at least be coached a lot better that in and of itself will fix a lot.

The coaching staff is what has me most excited about this year. I am quite nervous about what QB1 will be. That is a perpetual issue though.

 

[Nelly]

The coaching staff is what has me most excited about this year. I am quite nervous about what QB1 will be. That is a perpetual issue though.

Even after a mediocre draft and free agency period would have me excited because of the coaching hire. I think people are losing track of just how important that is after the shitshow that was Eberflus, at least on the offensive side of the ball.

But then we went out and got all-pro/very good starters on the interior line and added two high-level weapons on top of that in the draft, guys who can come in and contribute from day 1, possibly even in a big way. There's no excuses whatsoever for Caleb Williams, so if he's going to be a top-end QB at all, it starts this year or it doesn't start at all.