It’s now on to the lackluster NFC North, starting with the Chicago Bears.
1) Re-sign inconsistent QB Rex Grossman and bring in no new competition – check.
2) Cut Cedric Benson, their only true, every down back – check.
3) Finally, to really upgrade the offensive weapons, do not retain the services of starting wide receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian – check.
If you support these decisions and believe they were the correct moves to make, please contact the Bears’ front office immediately about a management position because you would fit in perfectly.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom in the Windy City. The Bears still have an above average defense led by perennial pro-bowler Brian Urlacher, newly re-signed Lance Briggs, and injury prone safety Mike Brown. The defensive line and secondary also have great depth at their disposal, while the team also added youth to the roster with 13 draft picks, including potential late round steals in S Craig Steltz (LSU), CB Zach Bowman (Nebraska), OT Kirk Barton (Ohio St.), and 6’4″ WR Marcus Monk (Arkansas). This group does not even include potential week one starters Chris Williams (OT), Matt Forte (RB), and Earl Bennett (WR). Additionally, shedding former first round pick Benson, as well as rapidly declining Muhammad, may be somewhat of a burden lifted off the organization’s shoulders – the Bears can now focus completely on Forte (whom many believe is a future star) and other much younger players without feeling obligated to give high draft picks and established veterans the majority of the playing time.
Finally, while special teams can mostly be ignored for some of the teams in the league, speedster Devin Hester and reliable kicker Robbie Gould make the Bears’ unit one of the most dangerous in the game, and one that will keep their team in contests longer than they should actually last.
The bottom line is that anything can happen in the relatively weak NFC from year to year. However, despite rumors of Chris Simms and whispers of Brett Favre coming to Chicago, the truth is the Bears are not going to come close to repeating what they did two years ago with their current QB situation. Throw in a rookie running back from Tulane (who I think is overrated), a receiving corps whose best player is second year TE Greg Olsen, an O-line with only one reliable starter (Olin Kreutz), and a solid, but aging and injury prone defense, and you are looking at a team where the defense/special teams might outscore the actual offense. In the end, a weak division/conference saves them from complete embarrassment, but the Bears will still hibernate in January for a second straight year.
John’s 2008 Prediction: 7-9
Ian’s 2008 Prediction: 5-11
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