It’s safe to say not many are feeling confident in the Chicago Bears heading into the 2020 season. Which is fair, considering their disappointing outing in 2019, which resulted in a 8-8 record and third-place finish in the NFC North.
But there’s a difference between being realistic and being ignorant with expectations for a team that had one of the worst offenses but also one of the best defenses in the league.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller shared his post-NFL Draft rankings, where he ranked the Bears as the second-worst team in the league.
Seriously.
32 Giants
31 Bears
30 Jaguars
29 Redskins
28 Bengals
27 Jets
26 Lions
25 Dolphins
24 Panthers
23 Colts
22 Raiders
21 Chargers
20 Cardinals
19 Browns
18 Rams
17 Eagles
16 Falcons https://t.co/iVw7EgH8I9— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 7, 2020
Right off the bat, it’s a ludicrous statement to make. While the Bears had an abysmal season just one year removed from a 12-4 season, they had a top defense that was riddled with injuries last season — and they still finished in the top-five without Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith. And guess what, all of those players are coming back at full strength, along with Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, Eddie Goldman and newcomer Robert Quinn.
Just in case you thought there was any miscommunication, Miller elaborated on why he believes the Bears are worse than every other team in the NFL except for the New York Giants.
You traded for a quarterback replaced by a 6th round one year starter in college to replace the quarterback you traded up to take at No. 2 overall.
You have no offensive line.
You have one good WR.
You have half a good CB.Let's see in January. https://t.co/OHzJPcccwp
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 7, 2020
While he’s right about the offensive line, the Bears upgraded at the quarterback position with the addition of Nick Foles, who has experience in a Matt Nagy-like offense. That in itself will prove to be valuable in this shortened offseason amid the coronavirus pandemic, should Foles win the job over Mitchell Trubisky. While Allen Robinson is clearly the best receiver on the Bears, don’t forget about third-year wide-out Anthony Miller, who showed that he’s capable of being a threat in the passing game.
Say what you want about the offense — unless it pertains Robinson at this point — but a healthy Bears defense is a top-three unit. As for the concerns about “half a good CB,” Kyle Fuller is one of the top 15 cornerbacks in the league, Buster Skrine was solid in his first year at nickel and Chicago got a first-round talent in Jaylon Johnson, who only slipped to the second round because of injury concerns.
Not only are the Bears a better team than the Detroit Lions — and arguably the Minnesota Vikings — but they’re not the second-worst team in the entire league.
But, as Miller said, we’ll see who’s right in January.
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