For the first time in about 40 years (yes the '85 Bears were that long ago) I'm actually really happy with the Bears off-season.
Actual footage of the last time the Bears seemed to know what they were doing.
With the the coaching hire process, main leg of free agency and the draft all complete, the Bears already look like one of the most improved teams in football. Yeah I know when you only win 5 games, only have 1 1/2 decent offensive linemen and have an over-matched boob as your head coach, it is not that hard to improve.
But in the past, the Bears would have definitely screwed this up. I mean they literally had accountants running the team for nearly 40 years. Don't get me wrong, accounts are smart... but not necessarily football smart. Believe it or not, the first president they have ever had with any football knowledge since George Halas died in 1983 is their current president Kevin Warren. And I am not saying that the previous presidents did not have any football knowledge because they were bad at their jobs... the Bears literally never had a president until 2023. They continued running a multi-billion dollar business like a family diner where all your kids and grand kids worked there regardless of skill.
Actual footage of the Bears' front office from 1983 to 2023.
But this off-season has been different. They got the most sought after coach in Ben Johnson. He then hired Dennis Allen, who also has head coaching experience, as the defensive coordinator. Sprinkle in some of the most respected position coaches in the league and the Bears would already be improved.
But then it seems the offensive and defensive coaches gave GM Ryan Poles a shopping list of what they needed. And the GM actually went out and shopped. Need 4 offensive lineman? He got 3 in free agency. Need to improve the pass rush? Poles got a DT and Edge rusher before the ink dried on Allen's contract. Just like that the Bears had 5 new starters.
And Poles was not done. He managed to stockpile 4 picks in the first 2 rounds. Historically these are the rounds with the highest chance of finding starters. With these 4 picks, it seems the Bears got a new starting TE in Colston Loveland (ranked 7th overall in the draft), new starting slot receiver in Luther Burden III (45th best overall), and DT Shemar Turner (43rd best overall). Toss in a giant offensive tackle, Ozzy Trapilo (74th best overall) who can back up both the left and right sides of the line and now you have 8 new starters and and some solid depth.
The Bears did not do all the things I wanted... and that is great because I'm just a meathead fan. What do I know? But they didn't piss me off once. That's a Christmas miracle right here in April! I'm surprised they did not take a RB with one of their 2nd round picks and I'm a little confused why they took a wide receiver instead. But if those players were on the coach's shopping lists, who am I to question them? They are the 4 star chefs. I'm just the lucky guy who gets to eat.
Thanks to a very un-Bear-like 2 months, I can't wait to tuck my napkin in my shirt and start feasting!
So how about you? Are you excited to see what your team will be serving up next year or are you already planning to survive on TV dinners?
