The Offseason Champions! (5th Best Offseason)
Summary: Da Bears did it again! Let’s see if they can contend for the NFC North.
Bears Win The Offseason Super Bowl Once Again!
There is no feeling quite like going into a season after a Bears offseason and hearing some of the takes their fans make. It is pure comedy at this point. They traded for Keenan Allen last offseason, signed D’Andre swift as a free agent, and drafted Caleb Williams alongside Rome Odunze. These moves made Bears fans swear they were playoff bound prior to 2024. Instead they were one of the worst coached teams in the league, their offense was a trainwreck, and the team won five games. They won the Super Bowl in the offseason at least! Offensive Coordinator, Shane Waldron was inept at calling plays and Caleb had an issue of holding onto the football for far too long. So the Bears go and talk with Lions innovative Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson prior to the end of the 2024 season. They agree he’ll be their next head Coach and immediately when the Lions lose to the Commanders in the playoffs he’s having an opening press conference to assume his title of Bears Head Coach. He’s had some of the wildest play calls that continue to evolve the game. It’s all sunshine and rainbows. They have the best offensive coordinator in the league as their head coach and they have a stellar defense. Wishful thinking.
Ben Johnson had moments that made a diehard fan truly scratch their heads. Down multiple scores to the Texans with a third and eight play in front of him he called a DRAW to David Montgomery. At this point the Lions were down multiple scores in the midseason, primetime game and it was a drive before halftime that the Lions needed some points. That whole first half of play calling with screen passes every single play to account for Houston’s pressure was miserable. Running into a loaded box in the 2023 NFC Championship against the 49ers in the second half was another criminal offense. It’s questionable to salt away the game with conservative runs to protect a lead when the defense is lining up for the run. Then in this year’s NFC Divisional round against the Commanders, Johnson strayed away from Jahmyr Gibbs on the ground when he was averaging eight yards a carry. The Lions were losing no matter what with the most decimated, injury riddled defense in NFL history. Not good though for the best offensive coordinator in football. With the Bears I’m worried he might overcomplicate things getting too cute with his calls. Now that Ben Johnson’s wrapped up the Bears looked ahead to solidifying their offensive line.
The three signings they made were Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, and Joe Thuney. Drew Dalman is set to play center and was one of the few bright spots on Atlanta’s offensive line in 2024. The Falcons unit as a whole wasn’t good, especially in pass protection. Giving him a 3 year, $42 million contract should be an improvement to their interior offensive line that was horrendous. Dalman was the best signing of the three. Next up was Jonah Jackson who had a limited workload in Detroit, signed a big deal with the Rams totaling $51 million over three years in 2024, and was traded to the Bears after playing just four games for the Rams in exchange for a sixth round pick this offseason. Jonah Jackson is a stellar interior offensive lineman, but there’s real injury concern with him considering the Rams saw his shoulder injury and wanted to dump him and his contract for nothing. Jackson is a risk for sure and the last guy they got I’m not particularly keen on like many others are. Chiefs guard Joe Thuney is heading to Chicago for a fourth round pick. He’s been a back to back First Team All-Pro guard these last two seasons, but Caleb’s time to release the football far exceeds Mahomes’ constant quick throws in the short game. The nickel and diming that went on in Kansas City made their offensive line appear much better than they truly are. This is the case with Thuney. If Caleb continues to hold onto the football in the pocket for lengthy time periods he might take a million sacks once again. Thuney is a huge help, but the Vikings just bolstered their defensive line along with the Lions returning to full strength. Thuney will likely not be as touted as he was in Kansas City. The last area the Bears addressed was their lack of a defensive front aside from Montez Sweat.
The first signing, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, was a solid one considering he’s been formidable in the trenches for a long period of time. But he has regressed the last two years since tearing his ACL and is 32 years old. The 3 year, $42.75 million contract with $27.25 million guaranteed helps the Bears by giving them someone who is a known disruptor and an NFL veteran presence. Grady Jarrett doesn’t have the same explosiveness he did in his early years on the Falcons, but he definitely has gas in the tank. For their next signing you can’t really say he fits either billing. He’s not a vet and he’s not even a disruptor. Dayo Odeyingbo from the Indianapolis Colts was what the Bears front office thought would form a daunting defensive line. Most reading this would think, who is this guy? That’s because he has only started 19 of 61 games he’s appeared in. Despite this the Bears paid him $48 million over 3 years with $32 million GUARANTEED. He’s coming off a three sack season on one of the worst defenses in football so Ryan Poles decides he’s the guy. Just use a draft pick on an edge rusher; it's not rocket science. There’s multiple Georgia edge rushers and players that are falling down draft boards who all surpass Odeyingbo in the talent department. It’s so entertaining to follow the cyclical nature of Ryan Poles’ praise. There will be nothing to say to Bears fans when expectations fall short.
