CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 05: Allen Robinson II #12 of the Chicago Bears warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field on December 05, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Matt Nagy’s team was a big-time disappointment in 2019. How can the Chicago Bears bounce back this season in the highly-competitive NFC North?
One year after winning their first division title since 2010, the Chicago Bears were a disappointment this past season. The club won four fewer games then in 2018 and finished five games behind the division champion Green Bay Packers.
Matt Nagy’s offense made some strides during his first season in the Windy City but that unit digressed a bit this past year. Meanwhile, a fierce defensive unit seemed to lose a little of its bite as well.
So the Bears wound up third in the NFC North while the Packers and Minnesota Vikings headed to the playoffs. General manager Ryan Pace has been busy as usual this offseason. So what other issues must be addressed if the team is to prove that it wasn’t a one-hit wonder in 2018?
5. Add a deep threat at wide receiver
During the 2018 offseason, Chicago Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace was determined to surround young quarterback Mitch Trubisky with better offensive weapons.
The club signed a trio of wide receivers in Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Bennie Fowler – although the latter never played for the team. They also added Super Bowl LII hero Trey Burton at tight end. And the club used a second-round pick on promising wide receiver Anthony Miller from Memphis.
Fast forward to 2020. Gabriel (who finished second on the club with 4 TD receptions this past season) was cut loose this offseason. Robinson led the club in ’19 with 98 receptions, good for 1,147 yards and seven scores. Miller finished third on the team with 52 grabs, good for 656 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
But here is a telling number. No player on the team averaged more than 13 yards per catch for the season. Perhaps the addition of tight end Jimmy Graham could help stretch the field for Nagy’s offense? In any case, the Bears could use another burner on the outside.