Detroit Lions: Ranking the NFC North offenses for 2020
By Robert Jones
4) Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears offensive line was in disarray last season and inconsistent play was the keyword to describe their performance. They did acquire Jason Spriggs from divisional rival Green Bay as well as a few rookies like Arlington Hambright, Lachavious Simmons, Badara Traore and, Dieter Eiselen, hoping to find a diamond in the rough. But any real improvement will need to come from their incumbent veterans.
The Bear backfield is the home of their most potent offensive weapon; Tarik Cohen. The undersized back is very versatile and is used in a variety of ways. However, due to his size, he can’t really be counted on to carry the rushing load.
David Montgomery had a solid if unspectacular rookie season last year, but since the Bears did little to bolster the backfield it would seem that they are feeling good about the one-two punch of Cohen and Montgomery.
The Bears boast 10 tight ends. If the quantity was the requisite for a position to be considered good instead of quality, then the Bears tight end room would be tops in the NFL. Instead, they will be led by veteran Jimmy Graham and rookie Cole Kmet. Neither of which would rank in the top four tight ends in the division.
Receiver Allen Robinson is the Bears go-to man in the passing game. He has the ability to make clutch catches and big plays, but the cupboard gets a little bare after him. Anthony Miller has shown some flashes and fifth-round pick Darnell Mooney brings a nice skillset, but veteran Ted Ginn has suspect hands despite his speed and no other receiver is worth mentioning.
The big question is; who will play quarterback? Mitch Trubisky clearly hasn’t played up to his draft status and veteran acquisition Nick Foles hasn’t played any good football outside of Philadelphia.
Despite Matt Nagy’s offensive ingenuity, the Bears rank as the worst offense in the NFC North. If Foles or Trubisky gets hot then there is the possibility they could rise a little, but it seems hard to believe at this point.
Until the Bears prove otherwise they will be the offensive bottom dwellers in the NFC North for 2020.