How far off are we really??

All the talk about how bad this team is and some saying we need a total rebuild but i just don't see this team being as far off as most think them to be.

Lets take off the hate goggles or the disappointment goggles and be real here and figure out just how far off this team really is and when doing this lets remember that no team has or needs a pro bowl player at every position to be a good/great team in this league.

Positions we're set at:
ILB--D.Trevathon, J.Freeman, N.Kwiatkoski, Timu
WR--this of course is if we keep Alshon but even without Alshon we still have some good WR's with the newly found beast C.Meredith, K.White, E.Royal but lets do this with the thinking that Alshon re-signs or gets another franchise tag.
RB--J.Howard, J.Langford, K.Carey


Offense
QB--Needs to be taken care of in next years draft and i think we all are pretty sure that will happen.
TE--I think a healthy Z.Miller can be a good starting TE in this league but we'll put TE as a need.
O-Line--The inside is set with J.Sitton, C.Whitehair, K.Long and C.Leno is just fine at LT so we need a new RT.

Defense
OLB--W.Young, P.McPhee, L.Houston, L.Floyd--with McPhee and Houston always being injured and not knowing what we have in L.Floyd yet this defense could take a big step forward with a stud at OLB.
DE/DT/NT--Are we good with E.Goldman, A.Hicks, J.Bullard, W.Sutton, CornWash, M.Unrein at those positions?? I think we could be.
CB--K.Fuller, T.Porter, D.Hall, J.Glenn, B.Callahan--Could we get by with 2 of those guys at CB and one at NB??
S--A.Amos, HJQ, D.Bush, D.Houston.Carson--Although A.Amos doesn't make plays on the ball he's a solid tackler and does a good job at FS and we haven't seen shit from D.Bush yet.

Lets say we can get by on the inside of our d-line with what we have and we could use two of our CB's with one at CB and one at NB and we can get by with A.Amos at FS.

So our team needs on offense are---QB, TE, RT

Team needs on defense are---OLB, S, CB

So 6 players to get this team going with drafting at the top of each round we could get a starter in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds. Does everyone agree that we can get a starting QB in the 1st, a starting TE in the 2nd and a starting S, CB or RT in the 3rd round?? If so then that takes care of 3 of the 6 position needs.

I'm not sure how much but i'm pretty sure we're gonna have a really nice chunk of money to spend in free agency which could easily get us 3 starting caliber players right??

Now of course i know this is all much easier for someone on a message board to just come on here and put all this down like it's a simple thing to do but i truly think that one good off season is how far away this team is from being a good team and this is about players not coaching or GM's or ownership so lets leave those parts out of this and just talk about what we need in players. I know some are gonna say we're more than those 6 players away but if we are then it's 7 players and again this is being realistic and not talking about having a pro bowler at every position.

1- 5. We lost to the jags at home. We were better under Trestman

I think the difference between winning and losing is less than it appears at time. I think that a huge part of it is HC and QB. The problem is that the Bears definitely do not have a QB worth building around and in my opinion do not have a HC that gives them an advantage.

If you get those spots right, and not even to an elite level, I think your team can take a huge step.


The Bears appear that they will be in a position to address the QB position in some way. HC will remain to be seen.

QB
RT
CB
S

Those 4 positions need to be addressed with significant investments if the roster does not want to have a glaring hole on it.

If this team was a horse the owner would shoot it.

Bears are bad. We should fill the most important positions first, but Pace is enamored with BPA so when he drafts in the first round, its like positions don't matter. My list of positions that should be filled go in this order. With our cap space, I think we should look to FA to fill some of these positions or bring in depth at CB, S and WR (if Alshon leaves).

1. QB
2. RT
3. OLB
4. S
5. CB/TE
6. WR

Edit: I'd love for Pace to open up the check book and try and sign Eric Berry if possible. I think KC tagged him and has an Alshon type situation going, but not really sure.

WTF this place has turned into the Twilight Zone

2nd round should go to CB. This is one of the deepest CB drafts ever. We have the 3rd round, and we have 2 4th round picks to get a TE.

Porter is the obvious one who is out at CB, but Fuller is the enigma. With 8 games or so left if he comes back this season and next year he's basically in a position where he has to prove if he's worth resigning. I'm not willing to take that gamble especially with him coming off of knee surgery.

WindyCity said:

QB
RT
CB
S

Those 4 positions need to be addressed with significant investments if the roster does not want to have a glaring hole on it.

Click to expand...

I agree that those 4 positions are a big need and we need to hit on each one but i really think we need a stud OLB cause McPhee just can't stay healthy which sucks cause he can be that beast when he is and i'm not sure L.Houston will be a Bear next year.

dabears70 said:

I agree that those 4 positions are a big need and we need to hit on each one but i really think we need a stud OLB cause McPhee just can't stay healthy which sucks cause he can be that beast when he is and i'm not sure L.Houston will be a Bear next year.

Click to expand...

Houston is gone after this year is my guess. Two knee surgeries and he is due 6.9M in 2017. Dead cap would be 1.9M.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/lamarr-houston-6553/

With the right moves you can always turn things around in one season in the NFL. (see Cowboys this year)

I just have no faith in the people making the decisions at Hallas Hall.

HawkBear said:

Bears are bad. We should fill the most important positions first, but Pace is enamored with BPA so when he drafts in the first round, its like positions don't matter. My list of positions that should be filled go in this order. With our cap space, I think we should look to FA to fill some of these positions or bring in depth at CB, S and WR (if Alshon leaves).

1. QB
2. RT
3. OLB
4. S
5. CB/TE
6. WR

Edit: I'd love for Pace to open up the check book and try and sign Eric Berry if possible. I think KC tagged him and has an Alshon type situation going, but not really sure.

Click to expand...

Yeah Berry was tagged and is in the same situation as Alshon and they have some good players already in their defensive backfield so they might not need to re-sign him next year. If we could get E.Berry and T. Johnson from the Rams our secondary would do a complete 180. Move A.Amos or keep HJQ at SS with Berry at FS and either K.Fuller, B.Callahan, T.Porter or D.Hall plays one CB spot and one at NB and T.Johnson at the other CB spot and our secondary takes a huge step forward.

Burrberry said:

2nd round should go to CB. This is one of the deepest CB drafts ever. We have the 3rd round, and we have 2 4th round picks to get a TE.

Porter is the obvious one who is out at CB, but Fuller is the enigma. With 8 games or so left if he comes back this season and next year he's basically in a position where he has to prove if he's worth resigning. I'm not willing to take that gamble especially with him coming off of knee surgery.

Click to expand...

The thing about CB is you can find good ones in the middle or even later in drafts and with Donatell and Fangio as our defensive coaches they can bring the best out of CB's and safeties so i'm not sure i'd use our 2nd rounder on one and instead use our 2nd rounder on RT or TE or OLB and grab a couple of DB's in the middle to later part of the draft and that's if we don't sign a DB or two in free agency.

Another lifetime away

HawkBear said:

Houston is gone after this year is my guess. Two knee surgeries and he is due 6.9M in 2017. Dead cap would be 1.9M.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/lamarr-houston-6553/

Click to expand...

I agree which is one of the reasons i have OLB as a big need.

dabears70 said:

I agree that those 4 positions are a big need and we need to hit on each one but i really think we need a stud OLB cause McPhee just can't stay healthy which sucks cause he can be that beast when he is and i'm not sure L.Houston will be a Bear next year.

Click to expand...

Even without Houston you have 3 big investments at OLB

Young
McPhee
Floyd

If you sink another premium pick or big money into the position, you are over investing in my opinion and Floyd or McPhee would be expensive bench warmers.\


Myles Garrett would be an exception.

dabears70 said:

The thing about CB is you can find good ones in the middle or even later in drafts and with Donatell and Fangio as our defensive coaches they can bring the best out of CB's and safeties so i'm not sure i'd use our 2nd rounder on one and instead use our 2nd rounder on RT or TE or OLB and grab a couple of DB's in the middle to later part of the draft and that's if we don't sign a DB or two in free agency.

Click to expand...

This is a weak OL draft I'd rather grab a RT in FA if available. Good pass rushers though. Not sure about TE, but I wouldn't feel confident about a 3rd or 4th round CB. They might need an immediate starter.

BaBaBlacksheep said:

With the right moves you can always turn things around in one season in the NFL. (see Cowboys this year)

I just have no faith in the people making the decisions at Hallas Hall.

Click to expand...

If you have a QB that the rest of the team believes they can win with it will change how everyone else plays which is why it's huge for us to not only get a QB but get the right QB that the whole team believes in.

dabears70 said:

I agree which is one of the reasons i have OLB as a big need.

Click to expand...

Yup, I have it ranked 3 after QB/RT. If your D can't put pressure on the QB then you're pretty much fucked.

I look at a team like KC. They have built a really good defense through personnel moves, but many of those guys were there with Haley and Crennel.

You get the right coach in Andy Ried, who routinely out coaches people.

You get a competent NFL QB.

And you are consistently in the playoffs, get a better QB than Smith and you might be seriously competing for a Superbowl.