The Chicago Bears are hoping to make some major strides during the 2023 season. General manager Ryan Poles entered the offseason with a lot of holes on the roster. But, he had some major assets at his disposal and used them to his advantage.
The No. 1 overall pick was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a massive return. The No. 9 and 61 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, a first-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in 2025 were acquired. Along with the picks, the Bears landed wide receiver D.J. Moore, giving Justin Fields a bonafide No. 1 option in the passing game.
Moore will be joining Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool atop the wide receiver depth chart. He wasn’t the only weapon acquired as tight end Robert Tonyan was signed in free agency to pair with Cole Kmet. Running back D’Onta Foreman was signed to replace David Montgomery as well.
The offensive line also received a huge upgrade. Guard Nate Davis was signed away from the Tennessee Titans while their first-round pick was used on Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright. While not as headline-grabbing as Moore, both will have a major impact on Fields improving in Year 3.
Moves were also made to upgrade the defense. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds signed a record-setting contract in free agency and the team also landed T.J. Edwards. That unit should be much improved with those two now patrolling at the second level.
Alas, there is only so much that the players can do as a good game plan matters week in and week out. That will fall upon the shoulders of Matt Eberlus and his staff, but some people aren’t overly confident in him being able to get the job done.
One of those doubters is NFL analyst Ross Tucker. He released his head coach power rankings over at The 33rd Team and he threw some major shade at Eberflus with where he was ranked. Tucker has the Bears’ head man 28th among 32 head coaches in the NFL.
That will certainly be motivating for Eberflus, who enters his second year on the job. There is only one head coach not in his first season on the job ranked behind Eberflus; Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders, who came in 29th and has earned such a low ranking.
30, 31 and 32 on the list are all first-timers. Shane Steichen, DeMeco Ryans and Jonathan Gannon are embarking on their first head coaching journeys with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals after standout performances as coordinators.
