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2007 Team Report: Chicago Bears

Quarterbacks

Starter: Rex Grossman
Backup(s): Brian Griese, Kyle Orton

Starting QB: Lovie Smith sounded like a broken record by the end of the 2006 season: Rex Grossman is the starting QB for the Chicago Bears. Grossman's 2006 preseason performance was terrible and many figured Brian Griese would take over. However, Grossman started every game in 2006, and unless something drastic happens, he likely will do so in 2007. Fantasy wise, that means another top-20 performance for Grossman, maybe top-15. However, Grossman runs hot and cold. He had seven games with two or more TD passes but five games with three or more interceptions. That makes him a risky start. He must do a better job protecting the football, plain and simple.

Backup QB: What a difference a year makes. While Griese is likely to resume his role as the primary backup to Rex Grossman, he's been inconsistent in camp and some reports have Kyle Orton pushing for the backup spot. As a starter, Griese wasn't very consistent. The Bears won 10 games with Kyle Orton as their starter in 2005, but Orton never saw the field in 2006. He's a serviceable game manager, at best.

Running Backs

Starter: Cedric Benson
Backup(s): Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe [R]
Fullback(s): Jason McKie, Obafemi Ayanbadejo

Starting RB: Cedric Benson finally seemed to break out of his shell in the second half of the 2006 season and ran well down the stretch. This allowed the Bears to trade Thomas Jones to the Jets and makes Benson the undisputed starter. During the regular season, Benson averaged 4.1 YPC and had six rushing TDs. The Bears think Benson will resemble the bruising, power runner who ran wild for four years at the University of Texas. As a full-time starter, Benson could put up huge numbers particularly if he's used on third downs and obvious passing situations.

Backup RBs: Adrian Peterson has been the Bears' third down and change-of-pace back for five seasons. In 2005, when he was No. 2 behind Thomas Jones, he averaged 5.1 yards per rush and 6.9 yards per reception. He could put up similar numbers again in 2007 as he returns to the No. 2 role now that Jones has moved on. Garrett Wolfe is an interesting prospect but will likely not get enough playing time to have any real fantasy value.

Fullback: The Bears use their FB as more of a blocker than anything else. Jason McKie had 25 receptions last season but must contend with Obafemi Ayanbadejo for the starting job in a fierce camp battle.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian
Backups: Rashied Davis, Mark Bradley, Devin Hester, Mike Hass

Starting WRs: The Bears starting tandem is an interesting combination. Muhsin Muhammad is the old, proven commodity who does all the little things necessary to win game. Long gone are the days when Muhammad delivers 1,400 yards and 16 TDs as he did in 2004, but he should still be productive. Bernard Berrian is the young big play speedster, and looks to build off his breakout 2006 season. Berrian played particularly well for Chicago in the playoffs (14 receptions for 228 yards and 2 TDs) and looks more polished this year based on the early preseason returns.

Backup WRs: Often-injured Mark Bradley has never become the player the Bears hoped when they drafted him 39th overall in 2005. He's in the mystical third year that sometimes produces breakout seasons, but he's not a starter and appears a longshot to make a big fantasy contribution. Rashied Davis caught a couple TDS early in his rookie season, but disappeared after that. He finished with only 264 receiving yards for the year, and probably won't see much more than that this year unless someone is hurt. The most interesting receiver in camp has to be Devin Hester. Hester, a part-time receiver/corner at the University of Miami, made his mark last year on special teams (6 return TDs, an NFL record) and now the Bears are using him as a wide receiver. Don't expect Hester to put up gaudy offensive numbers, but he could be good for two or three deep bombs over the course of the season.

Tight Ends

Starters: Desmond Clark
Backups: Greg Olsen [R], John Gilmore

Last year, many expected the Bears to draft one of the many talented tight ends available. Instead, they stuck with Desmond Clark and he responded with his best season as a pro. The Bears rewarded Clark's productivity by spending a first-round draft pick on Greg Olsen. While some worry that Olsen will crimp Clark's numbers, it's important to remember that Clark was Rex Grossman's security blanket. More likely, Olsen will slowly be worked into the rotation and both he and Clark will play liberally in 2-TE sets. The bad news is Olsen and Clark could steal just enough of each other's thunder to make neither a viable fantasy TE.

Place Kicker

Robbie Gould : As a rookie in 2005, Gould was a serviceable replacement for Doug Brien. He was very solid from short range, but he struggled on FGs over 40 yards and his kickoffs were merely average. Last year he addressed all those concerns, easily held off Josh Huston for the job, and subsequently emerged as one of the top kickers in the league. He was 32 of 36 on FGs (88.9%), including 12 of 14 from 40+ yards, and made all 47 PATs. That all added up to 143 points, making him the highest scoring kicker for the year. That was a complete turn around from the previous two years when the Bears finished 28th and 32nd in kicker scoring. CAMP UPDATE: Robbie Gould made a 47 yard game winning field goal with 36 seconds remaining in the game at Houston. Earlier in the game he made a 44 yarder, but was wide left from 52 yards out.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Devin Hester; Danieal Manning; Rashied Davis; Adrian Peterson; Jason McKie; Corey Graham; Timon Marshall

In his rookie season last year, CB/WR Devin Hester brought significant attention to the importance of the returner role, for the first time since Dante Hall scored return touchdowns in four consecutive games in 2003. He ran away with the top fantasy returner ranking, despite not becoming the Bears' primary kickoff returner until the last third of the season. He capped off his amazing season by returning the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl for a TD. FS Danieal Manning had just one 20 yard return last year. He may see more this year, as the Bears are looking to line him up deep alongside Hester, so that Hester isn't running laterally to chase down balls when opposing teams kick away from him. CB/WR Rashied Davis was the lead kickoff returner for the latter part of 2005 and the first part of 2006 (32 returns, 23.5 avg.). The backups include RB Adrian Peterson (3 returns, 16.3 avg.) and FB Jason McKie (1 returns, 11 yards). Undrafted rookie CB Corey Graham scored twice on kickoff returns during his college career at New Hampshire. He missed the last half of his senior year with a broken leg. The Bears signed WR/CB Timon Marshall, a versatile and successful player for the AFL's Grand Rapids Rampage. CAMP UPDATE: It wasn't WR Devin Hester, but rather FS Danieal Manning that took the Bears' first kickoff return 72 yards. Not to be outdone, Hester had a 50 yard punt return, which would have gone for a score had he not got tangled up with a fellow Bear. As previously noted, both may line up deep on kickoffs in the regular season. The other candidate to join Hester deep on kickoffs is WR Rashied Davis, who had a 27 yard kickoff return against the Colts.

Punt Returners: Devin Hester; Bernard Berrian; Danieal Manning; Rashied Davis; Tim Mixon

Devin Hester set the NFL record for most return TDs in a season with six (three PRs, two KRs, and one missed field goal return). He averaged 12.8 yards on his 47 punt returns. Bernard Berrian saw limited action as the backup (2 returns, 3.5 avg.). Danieal Manning averaged 22.0 yards (1st in Division II) on punt returns during his senior year at Abilene Christian in 2005. Rashied Davis handled five punts in 2005 (6.2 avg.). Undrafted rookie CB Tim Mixon averaged 12.7 yards and scored once on punt returns during his college career at California. He missed his senior year with a torn ACL.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT John Tait, LG Ruben Brown, C Olin Kreutz, RG Roberto Garza, RT Fred Miller
Key Backups: John St. Clair, Terrence Metcalf, Josh Beekman [R]

The Bears offensive line was outstanding in 2006, and the starting five returns intact for another run in 2007. Center Olin Kreutz is one of the best in the business. RT Fred Miller is a 12-year vet who has missed just two games in nine seasons, and is underrated by many. Roberto Garza stepped into the starting role at right guard and played extremely well. On the left side, both John Tait and Ruben Brown are veteran players who are excellent blockers. With good depth in Terrence Metcalf and John St. Clair, and a good rookie prospect in Josh Beekman who can play both center and guard, this should be another outstanding season for the Bears offensive line.

Team Defense

The Bears have been one of the elite fantasy defenses over the past two years, but the addition of rookie returner Devin Hester last year took them to a new level. He is an explosive player who set an NFL record with 6 kicks returned for a TD. The Bears defense has no real weakness as they ranked among the league's best in yards allowed, points allowed, takeaways, and also managed 40 sacks. The defensive line is deep and talented and got a huge boost from rookie Mark Anderson's 12 sacks. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs form the league's best linebacker tandem and both are clearly in the prime of their careers. The secondary has had some issues in recent years but the depth has been substantially upgraded over the past two offseasons. Coming off a trip to the Super Bowl, this is a unit built to win now. The Bears avoided potential contract issues by getting Lance Briggs to sign his one-year franchise tender while locking up CBs Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman to long-term extensions.

Defensive Line

Starters: RDE Mark Anderson, LDE Adewale Ogunleye, DT Tommie Harris, NT Anthony Adams
Backups: DT Darwin Walker, DE Alex Brown, DE Israel Idonije, DT Dusty Dvoracek, DE Dan Bazuin [IR]

Starting DL: The Bears had one of the best and deepest defensive lines in the league last year but they could be even better in 2007. Mark Anderson is expected to take over the starting RDE job this year after his incredible rookie season. Despite playing limited snaps for much of the year, Anderson led the team with 12 sacks and could be ready to join the fantasy elite with a repeat performance. Adewale Ogunleye an explosive edge rusher with 2 double digit sack seasons in the past 4 years. While a solid run defender, he lacks ideal size to play on the power side of the formation and has had some problems staying healthy as a result. Tommie Harris is one of the best defensive tackles in the league but you wouldn't really know it from looking at his statistics. His combination of quickness and strength often forces teams to double team him, which creates more favorable opportunities for the outside pass rushers. With the loss of Ian Scott to the Eagles, the Bears will likely turn to free agent Anthony Adams at NT. Adams has played NT in the 49ers 3-4 over the last few years and does a good job of tying up blockers.

Backup DL: Alex Brown has been an above average starter for the Bears, but he has averaged just over 5 sacks/year despite only missing one game in his five-year career. He should still see plenty of snaps as the #3 DE since the Bears rotate their linemen frequently. The Bears help offset the release of Tank Johnson with the acquisition of Darwin Walker from the Eagles. Walker is a disruptive upfield tackle with a knack for getting to the passer. He's a good, not great run stopper because sometimes he over pursues and can lose his leverage. Regardless, he'll be a valuable member of the DL rotation and gives the Bears versatility in how they utilize their interior defense. Given how strong their top-3 defensive ends are, it was a bit of a surprise when the Bears spent a 2nd round pick on Dan Bazuin. He comes from a small school in Central Michigan, but was very productive and could quickly make Brown expendable. Israel Idonije has played very little over the past two years, but he provides quality depth at both DE and DT. Dusty Dvoracek was a talented player with character concerns coming out of college who should play a bigger role this year after missing his entire rookie season with an injury.

Linebackers

Starters: WLB Lance Briggs, MLB Brian Urlacher, SLB Hunter Hillenmeyer
Backups: OLB Michael Okwo, LB Jamar Williams, LB Darrell McClover, OLB Brendon Ayanbadejo, ILB Rod Wilson

Starting LBs: The Bears linebacker unit boasts two of the league's best, but there are some reasons to be concerned. Lance Briggs has put together three exceptional seasons and even managed to finish as the #1 fantasy LB in 2006. He was unhappy with his contract status and threatened a holdout, but ultimately signed his one-year tender as the team's franchise player. Brian Urlacher is the focal point of the Bears defense and one of the most impressive players in the league. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and would have had a strong case last year as well. Hunter Hillenmeyer is a solid player who doesn't get much attention playing alongside Urlacher and Briggs, but he rarely makes mistakes and holds up well against the run. He has some added value due to the fact that he would likely move inside to MLB if Urlacher missed time to injury.

Backup LBs: Jamar Williams was a 4th round pick in 2006 who played primarily on special teams during his rookie season but is versatile enough to play any LB spot. He has been the primary backup for Urlacher at MLB during the preseason and looks like he is ready to play a bigger role if called upon. Given the uncertainty surrounding Briggs, it was not a surprise when the Bears spent a 1st day pick to add another linebacker. Michael Okwo was a 3rd round pick out of Stanford who lacks ideal size but is a good athlete with great instincts who could be the heir apparent at WLB. Brendon Ayanbadejo doesn't play much on defense but is one of the league's best special teams players. Rod Wilson played four positions in college and provides depth inside.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB Charles Tillman, FS Mike Brown, SS Adam Archuleta, CB Nathan Vasher
Backups: FS Danieal Manning, CB Ricky Manning Jr, SS Brandon McGowan, SS Kevin Payne [R], CB Trumaine McBride [R], Corey Graham [R]

Starting DBs: The Bears have one of the best secondaries in the league and ranked 2nd last year with 24 interceptions. Although he can struggle in coverage sometimes, Charles Tillman is an elite fantasy CB playing in the Bears Tampa-2 defense. He has great size and is very physical against the run, but he also has good ball skills as evidenced by his 10 interceptions over the past two seasons. Mike Brown has been the unquestioned leader of the Bears secondary but his last three seasons have all been cut short by injuries. He's moving back to free safety this year with the addition of Adam Archuleta. Archuleta signed a big free agent contract with the Redskins last year but struggled in coverage and lost his starting job by midseason. The Bears traded for him and hope that he'll be more effective for them as an in-the-box safety who can support the run and contribute as a blitzer. Nathan Vasher is smaller than Tillman and not as physical, but he is better in coverage and an elite playmaker (averaged nearly 6 interceptions per season). The Bears wisely locked up both of their starting CBs to long-term contract extensions so they should have stability at the position for years to come.

Backup DBs: The Bears drafted Danieal Manning in the 2nd round last year and quickly inserted him into the starting lineup at free safety. He struggled at times after making the jump from Division II to the NFL but remains a promising player who can contribute at free safety or CB. Ricky Manning was signed in free agency last season and provided a huge upgrade at the nickel back position. Despite his lack of height, he's a tough and aggressive player who tied for the team lead with 5 interceptions. Brandon McGowan has missed time with injuries but is healthy now and allowed the Bears to trade Chris Harris to the Panthers. Kevin Payne was a 2nd day draft pick who has the size and athleticism to develop into a starting strong safety but will likely contribute on special teams. Corey Graham (5th) and Trumaine McBride (7th) were late round draft picks this year who impressed the coaches with their play during the preseason.

Last modified: 2007-09-02 13:43:21