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2008 Team Report: Chicago Bears

Quarterbacks

Starter: Rex Grossman
Backup(s): Kyle Orton

Starting QB: After three miserable weeks to begin the 2007 season, it appeared certain that the Rex Grossman era in Chicago was over before it really got going. He had one touchdown pass, six interceptions and the wrath of the entire Chicago nation bearing down on him. The club turned to veteran QB Brian Griese in Week 4 hoping to turn the club's fortunes around. Griese made some plays but also turned the ball over to the opposition too often. Grossman regained the starting role when Griese went down with a shoulder injury in Week 10 and looked like a different player. He had no real pressure on him at that point and he surprised everybody by playing some inspired football down the stretch. He played well before injuring his knee and, as a result, the Bears dealt Griese away this offseason. Grossman will be given one last opportunity to prove he can get the job done for the Bears.

Backup QB: Kyle Orton likely does not possess the necessary skills to be an everyday starter in the NFL, but he'll stick around for quite awhile as a backup. He has nice size and is adequate when leading a conservative offense.

Running Backs

Starter: Matt Forte [R]
Backup(s): Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe
Fullback(s): Jason McKie, Lousaka Polite

Starting RB: The Bears released former No. 1 draft pick Cedric Benson in early June. The logical heir-apparent is a rookie. Chicago drafted ultra-productive Matt Forte from Tulane. He ran for over 2,000 yards and scored 23 touchdowns last season in college. Unless he completely flops in the training camp, Forte will start for the team. While he could be spelled on passing downs, Forte should see plenty of action on first and second downs.

Backup RBs: With the injury and general ineffectiveness of starter Benson last season, veteran RB Adrian Peterson had his opportunity to elevate himself into a starting role. A 3.4 YPC average did little to help his chances. At 28 years of age, he is likely to slot in as a dependable backup for the remainder of his career. He had some success catching passes in 2007 and finished with 51 grabs. Second-year RB Garrett Wolfe is a diminutive at 5-foot-7 and 171 pounds, but he adds a dimension of speed and quickness that few possess. He's too small to be an every-down player, but he'll make some plays as a change-of-pace, third-down specialist.

Fullback: Jason McKie is a dependable blocking fullback likely to add little in terms of fantasy production this season.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Mark Bradley, Marty Booker
Backups: Earl Bennett [R], Devin Hester, Brandon Lloyd, Marcus Monk [R]

Starting WRs: This definitely appears to be an area of weakness for the Bears this season. It looks like Mark Bradley is the WR1 by default this season, but he'll need to really elevate his play to justify the slot. Bradley seemed to be emerging in 2006 with 282 receiving yards and three touchdowns but fell hard last season finishing with just 71 receiving yards on the season. Marty Booker will be 32 years old this season and has had five straight years with less than 747 receiving yards. He is unlikely to return to his early success with the Bears back in 2001 and 2002 when he had 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He will be serviceable, but it would be a surprise if he exceeds expectations.

Backup WRs: Earl Bennett has good hands and runs sharp routes. Once he acclimates himself to NFL competition, he should be the best WR on the team. Devin Hester is a threat to score anytime the ball is in his hands. He has the rare ability to make defenders miss and he'll see a ton of looks this season in Chicago's offense. His 12 return touchdowns in two years are incredible and he even began to look like a legitimate receiver last season. Brandon Lloyd appeared to be an emerging receiver with the 49ers in 2004 but has fallen off the map with just two receptions with the Redskins in 2007. He may struggle to stick with the team.

Tight Ends

Starters: Greg Olsen
Backups: Desmond Clark

The Bears are blessed with two outstanding players at tight end and both will see a lot of passes thrown their way in 2008. They caught 83 passes between them in 2007 and that number could rise significantly in 2008. Greg Olsen appears destined for elite status while Clark has caught 89 passes and scored 10 times in the last two seasons. Expect big things from this position in 2008 due to the question marks at the receiver spot in Chicago.

Place Kicker

Robbie Gould, Shane Longest : As a rookie in 2005, Gould was a serviceable replacement for Doug Brien. In 2006 he addressed his weaknesses, 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 totaling 143 points (1st). In 2007 he did nearly as well on field goals hitting 31 of 36 (86.1%), again including 12 of 14 from 40+ yards, however PATs dropped down to 33, totaling 126 points (7th). For 2008, getting 36 field goal attempts for a third straight year is possible but not probable. We know that Devin Hester will generate some PAT attempts, but how many will the offense generate?

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Devin Hester; Rashied Davis; Danieal Manning; Adrian Peterson; Garrett Wolfe; Corey Graham; Earl Bennett

In his rookie season in 2006, 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 2006 season by returning the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl for a TD. In 2007, he kept up the pace, scoring twice on kickoff returns. CB/WR Rashied Davis was the lead kickoff returner for the latter part of 2005 and the first part of 2006. Last year he served as the primary backup (12 returns, 14.0 avg.). The backups include FS Danieal Manning (3 returns, 20.3 avg.), RB Adrian Peterson (3 returns, 5.7 avg.) and RB Garrett Wolfe (one return for 27 yards). CB Corey Graham scored twice on kickoff returns during his college career at New Hampshire. Third round draft pick WR Earl Bennett handled kickoffs during his freshman year at Vanderbilt.

Punt Returners: Devin Hester; Danieal Manning; Rashied Davis; Earl Bennett

Devin Hester averaged 12.8 yards in 2006, and improved to 15.5 yard last year. As a rookie, he set the NFL record for most return TDs in a season with six (three PRs, two KRs, and one missed field goal return). After his phenomenal 2006 season, a drop-off in his numbers wouldn't have been surprising in 2007. Despite the fact that some teams kicked away from him, Hester again finished as the top scoring fantasy returner. He again tied his NFL record of six return TDs in one year. In just two years, he is already near the top of the NFL career return TDs list: Brian Mitchell 13, Eric Metcalf 12, Dante Hall 12, Devin Hester 11 (or 12 if you count the missed FG return in 2006). Imagine any NFL player breaking an NFL career record in just his third year. That's what Hester is on the verge of doing! 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.). Earl Bennett averaged 7.2 yards on punt returns during his three years in college.

Offensive Line

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

Commentary coming soon.

Team Defense

If your league gave points for special teams touchdowns, the Bears were worth their 2007 high draft position. Seven of the team's eight D/ST touchdowns came on special teams as the league continued to tempt fate by kicking to Devin Hester. The Bears also finished in the top half of the league in sacks, led by a solid season from DE Adewale Ogunleye, but weren't nearly as productive in points and total yards allowed. Chicago didn't make any major changes to its defense this offseason. Ogunleye, Alex Brown and Mark Anderson are the primary pass-rushing ends. None are particularly effective against the run and the team hopes Anderson will be more productive this season in a part-time role. DT Tommie Harris returns from offseason knee surgery to boost the inside pass rush. MLB Brian Urlacher will need to play better this season to improve the team's run defense. If the rumors of a serious back injury for Urlacher are true, the defense will again struggle to stop teams from running right at them. Questions also abound in the secondary, which was inconsistent for most of 2007. As long as Devin Hester is on the roster (and teams continue to kick to him), the Bears remain a top D/ST. Expect to use a high pick on them again this season if you want them on your roster.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Adewale Ogunleye, DE Alex Brown, DT Tommie Harris, NT Anthony Adams
Backups: DE Mark Anderson, DE Israel Idonije, DE Dan Bazuin, DT Dusty Dvoracek, DT Marcus Harrison [R], DE Ervin Baldwin [R]

Starting DL: With 55.5 sacks over the past 6 seasons, Adewale Ogunleye is one of the more productive pass rushers in the league. Although undersized for the LDE position, he is also a solid run defender and set a career-high with 53 solo tackles last year. Although Mark Anderson started at RDE last year, he was generally ineffective and struggled badly against the run. While Alex Brown doesn't have the same upside as a pass rusher, he holds up better against the run and should see the majority of the snaps on early downs. Despite playing at less than 100% while recovering from a knee injury last year, Tommie Harris wound up playing all 16 games and finished with an impressive 8 sacks. Already one of the quickest interior defenders in the league, Harris needs to improve his tackle totals to truly reach the fantasy elite. Anthony Adams was signed from the 49ers a year ago to improve the depth at NT and help against the run. He played well enough to hold onto the starting job for now, but his fantasy value is minimal.

Backup DL: Mark Anderson had an incredible rookie season in 2006, finishing with 12 sacks despite playing mostly as a pass rush specialist. After taking over as the starting RDE last year, his sack total plummeted to 5. Anderson is undersized and seemed to get worn down trying to stop the run, so the Bears would probably be better served playing him less and mostly in passing situations. Israel Idonije is a versatile depth player who could play any position on the defensive line. Dan Bazuin was a 2nd round pick a year ago who spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a knee injury. Dusty Dvoracek was expected to start at DT next to Tommie Harris last year, but he wound up missing the season with a torn ACL suffered in the season opener. The team has high hopes for him but he's only played 30 snaps in 2 years, so his health and durability is a huge question mark. The Bears added some much-needed depth inside with the selection of Marcus Harrison in the 3rd round, a strong player who should contribute right away. Ervin Baldwin was a 7th round pick out of Michigan State who had 8.5 sacks as a senior.

Linebackers

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

Starting LBs: Lance Briggs has been a Pro Bowl and All Pro outside linebacker in recent years, and the Bears decided to keep him around by signing him to a 6-year, $36 million contract extension. He's a great fit at WLB in the Bears cover-2 defense and has averaged 95 solo tackles/year over the past 4 seasons. Brian Urlacher has been one of the best fantasy linebackers since he entered the league in 2000. His unique combination of size, speed, and athleticism make him the prototype for the MLB position. Although he reportedly dealt with some back problems last year, Urlacher still managed to play in all 16 games for the 7th time in an 8-year career, and finished with an impressive 90+ solo tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 interceptions. Hunter Hillenmeyer is an underrated player who often gets overlooked playing next to two elite players. He's not much of a big-play threat with just 3.5 sacks and 1 interception in his 4-year career, but he put up a very respectable 65 solo tackles last season.

Backup LBs: With all the uncertainty that has surrounded Lance Briggs in recent years, the Bears drafted a couple of potential replacements in Jamar Williams and Michael Okwo. Although Briggs signed a 6-year contract to stay in Chicago, the Bears can void the deal after two years so there's still a chance that those picks will pay off. Williams has looked impressive in limited playing time and will likely begin the year as the primary backup at both OLB spots. Okwo is an undersized linebacker with potential who missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury. Rod Wilson is a solid depth player and key contributor on special teams. Darrell McClover and Nick Roach will compete for a roster spot in training camp but aren't likely to see anything more than special teams duty once the regular season begins.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB Charles Tillman, SS Brandon McGowan. FS Mike Brown, CB Nathan Vasher
Backups: FS Danieal Manning, SS Kevin Payne, CB Ricky Manning, SS Craig Steltz [R], CB Trumaine McBride, CB Corey Graham, CB Zackary Bowman [R]

Starting DBs: Charles Tillman is one of the most consistent fantasy performers in the league from the CB position. He combines ideal size with great ball skills and also gets to play in a defensive scheme that is very fantasy friendly for CBs. Brandon McGowan took over the starting SS job in Chicago midway through last season and played reasonably well. He's the current favorite to start again this year but he could be challenged by 2nd year pro Kevin Payne. Mike Brown is one of the best defensive players on the Bears roster, but unfortunately he hasn't been able to stay on the field much in recent years. Brown has suffered a serious season-ending injury in each of the past four seasons, raising major questions about how much he'll be able to contribute. Nathan Vasher is the best cover CB on the Bears roster, a reliable tackler, and an excellent playmaker. His absence was felt by the entire defense when he missed 12 games with a groin injury last year.

Backup DBs: Danieal Manning has been a starter at free safety for most of his first two years in the league. Although not known as a big hitter, he is a sound tackler with good range and cover skills who can provide some insurance behind Brown while also contributing in nickel or dime packages. Kevin Payne was a 5th round draft pick a year ago who didn't get to contribute much due to a broken arm suffered in week 4, but he's expected to compete for the starting SS job this year. Ricky Manning Jr is a small corner who has been very effective working as a nickel back throughout his career, but he struggled last year when forced into a starting role due to the Vasher injury. Adam Archuleta became a complete liability in coverage and was released after the draft. Taking his place is rookie Craig Steltz, a captain on the LSU team that won a National Championship last year, who the Bears view as a future starter. Trumaine McBride was a 7th round pick last year who was forced into action earlier than anticipated, but he performed well and should push Ricky Manning Jr for the nickel back job this year. Corey Graham was a 5th round pick last year who was slower to adjust than McBride but made an impact on special teams. The Bears took a chance on Zackary Bowman in round 5, a player who many thought had 1st round talent before knee injuries derailed his career.

Last modified: 2008-06-23 20:28:51