12/3/2023 0 Comments Big jenga amazonJones was graded on a curve as a fifth-round rookie left tackle out of Southern Utah. Now focused solely on the nickel, Gordon has been playing with a quickness and freedom that signals a Year 2 improvement should be coming. The Bears asked him to do a lot and the mental strain of having to master two positions showed. He constantly blew up the Bears' bread-and-butter wide-zone run game and notched several intercpetions of Fields and then-backup P.J. He seemed to sniff out almost every offensive play the Bears ran. 9" this season as he aims for All-Pro honors. The Penn State product promised to be a "new No. Prior to his training camp injury, Brisker was the best player on the back fields at Halas Hall. The Bears need all three players to elevate their games in 2023. One of the lone non-Fields bright spots of the dismal 2022 season was the encouraging play of rookies Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon, and Braxton Jones.Įach took their first-year lumps, but responded well and took those lessons into the offseason to develop ahead of a critical second campaign. In order for Fields to take a step forward as a passer and for the offense to run at maximum efficiency, the Bears need this group to stay healthy and be much better in pass protection than they individually showed last season.Ĭan they do it, or will the Jenga tower in front of Fields crumble as it did last season? Second-year surge? Keep in mind that Patrick suffered a season-ending injury in Week 7. Not including the rookie right tackle, that starting five combined to give up 84 pressures and 16 sacks last season. The Bears' presumed starting five Sunday now will be Braxton Jones, Whitehair, Patrick, Davis, and Wright. That injury has pushed Whitehair back to left guard and placed Lucas Patrick at center. The first injury has already happened as Jenkins suffered a leg injury midway through August and opens the season on short-term injured reserve. 10 overall pick, the Bears' "best five" was set.īut Poles never adequately addressed the depth issue on his offensive line, leaving the Bears one or two injuries away from complete catastrophe. The Bears signed right guard Nate Davis, kicked Teven Jenkins to left guard, and bumped Cody Whitehair to center. That the elite athleticism is a tool in a much larger quarterback bag, one that has many believing he's the franchise signal-caller Chicago has long sought.Īfter acquiring Moore in early March, Poles turned his attention to rebuilding an offensive line that had Fields running for his life in 2022. General manager Ryan Poles' main offseason focus was to surround Fields with the support needed to show that he is more than just an electric highlight reel. Ones whose answers will determine the direction their season travels. With the critical season-opener against the Green Bay Packers just days away, here are the five pressing questions surrounding the 2023 Bears. They have a dynamic young signal-caller in Fields, a top-tier receiver in Moore, and a back seven that should be stout. There's no doubt the Bears are more talented than they were 365 days ago. Edwards, edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, and right tackle Darnell Wright fueled an offseason of hope and excitement that created a tidal wave of expectations both for quarterback Justin Fields and the team as a whole. The additions of wide receiver DJ Moore, linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. 1 overall pick turned into an offseason of moves that theoretically set up the 2023 Bears for success. They didn't even have a plane built to attempt a takeoff.Ī 3-14 season that ended with the No. The 2022 Bears never even got off the ground.
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