The Chicago Bears have been under the thumb of the Green Bay Packers for the better part of 30 years. Most will say it’s purely because one team stacked back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks and the other, well, didn’t. That is true to some extent, but it clouds the greater reality. Green Bay has often had better rosters than the Bears. If you lined up the offensive and defensive depth charts for the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, it’s safe to assume that Green Bay had better players overall. The only time that wasn’t the case was a brief period in the mid-2000s. Coincidently that was the same time Chicago consistently beat them.
Quarterbacks are vital to sustained success in today’s NFL, but they’re still at the mercy of the talent surrounding them. Even Hall of Famers lose when they don’t have much help. ESPN analytics experts Seth Walder and Mike Clay decided to project the best rosters in the league this season based on talent, age, and production. Unsurprisingly, the Bears were nowhere near the top. That is the reality of a rebuilding team. No, the big shock was they ranked higher (22nd) than their arch-rivals up north (23rd).
It was a surreal thing to see.
“Strongest unit: Off-ball linebacker. Chicago made inside linebacker a major offseason priority — signing Tremaine Edmunds (four years, $72 million) and T.J. Edwards (three years, $19.5 million) — so it certainly should be one of its top units. They will step into substantial roles in place of departures Nicholas Morrow (free agent) and Roquan Smith (traded last season) in coach Matt Eberflus’ 3-4 front.
Weakest unit: Defensive front. You could argue that Chicago has a bottom three unit at interior DL and edge rusher. The team spent Day 3 picks on DTs Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens as competition for veterans Justin Jones, Andrew Billings and DeMarcus Walker. Along the edge, Rasheem Green and Terrell Lewis were signed as competition for Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson. This isn’t ideal for a Bears defense last in both EPA and points allowed (27.2) last season.”
Chicago Bears have fewer question marks, it seems.
Green Bay still has good players like Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Aaron Jones, and Christian Watson. However, now they also have a lot of uncertainty at several positions. Quarterback is the most obvious as Jordan Love prepares to fill the shoes of Aaron Rodgers. Mainstays like David Bakhtiari and Preston Smith are pushing into their 30s. The team finished 8-9 last season, their first losing record since 2018, and did so with Rodgers mostly healthy. That is never a good sign.
They will lean heavily on their 2023 draft class to make significant contributions and hopefully form the foundation of their next competitive window. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have embraced a new identity under GM Ryan Poles. He is building a roster based on size, length, athleticism, and intensity. The array of great athletes he added this off-season alone is impressive. New arrivals like D.J. Moore and Tremaine Edmunds could drastically impact their fortunes.
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If Justin Fields takes another step forward, the Bears might finally overtake Green Bay.
