Experts have weighed in on the Chicago Bears‘ progress thus far this off-season. Some believe GM Ryan Poles has done a fantastic job, adding significant talent to his roster without overspending in the process. Others believe the Bears devoted their resources to less important positions, neglecting problematic areas like the offensive and defensive lines. This is hardly anything unexpected. It’s rare for a team to garner universal acclaim for what they accomplish in free agency.
That raises an interesting question. What do the sports gamblers think about the Bears? A common tactic in that community is to follow the off-season of a team carefully and, depending on what they accomplish, place a calculated bet on them to win the Super Bowl the following year. Odds analysts for The 33rd Team found that bettors seem to really like what the Bears have done over the past month, declaring them the biggest winners of the free agency period. All of this with ten draft picks still to come.
“Based on data from OddsChecker, since free agency opened, over 26.2 percent of bets were placed on the Chicago Bears winning the 2024 Super Bowl.
At the end of February, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bears listed as an +8000 longshot to win the Super Bowl, with only four teams ranked below them.”
The Chicago Bears have every right to think they’re better.
They added a legitimate #1 wide receiver to their offense in D.J. Moore. When a guy can post 1,000 yards every year while catching passes from Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Allen, it’s evidence he is pretty good at this football thing. Then came two-time Pro Bowl linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds, a freak of nature at 6’5 with 4.5 speed and still only 24 years old. He’s joined by T.J. Edwards, fresh off 159 tackles last season for Philadelphia. Nate Davis brings his athleticism and physicality to the right guard spot, while DeMarcus Walker adds versatility to their defensive front. One shouldn’t forget Robert Tonyan, either. He had 11 TDs in 2020 and remains a legitimate threat at tight end.
Again, the Chicago Bears added all of those pieces before the NFL draft has even begun. They still have the most salary cap space in the league and the 9th overall pick in the 1st round. Unless Poles completely falls on his face, there is a strong possibility he will add two or three more quality players within the next month. That could set the Bears up for a much improved season in 2023. While the playoffs might be a bit ambitious, it’s hard out of line to think they can double their win total from last year.
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I like DJ Moore, but still say he is a receiver #1.5, not a true #1. JMO, There are 15-17 Receivers I would take in leau of Moore. JMO.
So the Bears went from dead last to 4th from the bottom? The bottom 5 teams are fungible.
This is year 1 of the rebuild. Last year was the red shirt year. Fields better light it up or he’s gone. Id have already moved on. I get politically correct optics in today’s NFL.
Erik, the way you talk up all these new players you act like we are super bowl favorites. Don’t get me wrong, I like think most of these guys are major upgrades. But Moore is not on the level of legitimate number one receivers. Chase, Jefferson, Diggs, Hill, Adams, Metcalf, Brown just off the top of my head are legitimate. As for Tonyan having eleven touchdowns in 2020, Kmet had seven in 2022 and I didn’t see Adams on our team. But according to you Kmet is just an average tight end and Tonyan is the proven receiver. You need… Read more »
If the Bears can add four starters worth a crap in the draft, they could make the playoffs. Still say if a QB sits at 9 they will draft and trade. I’m all in for Fields. It’s a cutthroat business. I have what you want, pay.
@MartinMelhus: “…there’s also the fact that when a team loses a lot of games, it means that their opponents won those games, upping the opponent’s records.”
Really, Sherlock. I’m surprised you were able to figure this one out. Save your blowhard comments for your students. Must be a retired teacher.