The biggest Chicago Bears questions for 2018 are many. This is a team that hasn’t finished .500 in five years and hasn’t had a winning season in six. They haven’t made the playoffs going on eight. Suffice to say fans are starting to get a little anxious. They don’t wish to go down the road that teams like Cleveland or Buffalo experienced.

Prayers are high for them to take a big step forward this year. In order for that to happen things must go right for them both on and off the field. To that end, they must assess what the biggest question marks are for their team and find positive answers to as many as possible. If it were an easy task they’d have done it years ago.

Regardless here is a rundown of the biggest issues facing the Bears over the next several months.

Can Matt Nagy’s revamped staff elevate Mitch Trubisky?

This is the big one of course. Everybody is dying to know what new head coach Matt Nagy has in store for quarterback Mitch Trubisky. The primary reason he was hired was his deep background of expertise at the position. That coupled with his prowess as a play caller in Kansas City gives people hope that Trubisky is finally in good hands. In the end, though they still have to play the games. There’s just no telling how the young QB will respond. It’s hard not to feel at least a little pessimistic given the Bears’ history at the position.

Which expensive veterans will get cut and which will survive?

The Bears don’t really have to worry about salary cap space going into free agency. They already are projected to have over $41 million. That’s plenty of spending money. That said this won’t stop them from purging part of the roster in order to clear out more. It’s most likely going to involve veterans who are either getting old or haven’t lived up to their current deals. Several names stand out including Mike Glennon, Josh Sitton. Markus Wheaton, Pernell McPhee, and Quintin Demps among others. Odds are at least a few of them won’t be Bears in the next couple months.

How healthy will Kyle Long be?

The Bears offensive line will be a gigantic key to their offensive success in 2018. The problem hasn’t been the talent for them the past two seasons. It’s been health. Kyle Long is the perfect example. Through his first three years, he didn’t miss a game and went to three Pro Bowls. In 2016 and 2017? He’s missed a combined 14 games with a multitude of injuries to his ankle, neck, and shoulder. This off-season gave him a chance to finally get long overdue surgeries to correct the problems. Now it’s a question of whether he recovers fully. If the Bears can get him back healthy, their offensive ambitions can take flight.

Is Ryan Pace prepared to tackle the wide receiver problem?

Every GM has a weak spot, a position they just can’t seem to figure out. It’s been true of even the best ones. Ryan Pace is no different. If one were to examine his body of work dating back to 2015, undoubtedly his kryptonite has been the wide receiver position. To date his acquisitions there have been, shall we say, uninspiring. Among the names included are Kevin White, Eddie Royal, Kendall Wright, Deonte Thompson and Markus Wheaton. Not exactly a who’s who of standout names. Most of them have disappointed to this point. Pace is up against the wall to finally fix this persistent issue.

Will Kyle Fuller still be a Bear?

By far the most important pending free agent the Bears have in 2018 is cornerback Kyle Fuller. The former first round pick rebounded in a big way this past season. He was their most consistent and effective defensive back with two interceptions and 22 passes defended. It seems the light has finally turned on for him. Now it’s a matter of whether the Bears can lock him up to a new deal. Sides are reportedly talking but it’s unknown if an extension can be struck. The good news is Pace has the franchise tag in his back pocket.

Who will be the pick at #8 overall in the draft?

Barring a move down, the Bears will be using their fourth-straight top 10 picks in the NFL draft this coming April. That hasn’t happened since the 1970s. It represents a major opportunity to get another big difference-maker for the roster as it continues rebuilding. Thus far the team has had mixed results at this. Kevin White was a bust. Leonard Floyd is good provided he stays healthy. Trubisky has promise. If Pace can hit on this #8 overall pick, the team could finally start to turn the corner on the field. Problem is this pick position has proven tricky in the past. Since 2007, it has produced just one Pro Bowler.

Can the injury epidemic finally be curbed?

By far one of the largest issues that have plagued the Bears in recent years is health. Injuries ran amok on them both in 2016 and 2017. Combined between those two seasons a total of 40 players ended up on injured reserve alone. That’s not counting other missed games for various injuries. It’s hard to win in the NFL when a majority of your top players can’t stay on the field. That’s why the Bears fired their strength and conditioning staff. No doubt they intend to seek out somebody who can help with this problem.

The Chicago Bears don’t have many believers across the NFL these days. That’s the price paid for consistently being one of the worst teams in the league for four-straight seasons. They’ve gone 5-11, 6-10, 3-13 and 5-11 again since 2014. It’s hard for people to take you seriously when you can’t even sniff a .500 record, never mind a winning one.

It’s going to take a lot to make believers out of people. Until then the Bears will have to endure the constant projections of how bad they’ll continue to suck. The latest comes from a collaboration between ESPN and Football Outsiders. Even with the 2018 draft months away, the stat specialists decided to predict which teams will be picking high again in 2019.

Considering the Bears have had a top 10 pick three of the past four years, it stands to reason they’d be part of the equation. Except it wasn’t just that anymore. This time the math seems to indicate they’d be the ones at the top of the heap. Or bottom depending on the perspective.

1. Chicago Bears (mean forecast: 6.3 wins)

“Chicago probably won’t be the worst team in the league, but the Bears have ranked 25th in DVOA for two straight years and this forecast doesn’t see anything changing. The defense and special teams are generally average, so the questions are mostly about the offense. Bears fans can have hope that Matt Nagy will come in and transform the offense, but overall, offenses tend to take a step back with a new coordinator and new system.

Bears fans also can have hope that Mitchell Trubisky will improve in his second season, but they shouldn’t expect a Carson Wentz-size step forward in 2018. For every Wentz or Jared Goff who improves significantly, there’s a Blake Bortles or Blaine Gabbert who makes only small improvements in his second season.”

It’s hard to understand where the hate for the Bears defense comes from considering they ranked top 10 in 2017. Perhaps it’s a mere side effect of playing with one of the worst offenses in franchise history. Mitch Trubisky wasn’t good last season but he didn’t have a lot of help. The scheme was backward and predictable. His cast of weapons was thin. It will take more than a coaching change to think he can take the next step.

That’s fair. Even so to think this team will pick #1 overall considering how poorly they were coached? That seems a bit harsh. Then again this is the life of a cellar dweller.

GM Ryan Pace has conducted Chicago Bears business differently from past men in his position. Nothing proves that more than his investments at the quarterback position. After two years of working on the roster while sticking with Jay Cutler, he went all-out in 2017 by signing Mike Glennon in free agency and then drafting Mitch Trubisky second overall.

Glennon didn’t work out. Trubisky made progress as a starter. Everything points to him being the guy at least for the next couple seasons. Glennon will likely be cut given his lofty contract. On top of that, Mark Sanchez is also a pending free agent. This means Trubisky is the only quarterback the Bears could have on the roster at the end of March.

One would assume Pace goes after a potential cheap veteran target for depth. A similar strategy that yielded maximum results for Minnesota (Case Keenum) and Philadelphia (Nick Foles). There’s a prevailing belief that may not be the extent of it though. In fact, predictions are growing the Bears may have plans for the position in April.

Chicago Bears business could involve drafting another QB

ESPN columnist Jeff Dickerson was tasked with making a bold prediction for the Bears in 2018. His choice involved them taking a quarterback for the second-straight year in the draft. Something they haven’t done since 2010 and 2011.

“Last spring’s second overall pick, Mitchell Trubisky, is Chicago’s unquestioned starter heading into 2018, but the rest of the depth chart is fluid. There’s almost no chance that Mike Glennon returns for a second season. Not only is Glennon scheduled to make way too much money ($12.5 million), but he doesn’t fit the style of offense new head coach Matt Nagy is expected to run.

Third-string quarterback Mark Sanchez, who dutifully served as Trubisky’s mentor, is a free agent. The odds of Sanchez coming back are exponentially higher than Glennon’s chances of sticking around. Regardless, the Bears are definitely in the market for another backup.”

This time around would likely be more significant too. In 2010 and 2011 they chose Dan LeFevour and Nathan Enderle in the sixth and fifth rounds respectively. Neither amounted to anything in the NFL. In truth, this could end up being more like 2003 and 2004 when they chose Rex Grossman in the first round and then went after Craig Krenzel in the fifth the next year.

The idea is to get young, cheap depth at an affordable price. Somebody who might also become a possible trade asset down the road if they’re developed well. This 2018 draft class may offer some intriguing possibilities for Bears including names like Luke Falk, Kyle Lauletta, and Logan Whiteside. All have considerable talent but are likely to go in the later rounds due to various circumstances.

Depending on how the board falls, the Bears could be poised to scoop one of them up.

The Chicago Bears contract situation going into 2018 is fascinating. They have no fewer than 19 expiring deals. That means GM Ryan Pace will be busy trying to sort through the players set to leave to see who he may or may not want to keep. This makes it easy to forget that those 19 players aren’t the only ones who might find themselves out of a Bears uniform come the end of March.

With a new coaching staff, there is always going to be changes. Matt Nagy is not John Fox. What he wants in players is going to be considerably different. This means aside from a small handful of names, nobody on the current roster could be considered totally safe. Could Pace end up doing a major roster purge?

While it’s unlikely he goes deep like he did in 2015, the odds favor a number of notable names on the roster getting axed. The reasons for most will be simple:  they’re either too old, too expensive or both. Looking at the salary structure here are the names to watch and how their exit might impact the Bears’ free agency plans.

Mike Glennon (QB) – $11 million in possible cap gain

In the end, the Bears spent a lot of money for four games from Glennon. That’s how long he was able to keep Mitch Trubisky off the field. Not exactly what the team hoped for, but he was largely done in by a mix of poor coaching, poor surrounding talent, and his own mistakes. The Bears are not going to pay him starter money to sit on the bench.

Josh Sitton (OG) – $7.9 million in possible cap gain

He may not be the premier star he was five years ago but Sitton was still more than serviceable last season. Still, he’s turning 32-years old in June and is in the last year of his contract. Are the Bears willing to pay the hefty price tag out of hope he can give them one more good season? This might end up being their toughest decision.

Pernell McPhee (OLB) – $7.07 million in possible cap gain

When healthy McPhee has shown he’s quite the combination of run stopper and adequate pass rusher. Therein lay the problem though. McPhee has dealt with a myriad of injuries since he arrived in Chicago from knee to shoulder problem. Now he’s turning 30-years old on top of that. It’s becoming difficult to justify that large contract anymore.

Dion Sims (TE) – $5.66 million in possible cap gain

The Bears believed Sims could provide a significant two-way capability for their offense. Not only was he a proven blocker, he also showcased promise as a receiving option as well. Long story short he disappointed in the latter category, frequently dropping catchable passes. With Adam Shaheen emerging, his role on the roster will diminish or disappear.

Bobby Massie (OT) – $5.58 million in possible cap gain

He’s not a Pro Bowler by any stretch but people should ease up on Massie. Given his contract parameters and his play over the past two years, the Bears have gotten a decent return on their investment. He’s been decent as a blocker. The question is do they think they can do better in free agency or the draft? Odds say he’ll stick around.

Markus Wheaton (WR) – $5 million in possible cap gain

Probably a bigger bust of a signing than Glennon was, and that’s saying something. The Bears tried to sell Wheaton as the deep threat they’ve sorely needed. Nobody really bought into it then and were quickly validated for their caution. Wheaton barely made an impact at all on offense, suffering a multitude of injuries throughout the year.

Marcus Cooper (CB) – $4.5 million in possible cap gain

Things seemed to start out well for Cooper in 2017. He played adequate coverage on defense. However, things regressed in a big way for him after a near-disastrous mistake on special teams cost the Bears a touchdown. Since then his confidence appeared shot and his play on the field dipped significantly. Can he rebound? Is it even worth waiting to see?

Willie Young (OLB) – $4.5 million in possible cap gain

The Bears need pass rushers so the security of Young might be higher than it should be. Truth be told he’ll be 32 this year and coming off a season-ending injury. His peak days are long behind him. Keeping him aboard would be purely for depth purposes now. Retaining him is possible but could change if the Bears are able to find some younger options.

Jerrell Freeman (ILB) – $3.46 million in possible cap gain

He’s played well when on the field but therein lay the problem. Jerrell Freeman can’t stay on the field. Not only did he suffered a season-ending torn pectoral injury in 2017, he also got suspended for the second time in two years. With young bucks like Christian Jones and Nick Kwiatkoski emerging, it’s hard to see where he fits on the roster anymore at age 31.

Quintin Demps (S) – $3.26 million in possible cap gain

He suffered the cruel fate that happens to older veterans. He signed a semi-expensive deal, took over as the starter at safety, and made the mistake of letting himself get hurt. In his absence, Adrian Amos reemerged to have his best season as a pro. The odds heavily favor the Bears going with Amos moving forward, making Demps expendable.

Possible salary cap if all cuts made:  $99.6 million (overthecap)