Chicago Bears: Five biggest X-Factors for the 2017 season

2. Leonard Floyd

On one hand, everyone is expecting Leonard Floyd to have a big year for the Chicago Bears. After all, if he could flash as much as he did in an uneven, injury-filled rookie season (7.0 sacks), just imagine what he’ll do his second year, provided that he stays healthy.

In fact, coming into this season, Floyd’s arguably the best player on this team. Many are expecting him to at least touch double-digit sacks while also showing more ability as a pass defender.

But what if he’s even better than that? What if we’re actually underestimating the potential impact Floyd could have for the Bears this season?

So far this preseason, he’s given us a glimpse of the dominance he could be about to show this season. Like, from the very first defensive snap of the game. And it was awesome.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/895801709238276096

That play showed off the blend of all the tremendous skills Pace saw when he drafted him ninth overall in 2015. His ferociously quick first step. The length he used to keep his man at bay while also attacking aggressively with his hands. The ability to bend the edge and finally close on the quarterback like he came shot from a cannon.

If he’s going to do that to opposing tackles all season, good luck. He might be pulling off a sack a game.

And then that doesn’t even talk about his adjustments as a cover man, an area in which he was quite raw last season.

With Floyd’s excellent athleticism and wingspan, there’s no reason to think that he won’t snatch at least one pass this season while knocking down several others. All in all, the multi-dimensional monster that the Bears envisioned may be coming to life before our eyes.

And if he can be a dominant Von Miller/Khalil Mack-type force off the edge, this Bears defense is going to thrive. It will be hard for quarterbacks to pick on an average secondary with #94 screaming off the edge every play. In fact, he might just help to create more opportunities for them to make plays by forcing rushed or errant throws. And of course, he knows how to make his own luck too…

Leonard Floyd is going to be really good for the Chicago Bears this year. And his emergence as a superstar will have the greatest bearing on how this Bears season unfolds, with the exception of one player only.