Chicago Bears get disrespected by 3 major outlets
By Ryan Heckman
1. ESPN takes a shot
The early NFL offseason was something we especially lived for during the nationwide pandemic. Free agency and the NFL Draft were all the rage, and quite frankly, I’m sad they’re both over. We need live sports back.
One team which made the offseason much more interesting (to put it nicely) was the Houston Texans.
Bill O’Brien essentially sold DeAndre Hopkins (arguably the best receiver in the NFL outside of Michael Thomas) for a bag of potato chips and a second-round pick.
This was the news that rocked fans from all teams. It was, for lack of a better word, unbelievable. It was one of those news bits where you tilt your head to the side and go, “Really? No, that couldn’t have happened.”
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But, it did. Thus, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the Texans as having the 32nd overall offseason in the NFL — for those counting, that’s last.
In their most recent offseason rankings, ESPN didn’t take too kindly to the Bears and what Ryan Pace put together this spring. The Texans were ranked 32nd, while the Bears clocked in next at no. 31.
That’s right. Barnwell labeled the Bears’ offseason as the league’s second-worst.
I’m not so sure what he expects of Pace, outside of pulling off a massive blockbuster and trading up to land a first-round quarterback. The team rid themselves of Leonard Floyd while adding a proven, top-tier pass rusher like Robert Quinn.
Then, they went out and traded for Nick Foles who is indeed an upgrade at quarterback, no matter what you might think.
Going out and bringing in safety Tashaun Gipson to round out that defense after drafting a surefire starting corner in Jaylon Johnson is worthy of applause.
Did Pace reach a little bit to snag the Draft’s top tight end? Maybe. But, he solidified the position’s future.
With the roster in place and the additions made, there is no way you can tell me this team ranks as the second-to-last in offseason standings. That is pure ridiculousness.