Chicago Bears: Where does roster rank among NFL teams?

Where does the Chicago Bears roster rank compared to the rest of the NFL?

All offseason, one of the biggest questions that’s been asked about the Chicago Bears is where the team’s roster ranks when compared to the rest of the NFL. It’s a difficult question to answer since the Bears have an elite defense, however, the offense has yet to realize its true potential.

On the defensive side of the ball, we all know what the Bears have with names like Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Eddie Jackson, Akiem Hicks, Kyle Fuller, and Danny Trevathan. An elite defensive core that’s been together since 2018, along with another year of Chuck Pagano’s system means the defense will be one of the best in the NFL heading into 2020.

The one area of concern on the defensive side of the ball, however, is depth at positions like middle and outside linebacker, as well as cornerback. Behind Trevathan and Smith, as well as Mack and Robert Quinn, the Bears need to hope that names like Keandre Jones, Trevis Gipson, and Rashad Smith are able to step up and fill the void left by guys like Kevin Pierre-Louis, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Aaron Lynch.

When it comes to the offensive side of the ball, outside of wide receiver Allen Robinson and center Cody Whitehair, the Bears have a lot of work to do. Quarterback is the biggest question mark on the roster, however, positions such as wide receiver, tight end, and running back have players like Anthony Miller, Cole Kmet, and David Montgomery, who have potential but have yet to realize it.

If there’s one thing that’s clear, the Bears believe that Miller, Kmet, and Montgomery are the future. Miller, despite struggling in 2019 managed to finish the season strong. Montgomery, despite a porous offensive line. Kmet, the Bears first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is expected to be the solution to the tight end position in Matt Nagy’s offense.

Overall, the Bears’ roster is one of the more difficult ones to analyze in the NFL. Right now, the roster isn’t necessarily in the bottom half of the NFL, but it’s not a top-ten roster either. The roster ranks anywhere between 14 and 21, putting it in the middle tier.

The defense, which is as good as any in the NFL, ends up being held back due to the state of the offense. This means that the Bears aren’t exactly true Super Bowl but in order to be so, two things need to happen. First, the offense needs to turn things up a notch and become a true scoring machine. And second, the defense needs to produce more takeaways and sacks, the latter of which is expected to happen in 2020.

With the 2020 season approaching quickly, general manager Ryan Pace has to hope that the roster he’s spent constructing over the last six offseasons finally has what it takes to realize it’s true potential by being able win with both sides of the ball executing properly.