This article is part of our Team Previews series.
THE SKINNY
The Bears had a strong defense last year, while the offense was a liability, leading to a fourth-place finish in the NFC North for a fourth straight season. With an improved group of pass catchers and the hiring of innovative coach Matt Nagy, expectations have risen in Chicago.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
IS TRUBISKY SET FOR A SECOND-YEAR LEAP?
Matt Nagy arrives in Chicago after coordinating the NFL's fifth-ranked offense in Kansas City last season. Moving from Alex Smith to Mitchell Trubisky is a lateral move in terms of pocket mobility, but the latter serves as a blank slate for Nagy to impart knowledge in the quarterback's second campaign and beyond. The No. 2 overall pick in 2017, Trubisky was little more than a game manager in 12 starts as a rookie, ranking 28th with 182.8 passing yards per game and 23rd with 6.6 yards per attempt among signal-callers with at least 300 attempts. Although he posted just seven touchdown passes versus seven interceptions, he at least kept defenses somewhat honest with 30-plus yards rushing in four different contests. This athleticism will be tapped by Nagy, and Trubisky also will have the benefit of a revised receivers room. Via free agency and the draft, the Bears swapped Kendall Wright and Cameron Meredith for Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton and Anthony Miller, representing enhancements across the depth chart. Incorporating the versatile quartet into the offense may take some time, but Trubisky still has Jordan Howard and pass-catching option Tarik Cohen at his disposal out of the backfield. As such, Nagy may slowly but surely introduce concepts to Trubisky to make sure his potential shines through.
DOES A WORKHORSE ROLE AWAIT HOWARD?
The new coaching staff wasted no time by stating that Jordan Howard will retain a feature role, which translated to more than 17 carries per game in his first two seasons. After running over the competition for 5.2 yards per carry and seven total touchdowns as a rookie, he wasn't the same player in 2017. With Howard no longer a surprise to opponents, teams loaded the box and paid little attention to the anemic Chicago passing attack, resulting in a drop to 4.1 YPC. That said, Howard continued to be a helpful fantasy option with 1,122 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He'll now benefit from an offense that significantly renovated its receiving corps and installed a system aimed at keeping defenses on their heels by presenting variation through creative play design. Instead of being the main threat for opponents, he should find fewer defenders close to the line of scrimmage, helping the case for a rebound to his 2016 form. Howard hasn't displayed chops as a receiver, though, racking up 14 drops en route to a 63.4 percent catch rate on 82 career targets to date. This reality could force him off the field in favor of Tarik Cohen or even Benny Cunningham on obvious passing downs, but Howard will remain the primary engine of the ground game, both between the 20s and near the goal line.
ROBINSON PRIMED TO REGAIN ELITE STANDING
There were few better wide receivers in the game than Allen Robinson in 2015, when he posted 1,400 yards (sixth in the NFL) and 14 touchdowns (tied for first) for the Jaguars. The last two seasons weren't as kind. First, he was impacted by Blake Bortles' implosion in 2016, recording 517 fewer yards and eight less touchdowns on the same number of targets. Robinson then suited up just once last year due to a torn ACL. With the Bears, he'll align himself with an offense that's expected to feature an aggressive passing attack that plays to his strengths, assuming he's healthy. He also should benefit from the steady rushing of Jordan Howard and the presence of viable receivers like Taylor Gabriel, Tarik Cohen, Trey Burton and Anthony Miller that will aim to keep defenses from smothering him. Despite the optimism, much of Robinson's success will be linked to second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who remains unproven. Due to this fact and a lack of familiarity between Trubisky and his new collection of pass catchers, the offense could endure growing pains as it implements a new playbook. If all goes well in the transition, Robinson's abilities to make downfield adjustments and turn seemingly lost plays into huge gains could yield the first 1,000-yard wideout in Chicago since Alshon Jeffery in 2014.
PIVOTAL PLAYER: Mitchell Trubisky
As a rookie quarterback, Trubisky lacked much offensive ammunition not named Jordan Howard and was restrained further by ultra-conservative play calling. With an infusion of talent at wide receiver and tight end and a different coaching staff in place, Trubisky will have a better chance to take off in Year 2.
BAROMETER
RISING: Tarik Cohen
After being underutilized in the final 12 contests of 2017, Cohen should garner more touches under new coach Matt Nagy. Expect Cohen to create mismatches all over the field behind starting running back Jordan Howard.
FALLING: Kevin White
White's three-year career has been filled with disappointment due to injuries and poor play. With four new weapons in the passing game, he may need a great offseason and preseason to earn regular playing time.
SLEEPER: Trey Burton
Burton will take on the receiving role that Travis Kelce had in the Chiefs offense when Nagy called the shots as coordinator. Whenever Burton subbed in for Zach Ertz the last two years, he was quite productive.
KEY JOB BATTLE – THE BACKFIELD BREAKDOWN
With conflicting statements by new coach Matt Nagy this offseason, the backfield duties for Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen will likely have more clarity as training camp progresses. Nagy stated in April that Howard will be the featured running back, but he followed that up in May by saying that Howard's role will be game specific. It's difficult to envision a Chicago backfield that doesn't have Howard earning the lion's share of early-down work along with being the primary goal-line option. However, Howard has shown deficiencies as a pass catcher, meaning Cohen could earn significant work when the team faces obvious passing downs, as well as games in which the Bears are playing from behind. It should be noted that Benny Cunningham is still on the roster, but even though he took work away from Cohen during the second half of the 2016 campaign, the situation seemed to stem from former coach John Fox's propensity to give deference to veterans. In the end, it's unlikely that Cunningham will be much of a threat in this positional battle under the new regime.
KEY ACQUISITIONS:
Allen Robinson – WR (from Jaguars)
After 2017 ACL injury, he'll try to regain his 2015 superstar form.
Trey Burton – TE (from Eagles)
Moving from Zach Ertz's shadow into a prominent receiving role.
Taylor Gabriel – WR (from Falcons)
A deep threat that primarily will open up the field for teammates.
Anthony Miller – WR (Rd. 2, No. 51 – Memphis)
The rookie wideout is the favorite to start in the slot Week 1.
Roquan Smith – LB (Rd. 1, No. 8 – Georgia)
Joining an already-stout defense makes him an instant IDP target.
KEY DEPARTURES:
Kendall Wright – WR (to Vikings)
The team's top receiver in 2017 wasn't retained.
Cameron Meredith – WR (to Saints)
Off to New Orleans after Chicago decided not to match offer sheet.
Mike Glennon – QB (to Cardinals)
Experiment lasted just four games before Mitchell Trubisky took over.
THE INJURY FRONT
Allen Robinson, WR – Despite suffering a torn ACL in Week 1 of the 2017 season, Robinson enters training camp with a clean bill of health. The development comes on the heels of limited participation at OTAs. After signing a lucrative deal in March, he has the pedigree to lead the team in targets this year, assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks in advance of Week 1.
Kevin White, WR – A shoulder injury shelved White for the last 15 games of the 2017 season, which follows back-to-back campaigns in which he tended to serious leg fractures. The No. 7 overall selection of the 2015 draft has thus made just five career appearances to date. It was no surprise when the Bears chose not to pick up his fifth-year option, especially after adding three wide receivers during free agency and the draft. The moves seem to indicate the team has moved past White, but the new coaching staff wants to see if he can show some of the potential that he's been unable to flash at the NFL level, and at least the coaching staff said he looked "sharp" while playing "fast" in April. With his roster spot far from guaranteed, he'll need a strong camp to work his way into the receiver rotation. He'll be little more than a dart-throw fantasy option unless he has an amazing August.
Leonard Floyd, OLB – After suffering sprains to both his PCL and MCL last November, Floyd operated at full speed during OTAs and is expected to be cleared for training camp. Since being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft, health has been the main issue for him, as he missed 10 games over his first two seasons. Should he put together a healthy season, he could be a breakout IDP due to his ability to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. When on the field, he's averaged just over half a sack per contest.
