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2005 Team Report: Chicago Bears
Quarterbacks
Starter: Kyle Orton [r]
Starting QB: In the NFL nothing is ever set in stone. Rookie Kyle Orton, originally slated as the team's emergency QB this year, has been named the opening weekend starter. After Rex Grossman's season ending injury, Chad Hutchinson was immediately elevated to starting status. However, in two preseason games it became clear that Hutchinson simply isn't equipped to manage the offense. For now, Orton, the promising rookie from Purdue, gets the call. Orton was considered a long-term option but a bit raw to start this year having played out of the shotgun primarily in college. But with Jeff Blake new to the team, and probably a few weeks away from being game ready, Orton gets a chance to unseat Rex Grossman as the Bears QB of the future.
Backup QB: Veteran Jeff Blake has been named the team's #2 behind rookie Kyle Orton to start the season, but many close to the situation belive he will be the starter within a few weeks time. He simply needs a few more weeks to get situated within the confines of OC Ron Turner's system. In any event, Blake spent last year backing up Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, and brings a veteran presence (he was once a Pro Bowl starter). Blake throws a wonderful deep ball, but has lacked consistency throughout his career. Chad Hutchinson, who was initially named the starter after Rex Grossman was lost for the season, was released. The 3rd string job appears set for Kurt Kittner, who played for Turner at the University of Illinois.
Running Backs
Starter: Thomas Jones
Starting RB: The selection of Benson was supposed to slide Thomas Jones (5' 10"- 220) into the 3rd down role, but a protracted holdout allowed Jones to show himself in camp and ultimately earn the starting job to open the season. With Jones' excellent speed and route running, he will continue to have a role in the offense even if he does eventually lose the job. If Jones can parlay his training camp progress into consistency on game day, Benson may be on the outside looking in this year after all. Jones had his best season in 2004 garnering 948 yards and 7 touchdowns rushing and 56 receptions and 427 yards receiving. Backup RBs: New offensive coordinator Ron Turner is implementing a power running game and wanted a pounder in his backfield. Enter 2005 1st round draft pick Cedric Benson (5' 10"- 222 lbs.). The Bears ranked 25th in rushing last season and should be improved. Benson is a workhorse back who gains most of his yards after initial contact. He is more powerful than fast and will be a monster between the tackles. He fits perfectly in the new scheme and should help the entire offense. Benson should eventually be used extensively in the red zone which increases his value. The knock on him is the mileage he already has from his enormous workload at Texas, but that shouldn't be a detriment early in his career. Adrian Peterson will compete for playing time but won't see much action unless there is a significant injury to Benson or Jones.
Fullback: Wily veteran Marc Edwards is the Bears new fullback. A nine-year veteran, Edwards has a well traveled resume having started his career in San Francisco, joining the Browns when Carmen Policy moved to Cleveland, then signing with New England and Jacksonville before landing in Chicago this season. Edwards is a classic West Coast offense fullback. He's never been a featured runner but has caught 20+ receptions in five distinct seasons. Most of all, Edwards loves putting a lick on opposing defenders; which should be a key to whether Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson have the success Bears fans are hoping for.
Wide Receivers
Starters: Muhsin Muhammad, Justin Gage
Starting WRs: Muhsin Muhammad (6' 2"- 217 lbs.) is entering the downside of his career, but he is definitely an upgrade to the Bears receiving game. He comes to Chicago's 32nd ranked passing offense in hopes of reviving a less than stellar group. Entering his 10th season, Muhammad has had only three complete 16 game seasons so injury is a concern. He has no viable #2 receiver to play across from him so he will see double coverages. All things considered Muhammad will have a hard time repeating last years league leading numbers - 93 receptions, 1405 yards and 16 touchdowns. Exiting camp, it appears Justin Gage will get first crack at the #2 role, but rookie Mark Bradley and veteran Bobby Wade could easily take hold of the job later in the season. Backup WRs: There will be an interesting battle for the #3 spot. The incumbent as of now is Bobby Wade (5'10"- 182 lbs.) who had 42 receptions for 481 yards and zero touchdowns. Rookie Mark Bradley (6'1"- 201 lbs.) was one of the fastest receivers in this draft, and the Bears will try to get him on the field one way or another. He enjoyed an excellent camp, and may very well see himself in the starting lineup at some poin this season. This group of receivers isn't the most exciting bunch. It's comprised mostly of guys who are #3 and #4 receivers at best. The entire group of returning receivers scored a grand total of two touchdowns in 2004, and Bernard Berrian (6'1"- 185 lbs.) had them both.
Tight Ends
Starters: John Gilmore
John Gilmore (6'4"- 262 lbs.) is listed as the starter, which clearly indicated the Bears focus on the running game for 2005. Gilmore is a punishing blocker but limited as a receiver. When the Bears do look to throw to the tight end, expect veteran Desmond Clark to once again be the main target. Clark (6'3"- 254 lbs.) may be relied upon heavily even though he didn't have a very good year in 2004 (catching 24 passes for 282 yards and one touchdown in 13 starts). . Place Kicker Doug Brien : Paul Edinger's FG percentage dropped four consecutive years (hitting 62.5% last year), and he missed the most kicks in the NFL in 2005. Team management and coaches publicly stated more than once that they are not happy with the kicking game, brought in numerous competitors, and then released Edinger. The most recent addition to the competition, and likely favorite, is former Jet Doug Brien. The Bears previously signed undrafted rookies Tyler Jones (Boise St.) and Novak (Maryland) to compete. Jones was released early in preseason. Novak lasted until just after the third preseason game. Kick and Punt Returners Kick Returners: Jerry Azumah, Mark Bradley, Bernard Berrian, Nathan Vasher, Rashied Davis CB Jerry Azumah has led the Bears in KRs the last two years (42 returns, 22.0 avg in 2004, and 41 returns, 29.0 avg, 2 TDs in 2003). Rookie WR Mark Bradley served as the primary KR during the latter part of the preseason, while Azumah recovered from hip surgery. WR Bernard Berrian provided a decent backup last year (17 returns, 22.6 avg). RB Rashied Davis returned kicks at San Jose State and in the AFL. Punt Returners: Bobby Wade, Rashied Davis, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, Nathan Vasher CB R.W. McQuarters led the Bears in PRs the last two years with solid numbers (44 returns, 9.9 avg, 1 TD in 2004, and 37 returns, 12.2 avg, 1 TD in 2003), however he his salary and a surplus of talented CBs led to his release. Berrian was the only other player with PRs last year (2 returns, 5.0 avg). He entered the preseason as the top PR by default, but the team hoped that someone would step up, particularly WR Bobby Wade. Wade responded with a 54 yard return for a touchdown in the third preaseason game. CB Rashied Davis had the best stats during preseason. WR Mark Bradley also practiced at the position. CB Nathan Vasher had some impressive PR numbers (14.0 average) in his collegiate days at Texas. Offensive Line
Projected Starters: RT Fred Miller, RG Terrence Metcalf, C Olin Kreutz, LG Ruben Brown, LT John Tait
After a couple of mediocre seasons, this offensive line should be better in 2005. The Bears have veteran leadership in center Olin Kreutz, guard Ruben Brown, tackle John Tait and tackle Fred Miller. They also possess young talent in guard Terrence Metcalf and T Marc Colombo and good of depth to call upon. Metcalf has great bulk and power and is a gifted run blocker. He does need to improve his footwork though and is a sub par pass blocker. Kreutz is the best center in the game today with tremendous athleticism and technique. Tait had a good first season with the Bears but will be expected to have more of an impact in 2005. If Terrence Metcalf can continue to grow as a player and cement his spot in the starting lineup (and newcomers Roberto Garza and Fred Miller can quickly feel comfortable within this scheme) expect big things from this group. Team Defense New head coach Lovie Smith had a nightmare season in 2004 (thanks to an offense that was one of the league's worst). The defense played reasonably well and did their best to keep the team afloat, finishing the year ranked as the #21 fantasy defense. They only gave up an average of 18 points/game, but a lack of consistent QB pressure (33 sacks) and takeaways (29) kept them from being a consistent fantasy defense. The team has most of the pieces in place to be a dominant defense so the most important factor in their success will likely be a consistent offense that can take some pressure off them and allow them to play more aggressively. The focal point of the defense will continue to be Brian Urlacher, who has lost some of the luster that he had early in his career, but remains one of the league's best MLBs. He's flanked by Lance Briggs, who had a breakout season in 2004 upon being moved from SLB to WLB. The line has two quality DEs and a very talented DT who can all put pressure on opposing QBs. Finally, the secondary should benefit from the return of CB Charles Tillman, who missed most of the 2004 season with an injury. While the team still lacks quality depth at a few positions, when healthy, the team's starters should be good enough to compete with any team in the division. It would be perfectly reasonable to expect this unit to take another step up in Lovie's second year now that he's had a chance to modify the roster to his liking and to and fully implement his system. Defensive Line
Starters: LDE Adewale Ogunleye, RDE Alex Brown, DT Tommie Harris, DT Ian Scott
Starting DL: The first thing Lovie Smith did upon his arrival is change the mentality of the defensive linemen. Rather than having guys play big and heavy to help stop the run, he wanted a defense that was built on speed so he immediately required all the linemen to drop weight. The Bears also made some major upgrades to their defensive line over the past couple years. Perhaps the biggest of which was the trade for DE Adewale Ogunleye last season. Ogunleye developed into one of the league's best pass rushers while playing opposite Jason Taylor in Miami but didn't make nearly the impact that was expected of him last year. He wound up missing 4 games due to injury, but he'll be just 28 years old when the 2005 season starts and should be entering the prime of his career. Across from him is Alex Brown, who the Bears recently locked up to a long-term contract as well. Brown has shown flashes of dominance (four sacks in a game against the Giants last year) but needs to become more consistent. The Bears spent their top two draft picks on defensive tackles (including Tommie Harris who was the top DT taken in 2004). Harris had a great career at Oklahoma and is exactly the type of player Lovie was looking for. He's extremely quick for his size and could develop into an impact player as early as this season. Playing next to Harris is Ian Scott, a 4th round pick from 2003 who won the starting job early on and never looked back. He played in 2 fewer games than Harris but wound up finishing with very similar statistics. Backup DL: The Bears traded down in 2003 and took DE Michael Haynes with their first pick. He's a bigger DE who could also play inside at DT, but he hasn't really shown much of the pass rushing ability that made him such a high pick. He provides some depth at the position, but at this point he looks like a draft bust. The depth on the interior is very solid and there are four players that should see regular time in the rotation. Tank Johnson was drafted in the 2nd round last year and was expected to be the starter, but he was beat out by Ian Scott. He has phenomenal speed for a 300 lb player and actually ran the fastest 40 time of all DTs at last year's scouting combine. Alphonso Boone is a big, strong player who defends the run very well and has some starting experience.
Linebackers
Starters: WLB Lance Briggs, MLB Brian Urlacher, SLB Hunter Hillenmeyer
Starting LBs: Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher give the Bears a great tandem to build around. Briggs thrived in 2004 with the move from the strong side of the formation over to the weak side, and he wound up leading the team in tackles. Briggs played at a Pro-Bowl level last year and will be just 24 years old when the 2005 season starts. He's an ideal fit at WLB and the team would be wise to try and lock him up to a long-term deal before he gets too expensive. Inside, the Bears were hurt when Urlacher, who hadn't missed a single game during his first 4 seasons, injured his hamstring in training camp and wound up missing seven games. There was some concern prior to the season about how Urlacher would fit into the new system, but he put those concerns to rest as he dominated when healthy. He averaged six solo tackles/game, but the most impressive statistic was the 5.5 sacks he produced in just nine games. Urlacher remains a physical freak of nature thanks to his size/speed ratio that is in a similar class to Ray Lewis, but he has struggled at times in getting off blocks. At just 27 years old, look for him to come back fully healthy and regain his status as one of the best LBs in the league. The starting job at SLB is unsettled at the moment. Hunter Hillenmeyer started several games at both SLB and MLB last year and performed well. He's capable of playing all three positions, but opens the season as the starting strongside linebacker. Backup LBs: Joe Odom will be the team's primary backup and is the only LB on the roster who could step into a starting role without a pronounced drop off in productivity. Leon Joe and Brendon Ayanbadejo fill out the LB corps.
Defensive Backs
Starters: CB Charles Tillman, CB Jerry Azumah, SS Mike Brown, FS Mike Green
Starting DBs: Charles Tillman made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2003 leading the team in interceptions and also being named NFL rookie of the year by Sports Illustrated. At 6'1", he's tall enough to handle most of the league's bigger WRs, and he's also a very good tackler. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury last year that forced him to miss eight games, but he should be fully healthy for this year and ready to take on the league's best WRs. Starting opposite him will be Jerry Azumah, who played RB in college but was converted to CB in the pros. Azumah doesn't have great height, but he's very quick and has developed into a solid cover CB who can also make plays (eight INTs in two years as a starter). He's also served as the team's primary kick returner, even leading the league and going to the Pro Bowl in 2003. Azumah is scheduled to become a free agent in 2006 so this could potentially be his last year with the Bears if they don't sign him to an extension soon. Inside at SS, despite having a tenuous hold on his starting job for years, Mike Green has been one of the most productive fantasy DBs when healthy. He finished 2004 as the 3rd leading tackler among DBs and the 2nd leading scorer according to FBG scoring. This year, however, the latest word is that Green will move to FS, switching places with Mike Brown. Brown exploded onto the scene early in his career when he scored three defensive TDs in his first two seasons, but his playmaking has steadily declined since. After having not missed a game in his first four seasons, the injury bug caught up to him last year as he missed nearly all of the season with an Achilles injury. If healthy, he should provide a veteran presence to the secondary and the move to SS makes him a potential high impact fantasy performer. Backup DBs: Nathan Vasher was a 4th round pick last year who was forced into a starting role and wound up leading the team with five interceptions. He slipped in the draft because of some concerns about his size and speed, but he has great hands and was physical enough to play SS during his sophomore year at Texas. He should make an excellent nickel back this year with Tillman and Azumah both reclaiming their starting jobs. R.W. McQuarters' release should make for more time for Vasher. Todd Johnson missed his entire rookie season in 2003 with a broken jaw, but he saw a lot of action in 2004 and could have a chance to eventually unseat Green at SS.
Last modified: 2005-09-06 08:47:26
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