The Paw Print

By Kieran Blake, Sports Staff Writer

Chicago Bears fans are excited to see their team go far this season. Above, their mascot sports its favorite colors: navy and orange. (Image created with the help of DALL·E by Bridget Galibois)

32 teams and thousands of players will battle through 285 games, all trying to capture the Vince Lombardi trophy. Here is a breakdown of what I think will happen this NFL season for Payton’s hometown team: the Chicago Bears.

Key Additions: RB D’Onta Foreman (FA), WR D.J. Moore (Trade), RT Darnell Wright (NFL Draft), RG Nate Davis (FA), DE Yannick Ngakoue (FA), LB Tremaine Edmunds (FA), LB T.J. Edwards (FA), LB Mykal Walker (FA).

Key Subtractions: RB David Montgomery (FA, Lions), LB Nicholas Morrow (FA, Eagles).

Greatest Strength: Offseason gains. Chicago only lost two major players over the offseason: running back David Montgomery, who went to their division rivals the Detroit Lions, and linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who went to the Philadelphia Eagles. In return, they picked up a second running back option to young star Khalil Herbert in D’Onta Foreman, the third best off-ball linebacker as ranked by ESPN in Tremaine Edmunds, and  Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards, who ranked seventh among all players in tackles in 2022. They also picked up Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker, who recorded 107 tackles last season and picked off two passes. With a struggle-filled last year came the number one pick, which they then traded to the Panthers for three-time 1,000-yard receiver D.J. Moore, the ninth pick, and another first and two seconds over the next three years. They subsequently traded the ninth pick to the Eagles in exchange for a fourth-rounder next year and the tenth pick, which they used to select Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright. Ngakoue recorded 9.5 sacks last year, and Nate Davis started 12 games at guard for the Titans. Overall, this has been a great offseason for Chicago.

Biggest Problem: Lack of roster depth. The Bears secondary is not the greatest. They improved at linebacker and on the defensive line, but their secondary hardly improved at all. Their amazing defense from 2018 has all but vanished– the only starter who remains is safety Eddie Jackson. Their offensive line is unable to protect Justin Fields, and while they did improve on their right side, their left side is still weak. They have a lot of talent and potential on their offense, like receivers D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, and Chase Claypool, running back Khalil Herbert, tight end Cole Kmet, and quarterback Justin Fields, but Mooney had an extremely underwhelming year in 2022, and Claypool has yet to prove that he belongs on Chicago’s roster, as he recorded only 144 yards from scrimmage and zero touchdowns in his seven games with Chicago. After two disappointing years, Kmet finally showed some promise last year with a career year, recording seven touchdowns and over 500 yards receiving, but can he do it again? Herbert didn’t get as many touches as Montgomery, but he showed lots of promise, leading all running backs with 5.7 rushing yards per attempt. Justin Fields struggled in the passing game, but he ran like Forrest Gump when given the opportunity, racking up over 1,000 rushing yards and totaling eight rushing touchdowns in just fifteen games. The Bears have a lot of offensive potential, but lately, they’ve struggled to live up to it. If they can find a way to live up to it, this season will be a success. If they cannot, it will be a train wreck.

Fantasy Stars: QB Justin Fields & WR D.J. Moore.

Prediction: The Bears will miss the playoffs.