Chicago Bears News: Pillar Article 2

For my second pillar article I will be doing a review of recommended products. For my article we will consider the four NFC North teams as my recommended products.

Green Bay Packers

- Let’s start with the offensive side of the ball. Aaron Rodgers had a down year in 2015 but he is still a top three quarterback that it capable of carrying any team for an extended period of time. He has already won one Super Bowl and I think he will win another before his career is over. His ability to move around the pocket, along with his pinpoint accuracy is why the Packers offensive has been ranked in the top five the last five or six years. As far as running backs go, the Packers are in a little bit of a pickle. Eddie Lacy had a stellar rookie season but was vastly ineffective last year. He was given an order earlier this off season to lose some weight so we will have to see how that works out. James Starks is their other running back but is expected to become a free agent this year. Starks has been one of the best backup running backs in the NFL the last couple years. Having said that he is not a starter and is getting older so I don’t expect the Packers to resign him. Their wide receivers also underwhelmed this past year but that was mainly due to the absence of Jordy Nelson. Without Nelson, defenders could stack up and take away Randall Cobb, their only other true wide out threat. The defensive side of the ball looks to be gaining some serious momentum. The secondary is full of very talented younger guys that have been drafted in the first couple rounds the last couple of years. The most promising guy is Demaryius Randall, who had a great rookie season last year. As for their linebacker’s, they have decent guys in the middle of their 3-4 defense but the edge rushers make up for it. Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers are great rushers and the true heart of this defense. Peppers has had sort of a rebirth in Green Bay after being released by the Bears. Expect the Packers to be at the top or near the top of the NFC North again this year.

Detroit Lions

- The lions are trending downward in a big way. Their best player in Calvin Johnson just retired and now Golden Tate, a slot receiver, is considered their number one guy. Johnson’s retirement came as somewhat of a surprise to many Lions fans and teammates. Another downside for the Lions is their quarterback. Matt Stafford has probably the biggest arm in the NFL but he seems to be stuck in the middle when it comes to accuracy and overall skill. He could go out and throw for four hundred yards and four touchdowns one game and follow it up with three picks in his next game. Inconsistency has followed Stafford throughout his entire career. Taking Johnson out of the equation is only going to make it harder on Stafford. The running back situation is also a mess. They have three running backs in Joique Bell, Theo Riddick, and Ameer Abdullah that are all just average at best. On the defensive side of the ball it gets a little better but not by much. Haloti Ngata played very well in his first year with the team and should be a guy the Lions build around at least for the next couple years. Stephen Tulloch is an above average linebacker but the only one on this roster. Their secondary is very average as well. The bad thing about this defense is that there is no depth. After the starters there is a bunch of guys I have never heard of. The only bright spot for the lions is they have a new GM and front office that might be able to turn things around. Otherwise this is probably one of the most average rosters in the NFL, good enough for about 8 wins.

Minnesota Vikings

- The Vikings were one of the most surprising teams last year. Adrian Peterson was once again the best running back in the league while playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. Simply put, Peterson is not slowing down anytime soon. The Vikings were a field goal away from taking down the Seahawks in last year’s playoff game. Teddy Bridgewater is only going to get better with age as he comes into the prime of his career. Their whole offense is filled with playmakers including Kyle Rudolph and Stefon Diggs. Diggs had a huge breakout year and seems like he is going to be in the Vikings plan for years to come. They also have plenty to depth on the offensive side of the ball. As far as the defense goes, they were one of the best in 2015 and I don’t think that’s going to change. They have some of the best linebackers in the league in Chad Greenway and Anthony Barr. This defense plays extremely fast and has the skill to back it up. Their secondary is also very good with Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes. Except for Peterson this team is relatively young and if they stay together can be a force in the NFC. I expect the Vikings to go as far as Bridgewater can take them, and I see that as 11 to 12 wins next year.

Chicago Bears

-          The Bears offense is trending up in a big way. They recently put the franchise tag on Alshon Jeffery and that should be huge. Having a healthy Kevin White along with a healthy Jeffery could end up being one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL in 2016. Martellis Bennett is signed for at least one more year and he only going to make the wide receivers better. Their running back situation is a little foggy. After releasing Matt Forte, the Bears expect to split carries between Langford and Kadeem Carey. Langford had a great rookie season and should only get better as he becomes familiar with the offensive system. At quarterback they seem committed to Jay Cutler for the next couple years as they find their next franchise quarterback. I think Cutler has above average skills but those skills never seem to translate to wins. The Defense is still a major work in progress. Their outside rushers are above average with Pernell McPhee and Willie Young who had a major bounce back year. Their inside linebackers were a little better than terrible last year. It seems like the Bears are finally going to move on from Shea McClellan as they are expected to use their first pick on his replacement. Adrian Amos had a breakout year but the rest of the secondary seems up in the air. Eddie Goldman also had a breakout year as a rookie playing tackle. Overall this defense is extremely young and is only going to get younger. Having said this, their defense is still a couple years away from being relevant. The question this year is if the offense can score enough points to make up for the defense. I see the Bears in 2016 good enough for 9 wins but could surprise a lot of people and sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.

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Chicago Bears News

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Pillar Article 2

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