Five General Thoughts as We Enter the NFL’s Only Slow Period

(1) The NFC North seems totally up for grabs. DraftKings Sportsbook has the current odds at: Lions +140, Packers +260, Vikings +400, Bears +425. I think the Bears a live dog. The Lions overhauled their entire coaching staff. The Vikings are starting a “rookie” quarterback. If anything, I would probably handicap the Packers – and their stability – as the division favorite but I’ll definitely have some money on Chicago by the end of the summer.

(2) Asked an evaluator friend to assess the Bears draft haul. His response, via text: “The tight end is going to be a star in Chicago.”

(3) There has to be a marketing executive in Chicago working on a pitch that reads something like, “Chicagoland is now LOVELAND.” Right? I can’t be the only one thinking about things like this.

(4) I have come to a conclusion, re: #BearsTwitter: it’s pointless. It is a collection of disgruntled know-it-alls that want only to bitch and moan in perpetuity. The current running back “discourse” is a case-in-point. The Bears RB room, right now, is just fine. If their offensive line performs to their capabilities, they will see a ton of production from that group. With a good offensive line, running backs can come in off the street and be productive. If your argument for star running backs is “but Saquon Barkley” you’re just ignoring the positional history for the decade (or more) previous. Is D’Andre Swift a star running back? No. Can he be a 1,500-yard back for Ben Johnson? Absolutely.

(5) I still see one roster hole that will prevent this team from being a title contender in 2025: edge pass rush. I think this defensive line will be far better against the run and generate good pressure from inside. But Montez Sweat was not the same player in 2024 that he was in 2023. If last year’s version shows up in 2025, the Bears will continue to struggle closing out games in the fourth quarter.