Having made it to the postseason for the first time since 2010, the Chicago Bears, under the guidance of second-year head coach Matt Nagy, hope for a repeat performance in 2019 but with a playoff run that goes further than just the Wild Card game.
The architect of the Bears 3rd ranked defense, Vic Fangio, has departed to head coach the Denver Broncos, so it will be up to new hire Chuck Pagano, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, to keep Chicago’s opponents in check.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is in his third year and he’s already proven to his doubters that he can lead the Bears to wins in the regular season and now he’s ready to take them even further, and here we take a look at some of his Bears offseason moves and the odds and predictions of their 2019-20 season.
If you are interested in how other NFL teams are doing in their offseason, you can also check out:
The Cleveland Browns’ Biggest 2019 Offseason Moves – Odds and Predictions
The Los Angeles Rams’ Biggest Offseason Moves- Odds and Predictions
The New Orleans Saints’ Biggest Offseason Moves – 2019 Odds and Predictions
The New England Patriots’ Biggest Offseason Moves – 2019 Odds and Predictions
Owner: Virginia Halas McCaskey
General Manager: Ryan Pace (Hired January 2015)
Head Coach: Matt Nagy (Hired January 2018)
Offensive Coordinator: Mark Helfrich (Hired January 2018)
Defensive Coordinator: Chuck Pagano (Hired January 2019)
Quarterback: Mitchell Trubisky (3rd NFL season, all with Bears)
Offensive Stars: Wide Receiver Allen Robinson and running back Tarik Cohen
Defensive Stars: Linebacker Khalil Mack and Adrian Phillips, Cornerback Kyle Fuller
Compared to the previous five seasons where the Chicago Bears only posted single digit win totals and compared to the 2017 season that ended with a 5-11 record and with head coach John Fox losing his job, the 2018 season was incredible.
The Bears won 12 games and only lost 4, which was the most victories they’d had since the 2006-07 season, the year Chicago went to Super Bowl XLI.
It was Matt Nagy’s first ever head coaching job, and he was able to turn the Bears around and for that, he was awarded the AP NFL and the PFWA Coach of the Year.
Without a draft pick until the third round (thanks to the Khalil Mack trade and the switch of picks Chicago made with New England last year), the Bears will have to hope that some hidden gem athletes will slip through the cracks and be available in the later rounds.
Thankfully, the Bears have no dire needs this offseason, and they will most likely use their picks to add depth to their already effective roster.
One idea would be to draft a promising young safety who could spend the season behind recently acquired Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the free agent pickup who signed for just a one-year deal.
Another way to go is to use the upcoming draft to add depth to the offensive line, especially given that this is a contract year for starting center Cody Whitehair and veteran backups Ted Larson (guard) and Bradley Sowell (tackle).
What typically happens when a team has success is that the following season the other franchises try to cherry-pick their best coaches, and that’s exactly what happened to the coordinator of the Bears 3rd ranked defense, Vic Fangio.
Fangio is now the head coach the Denver Broncos, his first attempt at the job, and now Chuck Pagano, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, will take over defensive duties.
Before his run with the Colts, Pagano was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, and he has made the new job his by removing many of the coaches that were there last season and bringing in his own crew.
Safety Adrian Amos, who signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the Green Bay Packers, with $12 million of that in guaranteed money, $11 million of that being a signing bonus that will be split up over the four years at $2.75 million each.
Cornerback Bryce Callahan, who ended up signing a three-year deal for $21 million with $10 million of that guaranteed and a $4 million signing bonus split over three seasons at $1.33 million each.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, for a one-year, $3 million deal with just $500,000 guaranteed, who spent half of last season with the Washington Redskins after being traded mid-season from the Green Bay Packers.
Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract with $5 million guaranteed after spending last season winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.
Wide receiver Marvin Hall, who signed a one-year deal worth $645,000 with all of that guaranteed after spending last season with the Atlanta Falcons, who had promoted him to the active roster from their practice squad in October 2017.
Cornerback Buster Skrine, with a 3-year, $16.6 million contract with $8.5 million guaranteed after spending the previous four seasons with the New York Jets.
Offense: Offensive line depth, running back
Defense: Safety, cornerback, edge rusher
The Bears have 5 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, and they are:
Over the last decade, the Chicago Bears have been to the playoffs just twice, the first time in 2010 when they lost the NFL Championship to the Green Bay Packers 14-21 and the second time last season when they lost the Wild Card game to the Philadelphia Eagles 15-16.
The Bears have been to the Big Game twice, the first time in 1985 when the won Super Bowl XX against the New England Patriots 46-10 and the second time in 2006 when they lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts 17-29.
After seven straight seasons without a Chicago postseason appearance, last season’s playoff game was a welcome sight for Bears fans, but this season they will be expecting even more from Nagy’s bunch, certainly at least a win or more in January.
The Bears are currently expected to win the NFC North over predicted second place finisher Green Bay Packers, third place Minnesota Vikings and last place Detroit Lions.
Assuming Chicago’s defense continues to thrive under Pagano as it did last season, the hope is that Trubisky will continue to develop in his third season to the point where he begins to have the confidence that he can lead his team to postseason victories.
To get to the Super Bowl next season, though, the Bears have to find a way to get home field advantage to help them get through a tough Los Angeles Rams team and a New Orleans Saints franchise that have both consistently outlasted them in the postseason.
The 2019 Chicago Bears are on the rising arc of a turnaround and are a good bet to go well into the postseason, especially after having a chance to take a practice run at it in 2018 with virtually the same players.
The Bears need young Trubisky to begin to morph into a seasoned veteran and help turn the chemistry his team has been building lately into postseason wins.
This is the year that Nagy gets to prove that he isn’t a fluke, and if you, like many football fans, believe that is true, know that there are plenty of Chicago Bears prop bets you can put your money on.
If you live in New Jersey and want to bet on futures in NFL you can do so on 888sport. Check out the latest odds here.
Good luck!
If you’re new to the world of sports betting, we have put together a comprehensive video to guide you through betting on futures and betting on the NFL.
To Win NFC Championship | To Win Super Bowl LIV | 888 Sportsbook |
---|---|---|
+700 | +1600 |
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