Gabriel: Breaking Down Where The Bears Must Improve Offensively For 2016
By Greg Gabriel--
(CBS) After watching and rewatching the Bears' 24-21 loss to Washington on Sunday, all I can think of is the famous Yogi Berra phrase "It's deja vu all over again."
Yogi had it right! For the Bears, it was the same game, same results, same story. By my count, this is at least the fourth game the Bears could have won or should have won but didn't win. Why? The answer is simple: They just aren't good enough, talent-wise.
On Sunday, the Bears looked flat on both offense and defense for most of the first half. It wasn't until Chicago drove 80 yards in the final two minutes of the half that the offense looked like it could do anything. The hope was that drive would give the Bears some spark to open the second half, but that wasn't the case, as the defense was flat all game. Except for a few good pass rushes, the defense did nothing. The Bears couldn't stop the run, and Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins looked like a Pro Bowler rather than the journeyman he is.
That said, rather than just repeat what has been written numerous times this season, let's take a look at what the Bears need to do to become a contender in the NFC North next year. Today, we will address the offense. Later in the week, we'll take a look at the defense.
Where the Bears must improve offensively
The first order of business for the Bears to address is deciding what to do with three key veteran players. Running Back Matt Forte and receiver Alshon Jeffery are currently in the final years of their contracts, and the big question is will either be back for 2016? The third concern is what will happen with mercurial tight end Martellus Bennett. My feeling is that a long-term contract will be worked out with Jeffery or he will be given the franchise tag, keeping him in Chicago at least one more year. Jeffery's a legitimate No. 1 receiver in the NFL, and those types of players are hard to find.
With Forte, it remains to be seen what will happen. Having just turned 30, he's obviously on the downside of his career, but he still should have at least two solid years left. What it boils down to is money. Can the Bears and Forte find a figure that's comfortable for both sides? If they can, he will be back. If not, the Bears' running back workload will be shared by rookie Jeremy Langford and second-year pro Ka'Deem Carey. Both are more than capable of sharing the load, as their styles complement one another. The one concern I have with Langford is that while he has shown that he has good hands, he has had some costly drops this year, including again Sunday.
What happens with Bennett is a different story. He's under contract through the end of the 2016 season, but all his guaranteed money has been paid out. If the Bears cut Bennett, he'll be owed about $1.1 million for a prorated bonus (dead money), but it would be a net gain on their cap number as opposed to paying the nearly $5.1 million he's owed in base salary for 2016. Bennett has been a distraction going back to OTAs, and my feeling is he won't be a part of the 2016 Chicago Bears.
If Bennett is gone, a tight end with strong blocking traits is needed. As well as Zach Miller has played recently, he's more of a receiving tight end. As a blocker, he's at best adequate. The jury's still out as to the blocking value of rookie Khari Lee. With the tight end class being average for this upcoming draft, I would think the Bears will try to find a blocker in free agency.
At receiver, if Jeffery is back and 2015 first-round pick Kevin White turns out to be what we think he can be, the starting receiver spots are taken care of. Depth is another concern. Eddie Royal's a legitimate No. 3 receiver when he's healthy. The problem is he hasn't been healthy. Can he be relied on for the near future? The same can be said of Marquess Wilson, who has talent but has been injured far too often since he was drafted in 2013. Josh Bellamy has a role on special teams but as a receiver, he's no better than a No. 5 guy.
The player who interests me is rookie free agent Cameron Meredith, who has the size, speed and athleticism to eventually be a starting-caliber receiver in the NFL. But he's raw. If the Bears coaches feel similar to my take, he will be back. Deonte Thompson has shown kickoff return skills, and that is an area of need.
Marc Mariani is a limited player. Yes, he's sure-handed and smart, but he has no juice and gives the Bears nothing as a punt returner. I doubt he has a future in Chicago. That said, one of the biggest needs the Bears have for next year is a receiver who can double as a returner. This will be an area that I feel they will address in the draft.
On the offensive line, the Bears are in need of at least one and maybe two players. Kyle Long just needs experience to become one of the better right tackles in football. Patrick Omameh is more of a backup than a starter. He's smart but has physical limitations. I feel an upgrade is needed at that guard position. At center, Hroniss Grasu is the future, and what separates him from being a good player at the position is strength and power. A solid offseason in the weight room should take care of that.
Matt Slausen is solid at left guard. He's prototypical of what you see in the NFL, and I expect he will be back. At left tackle, Charles Leno has come a long way. He shows improvement every week and never makes the same mistake twice. He lacks ideal height for the position and needs to add a little bulk, but his long arms make up for his lack of ideal height. I doubt we will see Jermon Bushrod next season. The Bears can use that money to find a solid veteran backup or a starting guard to replace Omameh.
We won't know what the Bears have in rookie Tayo Fabuluje or Nick Becton until next season. If the coaching staff feels they have a bright future, then the Bears might not address the tackle position in the draft of free agency. For now, I feel that a guard and a tackle is needed for additional depth. They could use the draft or free agency to address this need. Either would work.
That leaves the quarterback position. Going into training camp this past year, Jay Cutler was a huge question mark. His play has removed that question mark, and quarterback has been a position of strength. Cutler has had his best season since coming to the Bears in 2009. With another year in this offense, I feel that he will be even better in 2016.
A spot that may need to be addressed is at backup quarterback. Personally, I'm a David Fales fan, and I feel he can be an excellent backup and has the talent to be an eventual starter in the league. What I feel and what the coaches feel may be different, and we will find that out in the offseason. Fales is athletic and has a strong arm, but he lacks ideal height. He also needs to get as much playing time as he can next preseason.
The Bears could look for a veteran backup during the offseason, but let's face it, there isn't much out there. They may be better off developing Fales. The traits and smarts are there.
Greg Gabriel is a former NFL talent evaluator who is an on-air contributor for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @greggabe.
