RADIO
Chicago Bears Offseason Changes
Offseason Acquisitions – WR Domenik Hixon, WR Josh Morgan
No Longer on the Roster – QB Josh McCown, WR Devin Hester, WR Earl Bennett, RB Michael Bush
The Chicago Bears offense seemingly exploded under first year Head Coach Marc Trestman last year. Trestman had been dubbed by many to be an offensive wizard after his time in the Canadian Football League, which proved to be the case, providing practically every offensive weapon with a productive season. Despite some minor turnover at varying positions, all of the key players remain intact for the Bears, which should yield another stellar fantasy year for all involved.
Chicago Bears Quarterbacks
After the conclusion of the 2013 campaign, one of the most talked about moves of the off-season was which quarterback the Chicago Bears would keep moving forward. Once Jay Cutler went down with an injury, backup Josh McCown filled in tremendously. The question was whether or not 35-year-old McCown could be considered a franchise QB or if the Bears should stick with Cutler despite him being prone to injury. Ultimately it was decided that Cutler was their guy and rather than overpay for McCown as a backup, they let him walk.
It’s no secret that the offensive juggernaut that was the Bears offense last year was due largely in part to Marc Trestman’s “Quarterback Whisperer” moniker. To put that into a more tangible perspective, here’s a stat that’s been floating around fantasy sites that I’ve tweaked to reflect a more real life scenario as opposed to a fantasy one: If you combine Jay Cutler and Josh McCown’s yard total, touchdowns, completions, and attempts into one player, they would be top 10 in all categories. (To be more specific, 6th in yards, tied with Philip Rivers for 4th in touchdowns, 8th in completions and 10th in attempts.)
No one is suggesting taking newly anointed Chicago backup Jimmy Clausen if you own Cutler but you should feel good about using Cutler while he’s healthy as Trestman’s offense has proven to be QB friendly. Cutler consistently ranks toward the back end of the top 12 and if it weren’t for health concerns that would actually be too low. Cutler hasn’t played all 16 games since 2009. You simply can’t depend on him as your starter for the full year. What you can do, however, is grab Cutler late and if you intend to start him, back him up immediately. Chances are if you’ve waited that long for a quarterback the rest of your team is pretty stacked anyway so it won’t hurt if you take two of them back to back.
Chicago Bears Wide Receivers
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the tandem of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery could develop into the most efficient duo of receivers in all of fantasy. Marshall has always been a fantastic real-life player and reuniting with his former quarterback Jay Cutler reinvigorated his fantasy value over the last two seasons. As for Jeffery, he falls into the category of post-hype sleeper given that he was talked up heading into the 2012 season but didn’t deliver until 2013.
Now that Jeffery has established himself as a legitimate number two NFL receiver, his fantasy value appears justified. Despite having fewer yards than Jeffery, Marshall bested his teammate in seemingly every other category. Both players, however, finished well inside the top 15 in yards, touchdowns, receptions, and targets. Marshall rounds out the top tier of fantasy receivers, firmly cemented as a mid-to-late second rounder among the likes of Dez Bryant and A.J. Green. As for Jeffery, he ‘s currently slated as a consensus third or fourth round pick, grouped together with guys like Antonio Brown and Randall Cobb.
If you’re looking at the Chicago offense and wondering if the team could support a third fantasy receiver you’re going to be disappointed. The loss of Devin Hester and Earl Bennett isn’t soul crushing but the additions of Domenik Hixon and Josh Morgan aren’t exactly eye-catching either. A large part of why the Bears probably can’t support a third fantasy receiver has to do with their other weapons…
Chicago Bears Running Backs
Matt Forte is officially the last safe running back to hang your hat on in the first round. There’s no question the consensus first three picks (in any order) are Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, and Jamaal Charles. After that, Matt Forte is a slight notch below them as the number four back but he represents the last player you can take before the questions start flooding in.
The knock on Forte over recent years has been that he can’t stay healthy and isn’t a goal line back. Well let’s debunk that first myth fairly quick shall we? Forte played all 16 games last year, only missed one the year before, and had played all 16 in his first three seasons before missing four games in 2011. That translates to just five missed games out of a possible 96, four of which all came in one season.
As for not being a goal line back, to that I say, so what? Forte was second in rushing yards and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns last year. He also managed to catch 74 passes out of the backfield. He doesn’t need goal line carries to be effective, as his production will come from other places. He’s as safe as it gets at the running back position and is fully worthy of a number four selection.
Chicago Bears Rookies & Tight Ends
The sole Bears rookie to monitor this year is running back Ka’Deem Carey out of Arizona. The common thought process on top tier running backs or running backs in general is that you want to handcuff guys that would hurt your team in the event they become injured. (To handcuff a player is to draft their backup in the event the starter gets hurt.)
With Michael Bush being released, the backup to Matt Forte will almost certainly be Ka’Deem Carey. If Forte were to go down, Carey would become a huge part of the offense and could win you a week. As for that goal line carry stuff, Carey could actually end up filling that role. It’s a long shot that he’s productive on a weekly basis but it’s not impossible. It’s hard to suggest that a handcuff is a must add but if you’re in a deeper league and it’s late in your draft and there aren’t any other players that catch your eye, go ahead and grab Carey. He’s no sure thing by any means but in a 12 or 14 team league he’s worth a shot and is certainly worth picking up in dynasty formats.
As for the tight end position, Martellus Bennett is the ideal late round player to grab, especially if you want to double your luck on two late tight ends. Between him and Forte’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield, they’re the reason it’s hard to envision a third receiver being relevant in Chigao. Bennett was solid last year and should continue to be this season. He’s probably one of the last tight ends worth drafting but could end up catapulting up into the middle of the top 10 if he has a good year.
Chicago Bears In Summary
Quarterback Whisperer and offensive guru Marc Trestman should lead the Bears into another noteworthy fantasy year. If Jay Cutler can stay healthy, he could very easily end up top five in fantasy points among quarterbacks. Even if he doesn’t he’s definitely worth rostering. Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, and Alshon Jeffery should all live up to their pre-draft hype with ease. For a franchise that has been historically linked with having a bone-crushing defense, it’s exciting to see an offense that will benefit tons of fantasy owners across all formats.
