The arrow is pointing up for the Chicago Bears following an offseason where general manager Ryan Poles upgraded at a number of positions. But where does their core roster rank among the rest of the league?
ESPN’s Seth Walder ranked every NFL roster core, featuring the five most important players for each team. For the Bears, those players included quarterback Justin Fields, wide receiver DJ Moore, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, safety Eddie Jackson and left tackle Braxton Jones, who have an average core age of 25.
Unfortunately, ESPN doesn’t believe Chicago has one of the league’s best roster cores, as they ranked 25th. They’re ranked behind fellow NFC North rivals the Vikings (13th), Lions (18th) and Packers (24th).
The Bears improved this offseason, but their non-QB core still doesn’t stack up against that of most NFL teams. In Fields, Chicago has a midlevel QB, though there is certainly a world where Fields ascends beyond that. But we haven’t seen it yet, as he ranked 17th in QBR last season and took sacks at an egregious 12.5% rate.
Fields is the biggest key to the success of the Bears in 2023 and beyond. After Chicago opted to trade the No. 1 pick and put their faith in Fields, they believe Fields will prove them right. Jackson, the longest-tenured of this group, leads the team’s defensive backfield. He rediscovered his playmaking ways last season before a Lisfranc injury ended his season early.
The group includes two new additions in Moore and Edmunds, who are expected to impact their respective side of the ball in a big way. Moore is already making waves during offseason workouts, where his chemistry with Fields has been the storyline. Edmunds will serve as the middle linebacker in a Bears defense that struggled immensely last season.
Then there’s Jones, who’s entering his second season as the team’s starting left tackle. As a rookie, the former fifth-round pick started every snap for Chicago. The Bears showed a wave of confidence in Jones when they elected to select the NFL draft’s best right tackle in Darnell Wright.
