ESPN gives Chicago Bears good marks for hopeful offseason moves in 2024

The Chicago Bears are receiving praise for their offseason in 2024. ESPN handed out their grades and gave high marks to the team for its moves.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was a busy man this offseason. He is in Year 3 of his rebuild. He stated when he had his introductory press conference that Year 3 would be important. That was when the team needed to take a big step forward. After ridding the team of bloated contracts, picking up valuable draft picks, and making shrewd trades, he envisioned the team competing for a playoff spot.

He just might have gotten that done. After concentrating on the defense in 2022 and having them become one of the top units in the NFL, Poles prioritized the offense. He overhauled the offense, adding better talent everywhere. Now the unit is filled with talent and depth.

Of course, it is still only on paper. We don’t know what the new offensive staff does to help the players. Additionally, we don’t know if these new players perform the way many expect. For now, however, the moves have brought a lot of hope to Chicago Bears Nation.

The moves Chicago made also attracted the attention of many outside of Chicago. Poles built an offense that should be blowing up the scoreboard. With so much talent on offense now, the problem might be that there is not enough of the ball to go around for everyone.

Many NFL analysts feel the Chicago Bears could be the Cinderella story of 2024. This team is quickly becoming the league’s favorite. Many are predicting a big turnaround and a playoff appearance this season.

ESPN recognizes the Chicago Bears for their offseason moves

ESPN is one of those that are high on the Bears. They recently gave out grades for all 32 teams for their offseason moves. While they were not as positive as Chicago Bears fans were with the moves, they still felt good about them. They fell just short of giving the team an A grade, but still gave them a B+.

Seth Walder, an ESPN analytics reporter, was tasked with the job of grading every team. He had a lot of good things to say about the Chicago Bears. He felt their

biggest move was drafting quarterback Caleb Williams as the number one overall pick. His favorite move was locking up cornerback Jaylon Johnson with a contract extension. The move he disliked was the signing of running back D’Andre Swift.

While Walder felt the biggest move was drafting Williams, he felt that was a no-brainer. Many feel that Williams is a generational talent. They compare him to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. Walder felt there was no way Poles would not get Williams.

He did note that the success or failure of Williams will affect the Bears for years to come. If Williams does well with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett as his main targets, Walder said the Chicago Bears become dangerous and instant contenders.

To get Williams, the Bears had to trade last year’s starting quarterback, Justin Fields. Walder was shocked at how little the Chicago Bears got back for him. 

Though not a major part of these grades, the success or failure of Williams will shape this team for years. The corresponding move was trading Justin Fields. While I’m generally low on Fields, it was fairly shocking how little compensation — a sixth-round pick — the Bears were able to muster and were willing to accept for him.

Walder loved that the Chicago Bears held onto Johnson and signed him to a long-

term deal. The team has had some trouble keeping their home-grown players recently. While the Bears gave Johnson a big bonus, his per-season average is reasonable.

Walder was also high on the Allen trade. In 2023, Allen had one of the best seasons in his career. Poles only had to give up a fourth-round pick so that was a positive. He said that even if Allen ended up being a one-year rental, the deal was worth it.

However, Allen said he was open to signing a new deal with the Bears. Additionally, he fired his agents and hired a new one. His new representatives also work with Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat, who easily re-signed with the team after being acquired at the trade deadline last season. If Allen does re-sign with the Bears the deal becomes even better.

Walder did not like the Swift signing. Swift was the Chicago Bears’ first signing once the free agent frenzy started. Walder felt they rushed in signing him, saying that

despite his Pro Bowl season, he still had minus-65 yards over expectation.

The thing, however, is that the Chicago Bears feel that the trio of Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson gives the team a very strong running back group. The

three-headed monster could keep all of them fresh throughout the season and help prevent injuries. That is something that has affected all three in their careers.

I would have to say that I agree with much of what Walder says in his grade of the Chicago Bears. The overhaul of the offense was for Williams’ benefit. He needs to show that the projections many have for him are accurate. If he does, the Bears will have a fun season. It could be the start of a new era of winning Chicago Bears football.

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