What's Not to Love About Chicago Bears in 2020?
There's plenty to love about the Chicago Bears on Valentine's Day.
Come and ask the same thing on Veterans Day and the tune may change.
Here are 10 good reasons everything should be hearts, cupids, candy and rose bouquets for the Monsters of the Midway on Feb. 14.
1. Khalil Mack hasn't been traded back to the Raiders and the Bears aren't "quietly shopping" the player they gave up two first-rounders to get.
Of all the contrived rumors started on social media, this one is the dumbest. This was so silly it didn't even reach the level of a bad April Fool's Day joke.
2. Akiem Hicks will have a strong and functioning elbow by minicamp. It's a different defense with the guy Mack calls "Mufasa" dominating the line of scrimmage.
3. Roquan Smith. If the Bears have only one inside linebacker out of the top four on their roster under contract, at least it's Smith and he'll be healthy for the start of camp. By the time he got hurt, Smith seemed to have the league figured out and was capable of disruption and being someone who could call the defensive signals if needed.
4. They still have a full year to get a contract extension to Allen Robinson. Playing offense in the NFL requires a player who can be depended on to catch anything thrown in his general direction, and Robinson does it.
5. Matt Nagy acted quickly and decisively once he identified where he thought his coaching staff failed, and brought in coaches he thinks can provide the necessary support and teaching ability. By moving so fast, the Bears got available assistants who were at the top of the demand list and not castoffs who weren't wanted. What's interesting is Nagy said at a couple different points during the late part of the season that he had a good idea why the offense wasn't functioning right and would fix it for next year, and that getting through the losing streak earlier taught him who was with him and who wasn't part of the answer. Apparently he had decided long before season's end which coaches weren't a fit.
6. David Montgomery showed he can run hard and gain yards without help from his offensive line as a rookie, so imagine what he can do if they get the blocking fixed this season.
7. There's only one kicker at Halas Hall.
8. Two of the last three world champions, the Chiefs and Eagles, ran offenses based on the same one the Bears use.
9. There should be a chip on the Bears' shoulders now after last year and all the disrespect they've received nationally. They play better that way instead of when people are throwing rose petals their way. They won't be betting favorites next season, for sure. This is good? They were 2-8 last year as a betting favorites.
10. You can't love your quarterback, but you can really love the thought of having everyone else's.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
