Bears Lineup Stability Can Go a Long Way

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy assessed the offseason additions made and managed to keep his optimism on the down-low.

"Purely in the numbers sense and the competition that we'll have now at each position, I think that part of it will be the best thing that we have going forward from a year ago," Getsy said.

It's definitely true enough, but really doesn't speak to the overall upgrade made at wide receiver with the addition of DJ Moore. Getsy naturally doesn't want to call too much attention to their higher talent level until they get to look more at it on the field.

Yet, depth should be the baseline improvement for the Bears offense. They obviously have more choices at running back even if they lost David Montgomery, more wide receivers when Chase Claypool, Tyler Scott and Moore are taken into account.

The addition of right tackle Darnell Wright as the earliest draft pick they've made at tackle since Hall of Famer Jimbo Covert improves their starting offensive line group. Larry Borom, a starter when the season began a year ago, now becomes an experienced swing tackle who can also be a guard.

Running Back

Getsy skipped over the loss of Montgomery and focused on how many different capable players they have with Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert, D'Onte Foreman, Travis Homer and Trestan Ebner.

"I would say the vision isn't necessarily set yet but I think it's a really cool and unique opportunity for a lot of guys who have a lot of experience," Getsy said. "I think the competition in that room is going to be real. So we're going to get to see the best come out of each one of those guys.

"And it's super important for that position to have multiple guys who can do it, right? I mean ... I don't know if there's any team that can rely on one guy anymore with the pounding and the length of the season and all that stuff. So I think it's awesome that we have as many guys as we do that we feel we can count on."

Whether it's a case where they have too many remains to be seen, but they had to start three different running backs in 2021 and two different backs last year so there is strength in numbers.

Offensive Line

Wright fits into Getsy's offensive line plan as a big, mobile lineman in the wide-zone scheme.

"Well, I mean yeah, that's kind of the history of what I've been around in this league," Getsy said. "I mean, having athletic offensive linemen is really valuable to what we want to do, what we want to accomplish. I think as many of those types of guys that we can get is gonna make us better for sure and getting to do what we want to do."

In particular, Wright's athleticism is something they didn't have last year at right tackle.

"Well, I just think it's unique for someone that big to be able to bend and be that athletic and as explosive as he is," Getsy said. "I think that's just hard to come around guys that are that big, that long, with the length is unbelievable. And the power is unbelievable. And to have that athleticism to go with it, too, was all really cool."

Wide Receiver

The overall level of player has been elevated, the experience/skill level of their best receiver is much higher than last year and the depth is greater because even players well down the rung in depth have had experience with their offensive system.

Putting the same top receivers out on the field week after week would be a goal.

"As you guys recall, just last year, how many different sets of starting lineups we had to go through with that position," he said.

They used 10 different starting wide receiver groups last year.

"Hopefully we won't have to do that," he said. "But it all plays itself out. Guys will find their role. It's way too soon in this process to say who has what role."

There's no replacement for the value of Justin Fields getting to build a relationship in the passing game with the same targets each week.

"Quarterback-receiver relationship is so important," Getsy said. "As great of a quarterback as you can or as great as a receiver can be, if there's not a relationship and a connection between the two of them, then it doesn’t really matter. They're in that phase right now of getting to know each other."

Moore's ability to go over 1,000 yards receiving with numerous quarterbacks at Carolina completely impressed Getsy in this regard.

"What's cool is DJ's experiences that he's had," Getsy said. "He's had to play with a few different quarterbacks and a few different systems, so you can tell he doesn't really get fazed by the new, which is gonna be really good.

"Once those two can communicate with each other—body language, quick communication verbally and stuff—all that will get better as we get going. It's been great to see those guys throw some routes on air as we get into this Phase 2 part of (offseason work)."

Stability Needed

pointing at the 10 different starting receiver combinations as well as nine changes to the starting offensive line, Getsy sees getting the same personnel on the field from week to week as crucial to whatever they do.

"I think that connection amongst the group, I think the stability of the group is important," he said. "We had a lot of different lineups that showed up last year."

Getsy talked about a discussion he had with former Bears center Jay Hilgenberg from the 1985 champions.

Hilgenberg cited the line's ability to play together for a long time in a non-free agency era as a key to their effectiveness.

"He was giving me some deep insight–'hey, we were playing this team and this two-wide technique was giving us problems in the middle of the game and I'm like, hey, you block him and I'll go around him and I'll go block the Will (weakside linebacker).'

"That wasn't part of the play call. But that continuity that they had, that's the next step. We have to get this group playing together as one, all 11 as one."

That type of stability is something they can only prepare for in the offseason. It can only be achieved on the actual field of play.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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