2015 was certainly a season of transition for the Bears, as they appointed a new head coach, GM, and implemented both a new offensive and defensive scheme. With this change came an influx of new personnel – of which needed time to get fully acclimated to their new surroundings – ultimately holding the Bears back from taking a large step forward towards making the playoffs. Still though, after three initial losses to open the season, Chicago managed to improve on their four win 2014 and finished up the final 13 games of 2015 with a promising 6-7 record.

Entering the 2016 offseason, head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace made it clear that they were going to continue building the Bears the way they began in the 2015 offseason. Through a positively reviewed draft and free agent haul, along with a tough veteran departure for the second consecutive offseason, the Bears are moving into the 2016 season with a defined foundation, nearly completed defensive identity, and the plug and play personnel to fit coach Fox’s football ideology.

Key Free Agent Additions

Danny Trevathan (ILB) – 4 year, $24,500,000

A Super Bowl champion in 2015 and widely considered one of the most sought after players on the 2016 free agent market, Trevathan is an inside backer that will join the Bears roster and bring a veteran leadership to this rebuilding defense from day one.

As a Bronco, Trevathan frequently made clutch plays, while he also proved statistically to be one of the most important players on the league’s best defense. He led the Broncos in tackles in two of the last three seasons, while he has registered over 100 in two of his last four.

One of his best on the field traits is in coverage where he has tallied five interceptions and 19 pass deflections from the inside linebacker position across his four-year career. Combined with his excellence in coverage, his well above-average speed and agility for the position made many believe that he could even transition into a star weakside linebacker for a 4-3 defense. Instead, Trevathan decided to reunite with his former coach John Fox in his 3-4 defensive scheme with the Bears this offseason, giving Fox yet another perfect piece to completely overhaul Chicago’s identity.

Below is an example of Trevathan in coverage and how his versatility can be a weapon for defensive coordinators

Jerrell Freeman (ILB) – 3 year, $12,000,000

Signed likely to signal call in DC Vic Fangio’s defense, Freeman’s high IQ and sideline-to-sideline agility make him a perfect fit for this transitioning Chicago Bears defense. Despite struggling through several ailments, Freeman still managed to finish 2015 with over 100 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and ultimately ranked as Pro Football Focus’ second ranked inside linebacker against the run. He’s no slouch in coverage either, however now paired with Danny Trevathan – coverage linebacker extraordinaire ­– Freeman will be able to focus more on his expertise of tracking the ball carrier and getting after the quarterback. Below is a perfect example of his elite closing speed as he tracks down Russell Wilson on a read option – an incredibly rare occurrence by NFL standards.

Brian Hoyer (QB) – 1 year, $2,000,000

Over the last few years, we have all become pretty familiar with who Brian Hoyer is. He’s capable of starting games in this league and is an excellent option to have behind your franchise quarterback, however he is not someone who you want starting for your team come Wild Card weekend.

Right off the bat, at this price, the Bears got themselves a bargain here. In my opinion Hoyer is every bit as good as Sam Bradford, yet signed for $33 million less than the underachieving former first overall pick. If all goes well in 2016, Bears fans will never have to worry about hearing Hoyer’s name called, however they can feel more confident than most teams if for some reason or another they need to defer to their second quarterback option.

This move is essentially a “cards on the table” move from the Bears front office to Jay Cutler. After several up and down seasons with Chicago, Cutler appears to be nearing closer and closer to the chopping block. He looked pretty darn good in the new offense last season, and the Bears have every intention on backing and supporting him headed into 2016. Fans and fantasy players shouldn’t be naïve, however, as Cutler is sure to have a short leash in 2016. It’s put up or shut up for him now.

Akiem Hicks (DE) – 2 year, $10,000,000

A run-stuffing stalwart (ranked 14th amongst DT’s by PFF), Hicks will fit in as a 3-4 defensive end for this ever-improving Chicago Bears defense. His big body and excellent technique in taking on blocks will provide the newly acquired, aforementioned, inside linebackers with ample space to roam and track down ball carriers. He will play alongside rookie standout nose tackle Eddie Goldman, to provide an excellent run-stuffing, double-team demanding interior line tandem.

Key Veteran Departures

Matt Forte (RB) – New York Jets

A noted leader in the locker room and one of the best all-around backs in the NFL over the last eight years, Forte certainly made his mark on the Bears franchise, serving as their best overall player for the better part of this past decade. Sure his play has steadily declined recently, however he still can contribute at an effective level, especially on passing downs. The Jets certainly got themselves a fine veteran presence here, but the Bears knew it was time to move on now that they are continuing to get younger at the position. 

Notable Draft Picks

Leonard Floyd (Edge) – 1st Round

While Floyd’s production didn’t match his traits in college, he showed a lot of potential on tape and improved drastically physically and technically in the couple of months in between the end of the season and the Combine. On tape, albeit inconsistently, Floyd showed incredible bursts of pass rushing tenacity that would have him locked up in an asylum in some states. His long arms could legally be registered as deadly weapons that could justifiably be tied up in a straight jacket.

To go along with his god given, natural, explosive, athletic rage, Floyd can also drop into coverage comfortably and did it often in college. He also has experience playing inside linebacker if needed as well, giving coach Fox all of the positional flexibility and scheme versatility he needs out of his first round selection.

Cody Whitehair (OL) – 2nd Round

Considering Whitehair was the consensus best interior offensive lineman in the draft, the Bears got themselves a steal in the second round here. Not only does he project to be a decade long starter at guard in the NFL, but he also has ample experience playing left tackle in college, and in fact excelled there, allowing only two sacks in his senior season. He often draws comparisons to Dallas Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, and they aren’t far off. He emulates his passion in the run game, quick feet in the pass game, and overall high football IQ that allows him to flourish at any position along the offensive line. All things considered, the Bears got themselves one of the better steals of the draft in Whitehair here.

Below Whitehair displays his physicality and savvy in protection, as he blocks two rushers on one pass play and maintains a clean pocket for his quarterback to operate.

Jonathan Bullard (DL) – 3rd Round

Having drafted Broncos playoff hero and newly crowned $90 million man Malik Jackson in 2012, there is no doubt that coach John Fox had his sights set on drafting his clone – Jonathan Bullard out of Florida – as soon as he got the green light from the front office in this past April’s draft.

On tape Bullard shows incredible explosion -- maybe the best first step in the draft. He often punished opposing offensive linemen before they even got out of their stance. This excellent jump off of the ball allows Bullard the ultimate scheme flexibility in that he can two-gap with his hands extended and engaged on offensive linemen, or he can shoot a single gap, blowing up plenty of plays in the backfield before they even get started. Here’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about in terms of his explosive first step…

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While he may not start right off the bat, it is a fair assessment that by midseason, Bullard will be starting at defensive end on the line to go along with Eddie Goldman and newly acquired Akiem Hicks. He possesses the most disruptive pass rushing ability out of the three of them, potentially giving him the best chance to make an impact in an IDP format.

Jordan Howard (RB) – 5th Round

After the loss of Matt Forte, it became clear that the Bears would have to take a back in the draft. In Howard they certainly got a talented one, however he couldn’t be any more different from the style of Forte.

Built in the mold of LeGarrette Blount, Howard is a bruising force; a load for opposing defenses to take down on first contact. Unlike Forte, he shows no interest or skill in the receiving game, likely serving as an initial down and goal line back for most of his career. Most draft pundits had him slated as a day two talent, but when it came down to it, Howard slid to the fifth round because of his legitimate injury concerns. In 2015, Howard missed four games entirely and was banged up and knocked out of several others throughout the rest of the season. All things considered though, he still rushed for over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns, making him one of the most dangerous backs in the Big10.

With the Bears, Howard has a real chance to push incumbent Jeremy Langford for touches, however with his aforementioned injury concerns, is unlikely to ever take over every down/series duties.

Daniel Braverman (WR) – 7th Round

A man who Pro Football Focus had mocked in the second round as one of the draft’s top receivers, the Bears had to have been jumping for joy when they managed to take Daniel Braverman with their final pick in the seventh round this past April. The main knock on him is the old archaic “size concerns” for the receiver position. I say archaic because for a player who will exclusively be operating out of the slot, size doesn’t really matter in today’s game.

Although he often played against inferior competition at Western Michigan, Braverman saved his best games for the top opponents. Against Ohio State in 2015, Braverman scorched their NFL talent laden defense for 10 catches, 123 yards, and a touchdown, opening eyes around the country to his skillset. In all, the slot receiver finished the season second in the FBS in receptions with 108, for 1,367 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Braverman may not be relied upon to start out of the gate, but I can almost guarantee that he will eventually become a fantasy relevant player. Expect him to not only make the roster out of camp, but he also has a good chance to push veteran Eddie Royal for reps out of the slot.

Entering the offseason, the Bears had a plan and they stuck to it. They added the imperative pieces to their defense in order to make the scheme work, they made some tough decisions on veteran contracts, and most importantly got excellent value out of their draft picks, particularly in the first three rounds, where each player held a first round grade according to my board.

A head coach of two different Super Bowl teams, no one is saying that John Fox is going to lead the Bears to one this season, but after an offseason like this one, it is obvious why he is considered one of the best team builders in the league.

A unified coach and front office with a clear set of goals, they didn’t overspend and they didn’t reach for players in the draft. They stuck to their guns and only took what fit them best. The master of puns that I’ve been over the last couple of weeks, I’m going to go there… One may say that Chicago addressed their holes with the Bear necessities.