By: Andy Davies

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When the Denver Broncos fired head coach Vic Fangio, it was deemed that they were just a quarterback away from being contenders.

And then the Broncos made moves. Nathaniel Hackett was hired, after a spell as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Not long after that appointment, the team went big in their search for a new quarterback. They traded a 2022 and 2023 first-round and second-round pick as well as a fifth round from this year and gave away Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris in exchange for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

This was supposed to be the answer. However, so far it has been far from that.

The Broncos have lost their last two games and currently sit at 2-3 after their first five games with their new head coach and quarterback duo. Neither has set the world alight.

In five starts, Wilson has thrown for 1,254 yards, just four touchdowns and three interceptions. This would have projected to finish the season with 4,264 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Whilst those projected yards would actually be a career best, it would be an all-time career low in touchdown passes, six less than his current worst in 2014. He would only have four seasons with more interceptions than nine. 

Russell Wilson is said to have requested the trade, and many felt Pete Carroll’s run-first offense was holding him back. However, all Wilson has shown us in 2022 is that perhaps Carroll was doing this for a reason.

Against the Colts, Wilson threw an awful interception and despite having 274 passing yards, he threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. With the exception of one great run and one great pass, Russ had no moments of excellence. He was incapable of getting it done in the red zone, seemed to force his passes to his target men, and often missed several open receivers.

Hackett came in as an offensive guy, one that worked with the current back-to-back MVP. Russ was meant to be allowed to cook, presumably one of the reasons if not the main one for Wilson agreeing to join the Broncos. With Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, he was not short of receiving options. Patrick may have suffered a season-ending injury prior to Week One, but the team still has K.J. Hamler and Albert Okwuegbunam.

His ability to just throw it without properly looking through his reads may have been disguised in recent years due to D.K. Metcalf being the closest thing to Calvin Johnson we have seen since the Hall of Famer retired. Neither Jeudy, Sutton and Hamler have the strength and hands of Metcalf. 

Hackett deserves some portion of the blame, with his questionable play calling and poor time management. He could well be one and done as a head coach for the Broncos. His time so far reminiscent of Adam Gase, a star quarterback glossing over coaching deficiencies. However, he is not the one out there missing open players, making bad throws, and seeming scared to get hit. So far, Wilson looks to have made no difference. With the number of draft picks given up and the long term multi-million-dollar extension given to him, this trade so far looks to be one the team may regret.

Let’s not forget that Wilson still has to play the Chargers and Chiefs each twice.

Granted, a new head coach who actually knows what they are doing may be the difference they need and not every quarterback can do what Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford did on new teams.

Despite this, should Wilson play like this for the rest of 2022 and beyond this trade could be one that potentially affects the team long-term.

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By: Justin Frye

Jerry Jeudy, despite being a disappointment from a results standpoint, is still viewed extremely favorably by the dynasty community. In his 26 games, Jeudy’s produced just 90 catches, just over 1,300 yards, and just 3 TDs (all as a rookie). This is similar to a typical DJ Moore season but in 9 extra games. So is it just take lock, or does the dynasty community have it right?

Coaching Change

The first place to look with Jeudy in 2022 is the head coach. Vic Fangio is out and in is offensive-minded Nathaniel Hackett. That move alone inspires confidence. Over the last few seasons, Hackett has worked in Green Bay to build a strong balanced offense. In his three seasons there, the Packers finished 15th, 1st, and 10th in points per game, averaging at least 23.5. The best team under Fangio was at 20.2 and hasn’t been better than 23rd in points.

Hackett prefers the pass more than Fangio did, as the Packers bested the Broncos in pass attempts in two of their three seasons in their previous roles. Fangio liked to run the ball and play defense to protect middling (at best) QB play. Hackett didn’t have the same issue with Aaron Rodgers in town. Unfortunately, Rodgers stayed in Green Bay and left Hackett scrambling to improve his QB play in Denver…

QB Upgrade

Enter Russell Wilson, the Broncos biggest offseason addition since Peyton Manning. Wilson seems primed to explode this year after wasting away in a conservative offense his entire career. If he does, expect multiple pass catchers to follow suit, with Jeudy being a popular pick.

Wilson loves to push it downfield but hasn’t had a true possession receiver since Doug Baldwin retired. In his peak years, Baldwin saw around 120 targets per season in the Seattle run-first offense, catching about 80 passes per season for over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. Jeudy already earned 113 targets as a rookie, and likely would’ve again in 2021 if not for a bad high ankle sprain.

The Talent

As a reminder of how Broncos brass sees Jeudy, they drafted him over CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and Brandon Aiyuk. Many in the dynasty community followed suit and took him (or Lamb) as the first or second WR in rookie drafts. Managers might be getting tired and worried about him. I get it, if he doesn’t perform this year expect his value to fall off.

People are quick to forget how good Jeudy was as a prospect though. Jax is such a great prospect evaluator, and I absolutely love the Stefon Diggs comp and still am excited about it. Diggs’ first two seasons aren’t all that dissimilar from Jeudy’s. Diggs had some solid seasons for a few years after that, kind of up and down though. Then he was traded to Buffalo…

What happened when Diggs got a massive QB and scheme upgrade with the Bills? First team an all-pro year of 127 catches, 1,535 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Now don’t get it twisted, this is unlikely as the talent around Jeudy is much better, but Diggs baseline is around 100 catches, 1,100 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Same with a healthy and playing Calvin Ridley. This could be the year Jeudy joins them.

What To Do With Jerry Jeudy?

Look I just sang his praises and absolutely think Jeudy has a shot to break out in a huge way this year. I want to say buy him, but the price on him really hasn’t dropped enough. He’s a tough sell too, as so many pieces valued similarly are other young potential breakouts.

It’s not a clear-cut buy or sell, I think I’d hold out to see if the other manager in a deal has a different valuation than the group, then try to take advantage. If firmly in win-now mode, think obtaining a Mike Evans or Mike Williams in a deal is possible, and it’s hard to pass on WR1 production.

The post Jerry Jeudy’s dynasty outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

by: Menachem Ickovitz

On Thursday afternoon the Houston Texans fired head coach David Culley after just one season on the job. He became the eighth coach to lose his job from the 2021 season. With the numerous head coaching vacancies in the NFL this off-season, we decided to rank the jobs from worst to first.

8. Houston Texans

The most recent job to open up is one currently ranked last on our list. After a 4 ”“ 13 season which was played with QB DeShaun Watson on the sidelines, without being injured, the Texans fired Culley. Rookie quarterback Davis Mills had some good games but is still considered a developmental quarterback.

One of the biggest negatives going for the Texans is Jack Easterby who was a driving force in trading away receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Many fans in Houston don’t like or trust Easterby and would have liked him fired along with (or instead of) Culley.

7. New York Giants

The New York Giants were a once-proud franchise that has fallen on tough times. They have had three coaches in the last six years and the fans are hoping that Giants ownership doesn’t screw this one up as well.

There is some optimism, as the Giants are also looking for a new General Manager after the “retirement” of Dave Gettelman. Additionally, there are some young and talented players on the roster, however, there are questions surrounding quarterback Daniel Jones and his ability to lead the Giants to where they want to go.

6. Miami Dolphins

The Miami job being available was a bit of a surprise, especially when you consider that after firing Brian Flores, he became one of the hottest names out there for other teams to hire.

The Dolphins are saying they are committed to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa but he has not done enough yet to make you feel confident that he can lead the Dolphins. Perhaps the right coach can get the best out of him, but for now the job is ranked where it is due to his inconsistency.

5. Denver Broncos

The Broncos situation may actually be better than fifth; however, the top four teams on the list all have a better quarterback situation at the moment. Give the Broncos a quarterback better than Teddy Bridgewater or Drew Lock and they will make the playoffs.

Denver was named as one of the potential landing spots if Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay. If that were to happen, Denver becomes the best job available. An interesting possibility is the Broncos hire Green Bay OC Nathanial Hackett as their new head coach and bring Rodgers in as their new quarterback. If that were to happen, the Broncos go from the fifth best job available to Super Bowl contenders.

4. Minnesota Vikings

Ziggy Wilf, the owner of the Minnesota Vikings does not make changes for the sake of making changes like some NFL owners. Former coach Mike Zimmer was with the Vikings for seven years, some more successful than others.

This is one of a few jobs that also has a General Manager search going along with it. To some that makes the job more attractive; to others, less. The Vikings have offensive firepower and key contributors on defense, so this might be more of a “re-tool” than a “rebuild” which is very attractive to potential coaches.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

2021 was a difficult season for the Las Vegas Raiders, but it did end with a playoff appearance. For that reason, the job is more attractive than some of the others on the list.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that quarterback Derek Carr’s future is tied to who the new head coach will be, meaning that there is no guarantee that Carr is back. Obviously, if Carr doesn’t return this job is less desirable as not only did Carr lead the Raiders to the playoffs, but he was what kept the team together during their tumultuous 2021 season.

Other than Carr, the Raiders have an array of top-level talent, including TE Darren Waller, RB Josh Jacobs and DE Maxx Crosby. A new head coach will have a lot to work with.

2. Chicago Bears

What the Bears needed this year was a coach to bring out the best in rookie quarterback Justin Fields. When that did not occur, this job became one of the best available. Additionally, the Bears have a good defense highlighted by Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith.

In a previously written article, I suggested that current Bills defensive coordinator and former member of the ’85 Bears, Leslie Frazier would be a good fit for the Bears job. If they do go with a defensive-minded head coach it will be imperative to bring in a smart offensive play-caller to develop Fields.

The Bears are also looking for a General Manager and one downside for this job is the lack of a first-round pick.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are a young team; they have great draft capital and plenty of cap space. Most impressively, quarterback Trevor Lawrence started to play better towards the end of the season.

The Jaguars need a good leader after the Urban Meyer debacle and like many other teams on this list, a good offensive-minded coach like Byron Leftwich or Bill O’Brien would be a great fit.

The post Ranking the NFL head coach openings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Steven Jay

With an official team training camp underway for the Broncos, many people are speculating about the state of the Broncos and how individual players will impact their positional group. With the focus on the long-awaited Quarterback battle between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, this article will highlight lesser-known competitions to be aware of that will impact the team as a whole.

The Trenches

For several years, the offensive line for Denver has been a rotation of placeholders and aging veterans that the front office has put together to try and retain some form of stability. The emergence of Garrett Bolles as a top-tier Left Tackle and several promising young prospects on the interior, such as Guard Dalton Risner, has narrowed the last glaring hole on the offensive line to Right Tackle. After overspending on the oft-injured Ja’Wuan James, who has only managed to play a total of 3 games for the Broncos since signing in 2019, Right Tackle is still a question mark for the team. James has since left the organization after suffering yet another injury earlier in the offseason, and Denver will now turn to its young talent to fill in gaps in his absence.

Heading into camp, head coach Vic Fangio stated that “a guy not to go to sleep on is Calvin Anderson.” Playing Tackle at Rice and the University of Texas, Anderson went undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft. After bouncing around between the Patriots and Jets, Anderson came to Denver in 2019 as a backup. After earning his spot, he also managed to sign a one-year contract with the Broncos earlier this year. Still only twenty-five years old, Anderson has gained praise from the Denver coaching staff and has started on a good foot this camp with first-team reps. Outside of a veteran free agent signing with the team, Anderson may very well have the best shot at the starting job. It will be up to him to take hold of the opportunity and show the coaching staff, including renowned Offensive Line coach Mike Munchak that they are correct to place their trust in the young Tackle.

Denver’s Secondary

With Denver’s offseason spending and most recent draft, all eyes are on the Denver defensive secondary. Bringing in the likes of Kyle Fuller and Alabama standout Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos are poised to have a fearsome group of Defensive Backs this season. One could argue that they have too much talent to put on the field at once. One such position to watch will be the Cornerback battle between established veterans Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan and new editions Patrick Surtain II and last year’s rookie Michael Ojemudia.

While Fuller and Callahan are poised to be the starting Corners for this Bronco’s defense, the young playmakers should also be involved. This training camp will show glimpses into how the coaching staff plans to incorporate their round one draft pick in Surtain and continue to build off Ojemudia’s eventful rookie season last year. Both Fuller and Callahan played under Coach Vic Fangio when he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears and have a thorough understanding of the defense the Broncos currently employ. However, with Callahan and Fuller both hitting free-agency next season, one should think that the Broncos want to get both young corners as much experience as possible. The opportunities these young corners encounter this season will help the team prepare for next year if they take on a more prominent role. Be sure to watch how both young Corners are utilized throughout camp to get a better understanding of what is to come for the second unit as a whole throughout the season.

The Broncos receiving core

While one may think that the last place Denver needs to worry about is their pass-catchers, it is the sheer number of talented bodies that Denver has that makes this positional group so interesting. With the return of Courtland Sutton and the high praise of Jerry Jeudy after last season, some spots are already very well established. It is the players who will fill in behind them that make for the intriguing drama.

K.J. Hamler impressed with Denver last season despite soft-tissue injuries that hampered him throughout the 2020 season. Expect Hamler to settle into a more prominent role in the offense in his second year as a shifty playmaker. 2020 standout Receiver Tim Patrick hopes to continue to build off his solid performance in replacing Sutton last season after Sutton became sidelined with an ACL injury. The Broncos are also looking to find a replacement for Receiver Daesean Hamilton, releasing him earlier in the offseason after suffering an ACL tear. The likes of Trinity Benson, Tyrie Cleveland, and emergency Quarterback Kendall Hinton look to carve a role out themselves as an active roster Receiver this season. As training camp progresses, expect to hear young, unfamiliar names as this receiving core grows and fights for a spot in a deep positional group for the Broncos this season. Household names like Jeudy and Sutton will be highlighted as talking points daily, but the real intrigue will be who stands out among the lesser-known players. This information could give pointers into who the coaches feel deserve roster spots on the 53-man roster. On the opposite side, it may give away who needs another year developing among the practice squad.

Final Thoughts

Without bringing up the Quarterback controversy, there are still plenty of exciting positional groups to examine and talk about throughout training camp. These are not simply important to decipher but are fresh talking points compared to the constant drone of back-and-forth drama between the two quarterback fan camps. Not only are these groups just as important, I believe they will provide even more entertainment for the viewer.

The post Denver’s non QB Position Battles to watch this training camp appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jordan Anders

Vic Fangio will be going into his third year as the Denver Broncos head coach this upcoming season with a record of 12-20. After being a defensive coordinator for the 35 seasons he’s been in the NFL, he just became a first-time head coach in 2019.

After building up a hefty resume, the Denver Broncos brought him in hopes of rebuilding the winning culture. The Broncos have been in a five-year playoff drought and are looking to make the playoffs this season with a healthy roster and a quarterback who is more experienced and that is third-year QB, Drew Lock. The Broncos are more than able to make the playoffs this year with Fangio’s “top defense and ascending offense” but if they don’t, rest assure that Fangio still would have a job here.

Over the last decade, the Broncos have been known for their defense and Fangio has only made that side of the ball better. The Broncos secondary this season has already been top-ranked against the other teams in the league. Lots of time and energy has been put into making his Broncos defense one of the best, some might say it would be silly to let Fangio disown his specialty. However, there is another side of the ball he is responsible for, the offense. If Fangio is the future he has to put the same time and energy into the offense side of the ball because that is where he’s been lacking.

This season is truly going to be very telling on whether or not Fangio will continue being the head coach of the Broncos next season or not. Another season under his belt would build a stronger case on whether his position should be questioned, however, he will be the one in the hot seat this season. He is a very respected coach around the league and no doubt will have a job as a defensive coordinator or another coaching position if the Broncos choose to move on after three years.

Nonetheless, I personally don’t think this would be the logical thing to do, Fangio has worked extremely well to built up our defense, he was given a young and rebuilding offense to work with when he arrived here and it’s looking up. The defense will key in stopping Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes for a decade-plus to come. Broncos management clearly feels strongly about his ability to hold down the defense and help the team push for a Lombardi if they get him a veteran, talented QB with the likes of Aaron Rodgers.

If the Broncos get an improved performance from Drew Lock to allow themselves to compete in most pivotal games, while the defense is elite, the Broncos should keep Vangio and upgrade the QB position for him in 2022. They shouldn’t let Lock’s faith be directly correlated with Fangio’s outlook. If Aaron Rodgers comes to town, Fangio should have a lot less to worry about. But, if the Broncos acquire Rodgers and proceed to struggle, then the Broncos HC should get the Mike McCarthy treatment.

According to rankings from NBC Sports, Vic Fangio came in last for returning AFC coaches and 24th overall out of the 25 returning head coaches in the league. This means one thing: the Broncos will a lot to prove this season. The coaching position is so quick to blame especially when a team like the Broncos who are known to be a winning team has not made a playoff run since their Super Bowl win in 2016. It’s too early to immediately point fingers at the coach when a team is going through a rebuild with a struggling quarterback who has only played 18 games. Needless to say, this season is going to be big not only for Vic Fangio but for the team to fall short or prove the haters and doubters wrong.

The post Vic Fangio is the future for the Denver Broncos appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Denver Broncos have not had a winning record since they won Super Bowl 50 back in the 2015-2016 season. Since then, they have only tied for second in the AFC West standings with a 7-9 record in 2019. In the last five seasons, the Broncos have gone through nine starting quarterbacks, ten if you include last season where running back Phillip Lindsay started at quarterback against the Saints. Needless to say, the Broncos have struggled to find that missing piece to get the team back into a winning record.

With the Broncos putting faith in quarterback Drew Lock this season, in only his third year, it’s hard to say where Drew can take this team. The hope is he can lead the Broncos to the post-season for the first time in 5 years. This year would be the year to do that, the Broncos this next season have one of the easiest schedules, with only four teams ahead of them. Although the Broncos have one of the easiest schedules, they’ll be playing 20 games in total this regular season, three in pre-season, and 17 in regular-season games.

On top of that, their division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs have won the division the last five seasons and will likely win it again, and the Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert aren’t looking too bad after last season and will only continue to get better. We went 1-1 with the Raiders and Chargers last season and the Broncos are definitely looking for a season sweep on both. If the Broncos want to accomplish this, a winning record, and have a chance to make it to the playoffs, they’ll have to put in the work.

Broncos’ ceiling

With a load of weapons in the Broncos offense and a defense similar to the 2015 “No Fly Zone” defense, the Broncos could most definitely go 12-5. The Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Kansas City Chiefs will be the Broncos’ biggest threats going into this next season.

The Broncos’ first three games are against the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets, these first three games will set the tone for the remainder of the season. The Broncos could easily go 3-0, but with Drew Lock throwing only 16 touchdowns last season with 15 interceptions, it’s hard to pinpoint where the Broncos will fall.

Drew Lock has been putting in lots of work this offseason so far, there’s the question that we can make the jump to lead the team, it’s when.

Broncos’ floor

The Broncos have a well-rounded team and without a doubt one of the best secondaries in the league. If the offensive side of the ball falls short, the defense will have to carry. Yet the defense side of the ball can only take you so far.

The floor for the Broncos this season would be 4-13. The Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Jets, and Jaguars, are the easiest wins on the schedule this season, and if the Broncos can’t make it past these teams it’s gonna be a rough season. The Chargers took massive strides

This is a worst-case scenario besides losing every game but the team is too talented and skilled to lose 17 games. As stated earlier the pre-season games and the first three games into the regular season will set show us how the rest of the season will likely go.

The post Broncos win/loss ceiling and floor for the 2021 season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

A few short months ago I was writing articles about general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy’s impending firings, so I understand as well as anyone that a Chicago Bears Super Bowl run sounds a bit farfetched right now, but NFL franchises often flip the script overnight in this league and it can all start with one move.

Now I know I just finished saying that Chicago’s chances aren’t reliant on Fields’ immediate stardom, and they’re not, but his potential as a generational quarterback talent is certainly the conductor of the hype train.

Truth is, I have been against this regime for quite some time. The trade up for the unproven Mitchell Trubisky, the horrid playcalling by Nagy that seemed to stunt the growth of not only Trubisky but running back David Montgomery, the indecision at QB and the miserable ideas to bring in Nick Foles and Andy Dalton as “saviors” when every NFL fan under the sun knows that these veterans are no more than underwhelming game managers. Yes, I know Foles won a Super Bowl, but that Philadelphia Eagles roster was built like a tank and this Bears one is not.

It’s been a tough road for Bears fans ever since Vic Fangio’s defense (led by Khalil Mack) shattered expectations in 2018. Not tough like 1-15 record tough, but more “what could have been” tough. The knowledge that your putrid offense is holding back and possibly wasting a championship caliber defense is difficult to stomach (especially when you traded a ton of your future draft capital for the catalyst of that unit in Mack).

This defense has a window, and that window is closing fast. Mack is under contract till 2025, but his cap hit is exorbitant after 2021 (unless Chicago takes the potential out next offseason at a $24 million dollar hit). That 2018 group has already seen losses like Fangio (DC), Kyle Fuller (CB1), Adrian Amos (S), Prince Amukamara (CB2, age caught up fast here), Bryce Callahan (slot), Leonard Floyd (edge) and more. Mack’s departure could be the final nail in the coffin, sealing that window for good.

The emergence of a unique prospect like Fields at QB gives Chicago a shot in 2021, but there are a few other factors that have a Jets fan like me all aboard the Bears bandwagon.

1. NFC in Decline

With Drew Brees retiring, the NFC East in total dissarray, Aaron Rodgers wanting out of Green Bay, and the NFC West all beating up on eachother, there aren’t many Super Bowl favorites in the NFC outside of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In what has become a conference shift in strength, we now see a lot of the bright young quarterbacks in the AFC (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson should he return to Houston) while the NFC is left wanting.

An Aaron Rodgers trade to a franchise like the Denver Broncos could totally blow the doors off this conversation. Not only that, it would leave a gaping hole in the NFC North with the Detroit Lions rebuilding and the Minnesota Vikings as a playoff bubble team at best. The Green Bay Packers are one of the NFC’s (and Bears’) strongest competitors left, and if there’s any truth to the rumors, that Cheesehead locomotive may have already flown off the tracks.

2. Phenomenal ’21 Draft

We all know about the Justin Fields selection, but the Bears 2021 draft went much further than that. Pace was drafting like his job was on the line and he answered the bell with some really solid picks.

Just after trading up to get the franchise QB, Pace was able to nab the left tackle to pair with him for years to come, in Teven Jenkins. Many thought the Oklahoma State Cowboys 6’6″ tackle would go in the first, but he slipped to day two and the Bears did not hesitate. Later on he bulked the offensive line again, drafting upside guard prospect Larry Borom out of Missouri.

One trouble area may be cornerback with Fuller gone, but sixth rounder Thomas Graham Jr. had sleeper grades from many analysts out of Oregon. The former Duck could help fill the void, but Chicago will also need something from 2020 second rounder Jaylon Johnson (just turned 22 in April), and free agent flier Desmond Trufant.

3. Key Vets Returning After 2020 Season

I wasn’t particularly high on the 2020 Bears defense, in part because I knew the offense would struggle, but also because some instrumental pieces were missing.

One major cog to account for was nose tackle Eddie Goldman, a 2020 COVID opt-out. Goldman had 40-plus tackles in 2017 and ’18 as one of the premier run-stuffers in the game. 2021 is only his age-27 season, so Chicago will count on the DT to return with avengeance after a year on the pine.

Alongside Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, this unit is still very formidable up front. The linebacker core also flaunts Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan in the middle, with free safety Eddie Jackson over the top. LB Christian Jones joins this crew, and they’ll also look to re-sign or replace strong safety Tash Gipson before preseason begins. Gipson started all 16 games with the Bears a season ago, and is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Let’s not forget the offensive side of the ball, as Pace held onto wide receiver Allen Robinson for dear life. New faces like Damien Williams, Damiere Byrd, Dazz Newsome, Khalil Herbert and Marquise Goodwin add some versatility to a group that needs to get more creative behind Fields and Nagy.

This defense may be slightly diminished from 2018, but it’s still pretty darn good, and this offense could theoretically become much more dynamic with a quarterback like Fields at the helm. Am I slightly worried that Nagy may just be a terrible coach? Absolutely. This is a make or break season for the HC though, so I expect him to pull out all the stops.

At the very least, I see the Bears as a playoff team again in 2021, but at +4800 odds right now on FanDuel Sportsbook, Chicago may just be the biggest sleeper pick to win Super Bowl LVI.

The post The Chicago Bears are top NFC Super Bowl Sleepers in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.