2016 NFL Season Previews

Detroit Lions 2016 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2016 NFL Season Previews, Lions, Uncategorized

Quarterback

It was a tale of two seasons for the Lions in 2015. Following a 1-7 start and a 45-10 loss to the Chiefs in London week 8, the Lions won 6 of their final 8 games after the bye. It was too late for them to make the playoffs obviously, as they finished just 7-9, but there is a lot to build on following last season’s strong finish, as they try to make the playoffs for the 3rd time in 6 seasons in 2016. The Lions were especially strong on offense over the final 8 games of the season, moving the chains at a 76.14% rate over that stretch, as opposed to 69.02% over the first 8 games of the season.

The one big change the Lions made was firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and replacing him with ex-quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter. The Lions struggled in Cooter’s first game as offensive coordinator, that big loss in London, but that was a borderline impossible situation for Cooter, taking over the job the same week the Lions had to travel all the way to London. After the bye the following week, the Lions’ offense was significantly better and Cooter deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround.

Matt Stafford’s numbers were drastically better over the final 8 games of the season. Obviously Stafford deserves a lot of the credit, but so does Cooter. Over the first 8 games of the season, Stafford completed 64.5% of his passes for an average of 6.97 YPA, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, as opposed to 70.0% completion, 7.44 YPA, 19 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions over the final 8 games of the season. The Lions’ schedule was noticeably easier down the stretch, but that’s still an impressive turnaround. Overall on the season, Stafford finished 21st among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus, slightly below average for the 2nd straight season, after finishing in the top-13 in each of his first 3 seasons as a starter from 2011-2013. He isn’t more than a solid starter, but he’s certainly not a bad option either and it’s clear he has an offensive coordinator who is a good fit for him right now.

Grade: B

Wide Receivers

One thing that really threatens to derail the offensive progress the Lions made down the stretch last season is the sudden retirement of Calvin Johnson, ahead of his age 31 season. Johnson was aging, declining, and hampered with injuries, but Megatron at 80-90% was still Pro Football Focus’ 9th ranked wide receiver, actually the lowest the still-likely-future-Hall-of-Famer had finished since 2009. It’s tough to replace a guy like that, but the Lions did not waste any time finding a replacement, signing Marvin Jones, arguably the top available free agent wide receiver this off-season, to a 5-year, 40 million dollar deal.

Jones is obviously not nearly as good as Johnson, but he’s been an impressive wide receiver over the past 3 seasons as long as he’s been healthy. He finished 2013 as Pro Football Focus’ 14th ranked wide receiver and last season as their 38th ranked wide receiver, with a 2014 season lost to injury in between. Aside from the injury that cost him all of 2014, Jones hasn’t missed a game since his rookie year, so injuries aren’t a long-term concern for him. Still only going into his age 26 season, it’s possible the best football of his career is yet to come. He’s not quite a true #1 wide receiver, but he’s at least a 1B caliber player.

Fortunately, Golden Tate can be 1A for Detroit, as he returns on the other side. Tate finished last season 27th among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus, slightly better than Jones. That’s actually Tate’s lowest rated season since 2012, as he averaged more than 2 yards per route run in both 2013 and 2014. Even with the Seahawks he was very productive on a per route basis; the Seahawks just did not pass often. In a much pass happier Detroit offense, Tate caught 99 passes for 1331 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2014, before falling to a 90/813/6 in 2015. He has a very good chance to bounce back this season though. He caught 39 passes for 599 yards and 3 touchdowns in 5 games where Johnson was injured in 2014, proving he can be a #1 receiver. Jones will get plenty of targets, especially around the red zone, but Tate should lead this team in receptions and receiving yards in 2016.

Theo Riddick was 3rd on the team with 80 catches for 697 yards and 3 touchdowns last year. He’s a nice option to have, but the Lions probably don’t want to be as reliant on him next season as they were last season, which means they need tight end Eric Ebron to step up. The 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Ebron has graded out below average in his first 2 seasons in the NFL. However, he was a lot better from 2014 to 2015, especially as a pass catcher, after a drop-filled rookie year. He still has a lot of room for improvement as a run blocker, but he could take another leap forward in his 3rd year in the league in 2016. The Lions knew he was raw when they drafted him and he’s still only going into his age 23 season. He’s a question mark overall, but there’s plenty of upside here.

Brandon Pettigrew remains as the #2 tight end. A bust as a 1st round pick by the Lions in 2008, Pettigrew is a solid blocker, but little else, catching just 17 passes over the past 2 seasons. Making matters worse, he’s going into his age 31 season and coming off of a torn ACL. He likely would have been released this off-season, if not for the fact that his December injury guaranteed his 2016 salary, per the terms of his contract. Owed a non-guaranteed 3.65 million in 2017, this is likely his final year in Detroit. He could even be pushed for snaps by undrafted free agent tight end Cole Wick and is not a lock to be healthy enough to play by week 1.

Anquan Boldin is another option in the passing game along with Jones, Tate, Ebron, and Riddick, signing a 1-year, 2.75 million dollar deal with the Lions as a free agent this off-season, ahead of his age 36 season. Even though he’s the 2nd oldest wide receiver in the league after Steve Smith, he still finished last season 33rd among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus in 2015 and could still have another solid season left in the tank as a slot specialist and 3rd wide receiver behind Jones and Tate. It’s definitely not a bad receiving corps, but Johnson will definitely be missed.

Grade: B+

Running Backs

One area the Lions really need to improve is on the ground, as that’s been a weakness for two seasons and remained one even after the offense improved in the 2nd half of last season. Stafford can’t maintain those absurd numbers he put up in the final 8 games of the season, especially without Johnson and against a harder schedule, so they’ll need to run the football better, after averaging 3.59 yards per carry in 2014 (29th in the NFL) and 3.77 yards per carry in 2015 (26th in the NFL).

The Lions drafted Ameer Abdullah in the 2nd round in 2015 to try to improve the running game. However, he did not have a good rookie year, grading out 53rd among 69 eligible running backs on Pro Football Focus. His overall numbers were not bad, as he rushed for 597 yards and 2 touchdowns on 143 carries (4.17 YPC), but he fumbled 4 times, struggled in pass protection (limiting him to 355 total snaps), and managed just 27 first downs on those 143 carries. The Lions expect more from him this season and he is definitely the favorite to lead the team in carries, but it’s far from a guarantee that he performs well.

His biggest competition for carries is Zach Zenner, a 5-11 222 pounder who will serve as the #2 “big back” behind the 5-9 203 pound Abdullah. Joique Bell served in that role last season, rushing for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns on 90 carries, a very weak 3.46 YPC that got him cut ahead of his age 30 season in 2016; he remains unsigned as of this writing. Zenner didn’t perform well in limited action last season either, rushing for 60 yards on 17 carries (3.53 YPC), but the Lions still like the 2015 undrafted free agent’s upside, after a strong pre-season last year. That’s not enough for me to be confident in him though.

As I mentioned, Theo Riddick returns as the passing down back, after breaking out in that role in 2015. A collegiate running back and wide receiver at the University of Notre Dame, Riddick is useless as a rusher, with just 209 yards and 1 touchdown on 72 carries in 3 years in the league (a 2.90 career YPC), but flashed with 34 catches in limited action in 2014 and then caught 80 passes last season (tied for first in the NFL among running backs). He finished the season #1 among running backs on Pro Football Focus in pure pass catching grade. Another 60-70 catches isn’t out of the question for Riddick. Zenner taking short yardage work and Riddick playing passing downs limits Abdullah’s upside on a team that doesn’t run the ball much anyway. It’s an underwhelming trio overall, particularly on the ground.

Grade: C

Offensive Line

The Lions’ running backs aren’t really any better than they were last year, but they could be better on the ground anyway if their offensive line plays better than it did last season. In 2013, the Lions averaged 4.03 yards per carry despite Joique Bell and a declining Reggie Bush splitting carries, in large part because of a dominant offensive line. The offensive line has been anything but dominant since and only two starters from that 2013 offensive line remain right now. The Lions have spent their last two first round picks trying to remedy the problem.

Laken Tomlinson was their first round pick in 2015. A collegiate left tackle at Duke, Tomlinson struggled at left guard last season, finishing 53rd out of 81 eligible guards on Pro Football Focus, but still has a lot of talent and could be a lot better in his 2nd year in the league. The Lions then used the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to take Taylor Decker out of Ohio State. Though many feel he’s a better fit at right tackle in the NFL, the Lions plan on keeping Decker at his collegiate position of left tackle for now and moving incumbent left tackle Riley Reiff to right tackle. That could certainly change, but that’s the way it looks right now.

Reiff wasn’t bad at left tackle, making 47 starts there from 2013-2015 and grading out around average or above in all 3 seasons, but the Lions feel more comfortable with him at right tackle, as he’s a much better run blocker than pass protector. Reiff is one of those two holdovers from the Lions’ 2013 offensive line; the other is right guard Larry Warford. A 3rd round rookie in 2013, Warford looked like a future All-Pro and was actually my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year (over Eddie Lacy and Keenan Allen), finishing as Pro Football Focus’ #4 ranked guard and not missing a snap all season. Injuries have really slowed him down over the past 2 seasons though, as he’s missed 6 games with injury, and his ranking has fallen to 16th in 2014 and 37th in 2015. If he can stay healthy and bounce back this season, that would be huge for this team, and huge for him as well, as he heads into his contract year.

Center is the Lions’ biggest weakness, as incumbent center Travis Swanson struggled mightily in his first year as a starter in 2015, finishing 33rd out of 39 eligible centers on Pro Football Focus. The 2014 3rd round pick struggled mightily in limited action as a rookie too. He’ll be pushed for his starting job by 3rd round rookie Graham Glasgow and will be on a very short leash even if he does keep his starting job to begin the season. It’s an overall improved offensive line, but it’s still one with a lot of problems.

Grade: C+

Defensive Line

Last off-season, the Lions lost defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, and CJ Mosley in free agency and had to completely retool the defensive tackle position. The biggest move they made towards that goal was trading for ex-Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. Ngata graded out as a top-18 player at his position in every season from 2007-2014 with the Ravens (playing 3-4 defensive end, 3-4 nose tackle, and 4-3 defensive tackle), but Ngata was aging and the Ravens had cap issues and were willing to part with him and his non-guaranteed 8.5 million dollar salary.

Ngata wasn’t quite the same player last season as he was in Baltimore, finishing 39th out of interior defenders on Pro Football Focus, but he was still an above average starter and an asset for the Lions. They re-signed him as a free agent this off-season, giving him 12 million over 2 years. Going into his age 32 season, his best days are probably behind him, but he should still have at least a couple more good seasons left in him. He led Lion defensive tackles in snaps played last season with 599 and could easily do so again this season.

Tyrunn Walker was the Lions’ other addition at defensive tackle last off-season. He was obviously a much smaller addition than Ngata and he didn’t pan out for the Lions because he missed the final 12 games of the season with a broken ankle. The Lions decided to bring him back this off-season though, keeping him on a cheap 1-year, 1.6 million dollar deal. Only going into his age 26 season, if he can stay healthy, there’s still breakout potential here.

The 2012 undrafted free agent flashed in 2013 and 2014, grading about above average on 119 and 308 snaps respectively, including 21st among defensive tackles in 2014. He’ll compete for a starting job and, at the very least, will have a significant rotational role. The Lions also added A’Shawn Robinson in the 2nd round of the draft. He’s not much of a pass rusher yet, but the 6-4 307 pounder is probably the favorite for early down snaps next to Ngata, with Walker working in as a sub package pass rusher.

With Suh gone, Ezekiel Ansah has taken over as the Lions’ most dominant defensive lineman. Ansah isn’t as good as Suh, but he’s close. Ansah, the #5 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, is also 2 years younger than Suh. He’s made 44 starts in 3 years in the league and has graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 5th ranked 4-3 defensive end and their 27th ranked edge defender in 2014 and 2015 respectively. With two years left on his rookie deal, Ansah could come close to Ndamukong Suh money (114 million over 6 years) on his next contract. The Lions will likely try to extend him either this off-season or next.

At the other defensive end spot, Jason Jones left as a free agent, after making 15 starts last season, but the Lions have an obvious internal replacement in Devin Taylor. Taylor, a 2013 4th round pick, struggled on a combined 535 snaps in his first 2 years in the league, 2013 and 2014, but had a mini-breakout year last year, grading out just above average on 551 snaps as the #3 defensive end. Going into his first year as a starter, he could take another leap forward, which could net him a big payday as a free agent next off-season. At the very least, he’s an adequate replacement for Jones.

The Lions also signed veteran Wallace Gilberry as a free agent. He’ll serve as the #3 defensive end, though he’s an underwhelming player at this stage of his career. Going into his age 32 season, Gilberry has graded out below average in 6 of 8 seasons in the league and may be nearing the end. 6th round rookie Anthony Gettel could push him for snaps by the end of the season. Still, it’s an overall solid defensive line led by Ezekiel Ansah and Haloti Ngata, with capable starters like Tyrunn Walker and Devin Taylor also in the mix.

Grade: B+

Linebackers

As big as the Ndamukong Suh loss was for the Lions, the loss of outside linebacker DeAndre Levy for most of the season with a hip injury (he played just 17 total snaps) was arguably just as big. Levy finished 9th among 4-3 outside linebackers in 2013 and 3rd at the position in 2014. Still, even without him, the Lions’ linebackers played well last season, as Josh Bynes and Tahir Whitehead graded out 13th and 14th respectively among linebackers on Pro Football Focus, on 818 and 588 snaps respectively, though middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch struggled, grading out below average in his first season back from a torn ACL.

Whitehead was re-signed for 8 million over 2 years this off-season as a free agent, a great deal considering how well he’s played over the past 2 seasons. The 2012 5th round pick has played 722 and 588 snaps over the past two seasons respectively, thanks to injuries to Stephen Tulloch in 2014 and DeAndre Levy in 2015. He’s graded out 13th among middle linebackers and 16th among linebackers respectively in those 2 seasons in run stopping grade on Pro Football Focus and he was noticeably better in coverage between 2014 and 2015, leading to that #14 overall finish among linebackers.

Bynes is a little bit less proven, as he had just 9 starts in 4 years in the league prior to 2015, when he started 11 games. Even with Levy coming back, there will still be a role for Bynes in the Lions’ linebacking corps in 2016, as the Lions let veteran middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch go this off-season, owed 5.5 million non-guaranteed in his age 31 season in 2016. Bynes will play primarily as a base package run stuffer outside, coming off the field in sub packages for a 5th defensive back. Levy and Whitehead, meanwhile, will start at outside linebacker and middle linebacker respectively and play essentially every down. With Levy returning, it’s a strong group.

Grade: A-

Secondary

The Lions really struck gold in the first 2 rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft. I already mentioned Ansah, the 5th overall pick that year, but cornerback Darius Slay, their 2nd rounder that year, is arguably just as valuable to this defense. There’s a reason the Lions just locked him up long-term for 50.2 million over 4 years, ahead of what would have been the final year of his rookie deal in 2016. That’s very reasonable considering Slay finished last season 2nd in the NFL among cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus. He’s a one-year wonder in terms of being that kind of a high level player, but he’s made all 32 starts over the past 2 seasons and also finished 19th among cornerbacks in 2014. Still only going into his age 25 season, Slay has a very bright future and present.

Along with Slay, safety Glover Quin is a very valuable asset in the defensive backfield for the Lions. Quin was a steal on a 5-year, 23.5 million dollar contract three off-seasons ago, coming over from Houston. Quin has graded out above average on Pro Football Focus in 6 straight seasons, dating back to 2010, and has finished 10th, 3rd, and 38th among safeties in 3 seasons in Detroit. He also hasn’t missed a game with injury in 6 seasons. Going into his age 30 season, coming off of a bit of a down year, it’s possible his best days are behind him, but he remains an obvious asset in the Lions’ secondary.

The other two starting spots in the secondary are much shakier though. Veteran starter Rashean Mathis retired this off-season. Even though he was going into his age 36 season and missed 9 games with injury last season, he’ll still be missed, as 2014 4th round Nevin Lawson struggled mightily in his absence last season, finishing 101st out of 111 eligible cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus, in the first significant action of his career. Lawson is penciled into the starting job to begin the season, largely for lack of a better option.

Meanwhile, at the other safety spot, the Lions lost James Ihedigbo and Isa Abdul-Quddas to free agency this off-season, so it’ll be a three way competition between free agent acquisitions Rafael Bush and Tavon Wilson, as well as 4th round rookie Miles Killebrew. None are good options. Killebrew is probably not ready to start in the NFL. Wilson was a 2nd round pick by the Patriots in 2012, but made just 4 starts in 4 years in New England and played just 83 snaps last season. He’s best off as a reserve. Bush has the most starting experience with 16 starts. The 2010 undrafted free agent has never played more than 520 snaps in a season though and missed all but 21 snaps last season with injury. That being said, he’s flashed in limited action and is probably the favorite here. Bush and Lawson would both be weaknesses in this secondary.

There is one more positive for the Lions in the secondary though, as 2015 6th round pick Quandre Diggs broke out as a solid slot cornerback as a rookie, finishing 33th among cornerbacks on 484 snaps. At 5-9 193, Diggs is a slot cornerback only and isn’t a serious candidate for the starting job outside opposite Slay, but he’s very valuable to them covering slot receivers in obvious passing situations; 333 of his 484 snaps played last season came on pass snaps. Like most of the team, there’s some talent here, but also noticeable issues.

Grade: B

Conclusion

The Lions finished last year on a run offensively. Losing Calvin Johnson hurts and it’s unclear if they could keep that kind of play up over a 16 game season anyway, especially since their schedule wasn’t too hard down the stretch last season, but this team still has solid talent on both sides of the ball. They still have issues at running back and on the offensive line, which will make their offense one-dimensional again, but, even without Johnson, quarterback Matt Stafford has plenty of options to throw to, with Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin coming in and Eric Ebron possibly poised for a breakout year. This team should be in the playoff mix in the NFC.

Prediction: 9-7 2nd in NFC North

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Green Bay Packers 2016 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2016 NFL Season Previews, Packers, Uncategorized

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers was on top of the quarterback world following the 2014 season, as Rodgers completed 65.6% of his passes for an average of 8.43 YPA, 38 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, en route to his 2nd career MVP award. Rodgers finished the season #1 among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus and the Packers boasted the league’s best offense, finishing #1 in rate of moving the chains. 2015 was a different story, however. Rodgers completed just 60.7% of his passes for an average of 6.68 YPA (both career lows), 31 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions and the Packers finished just 16th in rate of moving the chains.

What happened? Well, part of that is Rodgers himself, as he fell from #1 to #12 among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus, the lowest he’s been since 2008. Part of it was his supporting cast, which was close to perfect in 2014. The Packers didn’t have any big off-season losses on offense between 2014 and 2015, but they had the 3rd fewest offensive adjusted games lost to injury in 2014, which did not continue in 2015, as they finished 15th. Rodgers didn’t miss a game, but there were rumors that he was playing hurt, which would seem to be substantiated by the fact that Rodgers had knee surgery in January after the season ended. He’s going into his age 33 season, but he’s a good bet to bounce back and a be a top-5 quarterback again in 2015.

Grade: A-

Receiving Corps

Easily the Packers’ biggest offensive injury last season happened before the season even began, when #1 wide receiver Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in the pre-season and missed the entire season. Nelson combined for 183 catches for 2833 yards and 21 touchdowns between 2013 and 2014, finishing #2 among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus in both seasons. He was missed immensely and his return is the equivalent of signing a high level free agent. He may have lost a step, going into his age 31 season and coming off of a serious injury, but 90% of Jordy Nelson is still a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL.

In Nelson’s absence, 2014 2nd round pick Davante Adams was horrible, forcing the Packers to start veteran James Jones for most of the season; Jones is an ex-Packer who was brought in after being a final cut of the Giants. He didn’t have a bad year, but his best ability at this point in his career is his chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers decided against bringing him back as a free agent, ahead of his age 32 season in 2016, and he was eventually signed by the Chargers, where he is no lock to make the final roster.

Randall Cobb led Packer receivers in snaps played last season, but he too had a down year in 2015, grading out just about average. He’s been better in the past, finishing 11th among wide receivers in 2012 and 9th in 2014 (with a season lost to a broken leg in between) and a shoulder injury is likely to blame for his relative struggles in 2015. Like Rodgers, he has a good chance to have a bounce back year this year. His star isn’t shining quite as bright now as it was last off-season, when he signed a 4-year, 40 million dollar deal, but he’s still one of the best #2 receivers in the league and forms a fearsome duo with Jordy Nelson when both are healthy.

The #3 receiver role is still up for grabs. The Packers were expecting Davante Adams to be that guy by now, but he’s been so bad through 2 years in the league that he might not even make the final roster. He finished the 2014 season 99th among 110 eligible wide receivers on 738 snaps and then ended last year 109th out of 121 eligible on 763 snaps. The Packers used a 5th round pick on Trevor Davis out of the University of California and still have last year’s 3rd round pick Ty Montgomery (a running back/wide receiver/returner combo) and they could definitely keep Adams off the final roster, but neither are real candidates for the #3 job; Davis is too raw and Montgomery is not a traditional wide receiver.

Instead, it’ll be between Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis competing with Adams for the #3 receiver job. Janis was a 7th rounder in 2014 and flashed on 176 snaps last season, including a 7/145/2 performance on 35 pass snaps in their playoff loss to the Cardinals. Abbrederis was a 5th round pick in 2014, but Janis is probably the favorite, as both are inexperienced and Janis has outplayed Abbrederis is limited action through 2 years. Adams, the highest drafted receiver from that Packers’ 2014 draft, is probably the worst of the three players right now, but he still has a chance to turn that around.

One thing the Packers have never really had in the Aaron Rodgers era is a good pass catching tight end. They still don’t have one, but they do have a pair of solid pass catchers, after signing Jared Cook as a free agent. Cook is coming off the worst year of his career, leading to his release by the Rams, but was a solid tight end in the first 6 seasons of his career, prior to 2015, including a 2014 season in which he was Pro Football Focus 16th ranked tight end. Still only going into his age 29 season, he was a solid buy low signing on a 1-year deal by the Packers this off-season.

Cook will compete with incumbent starter Richard Rodgers for playing time, though it’s possible both see a similar amount of snaps. Rodgers was the better of the two players last season, finishing 17th among tight ends on Pro Football Focus, after struggling mightily on 491 snaps as a 3rd round rookie in 2014. The one issue with Cook and Rodgers is they are similar players and neither one of them is much of a run blocker. With Cook coming in, Nelson coming back, and Cobb likely bouncing back, it’s an improved receiving corps overall on a passing offense that should be improved overall.

Grade: A-

Running Backs

Along with Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb, another player who had a disappointing season in 2015 is running back Eddie Lacy. After finishing in the top-5 among running backs on Pro Football Focus in the first two years of his career in 2013 and 2014, totalling 2317 yards and 20 touchdowns on 530 carries (4.37 YPC), while adding 77 catches for 684 yards and another 4 scores through the air, Lacy rushed for just 758 yards and 3 touchdowns on 187 carries (4.05 YPC), added just 20 catches for 188 yards and another 2 touchdowns through the air, and fell to 20th among running backs on Pro Football Focus in 2015.

That’s not horrible and the fact that that’s considered a down year for him is just a reminder of how good he is when he’s right, but he was very frustrating for the Packers coaching staff because he had really good games (4 games averaging 5.0+ yards per carry) and really bad games (7 games averaging 3.0 or fewer yards per carry). With Lacy struggling, backup James Starks had almost as many touches as Lacy, but wasn’t any more effective, rushing for 601 yards and 2 touchdowns on 148 carries (4.06 YPC) and adding 43 catches for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. Starks is one of the league’s better backup running backs, but the Packers obviously would prefer Eddie Lacy return to form. He dealt with a combination of weight and injury issues (likely related) in 2015, but is reportedly in much better shape, after spending all off-season working out. If the Packers can be closer to 2014 than 2015 on offense, that should add a couple wins to this team’s total and put them right at the top among the league’s best teams.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line

While the Packers’ offense should be better with Rodgers, Lacy, Nelson, and Cobb all returning close to 2014 form, the Packers suffered a significant loss this off-season when they shockingly made starting left guard Josh Sitton a final cut. Sitton was going into his age 30 season, but was a top-8 guard on Pro Football Focus in 7 straight seasons, only missed 2 games with injury over that time period, and was owed just 6.85 million in 2016. It’s a huge loss for this team and a move I simply don’t understand.

The Packers used a second round pick on Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs and could start him at right tackle as a rookie, moving projected starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga inside to left guard, even though he’s never played there in the NFL. Bulaga has also always had injury issues, missing 32 games with injury in 6 years in the league (including 4 last season) and not playing in all 16 games since his rookie year. He’s a solid right tackle when healthy though, grading out above average in 3 of his last 4 seasons (excluding a 2013 season where he didn’t play a snap because of a torn ACL). He maxed out as Pro Football Focus’ 7th ranked offensive tackle in 2011 and finished 34th among offensive tackles last season. It’s almost a guarantee he’ll miss a couple games with injury again though and it remains to be seen how he plays at guard.

In addition to losing Sitton, the Packers will also be without center Corey Linsley for the first 6 games of the season at least, thanks to a hamstring injury. Linsley is a great player when healthy, making 29 starts at center in 2 years in the league and finishing 5th and 10th at the position in 2014 and 2015 respectively, greatly exceeding his draft slot in the 5th round. He’ll be missed, but the Packers have enough talent returning at least close to form around him to make up for it, even without Sitton. He should also be back at some point this season and the Packers have a solid replacement in JC Tretter, a 2013 4th round pick who flashed on 373 snaps in his first career action at center. The collegiate offensive tackle is still unproven, but should be an adequate replacement to start the season.

Left tackle David Bakhtiari and right tackle round out this offensive line. A 4th rounder in 2013, Bakhtiari struggled in the first 2 seasons of his career, grading out 62nd among 76 eligible offensive tackles in 2013 and then 53rd out of 84 eligible in 2014, but leaped all the way to 26th in a breakout 3rd year in the league in 2015. He should be a solid left tackle for the Packers again this season, though it’s worth noting he’s a one-year wonder. Lang, meanwhile, has graded out above average in all 5 of those seasons, including 15th, 3rd, and 5th place finishes among guards on Pro Football Focus in the past 3 seasons respectively. It’s still a strong offensive line, but losing Sitton hurts, as does Linsley’s injury.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

While essentially everyone returns on offense, the Packers did have a few losses on defense this off-season, including defensive lineman BJ Raji. Raji, a 2009 1st round pick, looked like a promising young defensive end following the 2012 season, in which he finished 7th among 3-4 defensive ends on Pro Football Focus. In fact, the Packers offered him a 5-year, 40 million dollar extension that he turned down ahead of the final year of his rookie deal. That would prove to be a mistake though.

Raji’s play severely declined in 2013, as he finished dead last among defensive tackles, which forced him to take a cheap one-year deal back in Green Bay. Raji then missed the entire 2014 season with a torn biceps, forcing him to take another 1-year deal with the Packers. Raji seemed healthy in 2015, playing in 15 games and, though he graded out below average, he wasn’t horrible either. He played 444 snaps in the regular season, 2nd most on the Packers’ defensive line, playing both nose tackle and defensive end. However, Raji decided to retire this off-season, ahead of his age 30 season.

The Packers replaced him with another 1st round defensive lineman, taking Kenny Clark out of UCLA. The 6-3 314 pound Clark isn’t as big as Raji, but he too can play both defensive end and nose tackle. The same is true of veteran Letroy Guion, who played alright on 330 snaps last season. Guion has plenty of starting experience (51 starts in 8 seasons in the NFL), but is better suited for a solely rotational role, as he has graded out below average in 6 of those 8 NFL seasons.

Mike Daniels is easily the Packers’ best defensive lineman, as he’s one of the best defensive linemen in the entire NFL. A 2012 4th round pick, Daniels emerged as a starter in 2013 and has finished 6th, 8th, and 3rd among 3-4 defensive ends on Pro Football Focus in the past 3 seasons respectively. The Packers re-signed him for 42 million over 4 years in December. Considering Fletcher Cox, a comparable player, just got 103 million over 6 years from the Eagles, while Malik Jackson, another comparable player, got 90 million over 6 years from the Jaguars, it’s clear the Packers got good value when they re-signed Daniels.

Datone Jones was 3rd on the defensive line in snaps played last season with 364, but he’s expected to move from defensive end to outside linebacker this season. The Packers brought in another defensive lineman through the draft, taking Dean Lowry, a defensive end out of Northwestern, in the 4th round. Lowry could see immediate action in a rotational role, while 3rd year player Mike Pennel should see an increased role this season. Pennel, a 2014 undrafted free agent, flashed on 287 snaps last season, though he will miss the first 4 games of the season after failing a drug test, a big blow to the Packers defensive line depth. There are some promising young players on this defensive line, including 1st round pick Kenny Clark, but it’s an uninspiring group outside of Daniels.

Grade: B+

Linebackers

As I mentioned, Datone Jones will be moving to outside linebacker this season. A 2013 1st round pick, Jones was undersized as a 3-4 defensive end at 6-4 285 and was never able to carve out more than a sub package role at the position. The 364 snaps he played last season were a career high and about 75% of them came against pass plays. He’s graded out above average in the last 2 seasons on limited snaps though, flashing as a pass rusher, so he could be a good fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker in base packages, if he can get his weight down into the 270-275 pound range.

Also moving to outside linebacker this season is Clay Matthews, who spent most of last season at middle linebacker. It’s far from an unfamiliar position for Matthews though, as the 2009 1st round pick spent the first 6 seasons of his career at outside linebacker prior to last season and was once one of the league’s best at the position. He played middle linebacker largely out of desperation last season and is expected to play only outside linebacker this season. It’s a wise move, as Matthews struggled out of position last season, particularly against the run.

He’s far more valuable to the Packers as an outside linebacker. Matthews was a top-6 3-4 outside linebacker in each of the first four seasons of his career, from 2009-2012. He’s going into his age 30 season and probably isn’t quite the same player anymore, after an injury plagued 2013 season, a 2014 season in which he fell to 18th among 3-4 outside linebackers, and a 2015 season where he finished 40th among 97 eligible linebackers at middle linebacker. Still, a return to his natural position should be good for him and the whole Packers’ defense.

Matthews will start opposite Julius Peppers. Peppers is the active all-time leader in sacks with 136 (9th all-time) and a likely future Hall-of-Famer, but he’s going into his age 36 season, making him one of the league’s oldest defensive players. That’s somewhat concerning. Peppers looked done following a 2013 season in which he finished 40th among 52 eligible 4-3 defensive ends and subsequently got cut by the Bears. Peppers bounced back in his first year in Green Bay, finishing 7th among 3-4 outside linebackers, but he fell much closer to the middle of the pack in 2015. His ability to play at a high level going forward is in doubt at this point.

Fortunately, the Packers have great overall depth at the position. I already mentioned Datone Jones, but Kyler Fackrell and Nick Perry will also be in the mix for snaps. Fackrell was a 3rd round pick by the Packers in the 2016 NFL draft, while Perry is a former 1st round pick (2012), who was brought back on a one-year deal this off-season. Perry has been a bust through 4 years in the league, as evidenced by the fact that the Packers declined his 5th year option. Instead, they brought him back for his 5th season for substantially less, 5 million. Injuries have always been an issue for him, as he’s missed 18 games in 4 seasons in the league.

Perry played just 351 snaps last season and has never played more than 374 snaps in a season. He hasn’t been a bad player, grading out above average in 2 of 4 seasons, including last season (he finished tied with Peppers as Pro Football Focus 58th ranked edge defender). If he can stay healthy, he should be able to push for 500 snaps this season, but that’s a big if. With so much depth at outside linebacker, expect guys like Julius Peppers and Datone Jones who can rush the passer from the interior in sub packages to do so with some regularity, which would allow the Packers to essentially get 3 or 4 of their base package outside linebackers on the field at the same time in sub packages.

The reason Matthews can move back to outside linebacker this season is because the Packers middle linebacker depth is a little better this season. It’s still a problem position, but there isn’t the need to play Matthews out of position there anymore. The Packers used a 4th round pick on Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez and have 2015’s 4th round pick Jake Ryan possibly ready for a bigger role. The Packers also use a lot of dime packages and frequently play a 3rd safety down closer to the line of scrimmage instead of a 2nd middle linebacker in sub packages.

That being said, neither Blake Martinez nor Jake Ryan is a good option. Rookies, particularly ones drafted in the 4th round, are tough to rely on, as good as Martinez has reportedly looked in practice. Ryan, meanwhile, was just a 4th rounder last year and struggled on 260 snaps as a rookie. It’s a deeper and improved group of middle linebackers this season, but still not a great group. The Packers’ outside linebackers are easily the strength of the Packers’ linebacking corps.

Grade: C+

Secondary

As I mentioned, the Packers frequently use 3 safeties in sub packages, rather than 2 middle linebackers. Those three safeties last season were Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Micah Hyde and all 3 return for 2016. Burnett and Clinton-DIx start at the position, with Hyde serving in a situational role. Burnett and Clinton-Dix were arguably the best safety duo in the NFL last season, finishing 4th and 8th respectively among safeties on Pro Football Focus.

It was easily the best season of either of their careers, but neither of them were bad players prior. Clinton-Dix was a 1st round pick in 2014 and played alright as a rookie. Now he looks like one of the best young safeties in the NFL. Burnett is more experienced, making 71 starts over the past 5 seasons. Though he had never finished higher than 16th among safeties prior to last season, he still has graded out above average in 4 of those 5 seasons and could easily have another strong year in 2016. I wouldn’t be surprised if Clinton-Dix and Burnett both finished as top-10 safeties again this year. Hyde, meanwhile, is not nearly as good, but has played 1800 snaps (22 starts) in 3 seasons in the league (since being drafted in the 5th round in 2013) and has been an overall decent player. He’s especially good in coverage, where the Packers need him most.

Though the Packers love using 6 defensive backs in sub packages, it does hurt the Packers’ depth immensely that they lost cornerback Casey Hayward to the Chargers in free agency. Hayward made 11 starts last season and finished 16th among cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus. With Hayward out of the mix, Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall, their 1st and 2nd round picks respectively in the 2015 NFL draft, will have to take on larger roles; those will be 2 of their top-3 cornerbacks along with veteran Sam Shields.

Fortunately, both looked good as rookies, particularly Rollins, who finished as Pro Football Focus’ 20th ranked cornerback on 323 snaps. Randall graded out slightly below average, but could be better in his 2nd year in the league. He’s expected to start opposite Shields with Rollins as the slot cornerback, but that could change this off-season. Shields is also a solid cornerback, finishing last season 25th among cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus. He’s missed 17 games with injury in 6 years in the league and has never played all 16 games in a season, but has finished in the top-30 among cornerbacks 3 times in those 6 seasons.

The Packers also like 3rd year player Demetri Goodson, a 6th round pick in 2014. He’s expected to be their 4th cornerback and is probably part of the reason why they were comfortable letting Hayward walk. Goodson has barely played in 2 seasons in the league though, so he’s a huge projection to any sort of larger role. That being said, he’s probably not bad depth. The biggest concern is that he, like defensive lineman Mike Pennell, is suspended for the first 4 weeks of the season, after violating the league’s PED policy. Even without Hayward, it’s still a strong secondary.

Grade: A-

Conclusion

Despite the bizarre decision to move on from long-time starting guard Josh Sitton this off-season, the Packers return 8 of 11 starters (9 when Linsley gets healthy) from a 2014 offense that was the best in the league and could easily have a bounce back year and be one of the best offenses in the league again, led by perennial MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers. The defense isn’t nearly as good as the offense, but they have plenty of talent on that side of the ball as well, making this one of the league’s more talented teams. The Packers surprisingly lost the division to the Minnesota Vikings last season, but, with Teddy Bridgewater out for the season, the Packers have a great chance to reclaim the division crown in 2016.

Prediction: 11-5 1st in NFC North

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Chicago Bears 2016 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2016 NFL Season Previews, Bears, Uncategorized

Quarterback

Jay Cutler takes a lot of criticism, but he’s actually graded out above average in 5 of the last 6 seasons. He got a massive 7-year, 126.7 million dollar extension two off-seasons ago and promptly had the worst season of his career in 2014, finishing 32nd among 39 eligible quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus, which obviously got him a lot of criticism. However, Cutler quietly bounced back in 2015, completing 64.4% of his passes for an average of 7.58 YPA, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions and finishing 14th among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus. His bounce back season helped get offensive coordinator Adam Gase the head coaching job in Miami. The Bears’ offense will miss Gase, plus Cutler is going into his age 33 season, so he could be getting close to the end, but you can still do a lot worse than Jay Cutler at quarterback.

Surprisingly, the Bears did not draft a quarterback in this draft. Considering Cutler’s age and the fact that he’s owed 15 million non-guaranteed in 2017, this could be Cutler’s final year in Chicago, but the Bears don’t have an obvious replacement for him. Instead, the Bears brought in veteran Brian Hoyer to be Cutler’s backup. Hoyer is not a bad addition, even though he’s going into his age 31 season. He struggled across 22 starts over the past 2 seasons, finishing 35th (out of 39 eligible) and 31st (out of 38 eligible) respectively among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus over the past 2 seasons, but he’s a solid veteran backup, something the Bears really needed last year.

In two games where Jay Cutler was injured last season, the Bears moved the chains at a pathetic 56.25% rate, as opposed to 72.17% in their other 14 games. Hoyer should be able to ensure that this offense can still be somewhat capable if Cutler gets hurt again. Unfortunately, if history is any indicator, Cutler is likely to get hurt again. He hasn’t suffered a lot of major injuries, but he hasn’t played all 16 games in a season since 2009. Hoyer should see some playing time this season. He’s just not the long-term starting option they need.

Grade: B-

Receiving Corps

While losing Gase could hurt Cutler in 2016, he should be helped by having significantly better health in the receiving corps. The Bears had the most adjusted games lost by wide receivers in the NFL (and the 5th most adjusted games lost overall). Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Eddie Royal, and Marquess Wilson were the Bears top-4 wide receivers going into last season, but they were limited to 9, 0, 9, and 11 games respectively injuries. In addition to that, tight end Martellus Bennett missed 5 games with injury. Bennett was traded to New England, but the other 4 remain and should be healthier this season.

Jeffery was fantastic when he was on the field last season, catching 54 passes for 807 yards and 4 touchdowns in 9 games, a 96/1435/7 slash line over 16 games. He also finished the season 3rd among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus. That’s in line with how he played in 2013 and 2014, when he finished 9th and 28th among wide receivers respectively and caught 174 passes for 2554 yards and 17 touchdowns in 32 games. He couldn’t shake lower body injuries last season, but has otherwise been healthy in his career. Even coming off an injury plagued season, the Bears couldn’t let him go this off-season, giving him the franchise tag. He didn’t get an extension this off-season, but, if he can stay healthy and play like he can in 2016, he’s going to get a monster deal from someone next off-season.

Even missing 7 games, Jeffery still led the team in receiving yards by a wide margin, as no one else had more than 464 yards. Wilson, who finished with 28 catches for 464 yards and a touchdown, actually led the team in snaps played by a wide receiver, despite missing 5 games with injury himself. He didn’t play well though, grading out below average and averaging just 42.2 yards per game. He’ll be no better than the #4 receiver this year with Jeffery, White, and Royal coming back healthy. White could be a huge addition, as the 2015 7th overall pick missed his entire rookie year with a broken leg. He’s obviously still unproven and inexperienced, but there is plenty of upside with him.

Eddie Royal will be the 3rd receiver and slot specialist. There’s plenty of bounce back potential here, after injuries limited him to 37 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown in 9 games last season. In his previous two seasons, Royal caught a combined 109 passes for 1409 yards and 15 touchdowns in 31 games, grading out above average in both seasons. Going into his age 30 season, it’s possible his best days are behind him, but, if he can stay healthy, he should be an asset to this team on the slot.

With so many receivers dealing with injury, it was tight end Zach Miller surprisingly leading this receiving corps down the stretch last season. Miller shockingly finished as Pro Football Focus’ 8th ranked tight end on 579 snaps and caught 34 passes for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a 29/381/4 slash line in the Bears’ final 8 games (58/762/8 over 16 games) That’s shocking, as Miller had been essentially out of the league for years, sitting out all of 2012-2014 thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness and playing 5 total games since 2011.

He was so good that the Bears re-signed him to a 2-year, 5.5 million dollar deal and traded incumbent starting tight end Martellus Bennett to New England this off-season. It’s a lot of faith to have in a player who is already going into his age 32 season and who has this extensive of an injury history. The Bears did not even bring in another tight end this off-season, leaving 2015 undrafted free agent Khari Lee to likely be the #2 tight end. He played just 130 nondescript snaps as a rookie. It’s obviously an overall very improved receiving corps though.

Grade: B

Offensive Line

The Bears entered the off-season with among the most cap space in the NFL, but also with a bunch of different needs, including two new offensive tackles. Left tackle Charles Leno was horrible last season, finishing 55th out of 77 eligible offensive tackles. Riight tackle Kyle Long was better, finishing 37th, but that was a steep drop off from his 2014 season at right guard, when he finished 12th at the position. The Bears only ended up getting one though, signing Bobby Massie to a 3-year, 18 million dollar deal. Making matters worse, they overpaid for him. Massie has made 46 starts in 4 seasons in the league, but he’s only a right tackle and has graded out below average in all 4 seasons he’s been in the NFL. He’ll allow Long to move back to his more natural position at right guard, but he’ll be a liability at right tackle.

Leno, meanwhile, remains a liability at left tackle. The Bears like him and think he can take a step forward this season, but so far I haven’t seen any evidence that he can. He fell to the 7th round in 2014, struggled in limited action as a rookie, and then struggled mightily as a starter last year. The Bears used a 2nd round pick on Kansas State left tackle Cody Whitehair, but ended up moving him inside to left guard and cutting incumbent starter Matt Slauson after the draft. Whitehair was a great value in the middle of the 2nd and is probably a better fit at left guard than left tackle in the NFL, but Slauson played very well last season (finishing 8th among guards on Pro Football Focus) and the position wasn’t a need. Cutting Slauson, only owed 3 million in his age 30 season in 2016, didn’t make any sense.

At the very least, they could have slid Slauson inside to center. San Diego, who snatched up Slauson quickly and cheaply, moved Slauson inside to center. Meanwhile in Chicago, 2015 3rd round pick Hronnis Grasu was supposed to be the starting center in his 2nd year in the league in 2016, but tore his ACL, leaving the job to veteran Ted Larsen. Larsen is plenty experienced, with 57 career starts in 6 years in the NFL at left guard, right guard, and center, but has graded out below average in all 6 seasons, including 72nd out of 81 eligible guards in 2015. Along with left tackle and right tackle, center is a position of weakness for the Bears upfront.

The only reliable starter the Bears have upfront is 2012 1st round pick Kyle Long. Long wasn’t horrible at right tackle last season, but it’s obvious he’s more comfortable and more value at right guard, where he finished 43rd and 12th respectively among guards in the first 2 seasons of his career in 2013 and 2014. Still only going into his age 28 season, Long has made 47 of 48 starts in 3 seasons in the league and could easily have a big year back at his natural position. The Bears seem confident in him long-term, giving him a 4-year, 40 million dollar extension this off-season, with 2 years left on his rookie deal. Overall though, it’s an offensive line that figures to be a liability for the Bears this season.

Grade: C-

Running Backs

Along with Slauson, the Bears also lost running back Matt Forte this off-season, a big loss. Not only did he have a strong 8-year tenure in Chicago, rushing for 8602 yards and 45 touchdowns on 2035 carries in 120 games, while adding 487 catches for 4116 yards and another 19 touchdowns, but he also was very good for the Bears last year. He finished 10th among running backs on Pro Football Focus, caught 44 passes, 3rd most on the team, and averaged 4.12 yards per carry on 218 carries. The rest of the team rushed for 3.80 yards per carry on 251 carries.

With Forte gone, the Bears will use three different running backs. Jeremy Langford, who took on a larger role down the stretch as a 4th round rookie in 2015, will likely be the lead back. Langford caught 22 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown, but struggled on the ground, rushing for just 537 yards and 6 touchdowns on 148 carries, an average of 3.63 yards per carry. He finished 46th out of 69 eligible running backs on Pro Football Focus. Ka’Deem Carey and Jordan Howard will also be in the mix. The former is a 2014 4th round pick who has rushed for 317 yards and 2 touchdowns on 79 carries (4.01 YPC) in 2 years in the league, while the latter is a 5th round rookie. It’s an underwhelming group and, with a weak offensive line as well, the Bears should struggle to run the ball this season.

Grade: C-

Defensive Line

As I mentioned, the Bears had among the most cap space in the NFL coming into the off-season. In addition to spending that cap space franchise tagging Alshon Jeffery, bringing in Bobby Massie, and re-signing Zach Miller, the Bears also added 3 new starters on defense and re-signed cornerback Tracy Porter. One of those new defensive starters is defensive end Akiem Hicks, who comes over from New England on a 2-year, 10 million dollar deal. He’ll likely start at defensive end on the Bears’ 3-man defensive line.

Hicks replaces Jarvis Jenkins, who led this defensive line in snaps played with 636 in 2015, and has a very good chance to lead the defensive line in snaps himself in 2016. Hicks is plenty experienced, with 33 career starts in 61 games in 4 years since getting drafted in the 3rd round in 2012 by the Saints. While he’s not a spectacular player, he has graded out slightly above average in all 4 seasons he’s been in the league. He was a smart, inexpensive signing and will be an upgrade over the departed Jenkins.

The Bears are hoping Ego Ferguson can start at the other defensive end spot. Ferguson’s status is very much in doubt though, as he tore his patellar tendon in October. That type of injury is nearly impossible to come back from, especially in less than 11 months, so my guess is he will not be available for week 1. The 2014 2nd round pick also had yet to show much before the injury, playing 318 nondescript snaps as a rookie and then missing all but 4 games with injury last season. Instead, it could be 3rd round rookie Jonathan Bullard starting opposite Hicks. A borderline first round talent, Bullard was a steal in the middle of the 3rd and could have an immediate impact.

Also in the mix for snaps are Will Sutton and Mitch Unrein. Sutton has 12 starts in 2 years in the league, since going in the 3rd round in 2014, and took over as the starter down the stretch last season after Ferguson and departed veteran Jay Ratliff got hurt, but he’s struggled mightily in both seasons he’s been in the NFL. He graded out 70th among 81 eligible defensive tackles on 465 snaps in 2014 and then 114th out of 123 eligible interior defenders on 419 snaps in 2015. Unrein, meanwhile, is a veteran journeyman with just 7 starts in 70 career games. He was underwhelming on 388 snaps in 2015 in his first year in Chicago. Neither is a particularly good option.

Nose tackle Eddie Goldman might be their best defensive lineman, though he only plays about half the snaps (515 in 2015) as a pure base package run stuffer. The 2015 2nd round pick finished 36th among interior defenders as a rookie and could be even better in his 2nd year in the league. He actually wasn’t bad as a pass rusher as a rookie either and could see more playing time in sub packages in 2016 as a result. He and Hicks are both solid players, but it’s an overall underwhelming defensive line. Ferguson is dealing with a major injury, Bullard is just a rookie, and none of their other depth options are reliable.

Grade: B

Linebackers

The Bears used their first round pick on Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, moving up from 11 to 9 to grab him ahead of the Giants, who had the 10th pick and were known to be interested. Floyd played in a 3-4 at the University of Georgia and will play the same position on the edge in Chicago’s defense. It was a bit of surprising pick and didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Not only was Floyd somewhat of a reach that high (he’s still undersized at 6-6 244), but he doesn’t fill an obvious need for the Bears, as Pernell McPhee, Willie Young, LaMarr Houston, and Sam Acho, their top-4 outside linebackers last season, all return. The Bears could have addressed much bigger needs at that pick. Cornerback Eli Apple, cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, defensive end Sheldon Rankins, and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil went 10-13 respectively and all four would have filled bigger needs for the Bears.

Acho is on a one-year deal, while Houston could be a cap casualty next off-season, owed 6 million non-guaranteed in his age 30 season in 2017, so Floyd could get a bigger role in 2017, but there isn’t an obvious path to playing time for the 9th overall pick as a rookie. McPhee and Young finished #1 and #2 in snaps played among Chicago outside linebackers with 594 and 524 respectively and both played at a high level, grading out 3rd and 13th respectively among 3-4 outside linebackers.

McPhee was a great signing on a 5-year, 38.75 million dollar deal last off-season. As good as he was last season, he played through a bad knee. He only missed 2 games, but was limited in many others. In 2014, when he was healthy, he also finished 3rd among 3-4 outside linebackers. The 2011 5th round pick and graded out above average in all 5 seasons in the NFL, including three seasons in which he’s finished in the top-3 at his position (he was #3 among defensive tackles in 2011 too). Versatile enough to play anywhere from outside linebacker to defensive end to defensive tackle, the 6-3 275 pounder is Chicago’s defensive MVP. However, it seems like he’s still not past his knee issues and could miss time to begin the season, which would obviously a huge loss for this defense. That would open up some playing time early in the year for Floyd.

Young is not as high profile of a player, but he’s quietly an above average starter who has now proven himself in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 defense. Young has graded out above average in 4 of 6 seasons in the league between Chicago and Detroit. He was also 13th among 4-3 defensive ends in 2013. He was briefly benched and actually at one point a healthy scratch early in the season, as he struggled to learn the new system, but he figured it out by season’s end for sure. He requested a trade mid-season last year, but signed a 2-year, 11.05 million dollar extension this off-season, ahead of what would have been a contract year in 2016. Even in his age 31 season, Young should have a solid year or better in 2016. It’s not clear how Floyd fits in long-term behind both McPhee and Young.

Like McPhee, LaMarr Houston is also a versatile player capable of playing anywhere from outside linebacker to defensive tackle at 6-3 270. Houston, a 2010 2nd round pick, graded out in the top-20 among 4-3 defensive ends in every season from 2011 to 2013, earning him a 5-year, 35 million dollar deal from the Bears two off-seasons ago. However, he tore his ACL early in 2014 and wasn’t the same player in a new position in 2015, finishing slightly below average. With Floyd coming in, Houston could see even fewer snaps than the 417 he saw last season and is likely going to be a cap casualty next off-season, owed 6 million non-guaranteed in his age 30 season in 2017.

Acho, meanwhile, will likely be the 5th outside linebacker, if he even makes the team. He was the only one of the bunch who struggled last season, finishing 83rd out of 110 eligible edge defenders. Acho has plenty of experience, with 39 career starts in 5 seasons in the league, but has graded out below average in 4 of 5 seasons in the league. It’s overall a ton of depth at the outside linebacker position, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but they have big holes at other positions. Both McPhee and Houston can rush the passer from the interior in sub packages, and they likely will pretty often, given the Bears’ lack of defensive line depth, but it’s still hard to see everyone being able to play as much as they should.

Middle linebacker is the position where the Bears improved the most this off-season, as the other two starters they added in free agency were middle linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. Trevathan signed a 4-year, 24.5 million dollar deal, coming over Denver, where he used to play for head coach John Fox, who is now the head coach in Chicago, while Freeman signed for 12 million over 3 years, coming from the Colts. Trevathan finished 11th among 4-3 outside linebackers in 2013 and 10th among linebackers in 2015 (with a season lost to injury in between). Injuries have otherwise never been a concern, as he’s missed just one other game due to injury in his career. He was a steal for 24.5 million over 4 years.

Freeman was actually better than Trevathan last year, finishing 4th among linebackers. He’s never been anywhere near that good in any of his other seasons, even finishing 39th out of 60 eligible middle linebackers in 2014, and he’s highly unlikely to match the best season of his career in his age 30 season in 2016, but he was also a steal on that 3-year, 12 million dollar deal. Christian Jones, who led all Bear linebackers with 745 snaps played in 2015, returns as a backup to both Freeman and Trevathan and actually wasn’t terrible last season, finishing 38th out of 97 eligible linebackers in the first significant action of his career, since going undrafted in 2014. It’s a deep and talented linebacking corps across the board.

Grade: A

Secondary

The Bears used their first round in 2014 on Kyle Fuller, a cornerback out of Virginia Tech. Fuller played all 16 games as a rookie (making 14 starts), but was hobbled by an ankle injury for most of the year and finished 107th out of 108 eligible cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus as a result. He was a lot better in his 2nd year in the league though, finishing 37th among cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus. A talented, high-upside player who is only going into his age 24 season, his future is bright and he could easily take another step forward in his 3rd year in the league in 2016. The one concern here is he had off-season knee surgery which puts his status for week 1 into question.

The Bears desperately need Fuller to stay healthy, given their lack of cornerback talent after him on the depth chart. I mentioned earlier the Bears re-signed cornerback Tracy Porter, but they overpaid him on a 3-year, 12 million dollar deal. Porter has plenty of experience with 73 career starts, but has graded out below average in 6 straight seasons, including 78th out of 111 eligible in 2015. Going into his age 30 season, he’s unlikely to be better going forward. He’s also missed 46 games with injury in 8 years in the NFL. Making matters even worse, the Bears have no depth at the position or better starting options.

That’s the reason Vernon Hargreaves or Eli Apple would have made a lot of sense in the first round instead of Leonard Floyd. Instead, the Bears did not take a cornerback until the 4th round, when they grabbed Deiondre Hall. He’s probably not ready for action as a rookie, but he may have to be at some point this season. For now, 2015 undrafted free agent Bryce Callahan is the favorite for the #3 cornerback job, covering the slot in sub packages. Callahan was okay on 329 snaps as a rookie, finishing 60th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks. Undersized at 5-9 187, playing on the slot masks a lot of his flaws, but he’s still tough to rely on it that role and also isn’t a serious candidate to start outside.

At safety, the Bears struck gold in the 5th round last year with Penn State’s Adrian Amos. Amos made 16 starts as a rookie and finished as Pro Football Focus’ 29th ranked safety. He’s an obvious starter in 2016 and a nice young building block for this team. The Bears will have to hope they struck gold again in the mid rounds, as Deon Bush, a 4th round safety out of Miami, is in the mix to start at the other safety spot, following the release of the declining Antrel Rolle, ahead of his age 34 season.

Bush’s primary competition will be Chris Prosinski, a 2011 4th round pick who has never been much more other than a special teamer and reserve in his career. He struggled on 342 snaps last season. 6th round rookie DeAndre Houston-Carson could be the mix and there are some that feel Deiondre Hall, given his size at 6-2 199, is going to end up at safety long-term. The fact that so many mid-round rookies are in the mix for that starting job should tell you all you need to know. They’re unlikely to strike gold again, as they did with Amos last season. It’s a secondary with a lot of problems.

Grade: C

Conclusion

Jay Cutler gets a lot of weapons in the passing game back healthy, including #1 wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, but he loses offensive coordinator Adam Gase and doesn’t figure to get much help from his offensive line or his running game. The Bears failed to upgrade the offensive line position this off-season and also let talented left guard Matt Slauson go, rather than moving him inside to center where they needed him. Along with Slauson, Matt Forte is gone and leaves behind a weak backfield. Both of those players were aging veterans, but the Bears still don’t have the talent to replace them. Outside of Jeffery and Kyle Long, it’s not a talented offense. Defensively, their front 7 is much improved and could mask a lot of the secondary’s problems, but this roster doesn’t seem talented enough to make the playoffs.

Prediction: 6-10 4th in NFC North

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