Are you beginning to get excited about this new season?

And this is what we need a GM to do.  Win more that he loses.  If the ratio of hits to misses is something like 3:1, we will be in good shape.

Every year I go into the new season being positive and hopeful.  Every year by about November-ish I am in the depths of despair as the season is clearly another bad one.  But Bears fans, for the most part, are nothing if not resilient.  We are the cockroaches of the NFL world... you can't kill off our hope for someday having a great team.  

With all that being said, I think this season could be a turning point due to a number of changes.

1.  Kevin Warren sure seems like the consummate professional who has the bona fides to bring the franchise into the modern NFL world successfully.

2.  Ryan Poles.  He did a masterful execution of the soft-tank that got us incredible draft resources to help upgrade the team so as to compete in the modern NFL.  He cleared our "Cap Hell" situation and now we are in the black and can actually pay our player-bills to keep guys like JJ if we want to, and also bring in outside vet help this year as needed.  No money issues to hold us back.  This is the first season (2nd rebuild season) where he can concentrate on adding some elite pieces instead of (like last year's 30 new players) just adding a small army of young/new "quantity" guys.  We will be ready to begin a playoff run this season I think... not deep playoff run but get our feet wet.  Poles has made some mistakes but not many.  He is beginning his 3rd off-season and he has set the table for our first really solid team in a long time - ascending youngsters everywhere, more to add this draft/FA, and the last of the old geezers gone (LOL, other than I do hope he keeps TE Marcedes Lewis... he can still help the team as a blocking TE... I think we need him).

3.  One way or the other, the QB1 should be set this season.  I think we will be fine no matter which way the team chooses to go with this.  I can see a high floor here and the ceiling is pretty much the highest we've seen in our QB1 in a long time (even if we keep Fields it will not be the past team supporting him but a rock-solid O with players and coaches being better).

4.  I absolutely LOVE the veteran coaches Poles is bringing in this year.  I believe there was some chaos initially putting together the sub-coaches in 2022 & 2023.  This 2nd bite of the apple seems to be less gambling on new rookie 1st time coaches, and shifting to guys who actually know their ass from a hole-in-the-ground.  I love the Shane Waldron and Eric Washington hires in particular.  And I like Eberflus as a Head Coach... he's not here to be a coordinator but to be a HC.  Yes, he can be an incredible resource on defense, but let Washington do the day-to-day DC stuff there.  

5.  I truly believe that for the 1st time in many years we will actually have a COMPLETE solid offensive line here in Chicago.  I loved the fact that Poles used his 1st round pick last year on an offensive lineman.  I believe he got the #1 best OL in the 2023 draft.  He has the resources to complete the OL rebuild THIS year.  

6.  I believe the WR room will be the strongest it has been here in a number of decades, and maybe the best in 30 or 40 years if we see a WR taken in the first round.  There are also great options for a Vet WR if Poles goes that route.  Heck, I could see Poles do both - draft a kid and also bring in a rock-solid veteran too.  I do believe Warren/Poles understand the team needs a passing game to be great in the modern NFL.  That takes great WRs, not Velus Jones or even Mooney level guys.  I am so tired of the wannabees at WR.

7.  I really believe our secondary on D will be one of the best in the NFL (they will sign JJ).  And the DL is one player short of being solid too.  That will get fixed this year.

Could the season be another dud?  Sure.  But I do believe this is going to be THE pivotal season and we'll begin to reap the ROI of hiring Warren/Poles.  So, why not be positive about it all?