The Justin Fields era came and went, and now the Bears are starting over with QB Caleb Williams, the team’s #1 overall pick. GM Ryan Poles has surrounded Williams with a ton of talent, but will Matt Eberflus be able to get the team on a path to success? With Detroit and Green Bay looking like playoff teams, the Bears are going to need to figure out a way to keep pace.
I have some serious concerns about Williams. He won’t have a ton of time to sit in the pocket, which means he’s going to need to throw on the run. He’s incredibly accurate, but he won’t be able to rely on his arm alone to be successful. He will need to be a dedicated film student; otherwise, his first year might have more growing pains than people think.
I have always liked Swift, but he’s now with his third team in the past few years, and I wonder whether or not he will ever be great. I also wonder whether his body type will succeed in Chicago come the winter. My prediction is that Swift will start the year getting the bulk of backfield touches, but I can see the script flipping around Week 8 to where he becomes more of the receiving back and less of a three-down back. He’s still draftable, but I’m just not sure he’s going to be my RB1.
We’ve watched Alan dominate AFC West defenses for the past years, but now he heads to the NFC North to play in cold weather with a rookie quarterback. He’s a supreme route runner and should be able to get separation, but I wonder whether his touchdown total will ever get to double digits again. I have no problem picking him as my WR3, but I don’t think there’s any chance that he’s a WR1 anymore.
Moore came over in the trade with Carolina last season, and he showed that he is still very talented. Williams is a significant upgrade over Justin Fields. However, Moore is now sharing targets with not only Keenan Allen but also with Rome Odunze. I think it’s probably best to forecast Moore in the 80-reception range for about 1000 yards, making him a solid WR2.
In dynasty leagues, I’m a huge fan of Odunze. He dominated at the University of Washington and showed an impressive route tree and an ability to win in 50/50 coverage. Over time, he will turn into a tremendous receiver, but it might take him two or three years to get there.
If you draft Swift, I think it’s imperative to take one of these two (likely Herbert) as a late-round handcuff.
He could be a sneaky source of goal-line targets. I prefer him in standard league formats.
The Bears are making progress, but will Williams be up to the challenge? There’s a lot of fantasy talent on the team, but I’m not sure that any one player stands out. If the Bears hit .500 that will show a big step towards the future success of this franchise.
