Bears on Offense: The New Additions

The Bears have done a lot of work on their offense during this off season and have turned it into what should be one of the best offenses in the NFC North by the time it’s all said and done.  Their biggest acquisition came when they traded for Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler solving one of the longest standing needs.  They got some protection for Cutler by signing Orlando Pace, Kevin Shaffer and Frank Omiyale.  These are some strong acquisitions and ones that will help make the Bears offense much better in 2009.  Aside from that, they also acquired tight end Michael Gaines through free agency.

The Bears drafted a few players to help them out on offense including Joaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox, Lance Louis and Derek Kinder.  Iglesias, Knox and Kinder are all wide receivers and Iglesias could see some action this season while Knox and Kinder may take some time to develop.

The following is a look the players that the Bears have brought in on the offensive side of the ball during the off season and how they might be used in 2009.

Jay Cutler-Quarterback-There is no doubt that having Cutler on the team greatly improves the Bears offense and gives them an option in the passing game that they haven’t had in decades.  With his arrival, the Bears can open up the playbook more, throw more deep passes and play smarter football.  The only question that is left now is whether or not the receivers the Bears currently have will be able to step up their performance in the wake of this major acquisition.

Orlando Pace-Offensive Tackle-You can’t deny that the acquisition of Pace is one that helped save the Bears a lot of trouble trying to draft a young offensive tackle or pin their hopes on second year player Chris Williams (who is coming off of an injury) to come in and play the left tackle position.  If they can get two good years of production out of Pace and bring along a younger player in2010, this could be a much bigger move than it appeared to be when the Bears made it this spring.

Kevin Shaffer-Offensive Tackle-The Bears signed Shaffer before they signed Pace and had intended on Shaffer competing for the right tackle spot.  He will have his work cut out for himself now as he will compete against Williams for that said spot.  If anything, he does provide some good backup at the position and if he is named the starter, he should be pretty solid.

Frank Omiyale-Offensive Tackle/Guard-Omiyale was brought in to help compete and backup at the left tackle spot, making a switch that was deemed necessary at the time.  Now, he can compete for the guard spot that Josh Beekman held in 2008 thanks to the acquisition of Pace and by all intents and purposes, he should be able win that spot and should be pretty solid there.

Michael Gaines-Tight End-The Bears acquired Gaines because he is a solid blocker and they will want to use that ability in their running and passing game.  Gaines has a lot of competition ahead of him but if he can prove his value as a blocker for the most part, he should be able to stick with the team and be a very valuable addition to the Bears.

Joaquin Iglesias-Wide Receiver-Coming out of a strong passing offense, Iglesias could be the real surprise out of college for the Bears.  If he shows any kind of ability in being a possession receiver and can build some kind of rapport with Cutler, he could be in the lineup when the season starts this September.  Look for him to have some sort of impact in 2009.

Johnny Knox-Wide Receiver-Coming out of a smaller school will set Knox back a bit in terms of trying to get up to speed to play in the NFL but if he can develop, with his speed, he could end up being one of the best wide receivers the Bears end up having.  He may take a year or two to develop but in the end it could pay off big time for the Bears.

Lance Louis-Offensive Guard-Louis is a bit of a project player but is very athletic having played tight end for part of his career and could fit into the Bears plans sometime in the future.  For now, he will probably land on the developmental squad and become a factor in a year or two.

Derek Kinder-Wide Receiver-This guy could be a factor in a year or two as well thanks to some natural ability and good talent.  He won’t be a factor in 2009 but look for him to challenge for a roster spot in 2010 or 2011.

The Bears took good care of the offense this off season and are on a path toward winning.  No longer should the defense have to carry this team as there are good players in positions all over that can make plays.  Just having Cutler there alone is enough to provide a significant boost to the offense.  Now they just have to get all their other pieces lined up and make a run towards the playoffs in 2009.