Top 10 Biggest Questions for the Chicago Bears in 2010

For the second straight offseason, the Chicago Bears have made waves with their moves.

Last summer, it was THE TRADE, where the Bears acquired QB Jay Cutler, which excited everyone. Unfortunately for Bears fans, it didn't quite work out as well as everyone had expected.

But this summer, the Bears went out and hooked the biggest free agent fish in Julius Peppers, and added a couple more useful players, once again making Bears fans salivate at the thought of a much improved team.

Meanwhile, they brought in offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who is expected to bring in his high-powered offense and hopefully help Cutler to turn around what was a very disappointing season.

So what are the most critical questions facing the Chicago Bears this season? Enjoy!

10. Safety Position—Who Will Make a Difference?

The Bears safety play was abysmal last year. And while they didn't do a whole lot to improve it, they did go out and acquire former Bears player Chris Harris, who should add some much-needed help.

And they did draft Florida's Major Wright, who could surprise and contribute as a rookie.

But the position still looks weak, though Danieal Manning has looked excellent during offseason practices. He could get be moved back to nickel cornerback, however.

Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks, and Craig Steltz are major question marks.

All we know is that safety help is critical in a Cover-2 scheme and so this is one of the biggest issues facing the Bears.

There was only one interception made by a safety in 2009 and a real shortage of pass breakups.

9. The Wide Outs—Can a Young Corps Grow Up Quickly?

We all know that new offensive coordinator Mike Martz likes his four wide out sets and that he is a pass-happy machine.

While this could help the receivers on the Bears, just who are the main targets for QB Jay Cutler?

The tight end position is mainly a blocking position for Martz, which is why Brandon Manumaleuna was signed. Still, we know that Greg Olsen was a favorite target for Cutler, so how will that work?

Furthermore, will Devin Hester finally blossom into the go-to guy in big situations that his speed suggests he could be?

And what about Devin Aromashodu, who looked so good late in the season—is he for real?

Meanwhile, we hope that Johnny Knox can continue to improve. If so, he may just turn out to be the No. 1 receiver on this team.

8. Will the Tommie Harris of Old Show Up or Just an Old Tommie Harris?

At times, Tommie Harris displayed flashes of his old self, back to the 2005-2006 season when he was one of the most dominant DTs in the game.

With this being the first offseason since then that Harris isn't coming off of a surgery, the hope is that he can contribute much more this season.

That inside pressure would greatly improve the Bears defense, which was brutal last season.

7. Will Bears Coach Lovie Smith Allow His Coaches to Do Their Thing?

One of the biggest questions, to me, is whether Lovie smith will allow Mike Martz to run his offense, or will he try and interfere? Also, how will all of the coaches peacefully co-exist given the history some of them have?

There is no question that Martz, Rod Marinelli, and Mike Tice have some history. Can Lovie help them get along if the going gets tough?

Further, will the uncertain status of Smith make him coach more desperately? Will this motivate him to do more to win? Or will Smith simply resort to everything having to be done his way?

6. Can Mike Martz Turn the Offense Around?

One of the questions we have is whether the Bears receivers can pick up Martz's huge playbook.

Another question is, how will Martz and Cutler get along?

Also, will Smith let Martz throw the ball as often as he likes or will he force Martz to come off the bus running?

But perhaps the biggest question is, does any of this matter? Can a coordinator, even one as distinguished as Martz, turn around a Bears offense that was putrid last year?

5. The Running Game—Will it Improve?

Last year, Matt Forte struggled and, while many fans figure that the O-line was to blame, it didn't seem as if Forte hit the hole as hard as he did during his rookie season.

Was it injury or was it the O-line? Well, maybe that will be a moot point with the addition of Chester Taylor, who can help complement Forte by resting him.

Meanwhile, the fact that Taylor is adept at catching passes coming out of the backfield should be something that new offensive coordinator Martz will like.

4. What Will be the Impact of Julius Peppers?

The big free agent signing of Julius Peppers led to the release of popular clubhouse leader Alex Brown.

While the difference between them is about four sacks, or just one every four weeks, will Peppers boost the rest of the Bears defense to perform at a higher level?

In a Cover-2 scheme, pressure on the QB is vital. And this is something the Bears need to improve.

So will the addition of Peppers be enough? And just who will step up on the other side of the line?

3. Will Brian Urlacher be Healthy and Productive?

To say that the Bears defense missed Brian Urlacher last year is an understatement. They not only missed his individual contributions as a great player, but they missed the leadership he brought as the signal caller.

But he is not a young man anymore. Can he come back at 32 and still be a difference maker? Only time will tell.

2. Will the Offensive Line Protect Jay Cutler?

We all know that Martz prefers a five and seven-step drop, and that requires the offensive line to protect the QB.

But last year, the line was terrible, until the Bears finally decided to roll Cutler out to move him outside the pocket.

But with the washed up Orlando Pace gone and Chris Williams moved back to his regular position on the blind side, hopefully the line will block much better this year.

The addition of tight end Brandon Manumaleuna should help. He is a true blocking tight end, something that Olsen was not good at.

1. Can Jay Cutler Cut Down on His Interceptions?

Even in a bad season, Cutler threw for 3,666 yards and 27 TDs, both among the Bears all-time bests. But, he also tossed 26 interceptions.

So can Martz's pass-first scheme help Cutler? Will his confidence with the hopefully improving receiver corps help?

Can better blocking help reduce the throws into coverage and the bad mechanics where Cutler throws off the wrong foot and off balance?

Sounds like a lot to expect, but much of the Bears season depends on it. Hey, we all remember what Martz did for Jon Kitna in Detroit.