It goes without saying, the Bears got markedly better this offseason.
That's why former NFL head coach and Super Bowl champion, Eric Mangini, wrote for The 33rd Team that the Bears are a team "that will surprise" this season with their newly formed roster.
"The progress the Chicago Bears have made this offseason, and where Justin Fields is heading, makes them a lot more dangerous team than anybody is envisioning them to be," Mangini wrote.
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Ryan Poles and the front office put in serious work on the roster this offseason.
They kicked off the spring by trading the No. 1 pick to the Panthers in exchange for a stocked war chest of future picks and wide receiver DJ Moore. The pass-catching core now features Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, etc.
The Bears looked to free agency, where they immediately signed Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, who Mangini said "not only add production but experience." They rounded out the running back room and defensive tackle position in the open market.
Arguably Poles' best work came in the draft. He secured a right tackle in Darnell Wright. He brought two high-ceiling defensive tackles in Zacch Pickens and Gervon Dexter Jr. He found a -- hopefully -- bona fide starting corner in Tyrique Stevenson. And they drafted underrated, yet talented, offensive skill players Tyler Scott and Roschon Johnson.
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Now, the eyeballs turn to Justin Fields, who Mangini said is making exceptional progress.
"Look where he made progress: whether it’s completion percentage, quarterback rating, touchdown percentage or interception percentage," Mangini wrote. "He improved in all those areas, so if he can make another significant gain — with what he does running the football — he will become that much more dangerous. His growth and maturity are exciting."