It’s a new era in Chicago Bears football. As the 2017 off-season has rolled on, there has been a great deal of turnover on this roster. While free agent acquisitions and new draft picks are part and parcel of this time of year for all teams, this franchise has arguably seen the most change of any.<\/p>\n
While the team is hesitant to categorize these events as part of a re-building process, this does appear to be a time of great tumult. Though these moves have affected the entire roster, it is unquestionable that the offense has seen the most upheaval. As the franchise enters this unique and important period in history, the Bears offense will most certainly have an unfamiliar feel in 2017.<\/p>\n
It all starts at the quarterback position. For the first time in years, the Bears will have a new passer under center in Week One. The team is moving in a new direction, having parted ways with Jay Cutler<\/a><\/strong> back in March. With Cutler now firmly entrenched as a Fox Sports analyst, the Bears now have two upstarts competing for the job.<\/p>\n When the Bears signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon<\/a><\/strong> to a three-year, $45 million dollar deal<\/a>, it appeared as though the team was ready to give him the opportunity to be the signal caller of the future. After all, the team did make a sizable financial commitment, although the $18.5 million in guaranteed money makes it possible for the Bears to move on without a significant cap hit after one season. Still, it seemed reasonable to assume that Glennon would be afforded a one-year audition to prove that he was up to the challenge of leading the offense for years to come.<\/p>\n That assumption was thrown out the window during round one of the 2017 NFL Draft. The decision to trade up to acquire Mitchell Trubisky<\/strong><\/a> has been heavily-scrutinized, but the fact remains that the former North Carolina signal caller is clearly entrenched as the team’s quarterback of the future.<\/p>\n Having only made 13 starts in college, Trubisky is certainly a project and doesn’t figure to open the season as the team’s starting quarterback, but the organization would never have made such a considerable investment<\/a> in the youngster if they weren’t confident in his ability to develop into a quality signal caller. It is likely that Glennon will be the day one starter, but his margin for error is likely very slim with Trubisky on the team.<\/p>\n Without question, the most familiar aspect of the Bears 2017 offense will be sophomore running back Jordan Howard<\/a><\/strong>. A 2016 fourth-round pick, Howard took the league by storm as a rookie, finishing with 1,313 rushing yards, the second-highest total in the league, only behind fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott<\/a><\/strong>‘s 1,616.<\/p>\n Perhaps even more impressive was Howard’s robust 5.2 yards per carry, which was the fourth-highest tally among qualified rushers. In another season, Howard would have been a slam-dunk Offensive Rookie of the Year. But in spite of missing out on the award, his heroics did not go unnoticed, and the former Indiana tailback earned his first Pro Bowl berth.<\/p>\n About time.<\/p>\n Congrats @JHowardx24 on making the 2017 #ProBowl<\/a>! pic.twitter.com\/HJqvVD2IIy<\/a><\/p>\n — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 11, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe New Faces<\/h3>\n
The Focal Point<\/h3>\n
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