Hub Arkush: Beyond quarterback, these 5 positions will dictate how Bears fare in 2021

Andy Dalton says he’s the Bears starting quarterback.

Mike Glennon was too, for 3 ½ weeks.

Mitch Trubisky was the starter last year, for 2 ½ weeks.

I for one am not at all convinced Nick Foles isn’t the better option than Dalton – or perhaps just the lesser of two evils – but at this point we’ve all talked this one to death. We’ll just have to wait and watch it play out on the field.

But let’s assume Dalton, Foles or some as yet unknown soldier comes riding in on a white horse and the Bears do take a real step forward under center.

By itself that doesn’t guarantee at all the Bears will be as good or better than 8-8.

It leaves five other positions of huge concern.

As we talk options here please keep in mind how fluid free agency is, players available as I write may be gone in hours and the Bears are still in salary cap hell.

It appears they are about $1.5 million under the cap before adding Desmond Trufant and they will need another $4-to-$5 million for their draft class.

This also assumes Akiem Hicks remains a Bear – not close to a sure thing and leaving another huge hole if he’s not.

Offensive tackle

Currently the only tackles on the roster are Charles Leno, Germain Ifedi, Lachavious Simmons and Badora Traore.

It could be the weakest group in the league.

Those who applaud Ifedi’s six starts at right tackle last year have apparently forgotten he is a Bear because as a first-round draft choice of the Seahawks he was a bust at right tackle. The Bears signed him originally to return him to his “natural position at guard,” where he did play well.

Leno just isn’t close to good enough at left tackle, and Simmons and Traore are practice squad guys.

Guards Alex Bars and Arlington Hambright could get a chance to compete at tackle but...

Available upgrades include Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher, both of whom Matt Nagy is extremely familiar with and Russell Okung and Alejandro Villanueva.

Safety

Eddie Jackson needs to bounce back, period. Deon Bush, Marquis Christian and Jordan Lucas are all solid backups and great special teams guys who’ve never been starters as they enter the third or fourth quarters of their careers.

The Bears should be focused on what seems like the obvious move right now – bringing back Tashaun Gipson – but we’re not hearing a peep.

Or they could swing for the fences and sign Malik Hooker, an injury waiting to happen but when healthy, a Pro Bowl-level talent.

Cornerback

With the addition of Desmond Trufant and youngsters Jaylon Johnson, Kindle Vildor, Duke Shelley, Teez Tabor, Tre Roberson and Xavier Crawford already here, it looks like Ryan Pace will take his chances.

But I’m just not at all convinced that Richard Sherman, Bashaud Breeland or Brian Poole wouldn’t be a better bet than Trufant.

Wide receiver

Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney are a great start, but you need four and preferably five receivers.

I believe it is too soon to quit on Anthony Miller, but we don’t know yet if the Bears will or not, and I have no idea why they won’t give Riley Ridley a chance.

Javon Wims is still here and the practice squad includes Thomas Ives, Rodney Adams, Reggie Davis and Jester Weah.

Free Agents Demarcus Robinson – another Nagy protégé – and Adam Humphries would be worth considering as a solid No. 3 our 4.

Running back

I believe if healthy David Montgomery is the real deal, a guy you build an offense around, and getting Tarik Cohen back will be great.

But Cohen is a special weapon and a third-down back, not a No. 2 and definitely not a starter. If Montgomery gets nicked up, all that’s left is Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce.

This could be fixed in the draft’s middle rounds but Tevin Coleman is a local kid, a perfect fit and he’s on the street.

He’s spent his career as a No. 2 in a two-back tandem and been highly productive wherever he’s been until getting hurt last year.

If Pace and Nagy want us to take they’re “close to contending” seriously, there is still very serious work to do.