Chicago Bears training camp preview: 3 questions Ryan Poles must answer in 2023

As Bears training camp begins next week at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, much of the conversation will revolve around who makes the roster, who’s in the starting lineup, and whether the team will be better than last year.

Bears fans are focused on the 2023 season. As they should be.

But, whatever happens in 2023 will have implications far beyond this season. In his second year as general manager, Ryan Poles has made some significant changes to the roster, but he still has more questions to answer.

Below are several big-picture questions that the Bears need to iron out in 2023.

1. Can Justin Fields be a high-level passer?

No question is more important than what the Bears eventually decide to do at quarterback.

A year ago, the question was: Is Justin Fields any good? He proved he’s a good runner, but he hasn’t shown enough consistency to prove he can pass at a high level yet. In 2022, there were glimpses and hints that he has that potential, but those moments didn’t happen regularly enough. So the goal this offseason was to surround him with better talent on the offensive line and at receiver and see if he can elevate his game in 2023.

Poles did that. He brought in DJ Moore and bolstered the offensive line. The front office believes it improved the pieces around the QB. Now, it’s time to go out and make plays.

The No. 1 most important thing, of course, is going to be staying healthy. Beyond that, can Fields thread the needle between staying in the pocket just long enough to find an open man vs. taking off and using his legs? Fields had the lowest aggressiveness rating among NFL quarterbacks in 2022, per Next Gen Stats, meaning he rarely threw into tight windows. Can he develop enough trust in his receivers to take shots into tight windows?

Those are the types of things that will take Fields’ game to the next level.

[ Here’s why 2023 season is crucial for Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields ]

2. Who earns an extension?

Cole Kmet? Jaylon Johnson? Darnell Mooney?

The Bears have some key contributors who are entering the final year of their contracts. Poles is going to have to decide who stays long term and who doesn’t.

Members of the 2020 draft class are entering the final year of their four-year contracts. That includes Kmet at tight end, Mooney at receiver and Johnson at cornerback. Those three could be candidates to land extensions prior to Week 1 if the team views them as core pieces. The Bears probably want to keep all three around, but the money has to be right for both parties. Poles could also elect to wait and see. Extensions could come at any point – before the season, during or after.

There are also some players entering the final year of their respective contracts who have more to prove this season: Chase Claypool, Trevis Gipson, Lucas Patrick and Justin Jones, to name a few. Claypool is a curious one. Can he make enough plays to stick around in Chicago beyond this season?

3. What’s going on at defensive end?

The 2023 season is bound to expose several holes in this roster. That happens every year. But, on paper, there’s one glaring one already: the edge rushers.

The Bears addressed their league-worst pass rushing issues by signing defensive end DeMarcus Walker to a three-year, $21 million contract. That’s a fine signing and Walker is coming off a career-best seven sacks, but it was still underwhelming for a position that was clearly an area of need. The Bears didn’t draft any pass rushers with their 10 draft picks.

Poles has to figure out what the plan is on the edge. He still could sign a veteran free agent or trade for one prior to Week 1. He made a flurry of moves days before training camp last year.

But if the right move isn’t there, the Bears will go into the season with a clear weakness in their defense. Can Walker replicate his seven-sack season? Is Trevis Gipson going to be the player who had seven sacks in 2021 or the one who had just three in 2022? How might Rasheem Green, Terrell Lewis and Dominique Robinson fit in?

In his back pocket, Poles has two first-round draft picks in 2024. If no clear answer emerges, next year’s draft might be the best route to go.