That also means the final offseason edition of Brad Biggs’ Bears mailbag. But plenty of topics are covered before it returns next month for the opening of training camp.

With what appear to be greater roster concerns or holes, why did the Bears choose to sign Marcedes Lewis this week? — Glen S., Channahon, Ill.

I alluded Sunday to the possibility the Bears could reunite with Lewis when addressing 10 questions ahead of training camp and the preseason, and the move did not come as a surprise considering how the team felt about him last season. Lewis, who turned 40 last month, remains a high-level blocker in the running game and was a strong addition to the locker room. He’s a great influence on younger players, who can learn from him about developing a plan to prepare their bodies on a daily basis. That has helped Lewis get to four games shy of setting an NFL record for a tight end.

My guess is Lewis has a pretty strong chance of making the roster. It does raise a question of whether the Bears will keep a fullback on the 53-man roster. A blocking tight end — which would be 90% of Lewis’ role — and a fullback might be a little repetitive for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who didn’t have a blocking back last season in Seattle. Perhaps there is a spot for both. The Bears also value the veteran presence that fullback Khari Blasingame offers, and he has gotten work on special teams as well. But it’s something to keep in the back of your mind.

Why Lewis and not a player at a different position? There aren’t frontline players out of work and sitting by the phone. Lewis, if he decided to suit up again this season, was going to have this kind of timeline in which he could stick to his workout plan and sign after the voluntary offseason program. It probably had been in the works for a while. Could another move be coming? It’s possible, but anything the Bears did at this point — when 32 teams can carry 90 players each — wouldn’t move the needle.

How about two players off the radar you are looking forward to seeing in training camp and one question no one is asking right now? Can we skip the rest of this Chicago baseball summer and go right to football? — Bubba, New Lenox

Nothing I can do about the baseball part. That’s setting up to be a slog on both sides of town — an epic slog for one team. Two players of interest who are a little bit off the radar? I’m definitely interested to see how third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie fares. The rookie offensive lineman has been sidelined as he finishes recovering from surgery to repair a partially torn left quadriceps suffered in Yale’s fourth game last fall. The Bears wanted to be cautious not to rush him into action, and had he not been hurt, it’s possible he would have been chosen a little higher. He is athletic and moves well, so seeing what he can do with pads on after he acclimates to the offense will be something to keep tabs on.

As for another player who maybe isn’t discussed a lot right now — a lot of players have been analyzed this offseason — how about defensive tackle Zacch Pickens? Gervon Dexter is the second-year player who has generated headlines for reshaping his body during the offseason. Pickens went through a similar learning curve as a rookie and there will be competition for playing time. How will he respond? Will he be more instinctive? He has a chance to help out. It’s about consistency.

Regarding a question that hasn’t been asked much, what about the situation behind starting safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard? Not a big storyline, but in a long and very busy offseason, I feel like we’ve covered a lot of ground and even more angles about this team. In eight NFL seasons, Byard has not missed a game and says he hasn’t even been held out of a practice because of injury. He turns 31 in August, and at some point the body shows a little wear and tear. Brisker has missed two games each of the last two seasons.

The Bears have a couple of players in the mix here, and the first who comes to mind is Jonathan Owens. He started 28 games over the last two seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans, and his signing indicated he was the leading candidate to be the third safety. Can he nail down that job and be valuable on special teams? Something to consider when you figure Byard and Brisker probably won’t combine for 34 starts at a position that can be taxing. Elijah Hicks is in the mix as well. Good luck with baseball season until football gets cranked up.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

Originally, the biggest worry was a defensive end on the other side of Montez Sweat. But Nate Davis being out again to start training camp is a big worry to me. Is there a decent-to-great guard to be had in the free-agent market? — @bearsdfense

I don’t get the sense Davis will be sidelined when training camp rolls around. He was a limited participant in minicamp, and coach Matt Eberflus said the team was being extra cautious with anyone who had minor ailments.

I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. Sure, there are legitimate questions about DeMarcus Walker, rookie Austin Booker and whichever other ends could figure in a rotation opposite Sweat. The Bears also want to manage Sweat’s playing time. Eberflus believes in playing defensive linemen in waves and keeping them fresh so they can be impactful when a critical third down arrives in the fourth quarter. The ballpark for Sweat is probably about 75% of the snaps each game, plus or minus a little depending on game situation. So it’s also a question of who is lining up in his place when he’s taking a breather.

But as I look at this roster, both what’s ahead this season and then to the future, I don’t know how the focus strays at all off quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears’ ability to develop a franchise quarterback and potentially nail the position for the first time in a very, very long time has to be the focus — and the worry. I’m not saying there should be concern it won’t work out. But if Davis’ availability is an ongoing matter, that wouldn’t derail the 2024 season. If the quarterback struggles throughout, there’s an issue.

As far as “decent-to-great” guards being unemployed right now? No. You won’t find a whole lot on the shelves down at the offensive line store in the middle of June. The Bears have options. Matt Pryor is a veteran with experience. Larry Borom has played plenty. Ryan Bates could slide over to guard. I’m curious if Ja’Tyre Carter can nail down a job this summer.

It’s rare for any team’s “biggest worry” to be related to an interior offensive lineman. There were multiple questions about Davis this week, and I expect him to be with the first team when training camp opens. Where it goes from there, we will see. Obviously the Bears hope he puts together a stronger season than last year.

How is Caleb Williams looking taking snaps under center? Not something he did often, if at all, at Oklahoma and USC. Could this be a problem at the NFL level? — Ed, Plainfield

He has looked fine taking snaps under center. Yes, that’s easier to do when the defensive linemen can’t get after him from the snap. Taking the snap under center is just one part of a bigger developmental bar Williams has to clear. That’s getting the play call in his helmet headset, calling the play efficiently in the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, making any requisite presnap reads and then getting the ball snapped.

That’s why you often hear offensive coaches talk about going to ground zero with the absolute basics for rookie quarterbacks. There’s stuff that is taken for granted every play when you watch a regular-season game that these guys have to learn and master. Most of them didn’t do the majority of this stuff in college. It seems like no big deal until the ball is snapped and it ends up on the ground or until a protection call is missed and a defender explodes into the backfield off the snap.

“It’s so interesting,” tight end Cole Kmet said last week during minicamp, “because in that position, like taking a snap under center and saying a cadence is something you would think would be so normal, but most guys aren’t doing that until they get to the league now. So getting guys in the huddle, saying the play call, doing the cadence, those are all brand-new things for him.

“In the huddle he was crisp and clear and all those things. That just comes with confidence in the playbook that he’s gaining. Kind of finding his own voice with the cadence because that’s definitely something that, if you can get going, you can weaponize.”

This is something Williams will get more comfortable with as time goes by. He should be pretty good at it by the time the preseason starts. That’s the hope anyway.

Outside of Caleb Williams struggling or getting injured, what’s the biggest threat to the Bears not reaching their potential? Coaching, injury to Montez Sweat, injury on the O-line, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens not developing or something else? — @gp1127

Are we talking about their potential in 2024 or shortly down the road? My hunch is you’re asking about the season directly in front of us. Maybe the most exciting thing the Bears have going under general manager Ryan Poles is this isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s a young roster with growing talent that looks likely to be better in 2024 — they have to win eight games to improve — and has a good chance to be even stronger in 2025.

As far as the season ahead, this is a tough question to answer. Football is a complicated game with a ton of moving parts. My first reaction is that Williams is going to struggle at times during his rookie season. It shouldn’t happen all the way through, but there will be ups and downs. If he’s really good, that could look like a rough game here and there. If he’s not adapting quickly, that could look like what you’ve seen from other Bears rookie quarterbacks. Injuries, especially at quarterback, can cripple a team as you know. If you were compiling a list of the top five players who need to remain healthy for a successful season, Williams and Sweat surely would be on it and might be 1-2.

It’s difficult for me to choose one player or one factor. Things that could throw off a season would include offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and the players struggling to implement a new system, even though it won’t be a whole lot different schematically from what they were doing with Luke Getsy. If the offensive line as a whole has issues, that could detour the team.

I’m a little uncertain what you believe this team’s “potential” is. Are you talking about competing for a division title through the end of the season? Ten wins? Maybe 11? Improvement is expected, but I think some people are figuring Williams will be gangbusters from the start. If he is, that would be some kind of story. If he’s not, he would be like 99% of all rookie quarterbacks and I fear those with lofty expectations would be disappointed. Give him some time to grow like all first-year players.

The start to the 2023 season was one of the worst that I have ever seen as a Bears fan, especially considering the roster improved. What has Matt Eberflus and his staff done to ensure that the 2024 season does not start the same way? — @ghawk54

Bears Week 4

That’s a good question and I think we need to dive into this a little bit. The roster was better last year than it was in 2022, no doubt, but let’s not pretend the Bears had a playoff-caliber roster to start last season. They had a really young cast of players on defense, questions at a lot of positions and legitimate concern the offense and passing game wouldn’t be up to par even with the acquisition of wide receiver DJ Moore. Folks who attempted to sell progress in the passing game last summer were wishcasting.

I will agree things got pretty dark, though, in the first two months of the season. The defense was bad from the get-go. Remember, the team was adjusting on the fly after defensive coordinator Alan Williams split. There was no pass rush to speak of before the midseason trade for Montez Sweat, and before you knew it, the Bears were 1-5 and then 2-7 after a 24-17 loss in New Orleans on Nov. 5. In contrast, other recent seasons that ended in disappointment at least floated above or right around .500 through the first five to seven games. The common theme during most of those seasons was a poor second half. This was a disastrous beginning that raised questions about the viability of Eberflus and even members of the front office.

The Bears played much better in the second half of the season. It wasn’t perfect. They still lost a couple of games they should have won in Detroit and Cleveland. But Eberflus and everyone else did enough to create some hope moving forward and build a little stability.

How does Eberflus prevent a rocky start to what should be a better season? I’m curious about that myself. Does he consider a little more preseason action for starters? I hesitate to say frontline players should play a lot in the preseason. A lot of really smart football folks have gotten away from that because it’s problematic when you lose starters to serious injuries in games of no consequence. But the Bears have to ramp up quarterback Caleb Williams and they need to be able to play with an edge from the first snap of Week 1.

The biggest problem they had in the opening loss to the Green Bay Packers last season, besides a bad passing game, was a lot of confusion in the secondary. Young teams — and the Bears were one of the league’s youngest in 2023 — need to learn how to win. It’s cliche but there’s substance to that. Veteran, winning teams find ways to close out games when it matters. I think the addition of some veterans this season will strengthen the team in that area, but we won’t really know until the season arrives and we see them in action. We’ll see what Eberflus has to add along these lines come July.

Do you have insight into just how serious the Bears are being taken by other NFL teams this year? I’d imagine it’s exponential compared to previous years but is there one word to describe how other teams are looking at Chicago in 2024 and 2025? — @windycitysp0rts

In the NFL, if you start taking an opponent lightly — I don’t care how bad the record, roster and injury situation is — you’re going to get embarrassed. This isn’t like college and high school where teams can cherry-pick a homecoming opponent and feel pretty darn good about the expected outcome. The talent level — even from the elite teams to those near the bottom — is a heck of a lot closer than you would ever imagine. So opponents didn’t take the Bears lightly the last several years. The Bears just struggled, for the most part, to play consistent football.

There’s a range of reactions around the league to what the Bears did this offseason in building upon a roster that was more competitive in the second half of last season. There is genuine curiosity about the organization’s ability to accomplish something it hasn’t done in decades: develop a quarterback. There is respect for the skill-position talent the Bears have amassed. Probably some questions about the offensive line and a feeling that the defense will be competitive. Suffice to say, the Bears will have their opponents’ attention this season, but that’s the case every week of every season. Coaches who can’t maintain that focus for their teams find themselves fired in a hurry.

What do you make of Matt Eberflus going into detail about Caleb Williams’ minicamp interceptions (the ones caused by an extra hitch)? I can’t recall Matt Nagy/Bill Lazor/Luke Getsy ever giving that level of transparency/detail regarding flaws in Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. Is this a Caleb-specific approach or new Flus? — @kittenromney

Eberflus was pretty open about the improvements the team needed to see from Fields over the past couple seasons and where they wanted his game to grow. The Bears hoped he would have a better command of the pocket. That’s what Eberflus meant when he talked about playing in rhythm and things of that nature. It just never clicked, and that can be a primary obstacle for young, highly drafted quarterbacks.

To a large degree, the Bears went through similar issues with Trubisky. They didn’t play fast enough postsnap in terms of diagnosing defenses and determining where the football needed to go. That led to more off-script plays than you would desire. Getsy was pretty clear about what was working well and what the Bears needed to improve on. Maybe you had to parse what he was saying at times because Getsy kept things positive and upbeat, but the messaging was definitely there.

So I’m not sure if this is a new approach, and we’re working with a really small sample size here in terms of questions for Eberflus to evaluate Williams’ play. You should expect any young quarterback, even the top pick in the draft, to have some growing pains on the practice field whether he’s going against the starting defense — which Williams has been — or the reserves. You need to see those mistakes to have teaching points so he can see the same situation again and know how to react decisively.

It’s an interesting observation and maybe something to keep an ear out for moving forward. The Bears should have high expectations for Williams, just like the fan base does, and there’s nothing wrong with some transparent evaluations. The Bears have been guilty of coddling some of their players, definitely quarterbacks, in the past. But if you really listened to the messaging at Halas Hall over the past couple years, it was abundantly clear how the team felt about Fields and the passing game, where it was and where it needed to go. And the same was true through the 2019 and 2020 seasons with Trubisky. Not everyone wanted to listen and objectively analyze what was being said. Maybe circle back on this in mid-August.

I’m curious if there are any above-average centers that are due to be salary-cap casualties The Bears still have a little cap space and could afford a solid starter looking to stay employed. Even with the additions they made with Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates, I fear this will still be a weak point on the O-line. I also think Bates would be better at guard if Nate Davis continues to be inconsistent or Teven Jenkins remains an injury risk. — Erik H., Aurora

For the third or fourth time since the Bears acquired Bates from the Buffalo Bills, I will report that Bates is the leading candidate for the center job. Barring something unforeseen, he will open training camp as the starter and will have to perform at a starter level to maintain that role. Other teams aren’t going to just cut loose “above-average” starters. Maybe they would consider trading one, but the Bears believe they made an upgrade by getting a player they originally attempted to sign as a restricted free agent two years ago. They backed that up by signing Shelton, who has starting experience. Short of an injury — maybe multiple injuries — I don’t envision them making a move for a third center deemed to have starting ability.

Bates is probably a stop-gap player. I don’t think he will be viewed as one of the top centers in the league, but if he’s in the middle of the pack he would be above what they got from Lucas Patrick last season. If I was examining the offensive line and wondering how things will unfold, I’d be more curious about the development of left tackle Braxton Jones in a critical third season as well as the play of Jenkins as he angles for a potential extension. I’d even have greater interest in whether a bounce-back season is in the cards for Davis and what steps Darnell Wright can make at right tackle in Year 2.

To me, the other four positions are more compelling storylines because we have a decent idea that Bates is a rank-and-file player at a position where maybe the Bears will look to the future in 2025. Who knows? Maybe Bates will excel and can hold down the spot for two or three years. He will have to compete to keep the job in training camp and the preseason, but I think there are more pressing questions for the group as a whole.

There’s palpable excitement for the team inside the building — and outside. In contrast to optimism at the end of the offseason program in recent years, this time it appears to be more rooted in reality. But as everyone from general manager Ryan Poles to middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has said, it’s all on paper at this point.

Roster improvements and staff upgrades don’t become real until the product on the field starts winning more consistently. Everyone involved understands that. It’s a bottom-line business and the Bears appear ready to compete in what should be a rugged NFC North.

Even if the Bears will not have a lot of true position battles this summer — not for starting jobs, anyway — questions loom for the organization. Some will be answered in training camp and preseason. Some will linger into the season.

Here are 10 to ponder as the Bears hit their break — the rookies will be free after three more OTAs Monday through Wednesday.

1. Caleb Williams

The development of the No. 1 pick will be the biggest storyline of the year, and the significance of his progress cannot be overstated. If Thursday’s minicamp finale is evidence — and be really careful putting a lot of stock in 11-on-11 drills when there are no pads, no pass rush, no press coverage — he was significantly more comfortable in the red zone than he was the first OTA drills.

Coach Matt Eberflus likes the idea of matching Williams and the first-team offense against the starting defense. A lot of times, coaches will have ones versus twos in practice.

“I don’t like that,” Eberflus said. “I think that Caleb is a talent. A very good talent. His game will go to where it needs to be. I want him to see that in front of him, the windows closing, the variation of what we do on defense, and I want him to see that day in and day out so that when he gets to play somebody else it will look, ‘OK, I’ve been there done that.’ That’s how we’re going to keep it.”

Williams seems comfortable in his role as the face of the franchise, certainly more at ease than Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky were. That matters too. Breaking through what has been mostly an 80-year franchise problem at the position doesn’t seem daunting to Williams.

“It’s pretty awesome,” he said. “I feel like there’s a light at the end of that tunnel. Right now, we’re working with our head down and we’re building. Just having that moment with myself, I do it every day. I sit there and I say, ‘We’re going to be pretty damn good.’ So just got to keep working, keep going and we’re all excited. It’s really important to have that mindset but also have the mindset of, ‘Let’s keep going, let’s keep working, let’s get after it.’ ”

2. Offensive line

The Bears know they need to be better at protecting the quarterback,  and even though Williams is athletic, he’s not expected to pull the ball down and run as much as Fields, whose production as a ball carrier propped up the team’s rushing statistics the last two seasons. So yes, the Bears will have to be better at run blocking as well.

Left tackle Braxton Jones missed the last two days of minicamp. It’s never a good thing when a lineman isn’t on the field during noncontact drills without pads, but the good news, according to two sources, is that Jones’ absence was unrelated to the neck injury that sidelined him for six games in the middle of last season and lingered even after he returned. Jones has a huge opportunity, especially after the team opted to select wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick instead of going for a left tackle candidate. Jones is entering his third season, and if he performs well he could position himself for extension talks next offseason.

Right guard Nate Davis was quite limited in the three days of minicamp, which meshes with his offseason last year and with his track record with the Tennessee Titans. The Bears are hopeful he can bounce back after a somewhat disappointing season, and the guaranteed money in his three-year, $30 million contract runs out this season. If Davis wants to complete the contract in 2025, he must play better.

Left guard Teven Jenkins, a second-round pick in 2021, is entering a contract year. Maybe he’ll stick with the Bears, but they’re wise to wait into the season to see how Jenkins, who has had a series of minor injuries, holds up.

Then there is the prospect of Ryan Bates stepping in as the starting center. The Bears tried to land him as a restricted free agent in 2022, and after trading for him, it’s readily apparent they hold him in high regard. He has played more guard but projects as the starting center. Can he rise above the level of being a stop-gap measure and be a true improvement?

None of these questions should overshadow the development of 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright at right tackle. He was very good at times as a rookie but needs to be more consistent — week to week and even play to play — to emerge as the kind of foundational piece the Bears believe he can become.

3. How will all of the skill position talent work?

To be very clear, this falls under the category of a good problem to have with Keenan Allen and Odunze joining DJ Moore in the wide receiver room, Gerald Everett pairing with Cole Kmet at tight end and D’Andre Swift being signed at the outset of free agency as a running back with big-play ability.

Williams and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will have no shortage of options, but there’s only one football to go around on game days, and it can be challenging. The receivers can have a race to 1,000 yards, and it projects as one of the better groups in the league. Bringing it all together cohesively is a challenge for Waldron and something that will give opposing defensive coordinators reason to have concern, especially when compared to most skill position groups the Bears have had over the last decade.

4. Pass rush

Even with a half-season of Montez Sweat, who led the team with 6½ sacks, the Bears still ranked 31st in sacks with only 30. The hope is it is much improved this season — defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens should be more prepared to contribute in their second seasons, and maybe rookie Austin Booker can create a niche in the rotation.

But the pass rush was underwhelming — and not for a lack of opportunities. Often times, teams playing with a lead in the second half of games can get more chances to hunt the quarterback. The rush defense was so good that Bears opponents attempted 617 passes, tied for the fourth-most in the league. Sweat won’t be able to do it all himself, but with a full season the Bears hope things are improved. It’s not all about sacks. Quarterback pressures and hits, anything to disrupt the opponent’s passing game, make a difference.

5. Gervon Dexter’s development

The departure of veteran Justin Jones has created a starting spot for Dexter as the three-technique tackle. He reshaped his 6-foot-6, 312-pound frame and looks leaner, and the results really struck the coaching staff after he had nine quarterback hits in a seven-game stretch in the second half of his rookie season. Dexter played in a read-and-react scheme at Florida, and the Bears want him to attack off the snap, something that was a stumbling block at times.

“That was one thing he had to work on and then pad level, because he’s such a big guy, tall guy,” Eberflus said. “And he’s worked on those things. But his movement, his athletic ability is even better now because he really worked on his body.”

A leaner and more explosive Dexter could lead to more production, and the Bears would really like to be more disruptive in the middle of the line.

6. Running back workload

If Swift can be a more explosive producer — both as a runner and receiver — the offense will have a new element. After averaging 121 carries over the first three seasons of his career in Detroit, Swift had 229 attempts last season in Philadelphia. The Eagles didn’t involve him very much in the passing game, not as much as he was accustomed to with the Lions, and this should be an expanded part of his game as the Bears seek easy completions for Williams. Swift was targeted 148 times in 2021 and 2022 in Detroit and brings an element to that part of the game the Bears haven’t had since they were throwing the ball to Tarik Cohen.

It’s also worth wondering how Waldron will stack the running backs with Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert behind Swift. Will there be a role for fullback Khari Blasingame on the roster? It’s a question to dive into later in the summer.

7. Kevin Byard’s impact

The team targeted Byard because they believe he can be a steadying influence for what still is a youthful secondary. The goal is to squeeze another productive year or two out of a veteran entering his ninth season. While the player he is replacing, Eddie Jackson, struggled with a string of injuries, Byard has been a model of durability. At some point, play begins to slip for every player who has been in the game as long as Byard. He might not be the impact guy he once was for the Tennessee Titans, but it’s clear the Bears holds him in regard.

“He’s special, just in terms of a leader,” Eberflus said. “People respect him just because of the man he is, and he’s been a devoted guy to this game for a long time. You can really feel that. That’s palpable. You can feel the love of the game that he has. He’s very respectful. He’s like a coach on the field. He’s got really good ball-hawking ability. That’s why I like him a lot.”

8. A payday for DJ Moore?

The Bears still need to knock out contracts for their top two draft picks — Williams and Odunze — and then the next order of business could be a pay raise for Moore. He’s signed through the 2025 season and is a bargain on the three-year, $61.88 million extension he signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He’s due $16.05 million this season and next, which makes him underpaid in a receiver market that absolutely took off this offseason.

The topic has surely been broached by Moore and the team by this point, and there’s no rush to get a new deal done. File this away for late in training camp or perhaps early in the regular season, but Poles probably believes he needs to address Moore’s situation before considering any other contractual issues with veteran players.

9. Additions?

It’s worth wondering if the Bears will bring in a veteran before training camp. A pass rusher would be the most obvious addition. Jacob Martin caught Sweat’s eye on the practice field and has had some experience in the scheme playing in Houston under Lovie Smith. The Bears have to determine if Martin is a viable rotational player or if someone such as Yannick Ngakoue would be an upgrade. But they also have to answer the question as to whether Ngakoue would actually fill a void. He was underwhelming at $10 million last season and probably wouldn’t get much more than $3 million or $4 million from the Bears.

As much as Poles raved about Marcedes Lewis’ impact last season, the team could consider re-signing him. Lewis still a high-level blocker, and if the Bears opt to go without a fullback, perhaps there would be a role for him.

10. Eric Washington’s impact

Eberflus plans to continue calling the defense, and there was a noticeable change after he took over for Alan Williams last season. Opposing teams mentioned that the Bears seemed to have a more defined game plan from week to week.

Washington’s backround is as a defensive line coach, and part of the thinking in bringing him in from the Buffalo Bills is that he helps take the defensive line and pass rush to the next level.

The negotiations shouldn’t create any fear that Williams might report late to training camp in July, but questions about his contract are natural for a player going his own route with a trusted group of advisers and not with an agent who could communicate on his behalf with the team.

“I’ve been focused on these past three days of minicamp, the (organized team activities) before that and rookie camp before that,” Williams said after a three-day minicamp concluded Thursday at Halas Hall. “I haven’t been focused on (the contract). (General manager Ryan) Poles and my team have been focused on that.

“I have lawyers and attorneys to handle things like that so that I can be free-minded on the field, enjoying coming into work every day to work my tail off.”

Williams is expected to be back at work on the field next week. While veterans began their summer break as minicamp wrapped up, rookies have three more days of OTAs on Monday through Wednesday in what coach Matt Eberflus described as sort of a quarterback camp.

As of Thursday morning, 17 of the league’s 32 first-round picks had signed contracts, including four of the top-10 selections. New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, chosen No. 3, is the highest-drafted player to sign. Like Williams, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (No. 2) also doesn’t have a deal.

It makes sense the sides haven’t gotten down to business yet. Because Williams hasn’t hired an agent, he has to negotiate for himself. Delaying negotiations until the end of the voluntary offseason program has allowed him to remain locked in on football and learning coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense while adjusting to the professional level.

Williams has avoided being pulled in multiple directions, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the sides launch into contract talks next week after OTAs are completed for the rookie class.

At this juncture, there’s no reason for concern that the Bears won’t sign Williams before training camp opens, which will be a week earlier than usual because the team is playing in the Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio.

Rookie contracts are slotted by draft pick, and Williams’ four-year deal is expected to be worth $39,486,057 with a $25,537,132 signing bonus. The deal, which should include a club option for the fifth year in 2028, is expected have a salary-cap number of $7,179,283 for this season.

The numbers shouldn’t change, and the only thing generally up for discussion with these contracts is potentially some of the minor language.

That’s why this should be a drama-free process for Williams and the Bears. Williams representing himself is unlikely to create obstacles — something general manager Ryan Poles ran into shortly after he was hired in 2022 with linebacker Roquan Smith. Rookie contracts are simple compared with second contracts, which is what Smith was angling for at that time.

The last time the Bears had a draft pick miss significant time in training camp was in 2018, when Smith, the No. 8 selection, was the last pick from his class to sign. He didn’t sign until Aug. 13 as the sides haggled over language in the contract regarding the possible forfeiture of guaranteed money if he was ejected or suspended because of rule changes related to tackling with the helmet. At that time, Smith had an NFLPA-certified agent working on his behalf.

In 2005, Bears first-round pick Cedric Benson held out for nearly five weeks.

“I know we fell short of our goal that we set to make the playoffs, but I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Sweat said in January. “There’s definitely a foundation here that we’re building upon.”

Boy, does that foundation look different as the Bears reconvened for mandatory minicamp this week. Sweat was on the field for Tuesday’s first practice with a lot of fresh faces, including new defensive coordinator Eric Washington. Sweat is one of nine starters returning on defense but there are plenty of new teammates to meet and learn about on offense, including some bona fide skill position threats with wide receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, tight end Gerald Everett and running back D’Andre Swift all new.

Maybe there was a little bit of a first-day-of-school feel for Sweat, who was present only a few days early in the voluntary offseason program but otherwise wasn’t around until players were required to report on Monday.

“I feel like we had a good offseason as far as adding people,” said Sweat, who helped spark improvement after arriving in a deadline trade with the Washington Commanders.

The Bears were 2-6 before acquiring Sweat for a second-round pick and went 5-3 the rest of the way. The defense was stout against the run and began producing takeaways like coach Matt Eberflus envisioned happening when he arrived in 2022.

Sweat’s 6 1/2 sacks led the Bears and in a statistical oddity, he also led the Commanders with six. The Bears are counting on him leading them again this season as there haven’t been enough big-time seasons from edge rushers of late. Since 2007, the Bears have had only five seasons with an individual player reaching double-digits in sacks — Robert Quinn (18 1/2, 2021), Khalil Mack 12 1/2, 2018), Willie Young (10, 2014) and Julius Peppers (11 1/2 and 11, 2011 and 2010).

There’s reason to believe the Bears have confidence they can unlock more with Sweat, who will turn 28 in September. Last season they were learning about him, what makes him tick, how he practices, how he works off teammates — all on the fly. Since then, they’ve had a chance to go back and study what he does best, how others work off him and what might elevate his game to the next level.

Washington is now a trusted voice in the defensive room and brings a specialty of creating pass-rush advantages, so maybe the Bears will get a little more creative at times with Sweat. In 379 snaps in their defense last season, he lined up at left end 292 times — 77% of the time. There were 76 snaps at right end and eight inside at tackle. Sweat’s length, explosive nature and speed make him a problem for almost any interior lineman. Maybe the Bears will consider looping him a little more on stunts from the outside to get an interior rush. That would give him a running start and a lot of space to operate against an athletically inferior guard.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Sweat, knowing the kind of game-planning that would create these situations is still a couple of months away.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

“I really feel that Montez is in a good spot,” Eberflus said. “Obviously, his talent level is there and our system and the way our culture is really lets guys play at their highest level. Meaning that we’re going to make sure guys play at their max effort, max intensity, max preparation, because that’s the way we do it. We don’t walk by mistakes here. We don’t let things slide. Doesn’t matter if you’re Montez or you’re DJ (Moore) or you’re Caleb (Williams), that doesn’t matter.

“We have a standard of how we operate and it’s coached by the coaches and enforced by the players. He understood that coming in, too. He was very clear with our message on how we do things and he bought into it and he got better every single week. We anticipate that this year, too.”

Sweat alluded to things being different than he was accustomed to after arriving from Washington last season, and he understands there’s a lot on him as the highest-paid player on the roster. General manager Ryan Poles has called him a “multiplier” and the Bears felt that difference last season.

The defense was flying around during the two-hour practice Tuesday and probably won the day overall. The starters — Sweat wasn’t in during the team periods because the staff wants to evaluate where he is — forced the offense to go three-and-out in two periods at the end. Eberflus said the hope is Sweat will be ramped up in the next two days.

“When you’re out there having fun and talking smack, it makes it so much more fun for everybody around you,” Sweat said.

Yes, a lot has changed in five months. Expectations have shifted. Excitement feels like it might actually be tethered to a little bit of reality.

“We really can’t get caught up in what’s on paper,” Sweat said. “Football is played on the field and you gotta go out there and execute the X’s and O’s. You can’t get caught up in any of that stuff that’s going on outside of here. Just stick to what we know, that’s playing football.”

Sweat’s foundation was set at 12 1/2 sacks between the two teams last season. That seems like a good place to start looking ahead to goals and wondering about the blueprints for what the Bears are building.

One area the Bears have not made many additions since last season ended is the defensive line, and the Tribune’s Brad Biggs has received multiple questions in his weekly Bears mailbag about possible interest in six-time Pro Bowl end Calais Campbell, who remains unsigned.

Do you think the Bears will make a move to sign Calais Campbell as a veteran to help anchor the defensive line? — Vic W., Yuma, Az.

That has been a popular question for a few weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens with Campbell, who turns 38 on Sept. 1 and has been a high-level performer for 16 seasons, tying for the Atlanta Falcons team lead last season with 6½ sacks. It remains to be seen if Campbell indeed wants to suit up for a 17th season. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said earlier in the offseason that “we’ll never close any doors” about possibly re-signing Campbell, who played for a base salary of $7 million last season plus incentives.

Campbell is a defensive end, and I think some have confused the 6-foot-8, 282-pounder as an interior lineman. He’s a completely different type of player than Yannick Ngakoue, the free agent the Bears signed to a one-year, $10 million deal last summer after training camp opened.

I reached out to a veteran personnel executive who spent some time reviewing the Falcons last season to seek his opinion on Campbell, who started all 17 games and was on the field for 63% of the defensive snaps, totaling 17 quarterback hits.

“I think he’s still got one good year in him if he wants to play,” the executive said. “He’s still a real force at the point of attack. You cannot get that guy’s edge. He’s so long and so strong and he’s (really) stout. Anybody who wants to try to run zone his way is not getting the edge of the defense because of his length and pure stoutness.

“As a pass rusher, he’s still got power, so when he drops his pads — because of his length he plays at a really high pad level naturally — but when he puts a little bend into his play, because of his power, he cannot be stopped one-on-one. Now, he’s of the age that he cannot bring that every play or every game, but when he does, he’s still got a lot.

“As a veteran free agent, he’s going to be a great locker-room presence. He would be really good for the mix, really good for the locker room, and in spot situations, base downs, base personnel, he would be a big add. You’d just have to limit his reps. He’d be kind of a rotational rush guy. You wouldn’t want him in there all the time. When it’s on the line, that guy brings it.”

The big question in my mind — beyond the overall talent the Bears have at the position — is how they feel about DeMarcus Walker after his first season with the team. He’s the Bears’ stout, run-stuffing end and he’s signed for two more seasons, due $8 million this year and $5.25 million in 2025, provided he remains with the team.

Walker played in all 17 games last season with 30 tackles (nine for a loss) and 3½ sacks. He had 16 QB hits, 11 coming in the final six games. If the Bears are pleased with what Walker brought to the field — I believe they liked the leadership element he provided — and like the idea of him starting opposite Montez Sweat, then I tend to think Campbell would be a bit redundant for a team with a little more than $12.4 million in effective cap space, according to overthecap.com.

That being said, GM Ryan Poles has been aggressive at times entering his third season, and I wouldn’t rule anything out. I’m sure the Bears have kept tabs on Campbell and other remaining free agents who potentially could bolster the roster when looking ahead to the end of August and cut decisions. It definitely will be interesting to see what the future holds for Campbell, who has 105½ career sacks and likely will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.

As more and more rookies are signing their contracts, how concerned should we be that the Bears will not come to terms with Caleb Williams? Most rookie contracts get done under the current CBA as contracts are slotted to their draft position. Still, can Caleb Williams and his camp demand that any contract they sign contain language that stipulates that the Bears cannot apply a franchise tag on him after the fifth year? If any rookie will demand this, would it not be Williams? If this is possible, would the Bears agree to that? I fear a holdout is coming. — Jay, Minnesota

I have a hard time believing Williams will have any provisions in his contract that potentially change the landscape for future No. 1 draft picks. I also would not fear a holdout at this time, with a lot of time between now and the beginning of training camp.

The Bears would be roundly criticized by the other 31 teams if they gave Williams a deal that future top picks could use as leverage in negotiating rookie contracts. Williams can ask for anything he wants, but the system in place hasn’t been bucked yet and I find it hard to believe there wouldn’t be a provision for the standard fifth-year option and the possibility of the franchise tag being utilized down the line.

As best I can tell, only two of the top 10 picks have contracts completed: New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (No. 6) and Tennessee Titans offensive tackle JC Latham (No. 7). Being unsigned does not make Williams an outlier at this point, and I don’t think there is anything to be concerned about here.

What is the measure of success for the 2024 Bears? The last two years, success would’ve been Justin Fields showing he belongs, mostly independent of team record. With an improved roster and Caleb Williams expected to provide at least average QB play, fewer than nine wins feels like it will be disappointing. — @chad_vonk

Optimism abounds at Halas Hall and among the fan base for the season ahead. Williams has a cast of players around him that is as good or better than the Bears have had on offense in quite some time. There are fair questions about the offensive line, but if he’s able to play somewhat consistently within the structure of the offense, that should take off some of the pass-rush pressure. I think it’s fair to circle nine wins, and that was the lead topic in last week’s mailbag.

There will be a lot of pressure on Williams because — I don’t care how good the supporting cast is — the NFL can be a cold, cruel world for rookie quarterbacks. I also think it’s unfair to judge expectations for Williams in a much different light than Fields. You’re looking for the same thing: tangible evidence that Williams “belongs.” That means steadier performances and proof based on more than splash highlight plays sprinkled in throughout games.

Expecting the Bears to eclipse .500 seems like a reasonable goal, especially considering the schedule and how they performed during the second half of last season. If they can do that, there should be no shortage of playoff talk after Thanksgiving — a welcome change of focus as most have been eyeing the draft and free agency by then in recent years, if not wondering about a potential coaching change.

Could Gervon Dexter be used as a future nose tackle if he doesn’t show that he can penetrate the pocket in the next year or so? Andrew Billings got an extension but maybe Dexter is best suited to take over for him if he continues to struggle getting off the ball. — @coachsmyth

Interesting question. The feeling I get is the Bears want Dexter to have the flexibility to play both positions. He has a massive frame at 6-6, 312 pounds, and that’s not the prototype for a three-technique in the Tampa-2 defense. I think they still like the idea of him as an interior pass rusher in sub packages, and remember, teams are in their nickel package more than in base personnel.

Billings is a better nose tackle right now. He is a massive rock in the middle of the defense, understands his role and rarely is out of position. Dexter got better as last season went along. He had 2½ sacks in the final five games and nine QB hits from Weeks 10-17. Let’s see what he can do in his second season, how he’s utilized and if he can take a jump now that he’s accustomed to playing with better leverage.

Still trying to figure out why Ryan Poles neglected the defensive line in the offseason. An injury away from having a pass rush that is completely absent. Vegas is right. This is a .500 team, at best. — @squaretail99

I don’t know if I would use the word “neglect.” Did Poles prioritize the defensive line? Not really. But it hasn’t been ignored either. You need to account for two moves during the middle of last season. First, the trade for Montez Sweat and the subsequent contract extension he received. Second, the contract extension for nose tackle Andrew Billings, an under-the-radar hit in 2023 free agency. Those moves used cap space for this season (and beyond) and should be part of the discussion about what Poles has done for 2024. Since then, the Bears drafted edge rusher Austin Booker in the fifth round, and otherwise the group is pretty much unchanged.

There are more question marks about quarterback and Caleb Williams than any other position. Beyond that, you can make a pretty good case for the defensive line and pass rush after Sweat as the area with the most questions. It was a down year for free-agent defensive linemen. Christian Wilkins would have been a nifty addition to the middle of the line, but he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders for $110 million over four seasons. That’s more than the Bears paid Sweat.

A couple of intriguing defensive ends were on the market, but it fell off pretty quickly. And if the Bears had paid market-plus — which is what you’re doing in the first wave of free agency — for another pass rusher, all of a sudden they probably have too much money tied up in one position. Sure, you can say they’ve done that at wide receiver after the trade for Keenan Allen, but that’s a one-year deal and the books will reset after this season. The Bears’ defensive line issues aren’t due to a lack of spending. What they’ve struggled to do is develop a homegrown edge rusher.

The next thing I’d say is, OK, if you’re still hung up on the quality and depth of the defensive line, you probably have to subtract from somewhere else to add there. The Bears have roughly $12.4 million in cap space and that will give them some flexibility as the season approaches, but I doubt they want to take a big chunk out of that anytime soon. So if you could roll back the clock, where are you removing a player they added and using those resources to fortify the defensive front?

If you say Allen or maybe tight end Gerald Everett, I suppose I can understand. But this is a new era with a rookie quarterback the team wants to support in every way possible. Bears fans may need to rethink how the team approaches roster building for the foreseeable future. Instead of a defense-first, run-the-football approach, perhaps the franchise is joining the teams that build around their quarterback. Tough decisions are required.

Finally, I agree with you that the Bears would be in a tough spot if something happens to Sweat. But there aren’t a lot of teams with a premier edge rusher that wouldn’t be in a jam if their big dog went down with an injury. That’s reality at nearly every position.

Does Khalil Herbert have a role on this team? — @diehardredsfan9

My first reaction is it will be tough for the third running back on the depth chart to get a uniform on game days because Travis Homer is one of the team’s top special teams players and likely to dress every week if he’s healthy. Homer was fifth on the roster in special teams snaps last season and got only six snaps on offense.

That puts Herbert in a competition with 2023 fourth-round draft pick Roschon Johnson to be the No. 2 running back behind D’Andre Swift. If Herbert can assert himself as the guy, he would have a spot in the offense for a few carries and some plays each game. The Bears could get a little more utility out of Johnson, who also was active on special teams last season, logging 152 snaps compared with one for Herbert.

So if you’re zeroed in on what the future could hold for Herbert, keep a close eye on how he and Johnson perform over the summer. There won’t be a lot of situations in which the team wants four running backs (not including fullback Khari Blasingame) active on game day. Teams have to find offensive players to fill roles on special teams, and that usually means reserve running backs and/or reserve wide receivers. Herbert hasn’t been a fit there to this point.

We’ll know more from camp but curious what offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s view of fullback Khari Blasingame is and how he plans on using him? Perhaps if he ends up in more of a TE-type role than a fullback in Waldron’s offense knowing his personnel decisions? Or were those choices based more on the roster he had in Seattle? — @aj_katz18

Like you, I’m curious how things will shake out for Blasingame when we get to training camp. It’s fair to wonder if there will be a role for a blocking back in the offense. I don’t know about using Blasingame as a hybrid H-back or off-the-ball tight end because that might not be playing to his strengths. The Seahawks, last season at least, inserted wide receivers and tight ends in the run-blocking scheme.

The Los Angeles Rams, for whom Waldron worked under Sean McVay before he went to Seattle, also don’t really use a fullback. That’s interesting because in that offensive family, there is a spot for the position. San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan leans heavily on a fullback in his offense.

Blasingame played 186 offensive snaps last season. The Seahawks ran 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end, two wide receivers) for 12 snaps last season. The Rams, for what it’s worth, had zero snaps with that personnel grouping. The Seahawks had five snaps in 22 personnel (two running backs, two tight ends, one wide receiver) in 2023 compared with zero for the Rams.

The Seahawks did run 224 snaps in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers), and that ranked 14th in the NFL. The Bears certainly have the personnel in place to lean into that this season with Cole Kmet and newcomer Gerald Everett. The Rams, by comparison, had only 58 snaps in 12 personnel, the fewest in the NFL.

In 12 personnel, I think Everett projects as the move guy. The Bears can throw screens and crossers to him because his strength is playing in space. Kmet would run more of the traditional tight end route tree.

We’ll have to wait and see what kind of role there is for Blasingame. I could see Waldron adjusting what he did with the Seahawks, who did not have a blocking back, and carrying one. I also could see the Bears more or less phasing out the position.

Are you concerned about the development of third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie? Seems like he will be behind when training camp opens. — Gary W., Gurnee

That’s a fair question considering the Bears announced after drafting Amegadjie as their lone Day 2 selection that they would sideline him through the offseason program to allow him to fully heal from a quadriceps injury suffered four games into his final season at Yale last fall. It’s reasonable to figure Amegadjie will be a little behind when camp opens, but I don’t think it will hinder his development as a rookie for a variety of reasons.

For starters, let’s not kid ourselves. It’s impossible to evaluate line play when players aren’t in full pads. You can’t say, “This guy looks great,” when he’s blocking defenders who can’t initiate contact. That’s simply not how the game is played. Can you get an idea of a player’s movement ability? Sure. But he’s not having to fend off actual defenders while climbing to the second level.

Second, Amegadjie is obviously a bright guy coming from an Ivy League program. So in terms of grasping concepts and the playbook, he figures to be a step ahead of most guys in his position. It’s one thing to see it on film and draw it up in a notebook and another to transfer it to the field, but this process should not be too clunky.

Third, one thing really struck me during rookie minicamp. While the linemen were going through their drills, Amegadjie spent much of his time chatting with offensive line coach/run game coordinator Chris Morgan. He was getting one-on-one instruction throughout much of the practice, certainly the individual periods, and you have to believe the Bears will be mindful of the situation so that Amegadjie is in a good spot when camp rolls around.

Ensuring that he’s fully healthy also makes sense because missing extended time once full pads go on would put Amegadjie even further behind. That’s the developmental time he really needs.

Early odds show Las Vegas sees the Bears as right around a .500 team, and the Tribune’s Brad Biggs begins his weekly Bears mailbag with one analyst’s thoughts on that figure.

Now that the schedule is out, what’s the feeling on the over/under win total for the Bears this season? — Chuck R., Plainfield

Let’s turn to a professional — my friend Joe Fortenbaugh, a betting analyst for ESPN and longtime contributor to the “Mully & Haugh Show” on WSCR-AM 670 — for some insight into how he feels about the current number of 8½ wins.

“The Bears have seen quite a bit of an action,” Fortenbaugh said. “In the week after the draft, the two biggest bets in terms of the most number of tickets for NFL futures were the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl and the Bears over 8½ wins.

“For a couple years, I’ve liked the under for the Bears. I was on over 8½ wins and ‘yes’ for them to make the playoffs as soon as they both hit the market, and they’ve become very popular bets. I don’t care. I especially like the win total. There are, I don’t know, 30 reasons. Everyone will look at Caleb Williams, that they won seven games last year and they closed strong. The defense was really good at the end of the season. Everyone has those statistics. Everyone sees the same thing.

“One thing no one dives into is the schedule. They’ve got a bunch of great games on there. The Patriots, the Titans, the rest of the AFC South, which I know a few will be good. Seattle is on there, Washington, Carolina. So you’ve got a bunch of teams that look like they will struggle and four or five toss-up games, and that’s before we even talk about the division. They should be able to grab one from Minnesota. They should be able to grab one — minimum — from the Packers and Lions. I’m looking at that and I’m saying, ‘I just need them to get to nine.’ I see them as a nine-win team.

“I don’t need Williams to be great for that either. That’s the one pushback I always get. (Justin) Fields wasn’t good last year and they won seven. They don’t need the kid to be awesome. They’ve got a good defense, a bunch of weapons and they’ve got an easier schedule.”

Per Fortenbaugh, the Bears opened at 8½ wins with the over at minus-125 and the under at minus-105. It moved to minus-150 for the over and plus-120 for the under before the schedule was released Wednesday.

I’m wondering if the Bears’ over/under win total could climb from 8½ to nine.

Chicago Bears 2024 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each game

“That’s a great question,” Fortenbaugh said. “They can take that north of minus-200 (at 8½ wins) sometimes. It’s all going to come down to what they think they’re going to see the other way. If they go to nine wins, what kind of action is coming the other way? I don’t know how many people are going to line up to bet their under. That’s the thing. And I think they’re going to take a ton of money (on the over). This is one where at some point I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved it up to nine.

“On some of the over/under totals, they have a great number and they don’t want to move it under any circumstance. They just want to adjust the juice because they know the second they move it, they’re going to end up taking a ton of money the other way. That’s a situation here I think with the Bears you could see enough public money where they eventually move it to nine, but I would imagine it gets up to minus-200 (at 8½) before that.”

How does Fortenbaugh feel about the Bears at nine wins?

“Books try to avoid the even number because no one wants to tie up money for that long for a possible push,” he said. “That’s one thing they try to keep in mind. Now we’re talking about the Bears having to get to 10 wins to win this bet. I would still lean over on that. Because like I said, I’m pretty confident in them. That doesn’t mean I would go bet nine, but I would be leaning over on that. That’s a full additional win and that means it could be a situation where you can’t have them donk one off in the fourth quarter.”

While I had Fortenbaugh on the line, I asked for his take on Williams as a rookie of the year candidate.

“He’s a big favorite and he’s been 3-1 or 3½-1, and I think a lot of people expect it because there’s been a lot of hype and there’s going to be more hype,” Fortenbaugh said. “He’s going to start from Day 1. He’s going to have the opportunity to put up big numbers with a good team around him. If you’re winning games and putting up numbers, it’s going to be tough to beat the guy, like C.J. Stroud last year.

“I wouldn’t play it only because I think it’s priced accurately. He’s a big favorite as he should be. You never know what happens with an injury or some other guy has a big season. J.J. McCarthy was out there at a pretty lofty price and I was looking at that — not because I like him — but Kevin O’Connell is a pretty good coach and the Vikings have got weapons and J.J. could step in and win some games in Minnesota. The defense is getting better. I’m looking at more long shots in that market, but it’s not going to surprise me at all if Williams wins it.”

What are your biggest takeaways on the schedule? Game of the year? — Max W., Clarendon Hills

The thing that initially struck me is the Bears will wait until Week 11 — a Nov. 17 home game against the Green Bay Packers — to begin divisional play. The 10th game of the season is the latest the Bears have ever started divisional play. They didn’t start until Week 5 in 2008, 1999 and 1987.

Several years ago, the league made a push to pile up divisional games at the end of the season, but teams often would have a smattering of rivalry games early in the season. This year the Bears play NFC North opponents in six of their final eight games with the only outliers being Week 14 at San Francisco and Week 17 at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

That makes a 12-day stretch from Week 11 through Week 13 critical. The Bears host the Packers on Nov. 17 and the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 24, then have a quick turnaround before the Nov. 28 Thanksgiving game in Detroit. If they want to challenge for the division crown — and that should be the first goal at Halas Hall — they probably need to win two of those three.

As far as a game of the year, there are a lot of good options. The Bears have to beat Jordan Love and the Packers before they can declare they’ve turned things around, right? The Lions are the defending NFC North champions. Facing the Houston Texans in prime time in Week 2 is a big game with C.J. Stroud on the other sideline. But I’ll pick the Dec. 8 game at San Francisco because the 49ers are the defending NFC champions. Measure yourself against the best.

I am excited about Rome Odunze but I also liked David Terrell and Kevin White when they were drafted. Can you reassure me that the Bears don’t have a “curse” of top-10 receiver busts? I consider Willie Gault a break-even selection and he wasn’t a top-10 pick. — David W., Malvern, Pa.

The bigger “curse” — if there is such a thing and you don’t attribute it to serial mismanagement over a span of decades — has been at quarterback. I don’t care who you have on the outside, if you lack a legitimate trigger man, it’s going to be tough.

I’m not sure how I can reassure you about Odunze other than to say I thought it was a good pick. He’s a big guy with a lot of physical ability and a lot of strengths as a wide receiver, even if he’s not elite in any one area. He enters a great situation, too, because there won’t be huge pressure on him to deliver big numbers with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen at the position.

It’s tough for wide receivers to make huge impacts as rookies, although we’ve seen more breakout Year 1 performances over the last decade. With two veterans in the room who have produced at a very high level throughout their careers, it looks like a good situation for Odunze.

Is there room on the roster for Tyler Scott and Venus Jones? They both need developing and seem to have a similar skill set. — @raven65

I don’t see why not. After the big three of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, it’s not like there’s a ton of competition for those two to make the roster. They’ll have to show up and perform, but Scott needs more opportunities after playing in a broken passing offense as a rookie, when he made some mistakes. I think the Bears still believe Scott has room to grow and develop, and he’s a more polished route runner than Jones.

I don’t necessarily view them as having similar skill sets. Jones is a gadget player and will have to carve out a role on special teams to make the roster. I think he can do that. Challengers for a roster spot would include Collin Johnson, Dante Pettis and perhaps recently signed Freddie Swain.

Do you see them bringing in a veteran quarterback, even just for guidance? — @spdavis3577

This was a popular question this week with a couple of folks wondering about the depth chart in that room. My first reaction is what veteran quarterback is on the street who is worth a look and would want the job? My hunch is the Bears like the idea of developing Tyson Bagent as a No. 2 quarterback, and with Brett Rypien having some experience and undrafted rookie Austin Reed in place, I’m not sure the Bears are looking at this the same way.

I’ve always thought the idea of a veteran quarterback in the room to help a young starter has been overblown. Did it do much the first couple of seasons for Justin Fields? No. Did it help Mitch Trubisky when they had that guy? Not really. Plenty of stories were written about it, though.

Caleb Williams is his ‘authentic self’ on and off the field. And the QB plans to use his confidence to lead the Chicago Bears to greatness.

The Bears have a collection of coaches to develop Caleb Williams, starting with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, passing game coordinator Thomas Brown and offensive assistants Ryan Griffin and Robbie Picazo. Williams will have no shortage of support staff to lean on as he adapts as a professional.

Why are rookies willing to practice without signed contracts? It seems like there must be some injury insurance in the mix somehow, but I’ve never heard how it works. — Jim S.

Good question. Most teams have a rookie participation agreement that more or less ensures the player that if he’s injured in rookie minicamp or the voluntary offseason program before he has signed a contract, the team will negotiate in good faith on the eventual contract — which, as you know, is slotted. So in the event something bad happened — if one of the draft picks suffered a torn ACL during an OTA, for example — he’d be in position to get the same contract he would have received if he remained healthy.

Do you see the Bears interested in extending anyone prior to the start of the season? They have very few starters who will be free agents after 2024. — @jtbcubs

I addressed this question in recent weeks in a roundabout way. Wide receiver Keenan Allen and left guard Teven Jenkins are the only projected starters set to be unrestricted free agents after the season. As I have written multiple times, I don’t envision general manager Ryan Poles rushing into anything with Allen, especially with Rome Odunze on board. Jenkins has a lot to prove this season, and that could be a really good thing for him if he maximizes his opportunities, considering how the market for interior linemen has taken off.

The next veteran contract could be for wide receiver DJ Moore. That’s not so much a prediction as it is a little something to look out for. Moore is under contract through 2025, but my guess is the Bears at least would be interested in entertaining where things stand beyond that. It always takes two parties to be interested in getting something done, but I could envision Moore being paid before Jenkins and certainly before Allen — if Allen is extended.

With such a low purchase price for Justin Fields and reports indicating the Steelers have little to no interest in letting him see the field this year (and it being a near certainty he’ll be a free agent next year), is there any scenario you can envision where Pittsburgh cuts bait and Justin and the Bears reunite this offseason or the next? — Gregory M., Beverly

You have a different view of Fields’ situation in Pittsburgh than I do. Russell Wilson looks like the starter right now and unless he struggles, my bet is he enters the season as the starter. But the Steelers traded for Fields, so I imagine they’re happy to have him on the roster. Yes, they didn’t have to pay a lot — a sixth-round pick in 2025 — but no one is just handing out draft picks. The pick improves to a fourth-rounder if Fields takes 50% of the offensive snaps.

Do I see a path for Fields to return to Halas Hall? Never say never, but that seems highly unlikely. Fields will be seeking an opportunity to compete for a starting job in 2025, assuming he doesn’t nail down that role in Pittsburgh, which is probably a bit of a long shot. That wouldn’t be available with the Bears, and I find it implausible they’d pursue him as QB2. What would be the appeal for the Bears? I don’t see a reunion as a goal for either side.

Here’s a look at the week-by-week itinerary, along with predictions on each game from the Tribune’s Bears writers.

Week 1: Bears vs. Titans

Sunday, Sept. 8, noon, Fox-32

This is where it all begins for Caleb Williams. It feels like a friendly ease-in game for the rookie against an opponent that lost 11 games last season. Still, the Titans used the 10-meter platform to make big splashes this offseason, signing a horde of big-name free agents including Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry and Chidobie Awuzie. They also traded for standout cornerback L’Jarius Snead and added offensive tackle JC Latham in the top 10 of the draft.

• Brad Biggs: Bears
• Colleen Kane: Bears
• Dan Wiederer: Bears

Week 2: Bears at Texans

Sunday, Sept. 15, 7:20 p.m., NBC-5

AP24014002973128

C.J. Stroud reset the bar for rookie quarterbacks last season. He threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, earned Pro Bowl honors and led a Texans franchise that went 3-13-1 the previous season to the AFC South title and a playoff win. Your move, Caleb Williams.

• Biggs: Texans
• Kane: Texans
• Wiederer: Texans

Week 3: Bears at Colts

Sunday, Sept. 22, noon, CBS-2

Current events note: This will be the third consecutive game against an AFC South opponent to open the year. Ancient history note: The last time the Bears played a regular-season game at Lucas Oil Stadium in October 2016, it looked — from the hot-dog-laden press box, at least — like Brian Hoyer failed to see Alshon Jeffery open for what could have been a game-winning 28-yard touchdown pass in the final two minutes. The Bears lost 29-23.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 4: Bears vs. Rams

Sunday, Sept. 29, noon, Fox-32

The rebuilding formula for Rams general manager Les Snead has involved drafting 24 players in the last 13 months. The headliner of this year’s rookie class is defensive end Jared Verse, the organization’s first first-round pick since it drafted Jared Goff at No. 1 in 2016.

• Biggs: Rams
• Kane: Rams
• Wiederer: Rams

Week 5: Bears vs. Panthers

Sunday, Oct. 6, noon, Fox-32

For those keeping track, the current return for the Bears from trading the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to Carolina is wide receiver DJ Moore, right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, quarterback Caleb Williams and punter Tory Taylor. Oh, and the Bears own the Panthers’ second-round selection next spring as icing on the cake.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 6: Bears vs. Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

Sunday, Oct. 13, 8:30 a.m., NFL Network

In addition to a 1986 exhibition in London, the Bears have played two regular-season games across the pond, beating the Buccaneers in 2011 and falling to the Raiders in 2019. On this trip they’ll face a Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars team playing the first of two games in England over eight days. Jacksonville enters the season 6-5 all time in London and will “host” the Patriots at Wembley Stadium in Week 7.

• Biggs: Jaguars
• Kane: Jaguars
• Wiederer: Jaguars

Week 7: Bye week

The Bears had their open date in December in each of the last two seasons but will get the traditional recovery week after the return from London.

Week 8: Bears at Commanders

Sunday, Oct. 27, noon, CBS-2

The top two picks in this year’s draft square off. Some pockets of the league believe Jayden Daniels is a more complete quarterback than Caleb Williams and should have received more serious consideration by the Bears at No. 1. Daniels went No. 2 to Washington and will challenge the Bears with his football intelligence, passing production and speed.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 9: Bears at Cardinals

Sunday, Nov. 3, 3:05 p.m., CBS-2

Bears GM Ryan Poles and his Cardinals counterpart, Monti Ossenfort, can have a good Sunday morning discussion about who landed the more complete rookie wide receiver in the top 10 of the draft. Then Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze can help settle that debate inside State Farm Stadium.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 10: Bears vs. Patriots

Sunday, Nov. 10, noon, Fox-32

It’s a whole new world in Foxborough, Mass., where Jerod Mayo is stepping into the head coaching role Bill Belichick held for the previous 24 seasons. Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will help oversee the development of No. 3 pick Drake Maye as the team’s quarterback of the future. The Patriots quarterback of the present, meanwhile, is Jacoby Brissett.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 11: Bears vs. Packers

Sunday, Nov. 17, noon, Fox-32

The Bears have lost 10 straight to the Packers, dating to a colossal dud in the 2019 season opener. Consider this yet another chance to turn the tide. It’s also a big test during what could become a pivotal 12-day stretch for the Bears in the NFC North.

• Biggs: Packers
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 12: Bears vs. Vikings

Sunday, Nov. 24, noon, Fox-32

The Vikings selected their quarterback of the future at No. 10 last month, drafting La Grange Park native J.J. McCarthy. The question now is how quickly McCarthy will leapfrog veteran Sam Darnold as QB1.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Vikings

Week 13: Bears at Lions

Thursday, Nov. 28, 11:30 a.m., CBS-2

Finish up your Turkey Trot and get to the couch early. It’s another Thanksgiving showdown for the Bears at Ford Field, the team’s fifth trip to Detroit for Thanksgiving in the last 11 seasons. Also of note: The Bears blew a 12-point lead in the final four minutes during a galling loss in Motown last November.

• Biggs: Lions
• Kane: Lions
• Wiederer: Lions

Week 14: Bears at 49ers

Sunday, Dec. 8, 3:25 p.m., Fox-32

The Bears are working hard to open a window of sustained championship contention. The 49ers are square in the middle of theirs — though still stinging from an overtime Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. Still, if the Bears defense needs a good measuring-stick game, a date with Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Trent Williams fits.

• Biggs: 49ers
• Kane: 49ers
• Wiederer: 49ers

Week 15: Bears at Vikings

Monday, Dec. 16, 7:15 p.m., ABC-7

Bears Vikings

The “Monday Night Football” stage awaits. And presumably the Bears will be squarely “in the hunt” for a playoff berth as the NFC North race heats up during the Christmas season. The Bears have won four of their last six at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, including a walk-off 12-10 victory on a Monday night in December last season.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 16: Bears vs. Lions

Sunday, Dec. 22, noon, Fox-32

Rams Lions Football

When the Lions traded Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff three years ago, many expected Goff would be a placeholder until Detroit found its quarterback of the future. This week Goff signed his third NFL contract, agreeing to a four-year, $212 million extension as the Lions vie to become an NFC powerhouse for years to come.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Lions
• Wiederer: Lions

Week 17: Bears vs. Seahawks

Thursday, Dec. 26, 7:15 p.m., Prime Video

A second Thursday nighter will bring another quick turnaround for the Bears. Of the eight teams that underwent head coaching changes this offseason, five are on the Bears schedule in 2024. Mike Macdonald — who replaced Pete Carroll in Seattle — will bring his team to Soldier Field the day after Christmas.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 18: Bears at Packers

Saturday, Jan. 4, or Sunday, Jan. 5, TBD

Bears vs Packers

If the stars align, the stakes for the season finale will be huge. Caleb Williams grew up idolizing Aaron Rodgers, who won four MVP awards, eight division titles and one Super Bowl during 15 seasons starting for the Packers. Now Williams gets his first opportunity to play at Lambeau Field.

• Biggs: Packers
• Kane: Packers
• Wiederer: Packers

2024 season predictions

Brad Biggs: 10-7

If the Bears develop in the manner they believe is possible, the stretch run of the season beginning on Thanksgiving in Detroit will be a great challenge for a young roster that will have to learn how to win meaningful games. The game at Ford Field against the defending NFC North champions begins a stretch of three straight road games, and the Bears will have the Lions twice, the defending NFC champion 49ers and the Packers in the final six games. It’s the kind of stretch that can define a season in a schedule with some quirks, including three consecutive home games early — though one comes with an asterisk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London against the Jaguars.

Extra time to prepare for the Dec. 8 game at San Francisco coming out of Thanksgiving will help, and there’s a long week before playing at Minnesota on “Monday Night Football” on Dec. 16. Of course that leaves a short week to prep for the Lions at Soldier Field on Dec. 22. If the season goes the way the Bears hope — if the arrival of Caleb Williams really sparks something — maybe that Week 18 game in Green Bay would be flexed to prime time. Because how can the Bears have a remarkable season and not tussle with the Packers in prime time?

Colleen Kane: 10-7

The NFL gifted Chicago with a home opener against a beatable Titans team for Caleb Williams’ regular-season debut. And then the league gifted the national audience with a matchup of Williams against C.J. Stroud, the 2023 offensive rookie of the year, in Week 2. That game won’t be easy, but against a manageable early schedule, the Bears have a chance to get to their Week 7 bye at .500 — or maybe a little better depending on how they handle their first London trip since 2019 in Week 6. The Jaguars have more experience in international games, and that could give them a leg up.

After the bye, the trip to play the Commanders and new quarterback Jayden Daniels is fun, and the trip to play the 49ers in December is … formidable. It could be the toughest test the Bears face all season. The meat of the second half of the schedule comes with all six NFC North games after Week 10. That means the Bears will have a tough final stretch against the Lions and Packers to earn a playoff berth. But it also means Williams and the revamped Bears offense will have time to click before facing their division rivals.

The Thanksgiving meeting with the Lions should be one of the biggest of the year. And in my opinion, the Bears regular season always should end with the Packers. A January 2025 trip to Lambeau Field — where the Bears last won in 2015 — seems like the perfect place to prove this is a new Bears era.

Dan Wiederer: 9-8

The fun is back in Chicago for what sets up to be a compelling season, starting with Caleb Williams’ debut — a very winnable home game against the Titans. That should have Bears fans at full tilt right out of the gates. It also will be the first of three consecutive games against AFC South opponents to open the year, a schedule abnormality that should allow Williams and the Bears to build early momentum.

Still, for a team like the Bears, now five seasons removed from their last winning season, there isn’t the luxury yet of having a full slate of should-win opportunities. This remains an on-the-rise team that must remain ultrafocused for every step of its treacherous climb.

Ten of the Bears’ 17 games this season come against teams that finished above .500 last season, including six against opponents that won at least one playoff game. Also on the schedule: seven opposing starting quarterbacks who have received Pro Bowl recognition in their careers and three other quarterbacks who were drafted in the top 10 last month.

There’s every reason to believe the Bears can take a significant step forward this season and emerge as a legitimate playoff contender. The fate of the season, though, likely hinges on how well they navigate a closing stretch that includes all six NFC North games over the final eight weeks.

The throw was a little low and to the outside, and before Williams returned to the huddle for the next play, he quickly motioned for Bates to run the route again and made an accurate throw on a do-over.

It probably won’t happen regularly in training camp this summer but it provided a glimpse into the wiring of Williams as the No. 1 pick in last month’s draft begins a crash course at Halas Hall to prepare him for the remainder of the offseason program.

Coach Matt Eberflus opened his media availability Friday noting how large the crowd was on what can sometimes be a mundane weekend. He didn’t hesitate declaring Williams the starting quarterback for the season ahead — a surprise to positively no one.

“It’s really a great opportunity,” Eberflus said when asked about rebooting at the position. “It’s refreshing to be able to do that. I know the whole building’s excited about working together, not only with Caleb but with everybody. It’s certainly nice to have that fresh start.”

During the crisp 85-minute practice at Halas Hall, the Bears put a heavy emphasis on fundamentals. Williams split reps with Austin Reed, an undrafted rookie from Western Kentucky, during two 7-on-7 periods. Williams made a nice throw to tryout tight end Shelton Zeon on a seam route that was just off his hands, but the timing of the play was sharp. On the next snap, Williams delivered a good throw to fellow first-round pick Rome Odunze on a deep in-breaking route.

The only real misfire was on quick out route that tryout cornerback Leon Jones made a nice break on to deflect with his left hand, the kind of play that can get the Arkansas State product noticed. There was a brief 11-on-11 period, but it was focused solely on calls at the line of scrimmage and adjustments — they didn’t snap the ball.

That’s what football looks like when the organization is beginning at ground zero to build the offense around a new quarterback, one they hope delivers the franchise to new heights.

General manager Ryan Poles described a total building approach to putting Williams on a path to success, which makes sense considering to ultimately achieve their goals, the quarterback must be the one leading the way.

“The infrastructure has to be there,” Poles said. “And I think we’ve done that part to have the talent around our quarterback now. The other thing is our entire organization is going to have to be on the same page on how we handle this, how we develop Caleb.

“I think we have a really good approach with all of the players and I think that’s maybe different than it was in the past. The way we take it really serious in terms of a nutritional standpoint to performance to mental skills to how our coaches teach. I think we’ve made some really good strides.

“But it’s going to take everybody and everyone is going to be on the same page. We’ve got to adjust to the strengths and weaknesses that the player has.”

Photos: Chicago Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall

The Bears have had months to prepare for Williams’ arrival — they’ve known since early January this was the path they were headed down — so there’s no doubt a detailed plan for introducing him to the offense to everything else imaginable happens inside Halas Hall.

For a glimpse into some foundational aspects that were used from Day 1 for previous first-year quarterbacks, four coaches — three of whom worked with quarterbacks who won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year awards — and one general manager were polled.

Everyone is watching

Poles likely has put into place ideas he learned in Kansas City, Mo., from Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who developed Patrick Mahomes and before that Donovan McNabb with the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid strongly believes in allowing rookie quarterbacks to learn while observing. Mahomes was an understudy to Alex Smith as a rookie. McNabb watched from the sideline for the first nine games in 1999 as Doug Pederson’s backup.

The Bears don’t have anyone resembling Smith on their roster, and it’s a foregone conclusion that barring an injury, Williams will start Week 1.

“Andy had this philosophy of growing the quarterback,” said former Bears offensive assistant Brad Childress, who was the Chiefs assistant head coach during Mahomes’ rookie season and was McNabb’s quarterbacks coach for his first three seasons. “I would like to grow the quarterback as opposed to kick him off in the deep end. I just think there are scars that can happen that you can’t fix. But there’s been 100 schools of thought. Peyton Manning was the exact opposite. He will tell you there is no substitute for real, live plays to learn from in his rookie season. His career was a testament to that.”

Growth and development are best measured on the field, but it’s charted in everything the quarterback does.

Caleb Williams is his ‘authentic self’ on and off the field. And the QB plans to use his confidence to lead the Chicago Bears to greatness.

“Things like how people see you work,” Childress said. “That was important to Andy in both spots that you were first in and last out or at least you were seen that way. You were on the treadmill because you’re not running 100 go routes as a receiver or getting the workout that a tight end or running back gets in practice. So, Donovan would come in and get on the treadmill every morning and get his workout in and then maybe be eating a plate of scrambled eggs, checking out the last day’s practice or the next opponent.

“It was important that everybody in the building saw that you were in there every day. And the building, quite frankly, had a different buzz to it when the franchise quarterback was in town. That’s how Andy did it with Patrick when Alex Smith was there. Same thing. He was in early, 6:30, 7 o’clock in the morning. He was like a fly on the wall. I’m not going to say he didn’t say anything but he kind of spoke when spoken to.”

Keep the game quiet

Former St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan was the offensive coordinator for Matthew Stafford with the Detroit Lions and Dak Prescott with the Dallas Cowboys during their rookie seasons, and they couldn’t have experienced more diametrically opposed situations. Like Williams, Stafford was the top pick in the draft, joining a roster that was 0-16 the previous season. Prescott was a fourth-round pick who wasn’t expected to play — until starter Tony Romo and backup Kellen Moore went down with injuries in the same week of training camp.

But the basics for evolving a first-year quarterback were similar.

“I think you’ve got to throw a lot at them and let them spend a lot of time regurgitating that information,” said Linehan, now an offensive analyst for the University of Montana. “And when you’re focused on your daily process, you’re sort of dialed in on certain things so you can get nuanced as you go.

“It’s not an overnight process. It takes a lot of time. There’s really a lot of time that has to be spent in group settings and with your offensive line, how you’re identifying defenses and how you’re calling the run game and what the concepts are and obviously the pass protections can be quite numerous. Rookie quarterbacks, I think it’s beneficial, where you really hone in on that 80 to 85% of what you actually call in games. Get really focused on that.”

Stafford took his lumps as a rookie because beyond the presence of wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the Lions were deficient across the board. Prescott, the 2016 rookie of the year, flourished with an elite line, a fellow rookie in running back Ezekiel Elliott and skill talent including wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten on a team during a season in which Matt Eberflus was a Cowboys defensive assistant.

“Stafford succeeded as much as any quarterback in the league could with what he had around him that rookie year,” Linehan said. “You can keep the game kind of quiet for a rookie quarterback by staying ahead of the chains and having a pretty reliable running game. That doesn’t mean you’re always going to do it. Some defenses are going to make you throw it. If that is the case, the Bears should have a fair amount of success if the quarterback is who they think he is because he’s got people to throw the ball to. I think that is a good starting point. I’m pretty sure that is probably part of their plan but I’m not privy to that.”

Take the layup when it’s there

Former Bears quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, who was in that role with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 when Justin Herbert was rookie of the year, stressed the importance of not putting too much on the quarterback.

“How do you present a scheme and overall plan to make them successful? You de-emphasize the quarterback position,” Hamilton said. “Look at Detroit. Look at San Francisco and even the Rams. Those are just three teams and you’re going to start to see more trend this way, those operations are really run-first operations. Everything comes off the run game.

“For the first time in the history of the league, we’ve allowed for the offensive philosophy to trickle up from college football as opposed to it being the inverse. We’re majoring in shotgun offense, 11 personnel. Defenses are going to demolish the quarterbacks if we continue to trend that way and not pose the threat of creating conflicts by being able to run the football. You’re exposing the quarterback more frequently by putting him in the shotgun and having fewer ways to convince the defense that you may be running the ball.

“If you have Patrick Mahomes, now you can possibly get away with being somewhat one-dimensional and he can beat you from the gun a lot of different ways. You can’t tell me anyone else that can do it consistently. You can’t tell me Joe Burrow because he’s going to get hit, hit, hit. He can’t protect himself. Justin Herbert? He’s .500 in his career because he hasn’t had a running game. Austin Ekeler in no way was a true run threat from the backfield. He was a pass threat.”

That’s a schematic decision Hamilton believes is important, and if the Bears are thinking along those lines, it could mean big things for D’Andre Swift and the team’s collection of running backs. In terms of quarterback-specific play, Hamilton said he spent the bulk of his time preparing Herbert to play under center, something the Bears will have to do with Williams, and understanding the benefit of gimmes.

“I spent as much time as I could showing him examples of what winning quarterback play looks like in the NFL,” Hamilton said. “The most prominent takeaway during that time when we studied Tom Brady, Drew Brees, was this one simple statistic. Brady and Brees completed close to 35% of their passes on first and second downs to running backs. It was about me getting Herbert to understand the value of taking his check-downs.”

Chargers running backs combined for 129 receptions that season, and while it sounds simplistic, a 5-yard completion to a back on first-and-10 keeps the offense on schedule. In comparison, Bears running backs caught 121 passes over the last two seasons combined. Herbert totaled 4,336 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a rookie, entering the league’s upper echelon.

Do the extra things

Former Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was the head coach with Carolina when the Panthers drafted Cam Newton at No. 1 in 2011. That was a unique situation because the lockout wiped out the offseason program, so Panthers coaches had to plan to develop a quarterback they wanted to start without being able to work with him.

Newton, like nearly every quarterback, wasn’t experienced in playing under center. He went to IMG in Florida to work with Ken Dorsey, now a veteran NFL coach, and they drilled that element of his game.

“That was awesome because he went and did exactly what we needed him to do,” Rivera said. “Kenny knew the language, so Cam came in familiar with what we’re doing. Play-action, under center, working on specific routes that were a little unfamiliar to him. Once we came out of the lockout, we were able to talk to Kenny and he explained to us everything they had done. We had a good feel for where they were.”

That dovetails into something Rivera insists was paramount to Newton’s success as he ascended to become rookie of the year: extra work.

“He had a couple days in training camp where he was really stagnant,” Rivera said. “It was like, ‘What’s going on?’ It was a deal where what we put in yesterday, he struggled with today because it was overwhelming. There’s times where you sit there and you tell him, ‘This is a lot of volume but you have to do the extra things to learn the volume.’ ”

Williams already has been doing extra things, saying he got some fundamental work in with his private coach, Will Hewlett, after his top-30 visit in early April. So he was already prepping for what was in store this weekend.

Layer it on

Rick Spielman, the former GM of the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins and the personnel director for the Bears from 1997-99, believes Poles tailored the roster for Williams to have success from the outset. He imagines there is a detailed plan, down to the day, in place, something Rivera also said but something that has to remain flexible.

“Front-office wise, they made all these moves to make sure that Caleb has playmakers around him and then from the coaching side of it, I am sure there is, ‘What are we going to do so we can be sure this kid is going to be comfortable with?’ ” Spielman said.

“Last year in Houston, C.J. Stroud, first preseason game I watched, he looked like a deer in headlights up in New England. What they did was actually start trimming things back. After Week 1, they said, ‘Let’s get him to do these few concepts. Once he masters those, then we’ll start layering on as the season progresses.’ Whether it was protections, the way they were sliding, how they were identifying it, to make it simple so the quarterback can play fast and not have to sit there and go through three or four reads.

“I thought in Carolina last year, they did the opposite with Bryce (Young). They were trying to combine four or five different systems. Now, they didn’t have a lot of talent around him either, but it looked like he was drinking through a fire hose when you watched him play. Stroud is very bright and very smart but it looked like it was overwhelming with everything they were trying to have him do. And you can’t do that. I don’t care who you are as a rookie, that is hard.”

Establishing a base

Eberflus said the offensive coaches have ensured the install is “likable and learnable,” and even so there will be challenging days ahead. Just as Williams is learning the offense, the coaches and staff will be learning more about him, and that will lead to things evolving.

“Top 30 was big for me, gave me a bunch of notes, ideas of how the offense is, verbiage, drops, cadence and all the things that really matter — break from the huddle, getting into the huddle, being able to communicate and how those things go,” Williams said. “Right now I feel pretty good.

“Obviously we’ll go out here today and we’re going to have a few mess-ups, probably, and things like that, working to do eliminate those as fast as possible. But you need those things to grow and progress throughout the time and years and things like that. So excited, but I feel pretty good right now.”

And that’s what you would expect on Day 1 for QB1. The path that lies ahead has been planned. The journey promises to be fascinating.

As for the 2023 draft class, there is no shortage of options to take a step forward in Year 2. The Tribune’s Brad Biggs dives into that question and many others in his weekly Bears mailbag.

Do you think with the investment on offense this season that it’s possible the Bears will be seen as an offensive team as early as this year? Could the offense be rated higher than the defense? — @jermaine611

That has to be the hope, right? If the Bears aren’t making a big ol’ jump in a lot of offensive categories over the next two seasons, something has gone awry. Ultimately the goal is to be very good on both sides of the ball, as it’s difficult to be a Super Bowl contender if you’re excellent in one phase and way below average in the other.

There are a lot of ways to look at offensive and defensive numbers, but ultimately the biggest factors are points and points allowed. Since 1995, the Bears have finished in the top 10 in scoring four times (eighth in 1995, second in 2006, second in 2013 and ninth in 2018). In that same span, they’ve finished in the top 10 in scoring defense eight times, ranking No. 1 in 2001, 2005 and 2018. Before I looked up the numbers, I would have guessed the defense had more top-10 finishes in that span.

The Bears have made some huge moves on offense, none bigger than using the No. 1 draft pick on quarterback Caleb Williams. Including the additions of wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze over the past year-plus, as well as running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett, and it’s a totally new-look offense under first-year coordinator Shane Waldron. Everyone should expect some growing pains, but there’s definitely reason for optimism that the Bears offense can be more formidable after a handful of lackluster seasons.

Will that change your view of the team? Will the Bears become one of those teams that you think about their potent offense first? If that’s the case, that means they’re probably cooking with Williams and the new cast of offensive players. General manager Ryan Poles also has made major investments on defense the last couple of years, so it’s not like that side of the ball has been overlooked. The Bears have a defensive-minded head coach in Matt Eberflus, so I think that will remain a major part of their identity.

As I said, the goal is to be good on both sides of the ball, and the salary cap creates inherent challenges in roster building and leads to difficult decisions at times. But the Bears have a young roster with flexibility to make moves as desired. This is a storyline worth monitoring because you have to believe the Bears are hoping to have a much different identity in the near future.

How much do you think Ryan Poles valued the D-line class next year to pass on some of the top edge rushers? — @dabearszach

I understand what you’re saying but I don’t look at it that way, and I’d be a little surprised if Poles applied similar logic when he used the No. 9 pick on Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. The evaluation he and his staff made was Odunze versus other players available at that spot, including Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and the four edge rushers who went in Round 1 between the 15th and 21st picks.

It’s really early to begin evaluating the 2025 draft class, but there looks to be a nice crop in the trenches beginning with Tennessee’s James Pearce and including other edge rushers such as Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton, Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, Mississippi’s Princely Umanmielen and Louisville’s Ashton Gillotte. Add tackles Mason Graham of Michigan and massive Deone Walker of Kentucky and you have the makings of a talented group.

But I don’t think you can look at the draft a year out and project how those players will develop this season while having no idea where you will be picking or how you would evaluate these players against guys at other positions. That just can’t be a deciding factor in what to do with a pick this year. I believe there’s a good chance the Bears would have wound up with Murphy had Odunze not been available, but that’s just a hunch. They went with the player they feel will help them most over the long haul.

I note a lot of questions regarding their needs for an offensive line improvement. So I have a question that’s not Bears-specific, but hope you can provide an answer. When offensive linemen go down, it seems most often that it’s with a knee injury. I’ve noticed that many teams in college have their linemen wear knee braces. I’m not sure exactly how effective they are in terms of limiting injuries, but why doesn’t the NFL consider taking that tack? — Mike P.

Interesting question and to get a good answer, I reached out to former Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long for his take on playing in the trenches with or without knee braces.

“When I went to junior college, I was at D-end my first year and we didn’t have to wear knee braces,” Long said. “My second year, I went to offensive tackle and our O-line coach had mandated knee braces and I told him I’m only going to wear one and it was on my right knee because I was playing left tackle. I was trying to protect myself from getting rolled up on the inside. These colleges, they wear the knee braces because it’s been done for so long. I don’t know if you take them off that you’ll have that much of an increase in blocking ability.

“It’s a feel thing, man. As an offensive lineman, when you wear those braces you feel less athletic. You and I know better than anyone that the elite offensive linemen are just really, really big athletes, and when you put the knee brace on there, you’re kind of neutering your athlete. Look good, feel good, play good. Part of that is feeling good, and if you have a knee brace on and it comes undone after every play and you’ve got to strap it up and it’s digging into the back of your hamstring, you’re not focused on the mission. So it’s one of those things you can eliminate a distraction.

“Do I understand why guys wear them? Yes, from the side and front-on collisions and not hyperextending it, I get all that. But at the end of the day, I think you stand to gain more from being athletic and being able to make blocks in space and change direction laterally with great efficiency and give ground grudgingly than you do protecting yourself from an injury.”

Braces will help prevent knee injuries, but as Long noted, they don’t prevent all injuries and they don’t make linemen bulletproof below the waist.

“People don’t understand the knee brace limits the knee movement,” Long said. “But if you have a fulcrum on your leg and you have something braced, the energy is going to travel elsewhere. That’s when the ankle becomes a thing, the leg, tibia, fibula, all that kind of stuff. It may not be knee but it will be something else.”

I hope that gives you a glimpse into what linemen consider when deciding what equipment to use.

Who wins the right guard spot out of camp? Will it be Nate Davis or will another player emerge? — @ebrown1481

This doesn’t look to me like a job that’s legitimately open for competition. Yes, every player has to compete for his job, beginning in the voluntary offseason program and carrying through training camp and preseason. But the Bears made a significant investment in Davis when they signed him a year ago to a three-year, $30 million contract in free agency. His $8.75 million base salary for this season is fully guaranteed, so I can’t imagine there are plans to potentially push him aside.

Davis wasn’t great last season and I think the Bears would say as much. His training camp was interrupted some because his mother was ill, and when she passed away early in the season, he missed time. The hope has to be with more consistent preparation this summer that Davis will be in a better spot when the season begins.

Which member of the 2023 draft class will take the biggest step forward in their second season? — Walter H., O’Fallon, Mo.

That’s a good question and there are no shortage of options as nine of the 10 players the Bears drafted a year ago remain on the roster. Obviously the hope is that right tackle Darnell Wright, last year’s first-round selection, turns out to be the answer. He was solid throughout his rookie season but needs to play with more consistency to reach the next level.

I’d imagine cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, a second-round pick, will be able to build off an impressive debut season. But I’m going to assume you’re looking for another answer. It would be a terrific development for the team if defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, a third-round pick from South Carolina, has a better feel for the pro game and can be more consistently disruptive at the point of attack.

I would keep an eye on running back Roschon Johnson, a fourth-round pick from Texas. He’ll need more work than he got last season and that will be based in part on how free-agent signee D’Andre Swift performs, but Johnson flashed at times in 2023. He had 352 rushing yards (4.35 per carry) and was targeted 40 times in the passing game with 34 receptions. He also showed the ability to handle pass-protection assignments. But Johnson got more than six carries in only four games, so it was tough for him to make a mark on a regular basis. I don’t believe the addition of Swift was a knock on Johnson. They have different skill sets. Swift has big-play ability and I think the team remains pretty high on Johnson.

Also keep an eye on cornerback Terell Smith. The fifth-round pick from Minnesota had a good training camp last summer, battled an illness and then appeared in 12 games with four starts. Cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke does a really nice job developing young players, and Smith’s ascent was overshadowed at times by Stevenson’s play. There’s not a clear path to playing time with Jaylon Johnson, Stevenson and Kyler Gordon ahead of Smith, but this is a good problem to have as there’s no such thing as too much cornerback depth. Smith had six pass breakups and seemed to learn from his mistakes. He was a sneaky-good pick and has a bright future ahead if he continues to improve.

Is there one addition to the roster that hasn’t been talked about a whole lot that will have a big impact? Love all the focus on Caleb Williams and the wide receivers, but Ryan Poles has made a lot of moves. — OC, Sterling Heights, Mich.

The guy I imagine the Bears are looking at to be the answer to this question is veteran free safety Kevin Byard. Poles deviated a little from his usual approach in free agency by signing an older player to replace the departed Eddie Jackson. Byard will turn 31 in August and is entering his ninth season.

It’s pretty evident the team hopes Byard will galvanize a young secondary that has only one other starter, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, not playing on a rookie contract. Byard was a standout for several seasons with the Tennessee Titans before being traded midseason last year to the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s fair to say he’s not the player he was in his prime, but he has been remarkably durable — he hasn’t missed a game because of injury in his career — and he had a career-high 122 tackles last season. He has 28 career interceptions, fifth among active players, and ball production is a significant factor.

“He’s going to be a really good addition on the back end,” Poles said. “Communication, leadership. He still has speed. He still has ball skills. And I really think he’s going to affect the defensive group at a high level.”

Said coach Matt Eberflus: “Smart. Experienced. Very good communicator. And ballhawk. To me, those things are what you’re looking for. He’s got great range. He’s still got really good speed.”

I will note that a couple of teams I spoke with were surprised by what the Bears paid Byard, who got a two-year, $15 million contract in a crowded free-agent market for veteran safeties. Byard will earn $8 million this season, and the sentiment among some folks I chatted with was that supply and demand would have provided more economical options.

That being said, the Bears clearly are placing faith in the intangibles Byard brings with a belief that his athletic ability and range still make him an upper-tier defender in the middle of the field. It’s only a two-year deal with a guarantee of $11 million, so it’s not like the team tied up a bunch of money in him. Given Poles’ history thus far of being selective with older free agents, he’s probably due the benefit of the doubt here that Byard has ample gas remaining in the tank.

Given a rookie QB and a new offense with multiple changes at the skill positions and center, how much do you see the starters playing in the preseason? Or will they get more than enough work in joint practices and vs. their own defense to be able to hit the ground running Week 1? — @jtbcubs

That’s definitely a question coach Matt Eberflus will be asked as training camp gets rolling. With an extra preseason game in the Hall of Fame Game, there will be more opportunities, but we’ve seen the last several years that a lot of teams keep all of their starters out of that game. The key, as you know, is entering the season with good health across the board, and I would imagine that was a significant factor in scheduling joint practices.

Maybe the Bears will give the first-team offense a little more work in the preseason to acclimate Caleb Williams to the NFL, but I wouldn’t expect to see a ton of him. It’s just the way it works in the league these days, and there’s a fine line between getting players reps in meaningless games and doing everything possible to keep starters healthy for games that actually count.

Last summer Justin Fields got 20 snaps in the preseason. Recall that Eberflus said the starters got in so much good work in Indianapolis during joint practices with the Colts that he opted to hold them out of the second preseason game because he didn’t want to tax them too much. Obviously the offense was not good in the season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers. Would more preseason action have made a difference? Maybe. That’s probably debatable.

Just for reference, I checked what the Houston Texans did with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud last year. He logged 43 snaps in preseason games. While Fields sat out the second week of the preseason, Stroud got 22 snaps in the Texans’ second game, basically accounting for the difference.

You’d have a difficult time convincing me a difference of 23 preseason snaps would make a big difference when it comes to Week 1 performance.

Are Coleman Shelton/Ryan Bates really the centers the Bears are going to roll with or is Bates’ positional versatility masking the fact that the Bears are going to make another move at the position in the form of signing Connor Williams or a trade? — @balakay

There were multiple questions along this line this week, and for a month-plus now, folks seem to doubt the Bears are serious about entering the season with Bates and Shelton as their top options at center. There was a possibility — and it almost certainly would have required a trade down from the No. 9 pick — that the Bears could have landed one of the better center prospects in the draft. That didn’t happen, so what you see right now is what you get.

I’ve written multiple times that Bates will get the first shot to win the starting job and that Shelton projects as the backup as we sit here in early May. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for the Bears to trade for Bates, sign Shelton and then have an over-the-top third move waiting to happen. I don’t believe Ryan Poles would have traded a fifth-round pick for Bates with an eye toward him being a swing interior lineman, especially when there was a chance the Buffalo Bills might have released the veteran. That move was made with the thinking that Bates has a good chance to start.

Williams, who played really well for the Miami Dolphins, isn’t healthy enough to sign with any team right now. He suffered a knee injury last season that was more than just a standard torn ACL. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, described it in March as a “pretty significant” injury, explaining that Williams was focused on getting healthy. So I’d put him out of your mind until we hear differently about his status.

Will the Bears add another receiver to the mix? Currently, they have Tyler Scott as the assumed WR4. Dante Pettis, Collin Johnson and Velus Jones Jr. are all on the roster. Will there be another WR added that has a chance at compete for playing time before training camp or OTAs? — @coachsmyth

I doubt the front office has this earmarked as a need area right now. The Bears’ top three receivers can stack up against just about any big three throughout the league. A position that has been mostly problematic for a long, long time is suddenly a strength, and that creates a situation in which Scott can develop without a lot of pressure.

The Bears really liked Scott when they selected him in the fourth round out of Cincinnati last year. He made a couple of high-profile mistakes that happen for rookies and the Bears had subpar quarterback play, and Scott finished the season with only 17 receptions for 168 yards. I don’t see any reason the Bears would want to block Scott’s opportunity to develop by signing a player with more experience and success who might be near the end of the line. Nsimba Webster is also in the mix with the players you mentioned.

I could certainly see the Bears adding more receivers to the 90-man roster to have camp bodies. They currently have nine and sometimes that number can reach 11 or so. But why not allow Scott and even Jones, whom I have reservations about, to do everything they can to carve out a role?

At this time in 2019, the Bears were coming off a 12-4 season — only two teams had a better record — and hope was bubbling over at Halas Hall as the organization prepared for its 100th season with all the accompanying festivities.

The league deviated that year from its normal course of having the defending Super Bowl champion host the Thursday night season opener and pivoted to the Bears against the rival Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. The 10-3 loss was a jarring thud to begin the season, a harbinger of struggles to come.

Surely the Bears will be much better equipped to start this season with a new offense led by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and supported by wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, a mix of running backs and an offensive line the team believes will be improved.

Playing in the country’s largest one-team television market, the Bears will be coveted by the league’s network partners for not only prime-time games, but also late afternoon Sunday games. Even when the Bears are mediocre — as they’ve been for most of the last decade-plus — they post good ratings.

So brace yourself for a slate filled with prime-time action.

Here’s what we know about the Bears’ 2024 schedule

• They will have nine home games and one will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where the Bears lost to the Oakland Raiders in 2019. The home opponents besides the NFC North rivals — the Packers, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings — are the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars are expected to be the opponent in London.

• The Bears will have eight road games. The opponents will be the divisional foes along with the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders.

• The Bears will have four preseason games, beginning with the Hall of Fame Game against the Texans on Aug. 1 at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Two other preseason games will be on the road and one will be played at Soldier Field.

Five marquee opponents

Packers

Until the Bears can reverse their long-running struggles in this series, they’re going to have a mighty difficult time taking the North. The Packers have won the last 10 meetings and are 15-1 against the Bears since a Thanksgiving night meeting at Lambeau Field in 2015.

Lions

The reigning NFC North champions went 12-5 last year and reloaded this offseason. Like the Bears and Packers, the Lions have a young roster with budding stars. The Bears are 8-4 against Detroit the last six seasons, including a 28-13 victory at Soldier Field in December, but the Lions arrived at contender status first, reaching the NFC championship game last season before a disastrous second half at San Francisco cost them a trip to Super Bowl LVIII.

49ers

There’s no better measuring stick for the progress of general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus than a road trip to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The 49ers have reached the Super Bowl twice in the last five seasons and are 25-9 in the regular season over the last two years. The last time the Bears won on the road against a 49ers team that finished with a winning record was 1985.

Texans

C.J. Stroud rode to prominence as a rookie last season when he passed for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns after Houston drafted him with the No. 2 pick. Stroud was so good that he was able to reverse the fortunes of a struggling franchise from the jump. The Bears passed on the former Ohio State quarterback when they traded out of the No. 1 pick in 2023.

Rams

They’re coming off a 10-7 season and an appearance in the wild-card round. Provided veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford remains healthy, they should be formidable in the post-Aaron Donald era. Coach Sean McVay is known for offensive ingenuity, but the Bears scored a total of 35 points in the teams’ last three meetings — all losses and all at Los Angeles.

Airing it out

One measuring stick that can be instructive when evaluating a schedule that’s four months from starting is to judge the expected quarterback matchups, or at least try to evaluate them. The Bears have an unknown quantity in Williams but believe that with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, they will be able to bring out the best in the No. 1 pick, especially with the strong supporting cast.

The Bears have six games against opponents with a quarterback who finished in the top 11 in passer rating last season: Brock Purdy (49ers, first), Stroud (Texans, sixth), Jared Goff (Lions, ninth) and Jordan Love (Packers, 11th). There are eight games against opponents with QBs who finished in the top 11 in passing yards in 2023: the aforementioned names along with the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence and Stafford.

There will be no shortage of measuring-stick games for Williams against quarterbacks the Bears could have drafted the last two years in Stroud, the Panthers’ Bryce Young, the Colts’ Anthony Richardson, the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, the Patriots’ Drake Maye and the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy.

One fact that shouldn’t be discounted when evaluating how Eberflus’ defense played in the second half of last season is that the Bears had games against Young, Josh Dobbs (Vikings), Joe Flacco (Cleveland Browns), Kyler Murray (Cardinals) fresh off a serious knee injury and Taylor Heinicke (Atlanta Falcons). Yes, the game in Cleveland wasn’t a positive reflection of what were generally solid improvements.

Strength of schedule

There are five opponents that reached the playoffs in 2023 (Lions, Packers, 49ers, Rams and Texans) and five last-place teams (Cardinals, Commanders, Panthers, Patriots and Titans). All five finished with a worse record than the Bears (7-10).

Sharp Football Analysis makes the case that the best way to gauge strength of schedule when there’s a full summer ahead before games begin is to analyze the expected win totals for all 32 teams at Las Vegas sportsbooks. It gives a more accurate picture than stacking up teams based on 2023 winning percentages. ESPNBet has the Bears’ over/under at 8½ victories (-150), meaning that total is trending toward nine.

Using that method, the Bears have the third-easiest schedule, according to Warren Sharp, behind only the Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers. Was this formula telling in 2023? Per the website, 10 of the 15 teams with the easiest schedules based on Vegas O/U win totals reached the playoffs and nine went over their total. Only four teams from the 17 most difficult schedules went to the playoffs and only four eclipsed their win total.

Maybe that’s a clue of success to come for the Bears, something that would be largely predicated on how Williams develops. Now we wait for the actual schedule to drop.