The Bears are a team in transition after their third-straight season with six or fewer wins. That much was made clear when the team signed free-agent quarterback Mike Glennon, then traded up one spot in the first round of the 2017 draft for North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Clearly, the team is trying to get over the failed Jay Cutler experiment as quickly as possible.
Now if they could come up with some Fantasy success as quickly as possible, that would be great.
Glennon is expected to be the Bears' starter out of training camp. Despite winning just five of 18 starts with the Buccaneers from 2013-14, Glennon tossed 29 touchdowns versus 15 interceptions and averaged 223.6 passing yards. That's not too shabby. Unfortunately for Glennon, he'll play in an offense devoid of elite receiving talent. And once it's evident he can't move mountains with the likes of Cameron Meredith, Kevin White (if he's healthy) and Kendall Wright, he'll get bumped to the bench for Trubisky.
One guy who shouldn't get bumped to the bench is Jordan Howard. The running back made the Pro Bowl after rumbling for over 1,600 total yards in 15 games, collecting seven scores along the way. His role is expected to stay large in 2017, and with his offensive line becoming a strength, Fantasy owners should expect him to get looks as soon as Round 1.
Between their newfound, mostly inexperienced (and expensive) quarterback tandem and their lack of receiving threats, the Bears should end up leaning on Howard a bunch.
Breakout: Cameron Meredith
It's easy to look at Meredith and not call him an established, elite receiver. But he showed the chops last season to potentially become a real good target. The 6-foot-3 wideout is expected to play more along the outside of the formation and pick up more targets than he had last season. He was more than efficient with them, catching 68 percent of them and landing nearly 900 yards in 10 starts with four touchdowns. No one should expect Meredith to become a No. 1 Fantasy sensation, but he profiles as a guy who can help your team as a potential No. 2 or 3 and be had with a pick around 100th overall. That's incredible value that everyone reading this should at least consider.
Bust: Kevin White
This has nothing to do with the Bears' quarterbacks or offensive coordinator or schedule or anything else -- this has everything to do with White's inability to play effectively or play at all. In two seasons he's missed 28 games with various leg injuries, seemingly robbing him of his speed and quickness that enamored the Bears into taking him in the first place. When he did play last season he averaged less than 10 yards per catch and had one of 19 receptions go for longer than 20 yards. That's not what a receiver like White is supposed to do. You might consider him worth a pick in the double-digit rounds because of his potential, but don't even bother spending that much on him! He's a long way away from meeting the expectations we had for him when he was first drafted.
Dynasty-League Alert: Adam Shaheen
Everyone's looking for the next Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham, right? The formula typically involves a big player with uncommon speed and a basketball background. Shaheen checks all the boxes, which is why the Bears took him with a second-round pick. He looked like a giant playing among teenagers at Division-II Ashland College, racking up an astounding 26 touchdowns in 31 games with 13.6 yards per catch. At nearly 6-foot-7 and 278 pounds, Shaheen can run well and has the size and athleticism to box out smaller defenders in the end zone. The only thing missing is experience and refinement, but the sooner Shaheen gets those things, the sooner he'll be an asset in Fantasy. No one should draft him in seasonal redrafts but he is worth a late-round speculative pick in all long-term leagues.
