There are still spare parts to scoop up in free agency and the Bears have three valuable draft picks at the end of the month, but the bulk of their offseason renovations are done. And in the end, it’s very difficult to make the case that they’ve positioned themselves to jump from backsliding into the playoffs at 8-8 to being a legitimate contender.
That argument is so beyond believability, in fact, that general manager Ryan Pace isn’t trying to sell it. Instead, he’s out to explain the limitations that led to a lackluster offseason highlighted by the signing of Andy Dalton — a quarterback who would be a backup on almost any other team.