Off-Season Optimism. The road to the playoffs. Chicago Bears News. Tis the season for optimism. Training camp is right around the corner, everyone is generally in a good mood, we all have our eyes set on a particular player X to break out or show vast improvement, and we haven't lost a game yet, so why not look ahead to what the road to the playoffs may look like. These things have to happen in a perfect world, starting with the quarterback.

1. Justin Fields takes the Year 2 leap. He has the physical abilities to take over a game, and In an offense that should better suit his skill set, and with much more familiarity with opposing defenses, he becomes one of the better QBs in the NFC.

Justin Fields will be on the move. Getsy's offense promises to be some mix of the LaFleur-Kubiak branch of the Shanahan tree, using the wide-zone rushing attack to set up bootlegs, rollouts, and deep shots. Fields had the NFL's highest passer rating (138.5) on designed rollouts last season. The problem was, Nagy called just 19 of them. Luke Getsy installing a wide-zone offense this offseason. There'sThere's reason to believe a big jump could be coming from Fields.

2. David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert form a 1-2 punch in the backfield that allows the Bears to be one of the most effective rushing teams in the league, with help from the new outside-zone scheme and fullback Khari Blasingame.

3. Mooney becomes a No. 1 wide receiver, Byron Pringle emerges as the clear No. 2, while Velus Jones Jr. becomes a playmaker. The Bears need one or two receivers to surprise everyone this season. It could be Jones, whose speed has stood out early in OTAs. It's one thing to run a 4.31 and another to look the part on the field, and he does.

4. Cole Kmet goes for 800 yards and five touchdowns. Kmet has gotten an unfair shake. First off, when has a tight end ever flourished in Nagy's offense? And we had our fair share of tight ends. Second, Kmet has never had the guy throwing him the ball. It's been a revolving door at QB. The touchdowns weren't there last year, but Kmet did finish the season with 60 catches on 93 targets for 612 yards. He was second on the team in receiving and could be up there again with some stability in his life.
Starting with a breakout game against the Steelers in Week 9, Kmet was in the top 10 in several receiving categories among NFL tight ends.

5. Teven Jenkins is what the Bears thought he was last year, holding down the right tackle spot, while Larry Borom does an outstanding job on the left side. Patrick becomes the next in a long line of above-average Bears centers, and rookie Zachary Thomas is the answer at right guard. Teven Jenkins will be a whole other animal, guys, dropping the weight and getting that core straight with Pilates alongside that M&M mentality that was on a leash last year. This man will be on a mission. There is a lot of talk about Right Guard. It's a concern. Mustipher did ok at the position when plugged in last year and may start there, but it will be short-lived as I see Zachary Thomas solidifying that position for years to come. The biggs think the right guard position isn't on the roster yet, so we shall see.

6. Trevis Gipson continues to ascend, and Dominique Robinson looks like the steal of the draft. A hidden positive in Quinn's absence has been Dominique Robinson. It sounds like his progress is moving faster than anticipated as he's caught the eye of Coach Flus in OTA's. This coaching staff is experienced with such things. They've elevated pass rushers in the past, and few had the sheer range of abilities Robinson does. Not only is he quick and explosive, but he can bend and has deceptive power. With more refining of his technique, he'll be a proper QB hunter in no time.

7. Roquan Smith finally gets a Pro Bowl berth thanks to his role in the new defense, while Nicholas Morrow earns himself a new contract with a couple of interceptions. The Bears best defensive player wasn't in charge of the defense. Instead of Roquan Smith, Morrow was handling the defensive calls and breaking the huddle. Smith handled them last season but for a different defense.

8. Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson give the Bears a long-term duo of lockdown corners. Thomas Graham Jr. proves that his late-season performance was no fluke as he takes on the nickel position admirably. Everything points to Graham pushing for that starting nickel job.

9. Eddie Jackson is a long way from the dizzying heights of 2018 when he was widely considered one of the best safeties in the NFL. There is room for some optimism, though. That comes in the form of Alan Williams. While he is familiar with every facet of defense, the bread and butter of Williams’ background are defensive backs. Especially safeties. Since 2002, he’s coached some excellent players at that position, including Bob Sanders and Harrison Smith. What gets lost on people is how much his influence as a coach seems to have.