As much as we can speculate over what this offseason's moves will mean to the team and how good they'll be, but the bottom line is that we can't get a real idea of how good the offseason moves were until the team has had a chance to actually play with those new additions. So here we're going to go over last season's offseason moves. To be honest, we still really don't know the full scope of how good or bad these moves were, but at least we have a real idea at this point. I'm not going over all of the moves, but will cover the ones that were intended to make a real difference to the team (more than just a futures contract). I also won't bother with them bringing guys back unless there was something more to it.
Terminating the contract of Johnny Knox
Well, this is one that I really can't grade, but it was one that I thought was important to point out, as the Bears did a lot to make sure that Knox got some money in this situation. However, the hit he took was just too much, and his career is over now. It's a shame, but at the same time should help to put things into perspective. A career can end just like that. Either way, the Bears made the right move and did the right things in the situation.
Signed Martellus Bennett
The Bears signed Bennett to a good contract, and all he did to repay them was give them good blocking to go along with 65 catches for 759 yards and 5 touchdowns. To be honest, there were not many better free agent signings this past offseason than the Bears signing Bennett. A+
Signed Jermon Bushrod
While Bushrod wasn't a Pro Bowl level left tackle this past season, he did provide good NFL quality blocking for Jay Cutler's blind side. Sure, it wasn't elite, but he actually was pretty darn good throughout the season and a massive improvement over the useless J'Marcus Webb. B
Signed Henry Melton to the Franchise Tender
This one blew up on them. Not only did Melton miss nearly the entire season with a torn ACL, but he then left this past offseason in free agency. To be honest, he was having a bad season before the injury, as he was just a complete non-factor. This wasn't a horrible move on the surface, but it did backfire on them. Still, I'll give them a D+ for it.
Terminated the Contract of Matt Spaeth
Spaeth was a tough one to lose, but the bottom line is that he was a blocking tight end with limited receiving ability. Those are a dime a dozen, and with Martellus Bennett, we barely noticed when the Bears had a much cheaper version in Dante Rosario. B
Terminated the Contract of Kellen Davis
Davis had been on the upswing before 2012. However, in 2012 he seemed to totally forget how to catch the ball or block, two things pretty important to a tight end. There was no need for him to be taking up a roster spot on this team. A
Signed Steve Maneri
Maneri, along with Rosario, was pretty much a tight end used for blocking purposes only. He didn't catch a pass all season and played very sparingly. He was cheap though. C
Signed DJ Williams
Williams played well despite missing the entire preseason with an injury. Then, still fairly early in the season, he got hurt again and missed the rest of the season. The contract he signed was a cheap one, and it allowed them to sign him again this past offseason so that he can mentor the new linebackers and hopefully play a full season. Because of him playing well in between injuries and providing a second rock in that linebacking group, I'll still give this signing a B-, but it's borderline C+ right now. If he gets hurt (missing significant time) again it falls to a C or lower.
Signed James Anderson
Seems like people are really mixed on how he did last year. While the Bears linebacking group was poor last year, remember that 2 of the 3 starters missed huge time last year in Briggs and Williams. Anderson did his job and more in that group, but he was part of a decimated group, which made his performance look worse. I shudder to think of how bad the Bears defense would have looked without him there. It was a cheap contract for one year, I'll still give it a B.
Signed Matt Slauson
This is probably the most underrated signing the Bears made in 2013. Slauson really could have been a Pro Bowler this past offseason, but didn't get the fair recognition that he deserved. This also allowed the Bears to give him a long term contract this past offseason as well. A+
Drafted Kyle Long
I won't lie, I was surprised at the pick, but I was also crossing my fingers before that draft that he somehow fell to the Bears in the second round. We found out later that the Bears were not the only team to draft around where they drafted to be eying Long as a first round pick. The pick paid off big time. Long is nothing short of a physically dominating freak. He still has growth to do, but brought passion and power to that Bears offensive line. A
Drafted Jon Bostic
Bostic had a rough rookie season, but being thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie, especially as a middle linebacker, is no easy task. Bostic didn't look good, but he did show a lot of the physical tools that are going to be needed. Everything he lacked in last season were things that can be coached, that's a huge relief. While it still has to be shown if he can continue to grow, I think he will, so for now I'll give this a B-.
Drafted Khaseem Greene
Greene was drafted as a bit of a project. Unfortunately, injuries thrust him into a starting role during the season, and he didn't really play very well. Much like Bostic, Greene has those instincts that can't be coached, although he's not the same guy physically as Bostic. However, Greene's smarts will help in his career. There's still a lot to be seen, but I'll still give this move a C+ for now with room to grow.
Drafted Jordan Mills
Mills was one of the steals of the draft for the entire league. He wasn't a Pro Bowl type of right tackle, but he held down the position very well at an NFL level quality. To improve that much at a position with a 5th round pick, that's very nice. I give the Bears a B+ on this one.
Drafted Cornelius Washington
Washington was an Emery pick that was based largely on potential and his athleticism. In the 6th, that's a good time to take those risks. Washington likely won't ever be a great run stopper, but his athleticism should help him to be a good pass rusher later in his career. This is one of those incomplete types of moves, as he played very little last season, but I'll still give it a C for the time being. If he never does anything or is cut before this season, it drops, if he winds up being any sort of contributor, then it goes up.
Drafted Marquess Wilson
This was one of the most exciting picks for the entire draft for the Bears. Wilson was a 7th round pick with 2nd round talent. There were some character issues, but let's remember that those issues did involve him not getting along with a college coach that nobody else got along with. Brandon Marshall has done a great job in taking him under his wing, much like he did with Alshon Jeffery, and that hopefully pays off. While there are 2nd round receivers that wind up being busts, I'll put my money on Wilson. He didn't play much and didn't produce much last year, but many feel like he's a prime candidate to break out this upcoming season, as the Bears are giving him every chance to be the #3 guy. I give this a B right now. I can't go higher until he actually does produce, but the potential alone in the 7th round makes this better than a C, so I went to the middle.
I'll cut it off there. I'm not going to go over the UFA signings since they're usually not given a great chance to make the team, and I won't bother with cutting guys like Brandon Hardin since he never actually played with the team. As a whole, Emery's first full offseason with the Bears was a very successful one. Hopefully he has the same kind of results this upcoming season and the Bears can have the same kind of luck and stay somewhat healthy this upcoming season.
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