The Bears figure to be on everyone's radar heading into the season because for the first time in many years, the offense might be complimentary to a defense that has been stout in most years dating back to the Reagan administration. Quarterback Jay Cutler was obtained in an offseason trade with Denver, which is noteworthy because rare talents like Cutler usually aren't available on the trading market at this point in their career - a 4,500-yard season in Denver last season landed him in the Pro Bowl. Still, the Bears (and Cutler) still have their critics, and they make good points: Cutler has never played for a winning team in college or the pros (to be fair, he played at Vandy). The Bears have had 13 straight seasons where the offense has failed to rank higher than 18th in the league; this despite spending 62 percent of draft choices under GM Jerry Angelo on offensive players. Several members of the Bears are at the tail end or even past their primes, while others have yet to reach their prime. A good example are the returning wideouts. The top five receivers heading into camp earlier in the month had a total of 145 catches in their careers. And Cutler isn't bringing Brandon Marshall, Ryan Clady and Eddie Royal with him from Denver.

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The Bears showed signs of slipping last fall despite finishing seventh in defense for the second straight season - they simply could not rush the passer out of the Cover-2. LB Brian Urlacher remains dominant and playmakers Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher and Alex Brown are still entering their primes, but Smith needs to figure out how to coax more from his line to get a better pass rush. If that happens, the Bears look to be back in the playoff picture after a two-year hiatus since the 2006 Super Bowl run. It remains to be seen how the chemistry will hold up in the clubhouse as Cutler was derided for being aloof in his Denver stint.

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