Managing only a 7-9 record, the Chicago Bears struggled last season. The NFL football odds for the team were also low. The team will be expected to play at a high level following the additions of two of the biggest free agents on the market this offseason, despite their struggles in 2009.
Julius Peppers was the biggest name in the free agent market this season. Peppers are known for his freakish combination of strength, speed and size. The problem with Julius Peppers is that he does not have the same reputation for his work ethic, despite his reputation for talent. There are knocks on Peppers, often times for taking downs off and not putting in his all. If the Bears hope to turn things around, they will need him to give everything.
Putting Peppers alongside Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher will breed unreal expectations for this defense. The team surrendered 375 points, last year. For that, number to decrease dramatically, the simple addition of Peppers will cause expectations.
The team added Chester Taylor, offensively. As the team already had Matt Forte, this was an interesting move. That being said, as starting running backs, Mike Martz has already stated that he intends to use both of them. Martz he is known for his use for running backs out of the backfield, although he is also known for his wide-open offensive style. He used Marhsall Faulk frequently out of the backfield, when he had Faulk and it is expected that Cutler look to these running backs frequently.
The Bears very well could meet them with these key additions to the squad and they will have high expectations.
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