Chicago Bears: Observations as the new league year approaches

The kicking game needs to be addressed

Everyone talks about the Bears needs. They talk about the wide receivers, the offensive and defensive line, the cornerbacks, etc. What not a lot are talking about is the team’s kicking game.

The Bears lost a few games because how bad their kickers did on field goals. Connor Barth, Cairo Santos, and Mike Nugent proved to be not good enough. If Santos can get out of his head he may be a pretty good kicker. There are some established kickers the team can kick the tires on. It’s crucial that Pace makes a good decision on this. There will be some close games and a kicker can make the difference between a 9-7 record and good feelings or 7-9 and a bad taste in your mouth.

Pat O’Donnell had a pretty good 2017. He averaged a career-high 47 yards per punt. That is especially good considering the putrid Bears offense had him punt an incredible 87 times (also a career high).

If you have a dependable punter you don’t want to let go of him. As an example of that, there are just seven free agent punters available, including O’Donnell. Expect the Bears to keep him in the fold and re-sign him.

While the other positions are very important, the Bears cannot let the kicking game lag and cost them a chance at contending.