The Chicago Bears think they've figured it all out. They've "won" another offseason.
Rashan Gary has other ideas. The Green Bay Packers' pass rush has looked rejuvenated at training camp, with the defense dominating on the practice field. Gary's teammates, most notably Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox Jr., are showing early signs of breakout seasons. The Bears should pay close attention.
"I know everybody in here can feel the difference," Gary said about the Packers defense's rise this summer, via Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "Y'all can probably see the difference in how confident everybody is, getting to the ball, communicating and, shoot, that's what it is going into Year 2. More confidence and now I just can't wait to really go against somebody else and really put it to fruition."
The Bears should pay close attention to what Rashan Gary is saying about Packers defense
Sure, it's training camp, and Gary's words don't guarantee production when real football starts. But he's not wrong. The defense is showing signs of significant growth in Year 2 under Jeff Hafley. The pass rush is giving the Packers' quarterbacks all sorts of problems.
Meanwhile, over in Chicago, Caleb Williams' offensive line still has a major question mark.
The Bears invested heavily in the line, signing center Drew Dalman in free agency and trading for veteran guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. But as Mike Luciano of Lombardi Ave pointed out, the Bears still have a problem at left tackle.
"This competition is wide open, with Ben Johnson calling it a 'blank slate' and all three players taking some first-team reps," writes Luciano. "When you have three starting left tackles, you don't have a left tackle. The Packers may remind Chicago of this fact when they play."
Chicago allowed Williams to take 68 sacks last season, by far a league high. Part of the blame fell on the offensive line, but Williams also held the ball for far too long. The Packers' revamped pass rush will take advantage if he continues that in his second season.
The Bears' plan was to invest heavily in the offensive line. It makes sense. But they failed to fix the left tackle position, and the Packers' pass rush is showing early signs of a big-time season.
Gary is seeing it at practice. Soon, the Bears will have to deal with it.