Jaylon Johnson says Bears are on an 'upward projection' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears have received a lot of attention this summer, as it pertains to their offseason performance.
They pulled the trigger on a lot of free-agent deals, most notably Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. In the draft, Ryan Poles & Co. built the trenches and outside skill players. Most determine they've handed Justin Fields enough support to create a viable offense this season.
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The outsiders and pundits can analyze the Bears as much as they please. But learning how the Bears players feel about their offseason is interesting to hear as they ramp up OTAs. As for veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson, he believes the Bears are moving in the right direction.
"We're heading in an upward projection for sure," Johnson said on Keyshawn, JWill and Max. "There's nothing that I don't think we don't have right now. I think we're filling a lot of holes that we had last year. Starting with the D-line and the O-line, I think we're building from the ground up. I think we have a good foundation."
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Looking at the Bears' roster heading into this season compared to last year's, it's a lot different. The Bears have a much improved offensive line with the additions of Darnell Wright and Nate Davis. They added a top-tier wide receiver in DJ Moore. And they topped off the cornerback room, as Johnson alluded, with Tyrique Stevenson out of the draft.
Pundits chalk up the Bears' offseason largely as a success. They added plenty of talent to advance through the next phases of their rebuild. It's not a championship team; it might not even be a playoff team. But it's improving. And remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither are the Bears.
Some media members, however, dare to hand the Bears accolades for their offseason additions. The Herd's Jason McIntyre jumped to name the Bears the most improved NFL team from the offseason.
"The Chicago Bears. Spend money, make money," McIntyre said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "The Chicago Bears spent like drunken sailors this offseason. But, here's the good news, the last two teams to spend the most in free agency have seen an uptick of nearly four wins.
"This is a team that got a lot better folks. Justin Fields has help. They got some depth on the outside."
MORE: NFL analyst: Bears are most improved team this offseason
Contrary to McIntyre's point, the Bears have stayed relatively cost-efficient while adding talent to the roster. They entered free agency with the most cap space (~$100 million) and left with the most remaining around $32 million.
The Bears' full-scale rebuild will be lengthy. This offseason serves as another step to the Bears' hopeful destination of becoming a contending team in the NFC. McIntyre and Johnson mention that the Bears are heading in the right direction. The work isn't done, but Poles and the front office have done exceedingly well, making conservative moves to bolster the roster.
The eyes now shift to Fields and Matt Eberflus. The money's on the field. It's time for the players and coaches to continue to build a foundation and chemistry strong enough to win games. Remember, the Bears won just three games last season, two of which came in the first three weeks.
Yet, Johnson believes this Bears roster is capable of whatever they put their minds to.
"There's nothing that we can't do right now," Johnson said. "We just have to come in and keep proving ourselves, keep coming in and find ways to win games."
