Chicago Bears finish dismal season with plenty of optimism for next year
CHICAGO (CBS) – For the first time since 1947, the Chicago Bears have the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft this April.
General manager Ryan Poles is on the clock, and the phones should be ringing off the hook as teams looking for a quarterback check the going rate to trade up. CBS 2's Jacki Kostek checked in with the team with plenty to do this offseason after finishing with a 3-14 record.
"I gave everything I had, every opportunity I had it," said running back David Montgomery. "And also understanding that more work could be done."
Montgomery, a free agent, was among the Bears players cleaning out their lockers and reflecting on a season stamped a "rebuild" from the start, a franchise-record 10-game losing streak, but one that can also be remembered for glimpses of growth for a young team.
"I'm a guy who flashed a lot, who had some great plays," said offensive lineman Tevin Jenkins. "One thing I need to improve on is my consistency on the field. I'll have great plays driving someone for 10 yards or so and the next play, it's only one yard."
Fellow lineman Braxton Jones said of himself, "It's not like I'm light years away from where I need to be, but I think it's just a combination of things. This time I've never had before. I've never had a full however many months, it feels like it's going to be forever until we're all in this building together."
Defensive lineman Trevis Gipson said of the team, "When you go through hardships with people, those are the people you tend to become closest to. So it'll be hard and hopefully I'll see some of these guys around here this offseason. I think we're going to work hard and when we come back this (offseason), it'll be a totally different picture."
What gives this team confidence that next year will be a totally different picture? The most cap space in the league, draft capital and glimpses of an offense with real potential.
"Just the fact that we were putting up 30-plus points a game for four or five weeks, I know what we can do as an offense," said quarterback Justin Fields. "The fact that that was everyone's first year in the offense and we were doing that, that just gives us a lot of hope, a lot of optimism for the future for sure."
As for Fields' favorite moment of the season, it came Week 1 at home against the San Francisco 49ers in those monsoon-like conditions when the Bears logged their first win of the season.
He said it felt like they were in a movie.
With the team projected to have the most cap space in the NFL at around $118 million and the No. 1 pick in the draft, Fields said he's looking forward for the rebuild to get a boost.
"I know (general manager) Ryan (Poles) has a great understanding of what needs to be done around here, what holes need to be filled and stuff like that," Fields said. "That's not my job to control any of that. Whatever he needs me to do in terms of recruiting, I'm sure there's going to be conversations here in a bit. Whatever he's going to do, I fully trust him. His goal is to make the best team he can, so I know he's going to do a great job of that."
Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus were set to give their end-of-season remarks on Tuesday at Halas Hall.