Adam L. Jahns: Analyzing the Bears heading into the 2017 season

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam L. Jahns breaks down the gains made and questions looming for the Bears heading into the 2017 season:

Mike Glennon will …

Be better than most pundits and fans think he’ll be, but still not good enough to escape the buzz around rookie Mitch Trubisky. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains should be expected to do good things with Glennon after he helped resurrect Matt Barkley’s career last season. But Barkley didn’t have to play through the scrutiny and pressure that Glennon will face this season. This is Glennon’s chance to prove that he’s capable of being an NFL starter. He needs to be resilient. Coach John Fox seems to want him looking over his shoulder at Trubisky.

Mitch Trubisky’s first start will come …

This season. It’s just unclear when. Week 5 against the Vikings – a Monday night game following a Thursday matchup against the Packers — is a soft point in the schedule. It’s after the Bears play the Falcons, Steelers and Packers in the first four weeks. But playing Trubisky ultimately comes down to Glennon, who needs to play terrible for a change to happen, especially early on.

Biggest upgrade from 2016 …

Running back. It starts with having Jordan Howard as the top back in the opener instead of Week 4, which is when he fully replaced an injured Jeremy Langford last year. Offseason eye surgery will help Howard be a better receiver. Rookie Tarik Cohen also gives the Bears’ offense a true change-of-pace back. He’ll be a factor this season.

Biggest downgrade from 2016…

Receiver. The Bears were OK saying goodbye to injury-prone Alshon Jeffery, yet injuries still thinned the position. Cam Meredith (torn ACL) is lost for the season and free-agent addition Markus Wheaton (emergency appendectomy, broken finger) has barely practiced. It’s a more diverse group. Kendall Wright is a true slot receiver. But many questions remain. First and foremost: what will Kevin White become?

The team MVP will be …

Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. He’s bigger and stronger — and still faster than most pass-rush threats in the league. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s hands-on approach with the outside linebackers this season will help Floyd reach his potential. Don’t limit your expectations for Floyd, either; the Bears aren’t. Floyd’s ceiling is Von Miller, who had 18.5 sacks in his second season.

Biggest X-factor:

Health. That’s an easy one. But as far as players, it’s rookie safety Eddie Jackson. He has the potential to be the Bears’ best play-making safety since Mike Brown. He has the range, ball skills and athleticism. He could be who produces the takeaways the defense sorely missed last season.

Projected record:

7-9. The Bears aren’t a bad team. They’ll be competitive with a strong running game and a stout defense. But the Glennon-Trubisky dynamic is everything. Trubisky has the talent and mental makeup to take the Bears places; Glennon is a place-holder.