Are things looking up for Bears and Matt Eberflus?

After first-year general manager Ryan Poles did some house-cleaning, the Bears were built to win six or seven games in 2022 and went 3-14, but with the No. 1 overall draft pick. Does that put them behind schedule? A look at where the Bears stand heading into 2023.

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Matt Eberflus walks off the field after the Bears’ 31-30 loss to the Lions at Soldier Field — one of seven one-score losses in the 2022 season.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

The Sun-Times’ Mark Potash analyzes the Bears at the end of their 3-14 season:

Rank the Bears’ biggest offseason needs.

1. Defensive line. 2. Right tackle. 3. Wide receiver.

What specifically would you do with the No. 1 overall pick?

The Bears almost certainly will be better off trading the pick for multiple picks. One favorable scenario would be a trade with the Colts that nets the Bears the Colts’ first-round pick (No. 4 overall), second-round pick (No. 36) and a first-round pick in 2024. But as the draft process ensues, the competition for the No. 1 overall pick is more likely to heat up than 

How would you assess Justin Fields’ season?

Fields established himself as a franchise quarterback the Bears can build around, but — as was feared before the season — he needed a lot more support to prove he can be a dangerous threat in the passing game. Poles, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and Fields have a lot to prove in 2023, but he’s the best starting point the Bears have had in a quarterback since Jim McMahon.

Would you consider drafting a quarterback?

Yes — if I had the Bears’ resources to draft information and thought one of the top-rated quarterbacks was the next Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. That doesn’t appear to be the case with Alabama’s Bryce Young or any of the top quarterbacks in this draft, but few, if any, thought Mahomes would be Mahomes at this point of the draft process. Regardless of their confidence in Fields, the Bears could use a quarterback more similar to Fields as a backup. Lamar Jackson, it’s worth noting, is not playing in the Ravens’ wild-card game Sunday.

What grade would you give coach Matt Eberflus?

B-. During a 3-14 rebuilding season, Eberflus rarely looked as though he was doing this for the first time. Even with the Bears losing several games they could have won in the fourth quarter, there were few, if any, instances of poor game management. The jury’s still out, but Eberflus looks like a coach with a good chance to sustain success if Poles helps him achieve it.

The Bears’ hiring of Kevin Warren as CEO/president signifies . . .

The Bears want a new stadium and want it done right. It remains to be seen whether it signifies a desire to alter their own culture of dysfunction and mismanagement, which has led to poor on-field results in the last 30 years. From many reports, however, Warren is the right guy to do that, as well.

Which of GM Ryan Poles’ decisions thus far will look the best?

Taking cornerback Kyler Gordon (No. 39) and Brisker (No. 48) in the second round of the draft when he arguably had a bigger need at wide receiver. Gordon and Brisker look like foundation pieces on a defense that needs an awful lot of work even with them.

Which decision will Poles regret most?

Trading a second-round draft pick that became the 32nd overall pick for Claypool. It still has the potential to be a win, but the early returns — on multiple levels — were unimpressive.

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