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How has the Fox-Pace Bears era fared?

After six games, it's too soon to tell what this Bears team will become by the end of the regular season.

But it's not too soon to evaluate what has transpired in the first nine months of the John Fox-Ryan Pace era, and whether or not that represents progress.

The roster has undergone extensive turnover. Including last week's contentious release of 34-year-old nose tackle Jeremiah Ratliff, 27 players on last year's 53-man roster in Week 17 are gone. In addition, six of the 10 players on injured reserve at the end of last season have departed.

The Pace-Fox regime wanted to infuse youth into an aging roster, but that hasn't changed much.

There are 20 players with two years' experience or less on the 53-man roster, including 10 rookies. Six more are on injured lists. In Week 17 last season, 26 players on the roster had two years' experience or less, including 17 rookies.

Currently 10 players are 30 or older, plus two on injured reserve. At the end of last season, 12 were on the active roster and five on injured reserve.

The 2015 Bears, at 2-4, are one game worse than the 2014 edition, which stood 3-3 after six weeks.

Last year's team, however, lost eight of its final 10 games, including five straight to finish the season. If Fox's team doesn't finish stronger than that, a lot of people will have a lot of explaining to do, beginning with the coach and the general manager who hired him.

Through six games, the position-by-position grades aren't very impressive. Of more importance are the evaluations of who will be back next year and who won't.

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler has been about the same player as he always has been. His 86.2 passer rating is exactly 1 point higher than his career mark of 85.2. It's worth noting that Cutler has been without go-to wideout Alshon Jeffery for four of six games. In his one start and one relief appearance, Jimmy Clausen showed that he's a mediocre backup. David Fales is back on the practice squad.

Grade: C-plus.

Keepers: None. The Bears aren't going to pay Cutler $17 million to be pretty good.

Running backs:

Matt Forte remains as productive as always, leading the NFL with 507 rushing yards through six weeks, and he has shown a bit more burst. But he's averaging 4 yards per carry, just one-tenth better than last year's disappointing 3.9 average.

Jacquizz Rodgers was a decent change-of-pace option but is on the injured list (knee). Rookie Jeremy Langford has yet to show in very limited action the speed that makes him special, but he should get more snaps going forward. Ka'Deem Carey, the forgotten man, now moves up a rung with Rodgers down.

Grade: B.

Keepers: Langford, Rodgers, Carey. Someone will pay Forte in the off-season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, but it won't be the Bears.

Wide receivers:

It was obvious what a difference Jeffery makes in the offense when he returned vs. the Lions. Eddie Royal is reliable underneath, but averaging just 7.3 yards per catch. Marquess Wilson can do some of the things Jeffery does, but he's not a replacement for the Pro Bowler. Cam Meredith and Josh Bellamy have had their moments trying to pick up the slack while Jeffery was out.

Grade: C-minus.

Keepers: Jeffery, Royal, Wilson. Jeffery will be expensive to keep as an unrestricted free agent, but it might be more costly to let him leave.

Tight ends:

Martellus Bennett leads the Bears with 34 catches and 292 yards. Zach Miller and Khari Lee are replaceable role-players.

Keepers: In 2016, Bennett will be in the final year of a four-year $20.4 million contract and a bargain, but only if he doesn't become a distraction over his desire for a new deal.

Grade: B-minus.

Keeper: Bennett.

Offensive line:

Rookie center Hroniss Grasu, third-year right tackle Kyle Long, and seventh-year left guard Matt Slauson are set, and if second-year left tackle Charles Leno, who replaced injured veteran Jermon Bushrod, pans out, this would be an excellent foundation for the future. An upgrade for Vlad DuCasse at right guard could make for an excellent group.

Grade: C.

Keepers: Long, Grasu, Slauson, Leno.

Defensive line:

Second-round nose tackle Eddie Goldman has made strides and should only improve. Ego Ferguson was playing well until a knee injury landed him on the injured reserve list. Jarvis Jenkins has been better than advertised, supplying consistent pass rush in addition to stout run defense. Will Sutton has performed better than expected in the conversion from 4-3 to 3-4. Former first-round underachiever Ziggy Hood is a welcome addition to a thin group.

Grade: D.

Keepers: Considering the alarming lack of depth after the release of malcontent Jeremiah Ratliff, all of them.

Linebackers:

Inside, Christian Jones and Shea McClellin have made a lot of tackles but almost no impact plays. Outside, Pernell McPhee has quickly become the leader of the defense and the team's best pass rusher.

Sam Acho has overcome a slow start to provide a solid complement to McPhee after the trade of Jared Allen, and he's a special teams standout.

Outside backups Willie Young and Lamarr Houston are not back to their pre-injury forms yet, but Young appears closer. Undrafted rookie Jonathan Anderson flashes potential and always seems to be around the ball. LaRoy Reynolds was unspectacular as a fill-in for McClellin (knee) in Week Six, and Lamin Barrow has impressed on special teams.

Grade: C-plus.

Keepers: McPhee, Acho, Jones, Young, Anderson.

Secondary:

This group has yet to intercept any of the 182 passes that opponents have thrown. Cornerback Kyle Fuller has been inconsistent. Tracy Porter is better than Alan Ball in coverage but not in run support. It's questionable if either is a long-term answer.

Fifth-round rookie Adrian Amos has handled himself like a veteran, while undrafted Harold Jones-Quartey has shown flashes filling in for Antrel Rolle (ankle), who appears to have lost a step. Nickel corner Sherrick McManis has not carried over an impressive preseason to the regular season.

Grade: D.

Keepers: Amos, Fuller, Jones-Quartey.

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.

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