Bears' offense may lose four key pieces this offseason
The Chicago Bears' offense that takes the field in Bourbonnais next summer for the first training camp practice might be barely recognizable.
It could be missing coordinator Adam Gase, go-to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, workhorse running back Matt Forte and Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett. Jeffery and Forte will be unrestricted free agents in March, and the Bears could decide to trade Bennett.
Gase was a hot commodity a year ago and interviewed for five head-coaching jobs. He shouldn't be any less popular this time around after helping quarterback Jay Cutler produce the best numbers of his 10-year career despite working with a receiving corps that was decimated by injuries.
Gase's work with quarterbacks and as an offensive playcaller give him an excellent resume, and the experience of last off-season should help him in the interview process.
"I think the fact that I went through it, and had that experience was good," he said. "(But) right now, it's hard to worry about anything else past this week. I know that's not the answer anybody wants. But this is a big game for us."
Head coach John Fox knows losing Gase is a possibility, but it's an inevitable part of the business.
"It never stays the same, whether it's players (or) coaches," Fox said. "It's pretty much true with the 31 other teams, whether it's (head) coaches, assistant coaches, coordinators, players - things change. It's business as usual."
To think Fox doesn't already have his next offensive coordinator in mind would be naive.
"I've had to do it a number of times already," he said. "I'm familiar with a lot of very good coaches, and they're very helpful in the process."
Whether next year's offensive coordinator is Gase, Bears quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains or someone from another team, he'll likely have to do some tinkering.
The biggest potential gap would be created by the departure of Jeffery, although he could be locked up for next year with the franchise tag, a likely scenario.
Jeffery suffered through a Groundhog Day of a season that included injury after injury. On the plus side, it prepared the Bears for playing without him, as they had to do for seven games.
It's difficult to know how much the Bears missed Jeffery, since they were also without Bennett for five games and wide receivers Eddie Royal for six games and Marquess Wilson for five games. Jeffery, Bennett and Wilson are all on injured reserve, and Royal hasn't practiced yet this week.
Being without Jeffery next year seems challenging, but it's somewhat of an unknown.
"It's hard for me to say because I haven't seen our whole group together," Gase said. "I really like it when Alshon is out there - I guess I should put it that way. I love the fact that he attacks the ball. I love what he brings as a route runner. I love the swagger that he brings."
Even though he's barely played half the season, Jeffery will finish the season as the Bears' receiving-yardage leader by a wide margin with 807, and the leading pass-catcher with 54. His presence demands attention from opponents and provides opportunities for teammates.
"I feel that he gives our guys some juice," Gase said. "You can feel that they know when we've got the big guy out there, he might do something special. He does a great job protecting the quarterback (because) you can miss a little bit with that guy out there."
With his big hands, bigger catching radius, physicality and the size to win 50-50 balls down the field, Jeffery is a rare combination of security blanket and big-play weapon.
Cutler might miss Jeffery more than anyone, but he's a realist. And it's possible the Bears may already have Jeffery's replacement in 2015 first-round pick Kevin White, who missed his rookie season with stress fractures in his left shin.
"It's something we have to deal with," Cutler said. "It's definitely a possibility. I don't know what direction they're going to go. I don't know what Alshon wants to do. But if that does happen, we've got to get Kevin ready.
"Eddie (Royal) is going to be back, and we'll see what else we have. You lose guys every year. That's kind of how it goes. That's the business side of it. So we'll deal with that when it happens."
Life goes on.
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