Rozner: Bears season about search for playmakers

You don't have to search very long to figure out what to make of the 2016 Bears.

It began when they sent Brandon Marshall packing and continued when they got rid of Matt Forte, Martellus Bennett and Matt Slauson.

After falling hat-backward into Josh Sitton in what appears to be a good, long-term play, they moved rookie guard Cody Whitehair into the center position.

Every one of these moves screams a longer rebuilding process and that the Bears have small expectations for this season.

You should probably follow suit.

Coming off a 6-10 season, the Bears got better at the linebacker position and they should be improved on the defensive line, but it's still unclear whether they can generate a pass rush and without it the defense will be exposed on third down and in crunchtime.

If they can get to the opposing quarterback they will win more games this year, having lost four games in 2015 by a field goal or less, five games by 4 points or fewer and six games by less than a touchdown.

The league is so watered down that very little separates most teams, and it's usually a matter of one player making a huge play that changes a game.

And this was a big problem for the Bears last season.

Heading into this season, it's fair to wonder again who will make plays on defense. They need someone who can take the ball away from the opposition, whether in the secondary or by getting to the quarterback, and there's nothing to indicate so far that they have either one.

The Bears hope Leonard Floyd can be one of those guys, but this year's top pick was essentially called a project by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio last week, so his development will be a hot topic all season.

As for game-changers on offense, well, most of them are gone. The big threat was supposed to be Kevin White, but after missing all of 2015, last year's No. 1 pick has been slowed by injuries throughout the preseason and is currently questionable with a hamstring issue.

The offensive line is a work in progress, but there are few teams in the NFL that feel good about their line heading into a 16-game schedule.

Once Sitton gets comfortable in the offense, the Bears will have arguably the best guard duo in the league with Kyle Long on the right side and Sitton on the left.

The Bears' offense was at its best last season with Slauson at center, as he knew the offense better than anyone but Jay Cutler, and his ability to call out protection and assignments was crucial.

That responsibility now falls on a rookie - Whitehair - who's been playing the position for less than a week.

At left tackle is Charles Leno, who was mediocre last year, and at right tackle is Bobby Massie, who was let go by a very good Arizona team not sold on Massie's pass-blocking ability.

At the very least, the Bears should be able to run the ball over the right side, where Long and Massie will maul people if Bears running backs can hit the hole in stride.

Yeah, the Bears have a lot of questions and not enough answers, which makes them the same as about 25 other teams in the NFL.

They have concerns at tight end, receiver, both lines and in the secondary. They don't have a single superstar they can count on to step up when someone needs to change the game on offense or defense.

Still, Fangio finds a way to make it work on defense and this is the big reason the Bears could be slightly better in 2016.

They will try to run the ball, avoid turnovers, keep it close and if the defense can take the ball away here or there - something that happened infrequently in 2015 - they could improve slightly from a six-win season.

It's not terribly exciting, but let's call it 7-9.

brozner@dailyherald.com

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's "Hit and Run" show at WSCR 670-AM and follow him on @BarryRozner on Twitter.