Silvy: With a clear vision in place, Bears finally give fans reason to dream
Dare to dream.
Not in the typical way of the superfan Kool-Aid drinking Bears fans that "Saturday Night Live" made famous. I'm not looking for a burp, followed by a "Da Bears," and an ice cold beer. Though, I'll never turn one down.
This skeptical Bears fan knows that this is the most important time in the history of the franchise with the chance to build something special on multiple levels.
That's not hyperbole to begin my column. I'll always shoot you straight. The stars have never aligned for the Bears to get it all right like this. Never.
Let's start at the top. Because that's where it always begins for successful franchises. I've been asking for a new lead voice for this organization for over a decade. Someone from outside the family and the building who can run the show like the billion-dollar business the Bears truly are.
Enter Kevin Warren.
He's been in the front office of two NFL franchises, has a ring and has built a great stadium. He also ran the Big Ten conference during one of the most turbulent times in college athletics. Realignment. NIL. Television rights. Pandemic. The guy is a true leader who will know how to navigate in good times and bad.
Gone are days of the "ma and pop shop" Bears.
Speaking of building a stadium, Warren has been on his stadium Tinder app speed-dating different towns while negotiations continue over taxes for Arlington Heights.
It's one thing to try to build a Super Bowl team. It's another to try to build a multibillion-dollar stadium, with a dome, outside Chicago, that will host the Super Bowl and other grandiose events. Plenty of room to tailgate. Amenities we all deserve.
When and where this will all happen will be fascinating to follow.
Then, there's the team on the field, and the most important building belongs to Ryan Poles. I still don't know if he's the real deal, but I like his philosophies.
He's followed his plan of bottoming out, and I loved his trade with Carolina. DJ Moore is exactly the player the Bears needed on so many different levels. The offense is much improved and Poles has set himself up for big things in the 2024 draft. Asking the 2023 draft class to mirror the 1983 class is ridiculous, so I'll wait to crown him the next Jim Finks, but there's plenty of promise.
And, when you follow Ryan Pace and Phil Emery, it's not hard to love what you see from a young GM who doesn't veer from a true plan and uses common sense.
Finally, there's Justin Fields.
Last year proved to us that he's one of the most exciting players in the NFL. Now, can he be one of the most productive, especially with his arm?
Fields has every measurable. He's got a great arm and is one of the most explosive athletes in the league. The intangibles are equally impressive as he's a tireless worker and a fantastic leader. Now, it's all got to measure into a franchise quarterback. With the improvements with the roster, if Fields is able to make the jump we all are hoping for, the Bears will have more wins than losses this year. If not, Poles has the ammo to draft his own QB in the 2024 draft.
Never have the Bears had a new team president, while searching for a suburban domed stadium, as their young GM finishes his rebuild, all while their crazy-legged QB looks to prove his arm is equally insane.
Pass me the Kool-Aid. Better yet, a beer. Cheers, Bears fans. This is going to be fun.