Bears near bottom of league in this preseason ranking of every NFL offense

The Chicago Bears offense, led by quarterback Justin Fields, is viewed as one of the worst in the NFL. New General Manager Ryan Poles and Head Coach Matt Eberflus’ perceived failure to prioritize upgrades on offense has come under consistent attack from all corners of football media. It’s relentless. And it’s a daily occurrence.

It’s true the Bears haven’t done much to help Fields over the last few months, but the suggestion that Poles hasn’t done anything is false. Wide receivers Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and Velus Jones Jr. were added via free agency and the draft. Lucas Patrick was signed to start at center, and four day-three draft picks were invested in the offensive line. And let’s not forget the revamped coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is a massive upgrade over former coach Matt Nagy.

None of those moves are headliners, but they will all help Fields in his second season.

Still, the Chicago Bears’ offense remains one of the most disliked in the league. In a recent Bleacher Report ranking of every NFL offense, Chicago checked in at No. 28.

This year, Fields will have a new head coach in Matt Eberflus and a new coordinator in former Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator Luke Getsy. His supporting cast, though, isn’t any better on paper than it was a year ago.

Chicago’s “big” offensive additions include receivers Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and interior lineman Lucas Patrick. Chicago also added wideout Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of last month’s draft.

With guard James Daniels and wideout Allen Robinson II both departing in the offseason, though, one might argue that Chicago’s offensive roster is worse than it was last season.

Bears’ have made subtle upgrades on offense

It’s easy to suggest the Bears lost two significant contributors in Daniels and Robinson, but a closer look suggests otherwise. Daniels hasn’t graded higher than a 71.0 by Pro Football Focus in any of his four years in the NFL, with that high watermark earned last season. Daniels was a solid player, but he isn’t irreplaceable. In fact, Patrick is a better center than Daniels is guard. Once the Bears identify who the starting right guard will be, there’s a chance the net result is an improvement up front, even if ever so slight.

Robinson is a different story. He’s one of the NFL’s more respected wide receivers and his three-year, $46.5 million contract from the Los Angeles Rams is proof of that. As of now, it’s Pringle who will replace him in the starting lineup. No matter how bullish you are on Pringle’s outlook, he’s a downgrade.

Pringle can’t replace Robinson. That’s an unreasonable expectation for a player who’s primarily been a backup through the first three years of his career. But that doesn’t mean he’s without upside. Getsy expressed confidence in his group of pass-catchers exceeding projections because of the opportunity they’ll have to make plays in his offense. Pringle is a strong breakout candidate because of that opportunity, even if that breakout is a tier below Robinson’s typical year.

Still, it seems unfair to view the Bears’ offense as being worse than the Seattle Seahawks — which they are in this ranking. The Seahawks will hold a training camp competition between Drew Lock and Geno Smith for their starting quarterback. That, taken alone, is brutal.

Get used to rankings like this. The Bears are an easy target right now and unless Poles signs a veteran wide receiver like Jarvis Landry, it isn’t going to change.