It seems that the Chicago Bears have once again won the offseason.
However, this offseason, winning the offseason has a different feel to it. For the first time since Ryan Poles became the general manager of the Bears, he realized that the house needed to be built from the inside first.
The aggressiveness Poles had this offseason was unlike anything we've seen before. Poles was determined to improve the trenches for Bears. Poles added three new starters to the Bears' offensive line while also targeting the defensive line in free agency.
Of course, the moves were made after Poles hired Ben Johnson to be the team's new head coach. Johnson wasn't just the top coaching candidate on the market this offseason, he has been for the past three offseasons.
The arrival of Johnson, along with the Bears activity during free agency, has the feel of a new direction for the organization. That new direction was evident by Pro Football Focus' latest NFL Power Rankings. Taking free agency into account, Pro Football Focus has the Bears at No. 15. A large jump from where they ended the season at No. 24.
PFF believes the Chicago Bears are on the rise
Again, we've been down this road before. It was just last offseason that the additions of Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen had the Bears as the team to believe in ahead of the 2024 season. Of course, the fact the team failed miserably speaks to the difference that Johnson should make over Matt Eberflus.
While PFF does have a noticeable improvement for the Bears, it's still worth mentioning that they were the last of the NFC North teams ranked. The Detroit Lions landed at No. 3, the Minnesota Vikings at No. 7, and the Green Bay Packers just outside the top 10 at No. 11.
If anything, it's a reminder that the Bears still have work to do, and if this offseason truly is deemed successful, it may not result in an immediate playoff berth in 2025.