The Chicago Bears were 7-3 and finishing up a five-game win streak when quarterback Jay Cutler went down for the season with an injury. Caleb Hanie proved an unworthy replacement and the Bears’ season spiraled in a five-game losing streak.

Cutler will be back and Lovie Smith returns as head coach. But there’s also a fair amount of change taking place in the Windy City. Mike Tice has replaced Mike Martz as offensive coordinator and Phil Emery is the new general manager, replacing Jerry Angelo.

And though this was a competitive team when full strength in 2011, there are question marks along the offensive line, at wide receiver and at several spots on a solid-but-aging defense. So what will 2012 bring? Jake Perper, owner and head writer at Bears Backer, shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz: Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: What do you think of the hiring of Emery as general manager?

Jake Perper: Phil Emery is a solid addition to the Bears front office. The main reason he was brought in was due to his success as a talent evaluator. Jerry Angelo, the GM in Chicago since 2001, was fired due to his consistent misses on draft picks. The Bears want to “close the talent gap” in the NFC North and bringing in Emery could do just that.

Emery brought in Roddy White and Matt Ryan during his time in Atlanta. He also brought in Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe in his time in Kansas City. Emery won’t really be evaluated for a couple of seasons, but he won’t be afraid to improve this team immediately. The team is not in rebuilding mode and with a couple tune-ups at key positions this time could be in a prime spot to make a run.

Zoneblitz: With that change having been made, is Lovie Smith’s job on the line in 2012?

Perper: I wouldn’t say his job is on the line in 2012, but he certainly needs to help this team make a push for the playoffs. He brought in a couple of key additions (Roy Williams, Sam Hurd and Marion Barber) this past off-season under Angelo’s wing. Lovie needs to continue coaching up the defense. He still adds a lot of his knowledge to that side of the ball and if the offense improves it’s that much easier for him and the rest of the coaches. The Bears don’t have to make the playoffs for Lovie to keep his job, but it would help him moving forward under the Emery reign.

Zoneblitz: What’s going to happen with Matt Forte’s contract situation?

Perper: This has been an ongoing topic since last season. Forte turned down a contract extension that reportedly had $13million to $14 million in guaranteed money. He is looking for about $20 million to $25 million in guaranteed money.

The Bears want to lock Forte up, but at the same time they want to make sure they don’t spend too much at the position. The average career length of an NFL running back is under three years. Forte has appeared in 60 games in four seasons carrying the ball over 1000 times and reeling in over 200 receptions. He also was a feature back in his college days at Tulane. With all of that being said, expect the Bears to place the franchise tag on Forte in the next couple of weeks. He wants the tag to lead to a contract this season. Emery will have his hands full with this decision because Forte is clearly the focal point of this offense.

Zoneblitz: Are you satisfied with the development of Jay Cutler?

Perper: Cutler has certainly developed into a top 10 quarterback who can be elite sometime soon. He was on fire during the Bears five-game winning streak this season, but suffered an injury which hurt his chances to further develop. He has matured as a player and as a teammate. Cutler clearly felt comfortable in the Mike Martz system last season that was really controlled somewhat by new offensive coordinator Mike Tice. Expect Cutler to take the next step next season in his fourth season in the Windy City.

Zoneblitz: What impact will the change from Martz to Tice as offensive coordinator have on the offense going forward?

Perper: The impact won’t be drastic because Mike Tice had a lot of influence on the Mike Martz led offense this past season. Tice likes the run-first mentality that the Bears have and he also likes to call pass plays that can spark offenses. Don’t expect a lot of seven-step drops and four wide receiver spread formations. Expect more two tight end packages and two running back packages to make sure Cutler is protected.

Remember Tice has coached the offensive line these past two seasons. He will likely still focus on the line during practices and team meetings. With the hiring of quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates it will only help Cutler and the rest of the coaches. It will help Cutler because it brings a familiar face along, who has had success with him in the past and it will help the coaches because it will make their jobs easier. This offense clicked at times last season and if they can start the season hot they could be hard to stop with Tice as the offensive coordinator.

Zoneblitz: The offensive line and the wide receivers have been oft-criticized. Is this warranted and what has to happen for those units to take a step forward?

Perper: Yes you can certainly say that the criticism is warranted for both units on the offense. But due to injuries, the offensive line wasn’t at full capacity for a lot of the season. Chris Williams and Gabe Carimi were lost early on the year to injured reserve. The left tackle position was a shaky spot all year for the unit. J’Marcus Webb started all 16 games and graded out as one of the worst tackles in the league. Expect additions at the tackle position. The interior part of line will be fine. They have plenty of depth in that area. The unit always looks better behind Jay Cutler, so when he went down it wasn’t easy for them.

The wide receiver position on the other hand wasn’t very good at all last season. Earl Bennett flashed greatness at times, but was often injured. Johnny Knox showed his speed and athleticism, but has yet to fully grasp route running. Roy Williams never really clicked with Jay Cutler and Devin Hester was pretty much nonexistent. The position needs to be upgraded this off-season. The fans want a legitimate threat for Cutler to throw to and so does the team. Adding a veteran receiver or a young stud could mix well with the current unit. Bennett, Knox, Hester and even Dane Sanzenbacher all have serious potential. The problem right now is that they don’t have a clear cut number one receiver and that will most likely change this off-season.

Zoneblitz: The Bears defense is still very good, but at times has started showing its age. Can guys like Urlacher, Briggs and Tillman remain dominant and how much time do those guys have left as a unit?

Perper: This has been a topic the past couple of off-seasons and rightfully so. Urlacher isn’t the same player he used to be, he has lost his ability to pass rush due to loss of speed. Briggs and Tillman don’t seem to be slowing down one bit though. They have been improving every year they’ve been in the league. I’d give the team about a two-year window with Urlacher as middle linebacker. If you look at the Baltimore Ravens, a pretty similar defense, they seem to be doing just fine with aging veterans. Ray Lewis certainly isn’t the same player he once was and Urlacher isn’t either. The Bears need to realize that maybe the time is now to groom his replacement before it’s too late. Next season Urlacher and Briggs will certainly be ready to make a run considering their time in the NFL is coming to an end. Expect some youth to be added the unit as well, so the veterans can be at their best.

Zoneblitz: Chicago finished behind Green Bay and Detroit in 2011, but the team seemed on track to at least compete for a playoff spot until Cutler got hurt. How big a gap exists between those three teams?

Perper: You’re certainly right about the team being on track for a playoff spot last season at 7-3. The lesson the Bears learned last season was the depth at key positions was lacking. Quarterback, wide receiver, defensive end and linebacker were not stacked with depth. With that being said, the Bears were poised to make a serious splash in the playoffs with Cutler and the defense playing at such high levels. With the right moves at positions where depth was short last year, this team will be considered competitive in the NFC North. The Packers and Lions proved how important an offense was to a team this past off-season. Just imagine the Bears offense with a healthy Cutler and Forte and a couple of big targets at receiver. The Bears are right in the thick of things in the NFC North.

Zoneblitz: What would you like to see the Bears do in free agency and the draft?

Perper: Wide receiver, defensive line, cornerback and offensive line.  Those are the areas of need for the Bears right now. Some analysts may move some of those areas around, but everyone can agree that it’s time for the Bears to invest in a legitimate receiver for Jay Cutler. Cutler needs a guy who can get some separation and demand double teams. That would help the other receivers out. If the Bears draft a young receiver like Michael Floyd out of Notre Dame, I don’t know how much they’ll be willing to dish out in free agency on a veteran receiver.

The defensive line is a need because Julius Peppers and Henry Melton can’t do everything by themselves. A pass rushing defensive end is a major need for this team considering Israel Idonije is a free agent, who even if re-signed, isn’t a speed end opposite of Peppers.

The cornerback position is interesting because Charles Tillman is locked in one side, but the other spot is up in the air. Tim Jennings, Zack Bowman and Corey Graham are all free agents. Jennings has been a solid player, but could demand a costly contract, while Bowman will move on somewhere else. Corey Graham is a star on special teams who was voted to his first Pro Bowl this past season, but isn’t considered a cornerback. He is more of nickel back type, but the Bears already have D.J. Moore in place as the nickel back.

The draft could be the place where the Bears polish up their secondary, but free agency wouldn’t be a bad spot either. The offensive line is getting Gabe Carimi and Chris Williams back next season from injuries. Those two being in the lineup is an automatic improvement. But J’Marcus Webb, like I mentioned above, could be a cancer on this offense. Look for the Bears to add either a young tackle through the draft or free agency.

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