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Everything is hunky dory in Chicago right now with the highly-touted acquisition of Jay Cutler. Cutler’s honeymoon ends when the season starts…then the marriage begins.

Cutler knows this, “Anytime a player goes to a different team, there’s a lot to take in. There’s an adjustment, not only in this city and with teammates, but a playbook. There are a lot of questions out there, and throughout the year hopefully a lot of them get answered in my favor.”

Right now the romance and excitement are high in the Windy City. From Jerry Angelo to the ball boy, everyone got what they wanted—a franchise quarterback.

Many people say that the Vikings are a quarterback away from a trip to the Super Bowl, but the Chicago Bears may have beaten them to the punch.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler’s game is going to be dissected more times than a frog in fifth grade science class. After his turbulent departure from Denver, how he reacts to the pressure of this season will go a long way in determining his legacy. Possessing all the tools and intangibles, Cutler will give the running game some much-needed freedom as defenses will no longer be able to stack the box now that there’s a playmaker in town. The backup job should be battle, with two second-year players vying for the job. Caleb Hanie has spent more time in Chicago, which might give him the upper hand against Brett Basanez. The Bears may look to bring in some more established veterans as the summer progresses.

Running Backs: The biggest benefactor of Cutler joining the Bears could be last year’s team MVP, Matt Forte. It didn’t matter if Chicago was running or throwing out of the backfield, Forte was the go-to guy, leading the league with 35% of his team’s yards from scrimmage. That total should decrease in 2009 for two reasons—the acquisition of Jay Culter and the first healthy off-season in recent memory for backup Kevin Jones. Jones has reportedly looked fresh after recovering from his latest knee issues and he’ll supply the Bears with solid, if unreliable backup to Forte. Adrian Peterson might lose out on touches if Jones is able to stay in the mix. The tiny speedster Garrett Wolfe still hasn’t carved out a role with Chicago, but this Darren Sproles clone has the moxy to make big plays.

Wide Receivers: Alan Parsons had a project and so do the Bears—making the most lethal return man in the game a legitimate number one receiver. Devin Hester can flat out fly and make players miss along the way. If the dynamic speedster can harness those tools and improve his route running and concentration, he could become something special. Earl Bennett was Jay Cutler’s teammate at Vanderbilt and Chicagoans are hoping that the former Commodores can re-create their collegiate fireworks. Bennett didn’t catch a single pass in his rookie season so it’s time for him to step up. Rashied Davis will play opposite Hester if Bennett can’t figure it out this summer. Davis drops too many balls but he surprised last season and showed he belonged with the big boys. A couple of rookies to keep in mind are Johnny Knox of Abilene Christian and Derek Kinder of Pittsburgh. Knox has more ping than the game has pong—he’s that quick. The question is, can he transfer that to the next level? Kinder had a first-round grade before tearing his knee up in 2007. Keep in mind Cutler has (sort of) lobbied to bring in the disgruntled Bronco, Brandon Marshall.

Tight Ends: Greg Olson and Desmond Clark form a terrific tandem for the Bears. Expectations are high for Olsen entering his third season, as he now has a first class quarterback throwing him the ball.

Offensive Line: If the Bears acquire any more Commodores (Vanderbilt) we might see the likes of Lionel Richie playing flanker. Chris Williams, the team’s first-round pick last season, also comes from Vanderbilt and was in the same class as Cutler and Bennett. Williams was sidelined by back surgery in his rookie season, but he can still be the long term solution at tackle. Orlando Pace at 33 is still better than most tackles…when he’s healthy. Olin Kreutz enters his 12th season and will anchor this unit of fresh faces. Frank Omiyale, the newly signed Bear from Carolina, was brought in to push incumbent Josh Beekman. Roberto Garza makes up in effort what he lacks in skills. The key for this unit is time together, so the corps must remain healthy during July and August.

DEPTH CHART

DEFENSE

Defensive Line: The best addition the defensive line made this off season was acquiring Rod Marinelli, the former Lions head coach. The unit he takes over has the talent, so it will be his job to get it to perform up to expectations. Tommie Harris is one of the best in the game playing the interior and with the knee problems behind him he should be back to his Pro Bowl form. Harris’ success will make the entire line that much better. Adewale Ogunleye has nine seasons under his belt and still commands the attention of opposing offenses. Playing on the other side is Alex Brown, who led the team in sacks during the 2008 season. The interior of the line might see some change, as second-year man Marcus Harrison looks to take reps away from the oft-injured Dusty Dvoracek. Jason Gilbert was chosen in round three this past April and should work himself into the rotation.

Linebackers: Lance Briggs has surpassed Brian Urlacher as the best linebacker on the team. Briggs is the impact player that Urlacher was a few seasons ago and while Urlacher is still making plays, he isn’t playing up to the standard he set for himself when he made the Pro Bowl six of his first seven seasons. Recently signed free agent Pisa Tinoisamoa could push Nick Roach as Chicago’s other outside linebacker. Hunten Hillenmeyer lost his starting job to Roach last season but remains effective, providing the Bears with depth.

Defensive Backs: Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman share the honors of being the starters for Chicago. Tillman is more physical and his size allows him to take on the bigger receivers. Vasher, tipping the scales at a tad less than 190 pounds, is the big-play corner…although those big plays haven’t been seen lately. D.J. Moore, a rookie from Vanderbilt (and no, I won’t make a joke about them drafting another Commodore), could push Vasher for time if the former Longhorn doesn’t stay healthy. Third-year safety Kevin Payne is establishing himself as a force in the secondary. Two free agents—Josh Bullocks and Glenn Earl—were brought in to fill the hole at free safety. Bullocks looks to be the other starter with Payne while Daniel Manning adds depth to the unit.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Despite playing in Chicago’s less-than-friendly confines, Robbie Gould has quietly become one of the best kickers in the game. Punter Brad Maynard can place the ball inside the 20 at will. Together both Gould and Maynard give Chicago terrific special team players. Devin Hester virtually big-played the Bears into Super Bowl XLI with his amazing displays of quickness and speed, but has moved to wide out. Although he’s not as dynamic as Hester, Daniel Manning took over and led the league in kick return yards with 29.7 per return. Johnny Knox could also excel in a return role, providing depth for the Bears.

CHICAGO BEARS OFF-SEASON TRACKER

Acquired
QB Jay Cutler (trade Broncos)
TE Michael Gaines: FA Lions; terms unknown
OT Frank Omiyale: UFA Panthers; $11.5M/4 yrs, $5.5M SB
OT Orlando Pace: FA Rams; $15M/3 yrs, guarantees unknown
OT Kevin Shaffer: FA Browns; 3 yrs, terms unknown
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa: FA Rams; 1 yr, terms unknown
FS Josh Bullocks: UFA Saints; 1 yr, $525,000 guaranteed
Drafted
WR Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma
WR Johnny Knox, Abilene Christian
WR Derek Kinder, Pittsburgh
OG Lance Louis, San Diego State
DE Henry Melton, Texas
DL Jarron Gilbert, San Jose State
LB Marcus Freeman, Ohio State
CB DJ Moore, Vanderbilt
FS Al Afalava, Oregon State
Undrafted Free Agents
RB Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette
FB Will Ta'ufo'ou, California
WR Eric Peterman, Northwestern
OG Johan Asiata, UNLV
OG Dennis Conley, Hampton
LB Kevin Malast, Rutgers
LB Mike Rivera, Kansas
SS Dahna Deleston, Connecticut
DB Woodny Turenne, Louisville
Re-signed
RB Kevin Jones: UFA; $3.5M/2 yrs, $1M SB
LB Nick Roach: ERFA; terms unknown
CB Marcus Hamilton: ERFA; $460,000/1 yr
Departures
QB Kyle Orton (Traded Broncos).
QB Rex Grossman (not tendered as UFA June 1; Signed with Texans)
WR Marty Booker (released).
OT John Tait (retired).
OG Terrence Metcalf (released).
OL John St. Clair: UFA Browns; $9M/3 yrs, $600,000 guaranteed.
LB Gilbert Gardner (released).
DB Brandon McGowan: UFA Patriots; terms unknown.
Unsigned
WR Brandon Lloyd (not tendered as UFA June 1)
OT Fred Miller (not tendered as UFA June 1)
LB Darrell McClover (not tendered as UFA June 1)
DB Mike Brown (not tendered as UFA June 1)
DB Cameron Worrell (not tendered as UFA June 1)

PROJECTION

Hearing the players speak after the acquisition of Cutler, it’s clear that this team feels its time is now. With the missing piece to the puzzle now in place, the Bears have no doubt that they can win it all. This team is not that far removed from its Super Bowl visit and most of the key players from that team are still in place. The Bears will win the NFC North. The Vikings will have Favre questions and defensive linemen missing games from the get-go. Green Bay will battle and be in the thick of it, but it won’t be enough, and the Lions are simply looking to get in the win column as they rebuild. The Windy City will be buzzing as the Bears march toward another division title.

Photo Credit: OSU Athletics, OU Athletics Department