CHICAGO _ On the long list of traits that have endeared Matt Nagy to the Bears and Chicago, his combination of candor and confidence is in the top half. The coach sees his team through critical eyes with a clarity and objectivity that fosters growth. Pairing that with a contagious self-assuredness fortifies his leadership.
So it was equally unsurprising and refreshing at the NFL combine last month when he said the following about the Bears offense, the unit he oversees on a micro and macro level:
"Anybody that looks at our team right now, they see a top defense in the league, and they see an average offense."
Nagy knows nothing is gained by sugarcoating his evaluation. In the next breath, though, he added: "I know we can get to where we're the top on the offensive side. We have the players and coaches to do that. But there's got to be some patience ... because it does not happen in one year."
The details supporting Nagy's thinking were illuminated as the team let the first wave of free agency pass without a high-profile addition to the offense.
The Bears, it appears, are going to lean hard on a natural progression for quarterback Mitch Trubisky and his supporting cast in Year 2 of Nagy's scheme.
Of course, the personnel won't entirely carry over. The running game will have different dimensions and more versatility with free agents Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson, plus the running back they presumably will draft. Theoretically, that should only help.
But after the Bears made ripples in the free-agent waters instead of a splash, their big bet on Trubisky remains firm.
They believe in his development commanding the offense and diagnosing defenses. They're counting on him to be the main reason why the offense won't sputter through another season scoring fewer than 20 points in eight of 17 games.
Nagy and Ryan Pace could have bought Trubisky more help in free agency, and maybe they tried to some extent. They cleared $13 million in cap room for something, right?
Still, even acknowledging we might not have complete clarity on their free-agency strategy, Nagy and Pace's conviction about Trubisky is clear and understandable.
Better yet, it provides the measuring stick against which their performances as coach and general manager will be evaluated next season.
To be fair, the roster is not fully assembled. The second wave of free agency is underway. There's also the draft. Factor in the unpredictability of the trade market, where first-string running back Jordan Howard is in the display window, and the overall picture of this offense will evolve to some degree.
At this point, though, a transformative addition is unforeseen, aside from a drafted running back. That underscores their belief in Trubisky, whose growth last season energizes Nagy as he contemplates Year 2.
"If you take (video clips) of early on in the season of things he did inside the pocket, outside the pocket _ where his eyes were _ to what he did in those last couple games that he played, he really started making plays that are rare," Nagy said.
"You could see his trust in this offense. He made some throws that are special. You're only going to continue to see more of that as the trust between all of us grows."
In February, the coach acknowledged his error in giving Trubisky too many plays in some game plans last season. That's part of a familiarization process the Bears believe will pay dividends in 2019.
"We all smile when we talk about going into the offseason and ... Mitch spending more time with the receivers," Pace said last month. "It's not just the offensive system, it's the chemistry with the players. That was all new last year, so it's exciting to have that going forward."
