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Brian Urlacher had five sacks in 2007 and leads all linebackers with eight interceptions since 2006.

EXPERTS' PICKS

The Bears finished last in the NFC North last season with a 7-9 record. For Bears and NFC North coverage, visit Kevin Seifert's NFC North blog | Discuss Bears | MAG Preview

ANALYST	PREDICTION
Jeffri Chadiha ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The Bears have the NFL's worst offense on paper. That unit will be just as bad when the games start counting.
John Clayton ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  Despite the early naming of Kyle Orton as starting QB, the Bears have too many questions on offense to be thinking of making a playoff run. Tight end is the only spot on offense that is settled.
Tim Graham ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  They have the D. But with ongoing QB concerns, their interchangeable running backs philosophy will need to keep working.
Jeremy Green Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The Bears' QB issues have been well-documented. However, this team went to the Super Bowl two seasons ago with marginal QB play from Rex Grossman. The Bears know their offense is shaky. That is why they will focus on improving a beat-up defense from 2007.
Paul Kuharsky ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The defense will rebound and keep the Bears in a lot more games. The question is, how many does the quarterback give away?
Matt Mosley ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  Why does it feel like that in 10 years Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton will still be battling for the starting job? The position has held the franchise hostage for years, and nothing will change.
Mike Sando ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  The Bears' inability to find a consistent quarterback is now rivaled by their dearth of proven options at the receiver position. That's a bad combination.
Kevin Seifert ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  The defense could be formidable, but no one knows how this offense is going to score. The line is in shambles and there are no good answers at quarterback.
James Walker ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The Bears do not have a quality quarterback on their roster and Devin Hester is their No. 1 receiver. That's not good. But they do have a defense and great special teams, so Chicago should win several games on those two phases alone.
Seth Wickersham ESPN The Magazine	DIVISION FINISH: 3  Bears fans must be wondering what they did to deserve another year of Rex and Kyle. Expect parking tickets to be paid, charity donations upped, grandmothers to be catered to -- anything to garner good karma for 2009.
Bill Williamson ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  The Bears are by far the worst team in the division and could be one of the worst teams in the league. It is difficult to believe that they are less than two years removed from the Super Bowl.
Matt Williamson Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The defense should be reminiscent of Chicago's Super Bowl season, and the special teams led by Devin Hester will be among the elite again. But there is no way around it: The offense is a nightmare. Hester, Harris, Urlacher & Co. will steal a game or two, but Grossman will lose two or three.
Pat Yasinskas ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  Just playing a hunch, but there still are some very good players on this defense and that's a good start. The defense will have to be outstanding because an offense led by quarterback Kyle Orton isn't going to score a lot of points.
	CONSENSUS DIVISION FINISH: 3 | NFL standings

BEST OF THE BEARS

Best receiver: Devin Hester. Hester is a dynamic player, but it probably doesn't speak well for the team's depth at the position. This season will be Hester's first as a full-time receiver. It's a lot to ask a player to step into such a prominent role so quickly after making the transition.

Best linebacker: Lance Briggs. Sorry, Brian Urlacher fans. If you watch the Bears practice, Briggs looks like the best playmaker on the field. Urlacher still plays at a high level, but Briggs gets to the ball faster. It's just a fact.

Best teammate: Adrian Peterson. The Bears unexpectedly released Cedric Benson in June and made plans for … rookie Matt Forte to be the likely starter. They also signed Kevin Jones to compete. Meanwhile, Peterson will continue to serve as a reliable backup even though he won't get a real chance at starting. Peterson can always be counted on for a professional contribution.

Best heart: Mike Brown. Brown's string of injuries, most recently a torn ACL last season, would have ended the careers of many players. But Brown has pushed his way back into the Bears' mix. He is their inspirational leader on defense and still one of their best players.

-- Kevin Seifert, ESPN.com

SCOUTS INC.'S FAB FIVE

Scouts Inc. has evaluated and graded more than 2,400 NFL players heading into the 2008 season, giving Insiders a leg up on the competition with exclusive grades, alerts and scouting reports.
Top five players	ANALYSIS
1. Tommie Harris Defensive tackle 6-3 | 295	(Grade 88) He has outstanding first-step quickness to penetrate gaps and disrupt plays. Harris is an explosive player who works with great pad level to reduce his blocking surface. He also draws many double-teams.
2. Brian Urlacher Linebacker 6-4 | 258	(86) When healthy, he is explosive in attacking the line of scrimmage as a run-stopper while having the speed, quickness and agility to be an effective pass-defender. He has great instincts and is a powerful tackler.
3. Lance Briggs Linebacker 6-1 | 240	(82) He has an excellent combination of size, strength and athleticism. Briggs has the ability to man up on most backs and interior targets in the passing game. He is also a very solid run defender, when attacking.
4. Devin Hester Kick returner/KR 5-11 | 189	(82) He progressed from being strictly a special teams contributor to a dangerous receiver defenses have to pay attention to. He is an excellent athlete with outstanding speed, burst and quickness.
5. Olin Kreutz Center 6-2 | 292	(77) He is a short, average-sized player with good athleticism and deceptive strength. He wins with intelligence, toughness, tenacity, technique, power, quickness and agility.
Player grading scale: Elite (90-100), outstanding (80-89), solid starter (75-79), good starter (70-74)

SCOUTS INC.'S ANALYSIS

Best play option QB Kyle Orton has struggled in the past, but here's one passing play that plays to his strengths. More best plays

Strengths

Special teams: The Bears have the best return man in the game in WR Devin Hester, who also happens to be surrounded by a lot of high-effort special teamers who take pride in finishing their blocks and creating seams. The kicking game also is in good hands. P Brad Maynard excels at getting the ball deep, with enough hang time to allow his coverage units to get downfield. K Robbie Gould is consistent and accurate inside 50 yards.

Linebackers: LBs Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs have the speed and instincts to consistently make impact plays. Both are very good in coverage and against the run. With his strength taking on blocks and playing off contact, LB Hunter Hillenmeyer is a good fit on the strong side for Chicago's scheme. He may not have the speed of Urlacher and Briggs, but he is a solid two-down player.

Secondary: This is a talented group that just needs to stay healthy. If FS Mike Brown can avoid yet another serious injury, he'll give the entire defense a boost. He's a playmaker whose toughness and effort are contagious, but his durability is a serious concern. CBs Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman are experienced players who are outstanding fits in the scheme. The Bears also have good depth on the perimeter in CBs Corey Graham (also an excellent special teams player) and Ricky Manning Jr.

Weaknesses

WR depth: All positions are virtually up for grabs within this unit, and an optimistic take is that plenty of opportunities exist for a young player or two to step up. Who will replace WR Bernard Berrian? Rookie WR Earl Bennett has a chance, but young receivers take time to develop. WR Devin Hester is the most athletic of the group, but he still must learn the nuances of the position. WR Marty Booker is solid, but he's 32 and isn't a true No. 1. WR Brandon Lloyd proved unreliable in San Francisco and Washington.

QB: Most outsiders believe the Bears' QB situation is long overdue for a complete overhaul, but the team has stood firm in its backing of QBs Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. There are plenty of reasons to believe Grossman and Orton aren't the answer.

Defensive line: The Bears had trouble controlling the line of scrimmage and stopping the run last year, finishing 28th in total defense (354.7 yards allowed per game) and 24th in run defense (122.9). DE Mark Anderson lacks size and strength against the run, so the starting job could be returned to DE Alex Brown. The team is counting on DT Anthony Adams and rookie DT Marcus Harrison to take some of the pressure off DT Tommie Harris inside. DT Dusty Dvoracek could be in the mix as well.

-- Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles.