For a team whose legacy is a growl, the Chicago Bears quietly went about their business in the offseason, making few headline-grabbing moves, and tinkering only slightly with a roster where the sum is far superior to its individual components. General manager Jerry Angelo worked on creating more depth and, with the additions of quarterback Chris Chandler and defensive linemen Keith McKenzie and Christian Peter, seemed to succeed in strengthening the team.

Perhaps most important, the Bears awarded coach Dick Jauron a contract extension, and that is a move that was welcomed by the players. Without being strapped with the label of "players' coach," always a dangerous moniker, Jauron has captured the near-universal respect of his charges. Players typically offer unsolicited endorsements of the coach, yet there is never a hint that they take advantage of him.

There is a quiet leadership about Jauron and that is reflected in the players as well. This is a team to which chemistry, an underrated component in all of sport anymore, still means something. At first glance, it is certainly not the most talented outfit, but the Bears get the most out of their strengths, do a nice job of camouflaging the weaknesses, and should be back in the playoff chase again this season.

	CAMP AT A GLANCE
	Jim Miller tossed 13 TDs and 11 INTs last season.
	Location: Olivet Nazarene Univ., Bourbonnais, Ill. Rookies report: July 25 Veterans report: July 25 Preseason schedule:    Aug. 10: Denver    Aug. 16: at St. Louis    Aug. 23: Jacksonville    Aug. 29: at Miami

Where will this bring the Bears?

No one expected Chicago to win 13 games last season and, truth be told, duplicating the kind of magic displayed in 2001 will be difficult a year later. That isn't to suggest that the Bears, whose division title in '01 was their first since 1990, will slip back into the kind of mediocrity that marked the previous decade. This is a solidly-constructed team that a year ago reached a level of consistency and never waned.

Maintaining that brand of consistency over the course of another season will be tough. And it is hard to imagine that Chicago, which had so many bounces go its way last year (the two overtime interception returns for touchdowns by free safety Mike Brown and the "Hail Mary" touchdown catch by backup tailback James Allen), will be as fortunate the second time around. Sometimes you've got to be lucky as well as good and the Bears were a little of both in 2001.

This remains a resourceful team, though, one that squeezes virtually every ounce of potential out of itself. So another playoff season is not out of the question.

Man in the spotlight
The addition of Chandler, one of the league's best pure throwers, should put pressure on incumbent starting quarterback Jim Miller, and there are some who suggest the former will move to the top of the depth chart by midseason. Certainly Chandler is physically superior and, because Miller has been slow to recover from a hip injury that knocked him out of the playoff loss, has gotten plenty of snaps this spring with his new teammates.

What can't be discounted, though, is the manner in which the Bears seem to rally around Miller, a gritty veteran who will never win any style points.

Miller is hamstrung to an extent by the short-pass, possession game favored by John Shoop, a coordinator often under fire from the fans, and by a design that rarely allows him to demonstrate his accuracy in the intermediate range. It will be interesting to see how Miller holds up physically in camp because, if Chandler gets too big an opening, he is talented enough to steal the starting job away.

Key position battle
Shoulder injuries and an intolerable salary cap figure forced the Bears to jettison veteran left tackle Blake Brockermeyer, who subsequently signed with Denver, and now Chicago is left with no experience at the key position. The favorite to emerge as the "blindside" pass protector is former Tulane center Bernard Robertson, who didn't play a single snap as a rookie and who will be asked to make a difficult position switch. Bears coaches are very high on Robertson but allow he remains an unknown commodity, the interloper on an otherwise veteran offensive line that started every game together in 2001.

The competition for Robertson will come from first-round draft pick Marc Colombo of Boston College, a player who had mixed reviews from scouts leaguewide. Colombo is a bit stiff and doesn't have great feet, but the coaches like his tenacity and, if Robertson falters, he could win the job.

Injury update
While the lingering affects of the injury to Miller have been bothersome, the men whose rehabilitations will be most closely watched share a surname. Defensive left end Bryan Robinson, who fractured both wrists in an accident when he fell over his dog this spring, is a key to the Chicago front four. Team officials continue to insist he will be ready for the start of training camp but, after surgery on both wrists, that timetable might be a tad optimistic. Look for him to get light work early in camp.

Wide receiver Marcus Robinson, whose spot as the "go to" guy has been snatched now by Marty Booker, is coming back from knee surgery. The consensus is that it will take more time for Robinson to be fully recovered. If he isn't, second-year veteran and 2001 first-round draft pick David Terrell will be the starter.

Rookie report
Colombo seemed a stretch, even toward the end of the first round, but his toughness is a good fit for this team. The Bears may have stolen a future starter in the third round with the choice of offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf. The former Mississippi star struggled in 2001 and his stock fell, but he is a power blocker, and could start by 2003. Cornerback Roosevelt Williams of Tuskegee has a chance to play in the "nickel" immediately. The club may move former Florida sack ace Alex Brown from defensive end to linebacker.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.