Urlacher Upbeat 7/27/12

"I think we have the talent now to reach our expectations," said Urlacher. "I really think we can do it this year.  We're stacked at every position.  Any time you can add Brandon Marshall and Michael Bush, and our defense is healthy again which is big for us."

The defense has always been the Bears strong suit, but Urlacher says there's definitely room for improvement.

"Be more consistent.  We've been up and down the last couple years.  We always get takeaways.  We're usually pretty good at sacks, but sometimes we'll give up 150 yards rushing and 100 yards passing."

Urlacher is part of an aging defense.  He turned 34 in May, and he's entering the final year of his contract.  In the back of his mind he knows his window for winning a championship might be closing.  But he says there's no more sense of urgency to win this year than there has been in past years.

"There's a sense of urgency every year.  It's a new team every year. There's guys gone.  Guys get cut.  So every year there's a sense of urgency," said Urlacher.

And a new season still feels like a fresh beginning even for this long-time veteran.

"It's exciting because it's new.  Everyone's 0-0 now, so it's fun at the beginning," said Urlacher.