As the Chicago Bears kick off their final three-week stretch of their offseason program, this is the time to review the roster, and identify upgradable areas. Following the draft, there are still areas for the Bears to stay advantageous.
Offseasons have rarely had dull moments for the Chicago Bears over the last decade-plus. Unfortunately for fans, that’s common for teams that consistently finish the season with a losing record. General manager Ryan Poles and first-year head coach Ben Johnson want to ensure the offseason is no longer more exciting than the regular season.
After years of the same issues in the trenches, this new regime has addressed them head-on. It started in free agency when they completely reconfigured the interior of their offensive line with the acquisitions of Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. Even new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen got a pair of veteran defensive linemen in Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett.
Because of their aggressive approach in free agency, they were able to adopt a more “Best Player Available” approach in the draft. That led to more unconventional results during the draft process, but it’s hard to argue against the talent Chicago added. Even so, the Bears were a 5-12 team in 2024 and have won a total of 15 games over the past three years. Talent is needed, and it’s nearly impossible for any team to fill many needs in one offseason.
The message at Halas Hall has been clear from Day 1. This is a team that is ready and expecting to win now. Let’s dive deeper into their three biggest remaining holes heading into their month-long offseason program, and a few potential free agent solutions.
Defensive End
Going into the draft, it felt like edge rusher was this team’s most significant remaining need. Coming out of the draft, I’m not sure anything has changed, unless they plan on having Shemar Turner lose 10-15 pounds and using him off the edge. Assuming Turner stays on the interior and plays *some* off the edge, the first reserve off the bench in any defensive end rotation will be Austin Booker. While there’s nothing wrong with having hope that Booker can make a leap in Year 2, banking on that would be risky.
Behind Booker, the depth chart looks even more bleak with Daniel Hardy and Dominique Robinson next in line. Simply put, this group is just one injury away from dangerous territory. There are a few free agents on the market that could fit the bill on a reasonable one-year deal:
- Za’Darius Smith
- Matthew Judon
- Jadeveon Clowney
- Preston Smith
- Shaquil Barrett
It’s become clear that Allen will only really value bigger defensive ends. Both Smiths and Judon fit that bill nicely. Barrett is a bit of an outlier, but has played similar roles in the past in Todd Bowles’ defense. Za’Darius Smith might be the “cream of the crop” of this group, which could also mean he is likely to be the most expensive. The 32-year-old continues to produce as a pass rusher, despite getting up there in age. Here’s a fun fact: The only NFC North team he hasn’t played for is Chicago.
Judon was an August target for the Bears last year, before New England shipped him off to Atlanta. He’s also 32, but he’s coming off a down year in Atlanta, after missing most of 2023 with an injury. Much like either of the Smiths, he would be a quality one-year answer that could provide rotational depth at worst. Clowney is the latest addition to this free agent crop, although some wonder how much he has left in the tank. Following his breakout season in Baltimore in 2024, his Carolina Panthers tenure did not serve him well.
Preston Smith was traded from Green Bay to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, yet he was not overly effective with either team in 2024. He’s best suited as a defensive end, initially leading to his trade request being granted to the Steelers. He was released in February and is still on the market.
Barrett would be another interesting “buy low” name. He signed a free agent deal with the Dolphins, and three months later, he retired. He returned before being released from his deal and re-signed with the Bucs in late December. There’s some speculation that he could eventually re-sign with Tampa Bay, but that hasn’t happened. He’s not really a length fit but is scheme-versatile.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Running Back
Following the hire of Johnson, plenty of focus shifted to the Bears’ running back room. Most felt they would re-work this group, including a high-round pick during the draft. Following both acquisition periods, they’ve added a late seventh-round selection to the room, but that’s it. So, what now?
There’s been plenty of smoke around the team looking to add another veteran. In an ideal world, the Bears would have drafted one of the top running backs. Unfortunately, the board didn’t break their way, and Poles opted not to give up valuable capital to trade up for one of the top names. This leads many to believe they could be in the veteran market to add another name to the top of their depth chart. The free agent market is thin, but there are some potential trade options out there that shouldn’t cost them too much future draft capital.
- Breece Hall (via trade)
- J.K. Dobbins
- Kenneth Walker III (via trade)
- Nick Chubb
Of the names listed above, Dobbins and Chubb are the “top” names remaining on the free agent market. Both have an extensive injury history, but Dobbins had a productive bounce-back year in Los Angeles with the Chargers last year. He doesn’t possess the same burst that he did coming out of Ohio State, but he might be the most viable option of this group, if the Bears don’t wish to give up draft picks. Chubb’s name has been tied to the Bears recently, but the 29-year-old is coming off another injury-riddled season where he didn’t look remotely like the same player. Despite being a franchise cornerstone in Cleveland, the Browns opted to draft a pair of replacements.
Hall is the “cream of the crop” of potential trade targets, but might also be the least likely to get dealt. There were plenty of pre-draft rumors about him being on the move, but nothing has come to fruition. Walker burst onto the scene in Seattle under Pete Carroll, but has regressed each year since. He’ll be in the final year of his rookie deal, so trade compensation likely starts in the early to mid Day 3 range. This might be their best bet.
Linebacker
Even after giving T.J. Edwards a two-year, $20 million extension to tie him to Chicago through the 2027 season, there are still plenty of questions about this group moving forward. Allen prefers to run most of his defense out of sub packages, which means Sam won’t be on the field much. Even so, this group lacks any semblance of proven depth after their two starters.
Speed has become a clear mission on both sides of the ball, which makes it easier to understand why they didn’t tender a restricted free agent offer to Jack Sanborn. Even so, their current depth chart features a fourth-round rookie (who most had with an undrafted grade), a career special teamer (Amen Ogbongbemiga), a former undrafted free agent (Swayze Bozeman), and their 2023 fifth-round pick in Noah Sewell who hasn’t been healthy or valuable enough to have on the field.
It’s quite possible that Allen doesn’t see the need for additional proven depth, but this group is one injury away from serious issues. The good news is that there is always a group of capable veterans who can serve as one-year stopgaps. Even better, multiple names could prove to be more than that.
- Kyzir White
- Ja’Whaun Bentley
- Eric Kendricks
- Shaq Thompson
- C.J. Mosley
- Jalen Reeves-Maybin
White and Bentley are two players who are young enough to still have a quality run of two to three years left. Bentley was recently released in New England after an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. Kendricks is getting a bit long in the tooth, but he has proven to be a quality player, especially as primary depth or as a spot-starter. He ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 14th-ranked linebacker in 2024. Thompson is in a similar boat and could fit that speed element, even as a one-year backup option. His leadership traits are something that could be valued. Mosley is 32, but is just one year removed from an excellent 2023 campaign. Reeves-Maybin is more of a special teams player who can also start when needed. He might be too similar to what they already have, but Johnson has plenty of history with him, dating back to his time in Detroit. No matter which option they choose, it would be a step toward adding proven depth for a cost-controlled price. White and Bentley will be the most expensive, but even then, they won’t command much this late in the free agent process. Having some peace of mind and a proven spot-starter could help the middle of this defense throughout a 17-game season.