The next big step in the Chicago Bears’ offseason roster-building process arrives next week with the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Free agency, meanwhile, is less than a month away (March 12).
While the heavy lifting is just getting underway for general manager Ryan Poles and his staff, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs opens his weekly Bears mailbag for a host of questions about possible additions.
Ryan Poles has been very cautious in free agency in the past. Is that, in your opinion, a reflection of who has been available or Poles being afraid to pull the trigger? — Steve, Chicago
I would disagree that Poles has been “very cautious.” The Bears were bargain shoppers in 2022, his first year, largely because they were tight on salary-cap space and wound up carrying a bunch of dead money to straighten out the books.
Since then the Bears have been relatively busy in free agency, and while they haven’t written a lot of really large contracts, those can turn into bad deals quickly. In 2023, they signed Tremaine Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract, making him one of the highest-paid off-the-ball linebackers in the league. That same offseason, guard Nate Davis received a three-year, $30 million contract, defensive end DeMarcus Walker signed for $21 million over three years and weak-side linebacker T.J. Edwards got a three-year, $19.5 million deal.
Running back D’Andre Swift (two years, $24.5 million), safety Kevin Byard (two years, $15 million) and tight end Gerald Everett (two years, $12 million) signed with the Bears in free agency last year.
The Bears haven’t been the most aggressive team in free agency the past couple of years, but they’ve spent a good deal of money. Poles has been relatively calculated and is perfectly willing to “pull the trigger,” as you say. Some additions have worked better than others, and I would imagine the Bears will be aggressive in pursuing offensive linemen and potentially some defensive linemen this year.
I think some folks have put way too much stock in the idea the Bears have a boatload of available cap space. That’s a good thing and it gives them flexibility, but you can’t build the framework for a perennial contender via free agency. The Bears have been entirely too reliant on free agency over the last two decades or so, mostly because they’ve been unsuccessful at stocking certain positions via the draft. Free agency should be a means to plug a hole here or there. So a measured approach is always prudent.
What is the ideal Plan B at guard if Trey Smith stays in Kansas City? — @lastwordonbears
The question probably should be what is Plan B at guard if Smith remains with the Chiefs or signs elsewhere. More than half of the league projects to have in excess of $30 million in available cap space. The Bears can make some moves to create more space, and so can a whole bunch of other teams. My point is there would be competition for Smith if he reaches free agency.
The Bears can go in many different directions if they don’t acquire Smith. I’d keep in mind they ideally need two guards and a center, and that’s before having a conversation about the left tackle situation. There’s a decent chance Alabama guard Tyler Booker will be available at No. 10 in the first round. If the Bears believe he can be a mainstay on the line for seasons to come, that’s not too early to select an interior lineman, especially if you’re OK with paying Smith $22 million a year or more in free agency.
Philadelphia’s Mekhi Becton, Indianapolis’ Will Fries and San Francisco’s Aaron Brooks are potential free-agent options. Becton played well for the Eagles this past season after a poor start to his career with the New York Jets. Teams will need to ask themselves how much of his improvement was related to the players around him. Fries is coming off a broken leg suffered in Week 5. Banks has 43 starts over the last three seasons and is an athletic guy who could check boxes the Bears are looking for.
Then there are short-term options like Detroit’s Kevin Zeitler, 34; Dallas’ Zack Martin, 34; or maybe even Jacksonville’s Brandon Scherff, 33. Those would be one-year fits and you’d probably be a little concerned about durability.
An early guess: If the Bears don’t wind up with Smith — for whatever reason — that would boost at least somewhat the chances they draft Booker. But the predraft evaluation process is just getting going and a lot can change.
It looks like the Bears are going to focus on the center/guard positions this offseason. After watching what Philadelphia’s defensive line did to Kansas City with its outside rush, is it realistic to think an average left tackle like Braxton Jones could stand up to a playoff-level pass rush? — Marc B., Nashville, Tenn.
I would not rule out the possibility the Bears land a new left tackle this offseason. If they do, I believe that would arrive in the form of a draft pick. You’d be looking at LSU’s Will Campbell or perhaps Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. I don’t know how Ohio State’s Josh Simmons will be evaluated. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. I saw him at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and that was likely an effort to get in front of some teams and meet with them.
Many variables will play into this decision. How does the new coaching staff evaluate Jones? What kind of consensus do the Bears reach on the top left tackle prospects in the draft? Who will be on the board when they pick at No. 10? What pieces for the offensive line makeover will Ryan Poles be able to add first in free agency? Which other positions can be upgraded in free agency and how significant will those moves be? The first week or so of free agency likely will leave some clues as to which direction the Bears will be going in the draft, but they need to remain fluid and stay true to their board.
I’d point out that the Lions used first-round picks on running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell in 2023. I’m referencing this not because I think new Bears coach Ben Johnson had major sway in the draft room in Detroit but because — at the time — that first-round haul was roundly criticized. Gibbs wasn’t viewed as an every-down running back, and stack linebackers have been devalued over the last decade or so. The Lions went with players they felt had great value and fit their culture, and GM Brad Holmes nailed both picks. Maybe they weren’t the team’s biggest needs — although linebacker was a need at the time — but the Lions got players they can build around.
Poles has to come out of this draft with players he can build around, and he can’t risk forcing a pick that might not have the same ceiling or draft grade as others because the player fills a need.
As far as Jones holding up at left tackle against a “playoff-level pass rush,” the Chiefs were in a tough spot in the Super Bowl when they had to move standout guard Joe Thuney to left tackle. The Bears won’t emerge from this offseason with offensive and defensive lines ready to rival what the Eagles have built. That takes time and multiple offseasons of importing the right kind of players and then developing them. If they can build an offensive line better equipped to stand up against NFC North competition, that would be a good place to start.
Do you think the Bears feel comfortable with Tyrique Stevenson as a starting cornerback entering next season? He and Terell Smith had some struggles last season and I wonder if they need an upgrade there. — @michael16824439
One of the best hires the Bears made was Al Harris to oversee the secondary. I say that with a lot of respect for Jon Hoke, who helped Jaylon Johnson take his game to another level. Look at where Johnson was before Hoke arrived in 2023 and how he then took off and reached a Pro Bowl level, and it’s easy to see the impact Hoke had.
If Harris can break through with Stevenson, I believe the Bears have a pretty talented player. It’s about consistency, routine and focus for Stevenson — stuff he has lacked at times. Harris had a knack for developing younger players with the Cowboys, and his arrival could be a good thing for Stevenson and Smith.
The Bears have clear needs this offseason and if you add cornerback to the list, pretty soon they’ll have more than they reasonably can fill in one offseason. They still could draft a cornerback this year — it’s usually a good idea to bring in one almost every year — but they have to get better in the trenches on both sides of the ball. I think the Bears will see if they can help Stevenson develop better professional habits so he can be a more consistent performer opposite Johnson.
Under the CBA, is Ben Johnson allowed to have Zoom contact with Caleb Williams like the Bears were able to some when he was a prospect? At what point in the offseason can they watch film and discuss his comfort level with certain plays? When can they actually start bonding? — @gregfeltes
Johnson won’t be able to begin working with Williams until April 7, the first day teams that hired new head coaches can begin their voluntary offseason programs.
According to Article 21, Section 2 of the collective bargaining agreement, “prior to the commencement of the club’s official offseason workout program, players are not permitted to participate in club-supervised workouts, club-supervised practices, group or individual meetings with coaches, group or individual film study with coaches or group or individual playbook study with coaches.”
So you’re looking at a little more than six weeks before Johnson and the coaching staff can begin working with players.
If the Bears end up drafting a left tackle who wins the starting job, what’s the most likely scenario for Braxton Jones? Backup swing tackle, play elsewhere on the line, trade? — Marc H., Chicago
If the Bears select a left tackle in the first round, they’re drafting him to be the Day 1 starter. In that scenario, I believe Jones would serve as the swing tackle. There have been numerous questions over the last year about Jones potentially moving inside. I don’t think they want to line him up at guard. They would have an experienced swing tackle with a background at left tackle. Swing tackles often have played more right tackle in their careers. The Bears would have a player they could plug in at left tackle — if needed — and feel relatively confident about his ability.
The chances of a trade materializing are probably remote. Another team would have to be pressed into a situation that required it to make a move. With Jones entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Bears wouldn’t get a whole lot in return.
At what point will Ryan Poles shift draft strategy from increasing the number of picks to potentially trading future picks to go “all in”? — @rgbears69
I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. For starters, the first year for a new coaching staff with a roster coming off a five-win season seems like an odd time to mortgage the future for the present.
Teams that win consistently do so largely because they have a knack for drafting and developing players on a consistent basis. Rarely do teams that make desperation moves to win the offseason reap the benefits during the season.
One thing that really stands out about the Lions, when you look at the way GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have built that franchise to a level it hasn’t seen in ages, is the slow and steady approach. The Lions have been very selective in free agency. They haven’t had an “all in” offseason, and look where they are.
“I’m proud of us that we’ve avoided mentally putting ourselves into that, ‘We’re being in a window, and so we have to do something different,’ from a roster standpoint,” Holmes told Detroit media last year. “We’ve kept our approach and our process very consistent in terms of how we build it, the opportunities that we provide players, and that’s what give us confidence.
“We’ve been saying this from Day 1: ‘We want to get better every single year.’ We’ve done that and we plan to continue to do that.”
The Bears don’t have a shortage of good draft capital this year. They own two second-round picks and four of the top 74 selections. Trading future draft capital to amass more premium picks seems like a poor idea considering the tax required. You won’t get a second-round pick in 2025 by trading a second-round pick in 2026.
With Darnell Wright at right tackle and good opportunity to address right guard in free agency, would taking Armand Membou at No. 10 create a logjam on the right side? — @swan_song12
Membou, who started 30 games at Missouri over the last three seasons, is an intriguing prospect whom some teams view as a guard in the NFL. Provided you believe he can be converted to the left side, I don’t see why this would create a logjam. He’s a good player and a likely first-round selection. If he goes in the top half of the round, it could be to a team that potentially views him as a right tackle.
