The Chicago Bears will be one of the most exciting teams to watch during the 2023 NFL offseason. Chicago has been in a rough spot for a few years now, but this offseason could mark a new beginning for the franchise.
For one, the Bears have the most cap space in the entire league by a country mile. With nearly $98 million to work with, Chicago could potentially be a big player on the free agent market.
For two, they hold the coveted first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Chicago held the second pick for much of the season, but thanks to former Bears head coach Lovie Smith winning his final game with the Houston Texans, the Bears jumped up to first. With the Bears not needing a QB (at least they shouldn't, more on that later) they could easily trade the pick to a QB-needy team for a haul of picks. What the Bears do with their top pick will be one of the storylines to watch this off-season.
With that said, here are four bold predictions for the Bears this off-season.
4. The Bears focus on defense in the draft
OK, maybe this isn't the boldest prediction out there, but it's worth mentioning. Many note the Bears' struggles offense, and for good reason, but at least they have the bright spot of leading the league in rushing this season. Meanwhile, Chicago finished 29th in total defense, 31st in rushing defense and 32nd in scoring defense this season. With former stars like Roquan Smith no longer on the team, Chicago should address this need with some young talent.
Because they have the first overall pick, they can have whoever they want on defense. Beyond that, they should continue to address that need later in the draft, either finding good depth or a diamond in the rough.
3. Chicago trades for a top wide receiver
Back to offense, Chicago desperately needs some help at the receiver position. When the Bears' leading receiver is tight end Cole Kmet, something is very wrong. Darnell Mooney is a solid receiver, but not close to being a strong WR1. No, the Bears need to get their quarterback a real top receiver this offseason.
Fortunately for the Bears, there are plenty of options on the trade market. Some of the wideouts who could be on the market include DeAndre Hopkins, Brandin Cooks and Tee Higgins, all of whom would be a massive upgrade for Chicago. The Bears also have plenty of assets to trade and enough cap space to comfortably fit any cap hit, so they can easily get one of these receivers if they want. This team must get a top receiver sooner or later, and there's no time like the present.
2. They invest big in the trenches
If there's one area the Bears need help more than any other, it's the offensive line. Chicago has given up 58 sacks in each of the last two seasons, and Justin Fields was sacked 55 times this season, tied with Russell Wilson for most in the league. The Bears are severely lacking in talent up front, and they need to address it immediately to keep their QB upright.
However, another major need for Chicago is the defensive line. The Bears finished fourth in the league with 49 sacks in 2021 but plummeted to a league-worst 20 in 2022. With Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, and Akiem Hicks all leaving over the last year, the Bears need new blood on the defensive front.
With the number of resources the Bears have, there's no reason why they shouldn't address both needs. The trenches can decide a game on their own, and Chicago's issues there plagued the team this season.
1. The Bears don't trade the first pick AND hang onto Justin Fields
Truth be told, this should not be a “bold” prediction. But considering that rumors of Chicago trading Justin Fields continue to get louder, this prediction is apparently not a guarantee. The Bears would be absolute fools to trade away Fields, as he was the team's bright spot in 2022.
However, the first part of this prediction is a bigger question mark. If the Bears keep Fields, then they don't need a QB and have much more reason to trade the first pick. On the other hand, if they trade Fields, then they would likely keep the pick to get their choice QB.
In this scenario, though, the Bears keep Fields AND the top draft pick. Maybe the thought of their choice defender is too much to pass up, so they elect not to trade back. Either way, they have many options to consider this offseason.
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