The Chicago Bears have an excellent to write several of the main stories of the NFL offseason. The Bears have more than $60 million to spend under the salary cap. Additionally, they have the No. 1 and No. 9 picks in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The Bears showed significant improvement last year, going from 3-14 in 2022 to 7-10 last year. They had several other opportunities to win games that slipped away in the fourth quarter, and a winning record was within their grasp.
Looking ahead, they have a chance to build a playoff-level team this year if their can add the right free agents and draft well.
This means that general manager Ryan Poles has a huge responsibility on his hands. The Bears have not been in the playoffs since the 2020 season and they haven't had a winning record since 2018 when they were 12-4. Bears fans who enjoy wagering on their team can still do that in the offseason by betting on potential free-agent acquisitions. A sports website like Gambling Joker lets fans know the legal sites that will accept those wagers.
The fan base has grown long past impatient. The Bears may have won 9 NFL championships throughout their history, but 7 of them came before the 1947 season. They have only won 2 title since then and just 1 came in the Super Bowl. The 1963 Bears had a very good defense and a so-so offense, but they largely won the league title because Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers were not up to snuff that season.
The 1985 Bears are an all-time great team and may very well be the best one-year champions in NFL history. However, that's nearly ancient history by now and fans that bet on the Bears are desperate to see them win again.
Finding a quarterback is essential for the Bears
The Bears have not made it official yet, but it seems they are ready to move on from Justin Fields and bring in a new quarterback.
Since they have the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Bears will have an opportunity to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Many have described him as a generational quarterback because of his ability to make plays when protection breaks down and other quarterbacks would be in trouble.
The term generational seems a bit of an exaggeration because Patrick Mahomes is in the prime of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, and matching or exceeding what he is doing appears to be too much to ask. But if Williams turns out to be a quarterback who can consistently lead the Bears into the playoffs, he will be the right choice for the job and is likely to become the best quarterback in team history.
If Poles is not convinced that Williams is the right choice, he will still have an opportunity to draft a good quarterback. This year's class is considered to be very strong as Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy all seem likely to get selected in the top 10 of the draft. Bo Nix and Michael Penix are in the group right behind the most elite quarterbacks, and either one of those quarterbacks could turn out to be excellent leaders.
Bears also need defensive playmakers
The Bears improved dramatically on defense last year, and their big move up the ladder came after they traded for edge rusher Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. He helped solidify the defensive line as he picked up 6.0 sacks during his 9 games with the Bears.
Since the end of the season, the Bears have come to an agreement with talented cornerback Jaylon Johnson and also brought defensive back Kevin Byard into the fold. If the Bears can add one more solid pass rusher in free agency, the defense will have a chance to be a top-10 unit in 2024 and give the team a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
Bears should not sign QB Drew Lock or RB Saquon Barkley
If the Bears are going to draft a rookie quarterback who has the potential to start in his first year with the team and they also move Justin Fields, they are going to need a legitimate backup quarterback.
Tyson Bagent flashed some ability last year, but he may not be good enough to lead the team while a rookie like Williams learns the ropes. A legitimate backup quarterback is needed.
Drew Lock would not be the right man for the job. He has 4 seasons in the league with the Broncos and Seahawks, but his teams have gone 9-14 in games he has started and just 5-13 since his rookie year. His career TD-interception ratio is 28-23, and that's simply not good enough.
The Bears also need to avoid sinking a ton of money into running back Saquon Barkley, who likely is the best player at his position on the board. Barkley has been with the Giants since 2018 when New York made him the No. 2 pick in the draft.
The problem with Barkley is that he is incredibly unhappy with the current running back pay scale. He wants big money and a chance to show how important a player he is to his team. There are legitimate questions about how well he will fit into any team's scheme because he wants to be the main cog in the offense.
Barkley coming to Chicago would seem unlikely because the Bears and D'Andre Swift have come to an agreement on a three-year, $24 million deal.
However, Poles cannot allow himself to go after either Lock or Barkley during free agency.
