Bears Daily: A look at the Chicago Bears biggest offseason needs nearing NFL Free Agency
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CHICAGO, Ill. - Free agency and the NFL Draft are next for the Chicago Bears, in that order.
This will give General Manager Ryan Poles and his staff a chance to improve a Bears roster that saw a four-win improvement in Year 1 to Year 2.
Here are the Bears biggest offseason needs, separated into tiers.
Top Tier: Pass rushers and playmakers
Next season, the Bears have Tyler Scott and DJ Moore as receivers under contract. They need to add more, no matter who’s under center.
Moore is a No. 1 receiver. He showed that he can be the guy with his best season as a pro, even with all the struggles the Bears had offensively.
But, he can’t do it alone.
The Bears' top priority, aside from the quarterback situation, is to line the team with difference-making up-makers. This goes beyond wide receiver.
Adding young, potentially elite talents at receiver and pass rusher are a necessity in today’s NFL. The Bears can do that at pick No. 9 overall.
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Middle Tier: Safety, offensive line, quarterback
Let’s not split hairs here.
Last year, the Bears saw Justin Fields improve and found a stable back up in Tyson Bagent. If the Panthers didn’t give the No. 1 overall pick to the Bears, it's fair to assume there would not be such a conundrum about the quarterback position in Chicago.
Since the potential to add Williams is there, that’s why the discussion persists. That’s not a bad thing, but it still makes this a middle tier need since Fields' improvement has made this discussion difficult.
After releasing Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair, that opens a need for depth on the offensive line and for a starting safety alongside Jaquan Brisker.
Those two positions, free safety and guard, could be addressed in Day 2 or 3 of the NFL Draft.
Cole Kmet #85 of the Chicago Bears in action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on December 18, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Bottom Tier: Tight end and linebacker
The Bears don’t need to worry about linebacker or tight ends too much, either.
It would be ideal to add a second tight end opposite Cole Kmet that could block at a high level. However, there are options in free agency the Bears could probably find without spending too much of their open cap space.
TJ Edwards, Jack Sanborn and Trumaine Edmunds make up a talented linebacking corps in the middle of the defense for the Bears.
Still to be determined: Cornerback
If the Bears can resign Jaylon Johnson, this will be a moot point.
The franchise will have its No. 1 cornerback to go with a defensive back room that has a chance to improve as Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson enter their third and second seasons in the NFL, respectively.
If Johnson signs elsewhere, that immediately puts this position up near the top. Gordon has fit as a nickel corner while Stevenson is playing on the outside. Johnson is dependable, even against some of the NFL’s best receivers.
Resigning him is probably the team’s top priority this offseason. If they don’t, it adds another massive to-do item on GM Ryan Poles’ to-do list.