NFL Combine: The Chiefs tag G Trey Smith, what does it mean for the Chicago Bears?

INDIANAPOLIS - The Kansas City Chiefs are inevitable, it seems.

The Super Bowl runner-up will reportedly franchise tag Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

This takes Option 1 off the table for the Chicago Bears in free agency. The Bears were expected to make a run at the Tennessee product.

Now, that's not a viable option as the Chiefs somehow found the cap space to get Smith back into the fold. It also begs two different questions: What's next for the Bears after Smith, and does it affect their draft plan?

It might not vary that much.

The fallout of Trey Smith's franchise tag

Smith was arguably the best offensive lineman the Chiefs had. It makes sense they'd move heaven and earth to keep him.

However, it takes the top free agent off the board in an otherwise underwhelming crop of free agents. 

The price is a one-year, $23.4 million price to franchise tag him. The Chiefs could still trade him, but like the Bears did with Jaylon Johnson last year it might be the first step in retaining a top-tier player while trying to work out a long-term deal.

All that is to say the Bears won't get their chance to land him. But, that might not be an end-of-the-world development.

What's next for the Bears in free agency?

The Bears still have options. A few of them, actually.

Head coach Ben Johnson pointed to the Carolina Panthers as a team that went into free agency and built their offensive interior behind Robert Hunt and Damian Lewis. That price tag was a hefty $89.2 million in guarantees between the two of them.

Now, the Bears can turn their page to Option 2 after Smith, which could mean getting two starting offensive linemen for the price of one.

The Bears could give a pay day to Falcons free agent center Drew Dalman with a long-term deal. That solves the center position with an experienced, 26-year-old player who would be the best center the Bears have had since Olin Kreutz.

After Dalman, veteran guards like Brandon Scherff and Kevin Zeitler are available. However, those two are most likely short-term solutions. 

Long-term solutions at guard could be Aaron Banks and Mekhi Becton. Becton resurrected his career with the Eagles at guard and won a Super Bowl after he struggled at tackle with the Jets.

Becton earned the chance to cash in this offseason, as has Banks who was a mainstay in San Francisco for the 49ers. 

Don't fret. There are options for the Bears. 

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How does this affect the Bears' draft?

Very little, for now.

The Bears still have a chance to add free agents that can make the line exponentially better than what it was in 2024.

Unless the Bears strikeout on adding free agents this offseason, which seems unlikely given their high number of open cap space, the team can continue looking to add athletes at skill positions.

This week, the Bears met with Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams at the NFL Combine. Those are players at the top of their positions in this draft.

It's a sign the Bears are looking for the best players available in this draft beyond just offensive linemen. If one of the best players in the draft falls to them, the Bears should take them.

The Bears will still have to draft offensive linemen. They can't afford not to. But the draft is so deep with talented interior linemen, the Bears can afford to wait until Day 2.

Donovan Jackson and Jonah Savaiinaea are two names to know. They're behind Tyler Booker in terms of the draft's top guard spot, but they're both starting caliber guards the Bears can take in the second round.