I spent my morning looking at potential free-agent offensive line fits for the Chicago Bears in 2025 so you didn’t have to spend your Friday doing so.
My journey began with this ESPN story, which ranks the top 2025 NFL free agents. There were six offensive linemen who checked in on this top-25 list, although one (Garrett Bolles) has already signed an extension with his current team. So if you had Bolles on your list, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But I suppose the good news is that there are some intriguing offensive line names here.
Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs guard — Smith is the second-highest-ranked pending free agent on ESPN’s list, and with good reason. The large and in-charge interior offensive lineman is one of the NFL’s best players. And because Bears GM Ryan Poles was in KC when Smith was drafted, there will be many who make an obvious connection. Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle — Stanley has been a force at left tackle for the Ravens since 2022 and a strong presence on their line since 2016. Even as he plays in his age-30 season, Stanley still owns a strong 93 percent pass block win rate that ranks 11th among all NFL offensive tackles according to the ESPN metric. Health issues are a yellow flag in my book, but they might be enough for Baltimore to part ways and save some cap space to be reallocated elsewhere. If Stanley makes it to the open market, the Bears should consider kicking the tires. Tyron Smith, New York Jets offensive tackle — Not much has gone right for the Jets, but the 34-year-old Smith playing well and posting ESPN’s best run-block win rate among tackles before going on injured reserve was one of the few things that go in the positives column. An eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, perhaps another bridge deal could be in play for Smith. Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys guard — The 34-year-old guard is on a Hall of Fame path after getting nine Pro Bowl nods with seven seasons of first-team All-Pro recognition. Martin had season-ending ankle surgery a few weeks ago and retirement isn’t out of the question. If he was healthy and the Cowboys were silly enough to let him walk, I’d bang the table for the Bears to be first in line for his services. But I don’t know (1) if he will be healthy or (2) play next year. Even if he does play in 2025, I struggle to imagine Jerry Jones letting Martin walk. Cam Robinson, Minnesota Vikings tackle — The Bears have gotten a good look at Robinson this season with the team playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, then twice as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. I am not sure if Robinson is a true upgrade from Braxton Jones at left tackle, but I am open to exploring all possible offensive line upgrades. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)Trey Smith is the best fit for the Bears offensive line, but…
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the expectation around the NFL is that Trey Smith will get paid handsomely this offseason. The star Chiefs guard figures to reset the market at the position. With more than $80 million in projected cap space at their disposal and a desperate need to upgrade along the interior offensive line, the Chicago Bears make sense as a suitor for Smith. But the hang-up here is that Smith might not even make it to the market.
The Tribune’s Brad Biggs explains:
Trey Smith, a standout guard for the Kansas City Chiefs, is coming out of contract and no one I have chatted with believes he will reach the open market. The expectation is the Chiefs pay Smith — he could become the highest-paid interior lineman in the NFL — or secure him with the franchise tag. So, let’s tap the brakes on the idea any sort of rebuild for the Bears could be centered around Smith, who the Chiefs drafted in the sixth round in 2021 after he slid down boards because of medical concerns.
Well, that is a cold blanket on my dream of the Bears making a big splash with someone Bears GM Ryan Poles is familiar with from his time in Kansas City. But I suppose it makes sense. Because while the reality is that the Chiefs can’t pay everybody in a salary-capped league, the odds are that the team would prioritize protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes and cutting salary from other positions. And if that is how the cookie crumbles, then Chicago (and any other team hoping to reel Trey Smith in via free agency) would be left to pivot.
I suppose the good news here is that there are players who are worth pivoting to — both in free agency *AND* the upcoming NFL Draft. It would behoove the Bears to double-dip in both areas in order to fully address their offensive line concerns. It should be their top priority this offseason. Should they fail, then we’ll likely find ourselves in the same situation we find ourselves in now.
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