It’s Day 49 of the Chicago Bears offseason. When I complete the things on my Sunday to-do list that I didn’t get to on Saturday, then I will consider it a successful weekend. And if I don’t, I’ll still find a way to make the most of it.
Tomorrow is a notable day on the football calendar as the ball gets rolling on the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In addition to the 300+ participants (get the whole list and some of my favorite prospects here) attending the event, the Combine is an annual hotbed of NFL news and rumors. So keep your head on a swivel this week. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz lines up bold offseason strategies for each of the NFL’s 32 teams. And when it comes to the Bears, opting to prioritize the defensive line is certainly bold, but also confusing. Schatz wants Chicago to build the pass rush via free agency (mentioning Eagles DE Josh Sweat and Chiefs Charles Omenihu as free agent fits) and the draft (name-checking Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen as draft targets). In isolation, it isn’t a bad idea. But we saw how this strategy worked for the Bears during the Ryan Pace era. Why are we trying to revisit something that didn’t work the first time around? Heck, not only did this offseason plan of attack not work for Ryan Pace, it hasn’t worked for Ryan Poles to this point. The team’s long-standing offensive line problems remain, in part, because the front office hasn’t used assets (draft picks, cap dollars) to make necessary changes. Don’t get it twisted. I appreciate the NFL’s analytics committee. But sometimes, these pieces ignore history and things you’d catch with an eye test. With that being said, I’ll say this about Schatz’s perspective: Had he not laid out that Montez Sweat would be 29 and that Andrew Billings was going to be 30, I would not have thought about the line getting older as a reason to make that position group a top priority. There is no denying the Bears need to get better *AND* younger on the defensive line this offseason. But they shouldn’t do so at the expense of filling three needs along the interior offensive line. Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) sacks Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images I feel as if the image above truly captures how important it is to get it right along the offensive line. How I’d rank the Bears’ offseason needs: MUST HAVES: Two guards, one center, one starting defensive end NEEDS: A running back who can create explosive plays, a starting-caliber defensive tackle WOULD BE NICE TO GET: A starting caliber tight end who would allow Ben Johnson to run as much 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE) as he did in Detroit, situational pass rusher Sure, it was a roll of the dice. But I included my own mock draft in this week’s installment of the NFL mock draft roundup. How’d I do?Dabbled with the @PFF mock draft simulator for the first time in 2025 … how'd I do? pic.twitter.com/Pq3VANweNV
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 22, 2025 Chicago’s Friday cuts of tight end Gerald Everett and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker bring the Bears to $79,758,403 in space under the cap. You can check out every team’s cap situation via OTC. I still believe the Bears could’ve kept Walker, whose positional versatility was well worth the $5 million. And while I think the Bears can better allocate those funds, I wish they could’ve waited until they found a replacement before deciding to let Walker go. Then again, getting the cut done now gives him and his representation an opportunity to seek a soft landing before the new league year begins on March 12. That’s a courtesy move for a respected veteran. See! Even Jason Kelce can point out the things that stink about the Tush Push. (Pro Football Talk) Let the record show that it’s not all bad along the Bears’ offensive line:I've been studying some of the younger OTs in the NFL, and #Bears RT Darnell Wright has really stood out. He was put into a ton of true 1 vs 1 situations without a TE/RB chip, and his ability to handle power, mirror guys, and drop the anchor is really impressive. pic.twitter.com/YLBdOYPNze
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