Drew Dalman and the Chicago Bears: The Perfect Pivot After Losing Out on Trey Smith ...Middle East

The Chicago Bears have an abundance of cap space with General Manager Ryan Poles calling the shots as he tries to fulfill the vision of Ben Johnson, the team’s new head coach. Filling Chicago’s offseason needs in free agency will go a long way toward getting this team back into the postseason hunt. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the more promising and available targets to see if there’s a fit for the Bears in 2025.

PREVIOUSLY: Trey Smith (who is no longer an option)

Potential Target, Age, Position

Drew Dalman, 26, center

Performance and Grades

2024 Stats: 9 Games (9 Starts), 2 Sacks Allowed

Career Accomplishments: 57 career games, 40 starts

Pro Football Focus Grades (2024): 78.8 overall, 4th of 64 qualifying centers

PFF Grades (Last 3 Years): 82.3 (2023), 65.9 (2022), 78.3 (2021)

Existing Rumors and Bears Connections

Drew Dalman rumors have been picking up lately. They began in January with one ESPN reporter connecting the dots between Dalman and the Bears and another network analyst pegging Chicago’s football team as the best fit for the free-agent center.

Possible Contract Considerations

Pro Football Focus has Drew Dalman’s next projected contract looking like this:

If the Bears were to hand out that contract, it would rank as the third-highest in total value, second-highest in per-year average, and fifth-highest in terms of guaranteed money. On the one hand, I can understand why some folks would flinch at handing over a huge contract for a center. And I can already hear the cries of “overpay!” from here. But on the other hand, we always knew the cost of upgrading in free agency would be expensive. Thankfully, Chicago’s front office has nearly $80 million worth of wiggle room under the cap.

The Fit

Patrick Flowers nailed the fit when listing Drew Dalman as one of five ideal Chicago Bears 2025 free-agent targets. Here’s what Patrick had to say about Dalman:

Atlanta’s Drew Dalman could hit the market next month, and he’s a no-brainer, ranking as one of the league’s best centers in the past two seasons. According to PFF, Dalman’s 78.8 PFF overall grade ranked fourth among centers in 2024, and his 82.3 overall grade in 2023 ranked third among centers. Dalman has room to grow as a pass-blocker but is one of the league’s best run-blocking centers and is only 26 years old. If he reaches free agency, he would be a perfect long-term fit in Ben Johnson’s offense, which deploys a healthy amount of outside zone rushing.

Getting Trey Smith would’ve been nice, but I’ve quietly believed Drew Dalman was a better fit and a more significant need for the Bears. There has been a revolving door of mediocrity and disappointment at center since Cody Whitehair’s Pro Bowl season in 2018. One way to stop the door from spinning is to sign a center who knows his way around the interior of the offensive line and has established himself as one of the better players at the position. Sure, signing someone like Dalman will put a dent in the Bears’ salary cap situation. But the juice could be worth the squeeze if it means fortifying the interior offensive line.

Highlights

Falcons C Drew Dalman with a very "pass protection isn't passive" moment here against Kenneth Murray. pic.twitter.com/KSikMD72CY

Drew Dalman is initially beat on this play, but he recovers so quickly and generates enough power off of his left leg to get back into a position to effectively block Jordan Davis. (Make sure to watch the slow motion clip.)Dalman does get some help from his RG on the play. pic.twitter.com/rsIbJUUgBH

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