General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have the resources to go all-in on building an elite offensive line in front of quarterback Caleb Williams.
Armed with upwards of $79.9 million in cap space, a top-10 pick in April’s NFL Draft, as well as three selections in the first two rounds, the expectation is that the Bears are going to be aggressive this offseason. Nowhere else across the roster is aggressiveness more merited than along the offensive line.
Both Poles and head coach Ben Johnson vowed during the NFL Combine to be aggressive once free agency gets underway.
“The clearer the vision,” Poles told reporters at the Combine. “The more aggressive you can be. You want to be selective in free agency. Historically it can tell you and you can learn from that. But if there’s certain players that hit all the checked boxes you need, there’s really no reason to hold back and I feel like you can be aggressive in those situations.”
After Williams was forced to withstand 68 sacks as a rookie, and given the spending flexibility at Poles’ disposal, the Bears could go shopping at the top of the free agent market for help along the interior of the offensive line.
What happens if the Chicago Bears miss out on Trey Smith?
Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith is widely viewed as the premier free agent guard available in free agency this offseason and could be the Bears’ top organizational target.
After all, Smith didn’t allow a sack last season and has the kind of big-game experience that could prove vital in rebuilding the Bears’ offensive line, for years to come.
But, if the Chiefs somehow manage to re-sign Smith or he lands elsewhere on a more lucrative deal than the Bears wind up offering, Chicago could emerge with one of this draft’s highest-risers at the position.
USA TODAY’s Bears Wire put together a list of top Bears draft targets to watch, including North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel.
“A standout performer from the Senior Bowl who is also seeing his name rise up boards,” Mike Pendleton writes for Bears Wire. “Grey Zabel is one of the most interesting prospects for the Bears to watch. An unknown name to most of the public, Zabel can play both guard and center position on the offensive line, both of which are areas of concern for Chicago. If the Bears miss out on their top targets in free agency, Zabel could be a nice surprise to fall to them.”
Zabel was tremendous during Senior Bowl practices, and may have been the most consistently dominant player on the field in Mobile.
At 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds, Zabel was an absolute mauler during his collegiate career.
According to Pro Football Focus, Zabel allowed just one sack last season, while surrendering only two quarterback hits on his way to an elite 90.4 overall grade.
Given Zabel’s strong start to the pre-draft process, if he tests well at the NFL Combine, and the Bears miss out on Smith, he could be a top target early in the second round or of a potential trade-up back into the latter half of the first round by Chicago later this spring.
CFB sack leader among players Chicago Bears urged to focus on at combine
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