So far, the Chicago Bears haven’t exactly loaded up on playmakers this offseason.
There has been no top-of-the-market wide receiver dropped into Caleb Williams’ arsenal, nor a game-altering running back to pair with D’Andre Swift, or replace the versatile veteran, at least not during free agency with the NFL Draft looming.
However, at least one former NFL general manager is all-in on what the Bears have done so far this offseason, especially the moves made with sights set on helping Williams take the next step in his development as one of the league’s premier quarterbacks.
Chicago Bears an ‘instant contender’?
There’s a strong argument to be made that the Bears filled some of their most glaring needs by adding proven and capable veterans along both lines of scrimmage.
Former NFL general manager Mike Mayock is especially high on the Bears additions along the offensive line, trading for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney before signing top center Drew Dalman in the early hours of free agency.
“I think the team that did what they needed to do the most was Chicago,” Mayock said during a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. “Because Caleb Williams is a big-time talent, there’s a lot of skill position talent on that roster, but the offensive line wasn’t very good. Ryan Poles is a former offensive lineman, Ben Johnson is coming from a place where they prioritized offensive line. They went out and got three offensive linemen, they traded.
“What I love most about it, of course, the talent infusion is critical, but he [Williams] is going to have three interior offensive linemen setting the edge right in front of him, even better than that, the communication amongst those three guys that will then leak back to the quarterback, it’s going to be unbelievable. Those three moves [offensive line] I thought were critical and make Chicago an instant contender.”
The Bears have some significant ground to make up on the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers in the division, but, if Jackson, Dalman, and Thuney are each as advertised and Williams thrives in new head coach Ben Johnson’s scheme, Chicago could make the kind of leap Mayock is alluding to.
Besides, by aggressively targeting help in the trenches with some of the top free agents available, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears now can dedicate top draft capital to adding a playmaker such as Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, or one of the difference-making defenders in this class with the No. 10 pick in the draft.
Poles and Chicago have created optionality for the rest of the offseason, and if Mayock is right, the Bears could be a team to watch to take a major leap toward or into the postseason this fall.
Chicago Bears appear to be serious about trading up in 1st round
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