My Early FA / Draft Plan for the Bears

Now that the Bears have their new general, it is time to get him some quality troops.  The Bears have three top 41 picks and plenty of cap space so Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson will have ample opportunity to add talent on both sides of the ball.

Step #1: Freeing up more money

Cut Ryan Bates ($4 million) and Gerald Everett ($5.5 million).

These two moves would generate nearly $10 million in additional cap space.  Ryan Poles' love affair of Ryan Bates needs to come to an end.  He is consistently injured and when he does play he does not show enough to warrant his salary.  

Everett, was brought in with new Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron in the offseason. But when Waldron was fired, Everett saw his playing time drop the rest of the season.  After playing 61% of the snaps in the season opener he ended up only playing single digit snaps in 7 of the final 8 games.  He can take his 8 catches to a new team while Johnson finds a better fit for his offense in FA.

This brings the total money available to ~$76 million, set aside $10 million for draft picks and $66 million is plenty to bring in some quality free agents.

Step #2: Instant impact free agents

The offense needs a boost, plain and simple. And the area that is most needed is the interior offensive line. Luckily for the Bears, the top free agent in football plays right guard. 

A Rocky Top reunion of Pro Bowl Right Guard Trey Smith and current Bears Right tackle Darnell Wright could give the Bears a formidable duo for the next five years. The two played together for two seasons in 2019 and 2020 before Smith graduated and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.

It will cost the Bears though.  They will likely need to reset the Guard market with a large offer.  Assuming he gets a five years deal, the contract will likely reach nine figures. This is where having a quarterback on a rookie deal really benefits Chicago. Smith will turn 26 next summer and he has only missed 1 game over the last 3 seasons.  Add in the built in chemistry with Wright and there are certainly worse ways to spend $105 million over 4 years. In free agency, there will always be a slight overpay but in this case it is very worth it.

Drew Dalman, the Atlanta Falcon's Center, is the next target for the Bears.  Ryan Poles is a former Offensive lineman who has failed with nearly every one of his trench acquisitions. Luckily, Dalman is entering his prime, turning 27 next October. A fair contract of 3 years, $40 million should land the promising center.  He is coming off a great year, where PFF ranked him 4th among all centers. His strength is run blocking and I'm sure Deandre Swift and the rest of the bottom 10 ranked rushing attack would appreciate this addition.

The last acquisition in free agency will be to add some much needed speed to the field.  DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are great duo to build a passing attack but the Bears need someone to fill the Jameson Williams hole in this offense. Keenan Allen's likely departure frees up plenty of targets and cap space for a younger, shiftier replacement. A receiver like Tutu Atwell on a 1 or 2 year prove it deal fits in perfectly. The advance stats love him, ranking him near the top of average cushion and targeted air yards. A two year, $12 million gives him a chance to join an up and coming offense while also setting him up for a bigger payday down the road.

Step #3: Add in some Rookie Reinforcements

The first three picks of the draft need to be over 250 pounds. The Bears desperately needs to get more dynamic in the trenches. And despite the free agent acquisitions above, Will Campbell is still too good to pass up at #10.  A potential starting line of:

Braxton Jones - Will Campbell - Drew Dalman - Trey Smith - Darnell Wright

would have Caleb Williams and every Bears fan smiling.

Campbell has the potential to play multiple position on the line. Scouts love his toughness. When he gets his hands on defenders they do not get away.  The fact he started as a true freshman in the SEC and ended up second team All-SEC shows his skillset is no fluke. 

The major concern for him is his arm length. While a questionable length for a tackle, it would be great for a guard.  Give him a year at left guard surrounded by veterans and watch him flourish.  As a bonus, they could decide to move him to LT next offseason when Jones' contract is up.

Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen were a great duo in the SEC and the Bears would be lucky to keep them together in the pros. The Bears were middle of the pack in the league with only 40 sacks on the season. Umanmielen had 10.5 sacks himself this past season and profiles as a 3-4 edge rusher but his skillset would be valuable in any defense.  He could provide instant pass rush as he builds up his strength.  

Nolen provides much needed depth on the interior defensive line. His 6.5 sacks earned him All American status. And he is not just a pass rusher, he is a dominant run defender. The Bears' rush defense torpedoed once Andrew Billings was injured. These two defenders at the very least are contributors in their debut seasons and in a perfect world are the Bears' version of the Rams' rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. 

Finally, TreVeyon Henderson would be a great compliment to Deandre Swift. He has three down potential at the next level. He finally had a fully healthy season, that I think could be contributed to splitting duties with Quinshon Judkins. He might not be the most physically imposing running back at only 5'10 and 207 pounds but he is a big play machine and would be a great addition in a deep running back class.