When you have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL going into an off-season, everybody expects you to use a good portion of it. GM Ryan Poles made it clear the Chicago Bears will be selective next month, but they aren't afraid to be aggressive if the right players become available. The wild card in this scenario is head coach Ben Johnson. During his opening press conference, he made it clear that he aims to win immediately. This isn't somebody interested in leaning primarily on the draft when you have the resources to attack the veteran market, too.
His recent comments at the scouting combine reflect this. It isn't a secret the Bears need offensive line help in the worst way. The obvious concern is whether the Bears can fix it in one off-season. Johnson's response was telling. He doesn't believe such an idea is impossible. After all, people just watched another team pull it off last year when the Carolina Panthers spent lavishly in free agency to bolster their front five. In one fell swoop, they added guard Robert Hunt on a five-year, $100 million deal and guard Damien Lewis on a four-year, $53 million contract.
Carolina went from giving up 65 sacks in 2023 to 36 this past season.
Ben Johnson doesn't seem daunted by the challenge.
Rapidly improving an area of the roster is far easier these days than in decades past. The league wanted teams to have easier ways to improve, which was one of the reasons free agency was created in the 1990s. Building through the draft is a good thing. Top teams do that. However, doing it exclusively is almost impossible. Smart teams build through the draft and occasionally supplement their work with one or two aggressive moves in free agency. Ben Johnson knows this. The Detroit Lions did it over the past couple of years during their ascent to the NFC penthouse.
It always comes down to finding the right players. Investing in the offensive line is never a bad thing. Finding two quality starters in that area of the roster can make life so much easier for the Bears. It comes down to who they target and if they can land them. Johnson seems confident they will be aggressive. That should make for an exciting next few weeks.
