The Chicago Bears have conducted three vital pieces of important business ahead of free agency. They locked up Jaylon Johnson to a four-year extension, keeping their emerging star cornerback. Next came the trade for Ryan Bates, giving them much-needed depth and flexibility along the interior offensive line. Last but not least, they secured former All-Pro Kevin Byard to plug the void left by Eddie Jackson at safety. With those concerns out of the way, GM Ryan Poles is free to use his remaining resources to attack his team's most pressing needs when the market opens at 11:00 CST today.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune had an interesting update on that front. He believes the Bears will use free agency to help narrow their focus going into the draft. Everybody knows they are taking a quarterback at #1 overall. The questions linger about what they will do with the 9th pick. Most agree it will be one of three possibilities: a wide receiver, an offensive tackle, or a defensive lineman. Given the strengths and weaknesses of this free agent class, it is pretty clear what the Bears will do.
They're about to hunt for defensive line help.
With the first and ninth picks in the draft, the Bears can choose USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 and consider a wide receiver, offensive tackle or defensive lineman with their next pick.
It’s a stacked draft for receivers, so if the Bears are in the market for a free-agent wideout, it likely would be for a No. 3 option. Backup tight end isn’t an area where they would spend big. That leaves a three-technique tackle such as Christian Wilkins of the Miami Dolphins or a defensive end as the Bears seek more speed off the edge...
...If that’s too rich for the Bears considering their investment in defensive end Montez Sweat, there are talented edge rushers who should be available for less. Bryce Huff of the New York Jets or Jonathan Greenard of the Houston Texans likely would excel opposite Sweat. Huff broke out with 10 sacks last season and Greenard had 12 1/2...
...In a scenario in which the Bears buy a big-ticket defensive lineman, they could narrow their focus for the No. 9 pick to wide receiver and offensive tackle, another position that is stacked with draft talent.
Are the Chicago Bears willing to spend?
One thing is for sure. They won't be the only team vying for the services of those players mentioned above. Dynamic defensive linemen are in high demand all across the NFL. Plenty of teams won't be shy about offering big contracts. Poles has a reputation for setting a bar on every free agent he chooses to pursue. If the price tag exceeds that bar, he will not raise it. That is what happened with guys like Mike McGlinchey and Javon Hargrave last year. It may take some strong recruiting by the GM and head coach Matt Eberflus to pull one of those guys to Chicago.
If they succeed, the next step becomes clear. The Chicago Bears will take their quarterback at #1 and then wait to see how the following seven picks unfold. Depending on who is available at #9, they will take either the best wide receiver or offensive tackle on their board. It is possible they could also trade down to collect more picks as well. As always, things are rarely predictable in free agency. If the Bears can't reel in one of those big fish, expect them to shift their focus to other positions like wide receiver or even running back.
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