Analyzing the first week of Bears free agency
At the end of the first week of free agency, the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley and Jason Lieser break down the Bears’ decisions — and moves:
What message did Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson send by staying conservative in free agency?
FINLEY: That the fastest path for the team to go from good to great is for quarterback Caleb Williams to make the leap next year that Drake Maye did last season.
On paper, the Bears are no better today than they were on March 1. The major gains, then, have to come from within — from Williams and receiver Rome Odunze in Year 3, and tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden in Year 2.
LIESER: They’re confident in what they have, both on the roster and on their coaching staff. Clearly the Bears believe they can solve their issues on the defensive and offensive lines and in the secondary between talent in the building and incoming draft picks.
At left tackle, for example, they seem content to patch it together with Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and perhaps a rookie. Maybe they can help former first-rounder Jedrick Wills get back on track. But the overarching idea is that Johnson can figure it out.
What was the Bears’ best move?
FINLEY: It would have been easy to panic when center Drew Dalman retired. General manager Ryan Poles' decision to trade a 2027 fifth-round pick for starting center Garrett Bradbury, though, was a tidy piece of business. Free agent Tyler Linderbaum became the highest-paid center ever — the Raiders gave him $81 million over three years — and Connor McGovern got $52 million over four years to stay in Buffalo. Bradbury, who helped develop Maye and is college buddies with Joe Thuney, only takes a $5.7 million cap hit next year.
LIESER: There's no doubt the Bears will miss safety Kevin Byard on and off the field, but they opted to reset at the position by signing former Seahawks standout Coby Bryant rather than bank on Byard continuing to star as he turns 33 before the season. The upside on Bryant, who signed for a modest $40 million over three years, is huge.
What was the Bears’ worst move?
FINLEY: Safeties Jaquan Brisker and Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright all played more than 97% of the team’s snaps last year — and now all three are gone. The Bears wanted to get faster, but I’d rather give Wright $5.5 million, as the Jets did, than bank on Tyrique Stevenson as a starter.
LIESER: Not making one at defensive end. No Maxx Crosby. No Trey Hendrickson. No real changes to a pass rush that has been second-worst in sacks over the last four seasons.
Which player will they miss the most?
FINLEY: Dalman, who posted a Pro Bowl season last year and appeared to be the long-term answer to a long-time problem. The Bears had seven different Week 1 centers from 2015-25.
LIESER: Losing receiver DJ Moore is going to hurt more than anyone seems to realize inside or outside Halas Hall. His numbers fell to career lows last season, but he’s incredibly smart and versatile and could’ve been an ideal chess piece for Johnson.
What is the biggest remaining need after the first wave of free agency?
FINLEY: An edge rusher. And they won’t be able to find a relevant one until the draft.
LIESER: The thought of going into another season without left tackle solidified is troubling. The Bears had a four-way battle deep into camp last year and benched two different starters before committing to Ozzy Trapilo, who now is out long-term with a knee injury.
Who should they be targeting in the draft?
FINLEY: The best edge rusher available at No. 25, be it Clemson’s T.J. Parker, Missouri’s Zion Young, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk or Miami’s Ahkeem Mesidor.
LIESER: Clemson offensive tackle Monroe Freeling in Round 1. The best move with Trapilo out is to look for lasting solution rather than a stopgap. There’s no certainty about how Trapilo will play post-injury, and if the Bears end up with a surplus at the position, they’ll have valuable trade capital.
Who at Halas Hall is under the most pressure now?
FINLEY: Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Take away the takeaways, and the Bears defense stunk last year. They gave up the fourth-most yards and 10th-most points. Credit the Bears for recognizing that and turning over both starting safeties, one cornerback and two linebackers. The Bears focused on bringing in fast, versatile players to take their place because it fit best Allen’s system. Now it’s on him to make it work.
LIESER: Defensive end Montez Sweat. Sweat has been good, not great, and the Bears haven’t gotten what they paid for. They gave up a second-round pick to get him and signed him to a four-year, $98 million deal. He has the 13th-highest salary-cap hit in the NFL this season and needs to play at that level or better.
What needs to happen for the Bears to repeat as NFC North champs?
FINLEY: Regression around the division. Quarterback Kyler Murray can’t turn into a star in Minnesota. The Lions’ third offensive coordinator in three years needs to be as ineffective as the second one was. And the Packers need to look a lot more like they did in the second half last year than the first.
LIESER: Quite a bit, but the starting point is their young players breaking out. Williams, Odunze and Loveland all need to be stars.