The Chicago Bears are entering training camp once again being lauded as offseason champions. However, head coach Ben Johnson and company understand that offseason rankings don’t hang banners. At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the work Chicago put in over the offseason.
For starters, the Bears hired Johnson as their head coach. It was clear quarterback Caleb Williams needed more stability, and the franchise provided that with one of the best offensive minds in the league. Furthermore, the team bolstered both their offensive and defensive lines while adding a pair of tantalizing playmakers in the draft.
Training camp will be extremely telling of the Bears’ immediate future. But at least in Matt Bowen of ESPN’s book, Chicago is entering camp having made three of the best 50 offseason moves. Their Joe Thuney trade got the most praise, ranking No. 3 overall.
“A culture-setter in the offensive line room, Thuney upgrades a critical need for the Bears on the interior of their front,” Bowen wrote. “With a pass block win rate of at least 98% over his past three seasons, Thuney is still viewed as one of the top guards in the league after a brief stint at left tackle for the Chiefs last season. And his presence will keep the pocket firm for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.”
Chicago Bears hit jackpot with Joe Thuney
Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times during his rookie season. While the quarterback wasn’t faultless, his offensive line did him no favors. Adding a player of Thuney’s caliber gives the Bears a true offensive line building block to work with.
The left guard is coming to Chicago having already won four Super Bowl titles. Despite entering his age-33 season, Thuney is playing at the top of his game. He has made three straight Pro Bowls and has been voted an All-Pro in back-to-back seasons. During the 2024 campaign, Thuney’s 79.9 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 12/136 guards.
Alongside his work on the field, Thuney will also be a crucial leader for the Bears. For as much hype as they’ve received, Johnson is just a first-year head coach whereas Williams is entering his second season. Whenever things get rocky on the offensive side, they could turn to a seasoned veteran like Thuney for guidance.
With Williams as their franchise star, the Bears did everything in their power to build the offense around him. Trading for Thuney proved Chicago was serious about giving their QB a much better blocking scheme.
Drew Dalman, Dayo Odeyingbo make the list
Also helping Williams stay upright in the pocket will be center Drew Dalman. The Bears signed him to a three-year, $42 million contract over the offseason. Bowen was high on the signing, as Dalman should help fortify the middle of Chicago’s offensive line for the foreseeable future. The center came in at No. 32 on the list.
“The Bears continued to address the interior of the offensive front with Dalman, the top center available in free agency,” Bowen wrote. “He wins his assignments with movement and leverage to offset a smaller frame (6-3, 300 pounds). He is a technician on the tape, best suited for the wide zone run game under new coach Ben Johnson in Chicago.”
“Dalman’s pass block win rate of 95.1% ranked ninth among centers with at least 500 snaps last season,” he concluded.”
Pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo’s, three-year, $48 million signing rounded out the Bears trio, being ranked as the No. 43 overall move. The 25-year-old showed flashes of greatness while with the Indianapolis Colts, putting up eight sacks in 2023 and 46 total quarterback hits over his four years with the team. Now in the Windy City, Odeyingbo is only expected to get stronger playing next to Montez Sweat.
“At 6-foot-6 and 286 pounds, Odeyingbo has the physical tools to play the defensive end position opposite of Montez Sweat in Dennis Allen’s scheme,” Bowen wrote. “Odeyingbo will also kick inside to rush the passer out of loaded fronts as a hard match-up for interior offensive linemen. He has played all 17 games in each of his past three seasons, racking up 16 sacks and 21 total tackles for loss over that stretch.”
Ultimately, all three additions and everyone on the Bears must prove to be strong fits in Johnson’s new scheme. But at least on paper, things are looking much brighter in the Windy City.
Key Chicago Bears’ acquisition named NFL’s most versatile offensive lineman
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