The Chicago Bears enter this offseason with myriad needs. On both sides of the ball.
However, especially when it comes to doing what’s necessary to hasten quarterback Caleb Williams’ development in his second season and first in new head coach Ben Johnson’s scheme, few things are going to matter more for Chicago than significantly bolstering the offensive line.
After all, Williams absorbed a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie after being Chosen No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, which significantly lowered his ceiling and diminished the impact of ascending playmakers like D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, D’Andre Swift, and Keenan Allen, and the Bears.
Chicago Bears’ Most Glaring Need Identified
This spring, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears might not wait until the NFL Draft to make a major upgrade along the offensive line in front of Williams.
Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team put together a list of each team’s most glaring need this offseason, identifying interior offensive line as the hole Poles and the Bears must plug, while identifying a top-of-the-market free agent target for Chicago.
“The Chicago Bears are a prime candidate to spend big money on a free-agent guard this offseason,” Mosher writes for The 33rd Team. “Ben Johnson wants to shore up the offensive line right away, and there are several quality guards available on the market.
“It would be a major shock if the Bears weren’t in on someone like Trey Smith this offseason.”
Smith could be an ideal fix and exactly what the Bears need to jumpstart Williams, and the offense at large in 2025.
Likely to be the premier interior offensive lineman available on the market, the Bears may need to break the bank to sign him. However, general manager Ryan Poles and Chicago currently have upwards of $64.8 million in cap space to make a compelling offer to Smith.
Last season in Kansas City, Smith didn’t surrender a sack and only allowed five pressures on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That’s the kind of consistent dominance that the Bears desperately need both in terms of stabilizing the line and keeping Williams upright.
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