The Chicago Bears needed help in the trenches entering the 2025 offseason. General manager Ryan Poles showed his commitment to fixing the issue by adding three starters on the offensive line and two starters on the defensive line.
Adding Jonah Jackson, Joe Thuney, and Drew Dalman to the interior offensive line in March means Poles really only has one more position on the offensive line he could upgrade: left tackle. Signing defensive linemen Grady Jarrett and Dayo Oedyingbo in free agency gave the Bears ultimate flexibility ahead of the 2025 draft, where they own four picks in the first 72 selections.
NFL executive has warning for the Chicago Bears
Not everyone in the league is impressed with one signing the Bears made. Per Mike Sando of The Athletic, an NFL executive thinks center Drew Dalman isn’t a true fix for drop-back situations and is better suited for wide-zone blocking in the run game.
“Detroit did a lot of that, but with the keeper element that Caleb Williams enables, your cutback is going to be there,” this exec said. “Time will tell if their guard play enables the gap-scheme element as a complement. I do think the integrity of the pocket, with that center, will be compromised in dropback situations. I’d imagine they are planning on staying out of those situations as much as they can.”
Per Pro Football Focus, Dalman earned a 66.6 overall grade for pass protection in 2024, ranking 21st out of 64 centers. He was ranked fifth for run blocking and fourth overall.
Did the Bears overpay Drew Dalman?
Sando quoted another executive who thinks Thuney and Jackson were smart pickups but thinks the Bears overpaid Dalman, who signed a three-year deal worth $42 million.
“I applaud them for doing it the way they are doing it,” another exec said. “You get two proven commodities at guard, and the head coach (Ben Johnson) knows Jonah Jackson from Detroit. It’s an overpay for the center, but they have a chance to address left tackle in the draft and come away with a pretty formidable group.”
Overpays happen in free agency, but the Bears got their guy.
While the offensive line upgrades should help protect Caleb Williams, new head coach Ben Johnson wants an offense that can run the ball. If Dalman can use his strengths to improve a Chicago run game that struggled in 2024, that should ease the pass rush and the pressure on Williams.
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How Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson will judge success for Caleb Williams, offense in 2025
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1 Comment
It depends on your teammates doesn’t it? If you have above capable guards, then your center play would be much better wouldn’t it? He could concentrate on the basics knowing that the guards are above average. The scheme really can make a player much better. All these opinions, are just that. When he’s on the field plying his trade, And if it’s some sort of a disaster, then they could break it down. You can’t always know exactly what the situation was on the previous team.