The Chicago Bears aren’t done this offseason. If anything they’ve barely begun. GM Ryan Pace, the front office, and the coaching staff still have lots of work left to do. Yet with the first week of free agency concluded, it feels like a good time to take stock of where this team is at and where they are likely to go next.
Often a good way to do this is by assessing their current list of team needs. Have they shifted at all since the start of the offseason? Are they all pressing or more secondary due to depth concerns? Several weeks remain until the draft begins next month. There is still time to get one or two of them sorted out.
It’s a matter of whether they can find the creative means to do so. Remember Chicago remains tight against the salary cap. So any move they make will need to either be cheap or come with a unique design. Here are their top five needs as things stand and why.
Chicago Bears needs list remains unchanged at the top
#1 – Quarterback
This is not a dig at Andy Dalton. There are worse quarterbacks in the NFL. Far worse. He can be a capable enough game manager for them. Especially if the team manages to arrange a quality supporting cast. However, the devil is in the details. Dalton turns 34 this year and he’s only under contract for 2021. Nick Foles is the backup and rumors persist he might get traded. That could leave the team with just one QB on the roster who is a free agent in 2022.
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Not ideal. Thus quarterback remains firmly atop the needs list. Barring an unexpected trade, all eyes should be focused on the draft. This feels like the perfect setup for the Bears to add a young arm who can sit and learn behind Dalton this season. Will it be a 1st rounder? Perhaps but that doesn’t seem likely without trading up. Current rumors are they’re focused on Day 2 options. That is either a smokescreen or a signal that they don’t expect to be in the mix.
#2 – Safety
Eddie Jackson remains firmly entrenched as the Bears’ starting free safety. What remains unknown is who will be playing next to him next season. Tashaun Gipson became a free agent last week and there are no signs he’s expected to return. Thus far only Deon Bush was retained and he’s more of a backup and special teams contributor. So the defense still needs a starter.
#Lions Safety Duron Harmon picked off Gardner Minshew.pic.twitter.com/qEj5dNafvD
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 18, 2020
Plenty of intriguing veteran options remain available. A few that might make sense? Kenny Vaccaro, Daniel Sorensen, Duron Harmon, and Bradley McDougald stand out as possibilities. Given the Chicago Bears are going back to a defensive scheme similar to Vic Fangio, they’ll need somebody who can play down in the box, freeing up Jackson to play high. All of those names can. The draft is also a possibility.
#3 – Offensive tackle
It’s been a long time since the Bears invested serious money or draft capital in the tackle position. That is usually not a good sign. Charles Leno remains fixed as their starting left tackle. Germain Ifedi was also brought back on a one-year deal to take over right tackle for the departed Bobby Massie. So the two starting spots are locked up. For how much longer though?
Both players will be free agents in 2022 and the Bears have no options on the roster ready to replace them. Reports have surfaced for weeks that the team is doing a ton of research on draft prospects. A clear signal they’re hoping to add young depth and competition to the mix. This is a good year for it. The 2021 class is considered strong at that position. It’s a prime opportunity to begin the changing of the guard.
#4 – Wide receiver
Tagging Allen Robinson was a no-brainer for the Bears. It keeps him secure for at least one more season and buys them time to figure out a possible extension. Together with the emerging Darnell Mooney, they have two quality weapons. However, a passing offense is always defining by its depth. Anthony Miller is on the trade block. Javon Wims and Riley Ridley haven’t done much to prove they belong.
T.Y. HILTON GROWN MAN
— PFF (@PFF) December 13, 2020
So with Robinson’s future uncertain and a lack of depth, one has to imagine the Chicago Bears are thinking about adding more to the position. They already tried to sign Kenny Golladay last week. So it’s safe to say another veteran could be incoming. The upcoming draft class is also rich in possible targets as well. Expectations are the team may dip into both. Especially if they happen to find a taker for Miller.
#5 – Cornerback
Cutting Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine really hurt the Bears defense. Suddenly their best outside corner and starting inside corner are both gone. Jaylon Johnson remains in place though and veteran Desmond Trufant arrives to help stabilize things. Is the unit better now than it was at the start of last year? No. Still, they at least can’t be called a clear weakness at this point.
That said, they still don’t have a clear nickel corner and depth is a major question mark. Duke Shelley and Kindle Vildor had some nice moments in 2020 but were inconsistent. Tre Roberson returns from injury and should be an interesting name to watch. None of them will likely dissuade the Bears from adding another body via the draft. It’s a strong class this year and Trufant is over 30 on a one-year deal.