Bears' Early Report Card for Most Impactful Offseason Decisions

The Chicago Bears have joined an exclusive club this offseason: Teams that have traded the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

According to ESPN, the Bears are the 13th to do so since the NFL/AFL merger in 1967.

Because of that, it's already been a noteworthy offseason for Chicago. Not only that, but the team has also been busy making other moves. Its roster looks much different at this point than it did at the end of the 2022 campaign.

Entering the offseason, the Bears had a ton of financial flexibility. And they've been using that significant cap space to put themselves in a better position to make progress this year and for the long-term future.

Here are some grades for the most impactful decisions Chicago has made early this offseason.

Trading No. 1 Pick Was the Right Move

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 24: DJ Moore #2 of the Carolina Panthers reacts after a catch during the second quarter of the game against the Detroit Lions at Bank of America Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

If a team is going to trade the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, it better get a strong return package. And that's exactly what the Bears received when they opted to deal the selection to the Carolina Panthers.

In return, Chicago got wide receiver DJ Moore, the Nos. 9 and 61 overall picks in this year's draft, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round selection. The Bears knew they needed more than one star player from this year's class to become a contender, so they made a wise decision to swing this trade.

Moore should provide an upgrade to Chicago's receiving corps. He'll join Darnell Mooney as a top pass-catching option for franchise quarterback Justin Fields.

The 25-year-old has been a bit inconsistent during his five-year NFL career (all with Carolina), but he could develop a great connection with Fields moving forward.

The Bears still have a top-10 pick in this year's draft and have acquired a ton of capital that will help them stockpile more young talent at various positions. It was exactly the right type of deal for them to make.

Grade: A

Edmunds, Edwards Boost Linebacker Corps

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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: Tremaine Edmunds #49 of the Buffalo Bills lines up during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

Chicago badly needed to upgrade its linebacker corps after trading Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in October.

The Bears have since done a strong job of rebuilding that unit with a pair of notable free-agent signings: Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards.

Edmunds, a five-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowler, had spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills. The 24-year-old has recorded at least 102 tackles in each of his seasons, and he should be a great presence in the center of the Chicago linebacker corps.

Edwards is a bit of a tackling machine himself, having recorded 130 in 2021 and 159 in 2022. The 26-year-old spent his first four NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and improved each year.

With these two linebackers as the new anchors of their defense, the Bears are in a great position to be much improved on that side of the ball in 2023. Plus, Edmunds signed a four-year, $72 million deal and Edwards inked a three-year, $19.5 million contract, so they'll be players for Chicago to build around for several seasons.

Grade: A

Foreman In, Montgomery Out of Backfield Picture

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 24: D'Onta Foreman #33 of the Carolina Panthers carries the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Detroit Lions at Bank of America Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

After spending his first four NFL seasons in Chicago, running back David Montgomery has left to join another NFC North team.

The 25-year-old has signed with the Detroit Lions and will now be playing against the Bears twice every season.

Without Montgomery, Chicago could rely on an RB duo of the returning Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman, who has signed a one-year, $3 million deal. That's an affordable price for a 26-year-old with a lot of upside.

Foreman is coming off the best season of his five-year NFL career, as he rushed for 914 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games in his lone year with Carolina. He ran the ball 203 times after never getting more than 133 carries in any of his first four seasons.

Even though the Texas product may not have as high of a ceiling as Montgomery, he should be a great complementary back with Herbert in the Bears' rushing attack.

So, this was another solid move by Chicago.

Grade: A-