Bears Poised to Fill Biggest Holes in Free Agency Amid Khalil Mack, Drew Dalman Rumors

Winning the NFL offseason doesn't always lead to on-field success. The Chicago Bears know this all too well after grabbing several high-profile players in 2024 free agency and drafting Caleb Williams No. 1 overall, only to stumble to a 5-12 record last season.

However, the Bears are well-positioned to again be winners of the offseason, and this time, the results could be much different.

Chicago's offseason began with the hiring of new head coach Ben Johnson. The Detroit Lions' former offensive coordinator is one of the more creative play-callers in the league and is expected to elevate Williams' play in the quarterback's second season.

General manager Ryan Poles then addressed the offensive line by acquiring guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney in trades with the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.

As free agency gets underway at noon ET on Monday, the Bears are poised to fill their biggest remaining holes. Chicago has $40 million in available cap space, and while this year's free-agent class may not be loaded with big names, it features quality players who can round out the Bears' roster.

Entering the offseason, the Bleacher Report Scouting Department identified every NFL franchise's biggest needs. The list for Chicago was topped by the center, guard, edge-rusher and cornerback positions.

The acquisition of Jackson and Thuney helped check guard off the list. Recent rumors suggest that the Bears may already have targets in mind at center and edge. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer named Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher Khalil Mack and Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman as two likely options for the Bears.

Breer wrote that L.A. "would like" to keep Mack but that the Bears could seek a reunion with their former pass-rusher in free agency. He isn't the first to connect the dots between Mack and Chicago either.

"Teams agree edge rusher Khalil Mack played lights out last season, and the only real concern with his free agency is age (he's 34)," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote on March 2. "A few people I've talked to have made potential connections to the Buccaneers and Bears."

Breer noted that teams "really like" Dalman and that he could "perhaps, be the last piece of Ryan Poles’s offensive line makeover in Chicago."

According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz "many around the league" view Chicago as "a serious suitor" for Dalman in free agency.

Even if the Bears don't land Mack and Dalman specifically, they should have options in the coming days. Pass-rushers like Azeez Ojulari, Matthew Judon, Josh Sweat and Malcolm Koonce would fare well opposite Montez Sweat in the Bears defense.

Brandon Thorn of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department recently named Chicago as a "favorite" landing spot for Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly. The Las Vegas Raiders are also set to release center Andre James, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

While there haven't been rumors floating about possible cornerback targets for Chicago, it is expected to be one of the deepest positions in free agency. The list of available veterans includes D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore and Asante Samuel Jr.

Theoretically, the Bears can afford to target a center and a pass-rusher in the initial wave of free agency and come back for a starting-caliber corner.

Truly winning the offseason isn't about creating the most headlines. If Chicago is to have a successful foray into free agency, it needs to spend wisely and acquire good players at positions of need. Fortunately, the Bears have a clear path to doing exactly that.

This would give the Bears flexibility entering the draft and would potentially allow them to take the best player available with the 10th overall pick. Chicago could find immense value with that selection, especially if quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward go off the board early and if Poles doesn't feel the need to reach for a specific position.

None of this guarantees that the Bears will be playoff contenders in 2025, of course. However, all signs seem to point to Chicago having a plan that can give itself a real shot at success in the fall.