Ranking Chicago Bears' Biggest Offseason Needs
The Chicago Bears are luckier than most NFL franchises.
While stuck in the throes of a rebuild, early returns from rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky suggest the team has figured out the hardest part.
Now the rest just has to fall in place.
The Bears have almost matched their win total from the miserable three-win campaign of 2016 through Week 6 of this year. But fans know the course—this is a learning year before another major act of roster turnover and influx of talent via the draft and otherwise.
Such an angle is something fans can't help but think about right now all things considered, so let's take a look at the biggest needs general manager Ryan Pace and the front office will have to address this upcoming offseason.
Interior Offensive Line
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The Bears can't afford to fool around with the offensive line.
Last year, the front office had a gift fall in its lap with the surprise release of Josh Sitton. But Kyle Long has had problems staying healthy consistently and last year's breakout player in the trenches, then-rookie Cody Whitehair, has regressed in a big way to start this season.
Age, health and Whitehair's issues create a dangerous concoction in front of Trubisky.
Head coach John Fox even had to address his second-year center's snap issues recently, per Adam Hoge of WGN Radio: "It's hard to say. We're all working on it. Nobody is working harder on it than he is."
Ideally, Whitehair is in a slump after having to move around to compensate for injuries to others this year. But the future of the interior line needs to come into focus next offseason, especially during the draft.
Securing a line to grow alongside Trubisky for a long time will work wonders toward getting the Bears back to the playoffs.
Right Tackle
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The Bears think they have something in Charles Leno at left tackle, hence inking him to a four-year extension back in August.
The right side? Not so much.
Bobby Massie has had an up-and-down season after pulling it together late last year to salvage his debut campaign with the team. But he's 28 years old now, and the Bears might want to start thinking about at least drafting the position in the middle rounds in the hopes of having a developmental piece assume the spot at some point.
After all, offensive tackle is one of the hardest positions to draft in the league these days. It's better to get out in front of it and provide some competition for Massie or risk hindering the development of a No. 2 overall quarterback.
Defensive Lineman
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The Bears quietly have one of the better front sevens in football in large part because of an underrated defensive line.
Akiem Hicks is one of the best at what he does on one edge, while Eddie Goldman has looked back to form on the nose now that he's healthy.
But there's a reason the Bears added John Jenkins and Jaye Howard to the line over this past offseason. The unit desperately needed some depth and still does, it simply didn't turn out to be a priority on draft day.
It needs to be next offseason. Goldman might look good right now, but he missed 11 games over the course of his first two years in the league and rotational depth behind him wouldn't hurt.
At the end opposite Hicks, Jonathan Bullard is the young guy poised to take over for Mitch Unrein, but insurance there wouldn't hurt.
The rest of the defense crumbles if the Bears don't start prioritizing upside and insurance in the defensive trenches, making it a key area.
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Edge-Rusher
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There is no such thing as too many quality pass-rushers in today's NFL.
Leonard Floyd is a budding superstar in this regard, but even he won't be able to do it on his own. Depth is already a sour point there right now with Willie Young sitting on injured reserve.
In December, former supposed big-free agent signing Pernell McPhee will turn 29. He's played in 14, nine and six games over the course of the past three seasons since joining the Bears. He has three sacks as of this writing, half of his highest total with the team so far.
Meaning that McPhee hasn't been reliable and the front office might go as far as viewing him as a way to save cap space soon. Nobody on the depth chart behind him actually boasts a strong pass-rushing repertoire.
The Bears can't afford to skimp in this premium area anymore. Floyd needs a running mate across from him and depth at both spots to help create a dangerous rotational rush.
Cornerback
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The Bears made a tough choice this past offseason and mostly ignored the defensive trenches and pass rush so they could prioritize another premium spot—defensive back.
From the looks of it, the Bears got a couple hits, too. Rookie safety Eddie Jackson looks like the instinctual playmaker they hoped he would be out of Alabama. Prince Amukamara on the boundary has held his own well enough to earn a second contract.
Corner Marcus Cooper, on the other hand, has had problems, while veteran safety Quintin Demps struggled before going down with a season-ending injury.
Granted, the Bears might eventually have something with safety Adrian Amos, and slot guys such as Cre'von LeBlanc are quality prospects. Kyle Fuller, if they can keep him, has looked solid as well.
But it doesn't give the team a free pass to ignore what might be the most important position on the field outside of quarterback—and the more versatile the better.
Wide Receiver
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Surprise, right?
The Bears have a potential No. 1 wideout with Cameron Meredith, though it's hard to know if he'll be the same after suffering a season-ending injury. New faces Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton have busted out so far. Speaking of busts, Kevin White might have played his last down of football with the team before another injury issue ruined his progress.
This leaves the Bears in a tough spot. Plenty of free agents these days, such as Terrelle Pryor and, funnily enough, Alshon Jeffery, are only getting one-year deals so they can prove themselves. Grabbing a guy like this is in the best interests of the team, as is drafting a wideout with a high pick in the upcoming draft.
We've already documented free agents the Bears can pursue next offseason. If the front office can pair one of these with a recovered Meredith and at least one rookie with upside, Trubisky has a much better chance at succeeding.
There's nothing wrong with the Bears being a run-first team or flaunting droves of talent at tight end. But wideouts who can win on the outside and space the field via vertical speed are musts for a budding talent such as Trubisky.
This upcoming offseason, it's all about building up the arsenal around a potential franchise quarterback.
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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