Ranking Chicago Bears' Top Position Needs Ahead of 2018 Offseason
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace and his front office aren't shy about aggressively attacking needs.
Going into last offseason, the Bears needed to revamp the secondary and start over under center. Fans know how it went—the Bears inked two corners and a safety in free agency and drafted a safety, then turned around and signed Mike Glennon and traded up to draft Mitchell Trubisky.
Not every move is going to work out, of course. But it's the effort that should have fans convinced the desire to right this ship is real and the success rate so far both in the draft and free agency has been good enough to help the team win games.
Looking ahead, the Bears have a clear-cut hierarchy of needs going into next offseason. Let's take a look at those and outline how the team can go about addressing them.
Defensive Line
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The Bears need some help up front.
Knowing as much, the team already dished a long-term extension to Akiem Hicks, one of the league's outright best players in the defensive trenches.
Hicks makes a strong tandem with tackle Eddie Goldman, but the problem for the latter is health. He's flashed again this year after missing time in 2016, yet injury concerns linger. The team adding depth in either the draft or free agency is a must.
Since coordinator Vic Fangio's front is so versatile, we'll mention defensive end here as well. Hicks holds down one side, but more depth is a big need if Jonathan Bullard doesn't step up.
More bodies capable of rotating in at multiple spots is nothing but a good thing, so look for the Bears to add via all options next offseason.
Linebacker
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The Bears have some decisions to make in the middle of the defense at linebacker.
Things haven't panned out as well as the Bears would have liked there after aggressively attacking the position a few years ago. Jerrell Freeman is not only on injured reserve, he's serving a 10-game ban that will stretch into next season—making him a notable cut candidate.
Danny Trevathan, both for health and suspension issues, hasn't been able to stay on the field either. And while Nick Kwiatkoski is a strong backup, the Bears will need to start thinking about the long-term future at the spot.
This isn't close to being the most important need for the Bears outright. But it's one addressable via a smart trip to free agency or via a mid-round thumper who fits the scheme.
Cornerback
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Cornerback would be higher on this list because it's a premium position, but the Bears have options here.
Prince Amukamara has shown he's a great fit in Fangio's scheme and the Bears should want to bring him back on something longer than the one year prove-it deal they gave him last offseason.
And though he's hurt right now, the Bears got a surprise comeback season from Kyle Fuller after he missed all of last year and they turned down his fifth-year option.
Pace might want to let the market dictate how much Fuller gets on a new deal, but he's still young and worth keeping around for depth purposes.
Even if the Bears manage to bring both guys back, though, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team use a top pick on a cornerback. The position is simply too important in the league to have a weakness there for teams serious about contention.
Keep in mind, too, the Bears were fighting for free agents such as Stephon Gilmore last offseason. The front office will have plenty of cap space to splurge here as well, should it be able to lure a big name to town.
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Offensive Tackle
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Speaking of premium positions, offensive tackle seems to classify as one now.
A single glance around the league and looking at how first-round tackles have panned out as of late tells the whole story. It's a big part of the reason the Bears didn't hesitate to hit left tackle Charles Leno Jr. with an extension this year despite his sometimes up-and-down play—he's young (26) and they still believe in his upside.
The right side of the line still needs addressed, though. Bobby Massie has started two seasons in a row slow since joining the team as a free agent. Pace and the front office flirted with the idea of an upgrade in free agency a year ago and will likely do the same again.
With Trubisky seemingly ahead of schedule (based on the coaching staff's expectations, apparently), it's important the team nails down strong starters on both edges for the long term. The pursuit begins anew this offseason via all avenues.
Edge-Rusher
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The Chicago defense can't work right without a quality pass rush.
On paper, the team should have this with Leonard Floyd, Pernell McPhee and Willie Young.
But it's never so easy, right?
Young is out for the year with an injury, McPhee hasn't met expectations since joining the team a few years ago and it's time to start wondering about Floyd's ability to stay healthy. The 2016 No. 9 pick missed four games as a rookie and is now on injured reserve after 10 games this season.
Floyd is one of the brightest young edge-rushers in the game, but the Bears needed complementary pieces to him before he went down. The need is now amplified by his injury, so Chicago chasing a top-flight free agent and using a first-round pick on this need wouldn't come as a surprise.
Also a premium role in the NFL today, the Bears can't afford to ignore adding quality pass-rushers this offseason.
Wide Receiver
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Nothing too surprising here, folks.
The Bears took a mid-range approach to wideout last offseason, which made sense at the time. They let Alshon Jeffery walk and brought on role players such as Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton. Smart, seeing as they needed complements to No. 1 Cameron Meredith and still had the long-shot upside of a guy like Kevin White.
The plan has unraveled fast, though. Meredith and White went down for the year, Wheaton has caught one pass and Wright, while leading the team in receiving, hasn't meshed with the offense as some thought he might.
Looking ahead to next year, Meredith should be back and it might be worth bringing back White as depth. Dontrelle Inman's brief flashes might give the Bears another depth option as well.
But it's far from enough. Look for the Bears to aggressively attack the need in free agency and the draft. When guys such as Jeffery are only reeling in one-year deals, there's no excuse to not pursue the biggest fish and the Bears might be a more attractive destination than in the past thanks to Trubisky and a strong running game.
The first round of the draft wouldn't be a surprise either. First-round wideouts can have a hard time playing well as rookies, but getting a high-upside prospect to grow alongside Trubisky for years is a good idea.
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