Chicago Bears: Outlining Blueprint for Successful Offseason
A year ago, the top priority surrounding the Chicago Bears would have focused on starting over at quarterback.
Chicago did just that, signing Mike Glennon as an insurance policy before going on to trade up and draft Mitchell Trubisky. While criticized for both moves, general manager Ryan Pace comes out looking great considering the upside his rookie has flashed on the field during a lost season.
Pace and the front office aren't strangers to rebuilding various spots at a time. Last offseason, the secondary joined quarterback as the top priority and trotted out four notable new players by the start of the year and has an improved long-term outlook as a result.
This upcoming offseason, the Bears should look to do the same at other spots. A blueprint to success not only features hitting on major needs multiple times, but cutting spending where necessary and spending even more. Let's take a look.
Target Offensive Line Depth
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The Bears could quietly have a budding problem on their hands if they don't add depth to the offensive line as soon as possible.
Injuries devastated the unit this year, with interior guys suffering at various points and key depth like Eric Kush sitting on injured reserve. Cody Whitehair was a breakout rookie at center a year ago, yet he's struggled this year while needing to move around and cover for injured guys.
While the Bears seem to think they have a long-term solution with Charles Leno Jr. on the left side, both guard spots and right tackle need reinforced. Guards Kyle Long and Josh Sitton are 29 or older, and right tackle Bobby Massie is a stop-gap solution.
This doesn't mean the Bears need to address the line in the first or second round of next year's draft. It could be inking a quality interior free agent or otherwise using multiple mid-round picks to shore up depth while developing talent.
If the Bears don't, it only makes the task in front of Trubisky even harder.
Make Necessary Cuts
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The Bears aren't going to hurt for cap space next offseason, but that doesn't mean the team shouldn't look to make some cuts.
The more space the merrier, especially if the Bears aim at splurging on a top name in free agency.
With that in mind, the Bears should look at moving on from veterans with inflated numbers and little production. Think Jerrell Freeman, who will miss a few games next year while polishing off a 10-game ban. He has a big cap hit, as does the underwhelming Pernell McPhee, who hasn't been able to stay healthy.
To really go the distance in this area, the Browns should probably cut loose Glennon while they're at it. Doing so won't come without a kickback, but it doesn't make sense to keep paying him if Trubisky is starting. A mentor veteran will come much cheaper and let the Bears use the cap space elsewhere.
This isn't just about cap space, either, as veterans moving aside means more young talent getting necessary reps as the rebuild continues.
Cough Up Money to Keep Your Own
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A key part of the offseason for any team, the Bears need to throw down cash on their own.
This is especially important for a rebuilding team like the Bears and Pace after a few of his gambles look good so far. Look at cornerback Prince Amukamara, who has excelled on his one-year deal while shining in Vic Fangio's system.
Along those same lines, it makes sense to bring back Kendall Wright. Maybe he plays more of a depth role as soon as next season, but he meshes well with the offense and projects to have better production when he's not the only receiving threat. Don't forget Dontrelle Inman, either, who has looked good in spurts after the team traded for him.
This also applies to a guy like Kyle Fuller. Maybe hindsight views the front office's decision to decline his fifth-year option as a mistake considering the way he flashed when healthy, but it's not like the team lacks the funds to get him back on the roster and reinforce a premium position.
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Attack Big-Name Players in Free Agency
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The Bears went for big players in free agency a year ago, pursuing guys like Stephon Gilmore.
Obviously, the problem is simple: The Bears had a wiliness to open up the checkbook but ended up as more of a negotiating tactic for free agents who wanted winning teams to do the same.
This shouldn't stop the Bears from doing the same again this offseason.
The potential 2018 free-agent class is impressive. Trumaine Johnson, Sammy Watkins, Taylor Gabriel, Kenny Vaccaro and a guy by the name of Alshon Jeffery are just a few of the names possibly headed to the open market.
For the Bears, overpaying is a must. They doled out big contracts to guys like Glennon to ensure they got something on the market. But with Trubisky under center and things starting to look up, bigger names might start to have more of an interest in helping the turnaround.
The Bears need to continue to be willing to break out the major contracts.
Make Pass Rushers Top Priority
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Arguably nothing in Chicago is more important than pass rushers right now.
Leonard Floyd is one of the league's best young players in this regard, but he's starting to show a concerning injury trend. As mentioned, McPhee hasn't met expectations for a few years now, and Willie Young, while good, is a rotational presence.
And building a stellar rotational rush is a huge necessity in a division boasting Aaron Rodgers.
With guys like Trent Murphy possibly heading to the open market, free agency is a small part of the equation for the Bears to consider here. But an iffy overall free-agent class speaks volumes—teams simply aren't letting quality rushers get away these days.
Meaning, if the Bears have a shot at one, it's time to pay up. It's the same deal in the draft, where a single pick on a pass rusher might not be enough. Get a high-end rusher, then double down in the middle to late rounds on a rotational presence who can help right away.
Anything less will leave the Bears with a shrug-worthy rush in a scheme needing somebody else stepping up across from Floyd.
Rebuild Weaponry Surrounding Trubisky
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Similar to the secondary last year, the Bears need to revamp the wideout spot.
As mentioned, depth pieces like Wright and Inman can stick. But they're only depth pieces if the Bears go all out on rebuilding the position as a whole.
This means cutting lose the Kevin White experiment. It means moving forward as if we can't know whether Cameron Meredith will ever be the same again, even if he should.
The potential free-agent class offers plenty of options outside of the aforementioned Watkins and Gabriel. There's Jarvis Landry, Allen Robinson, Jaron Brown and others to pursue. And the draft, as usual, will feature some top-flight options.
It isn't uncommon for teams to target a first-round wideout to pair with a young quarterback for the foreseeable future. There's no reason the Bears shouldn't use every avenue possible over the course of the same offseason to reset the position as whole.
Doing so might dictate whether the offseason blueprint is a success.
Prioritize Premium Positions in Draft
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Pace and the Bears front office know all about priotizing premium positions in the draft.
A year ago, the premium positions aggressively attacked included every spot in the secondary. They added boundary corners with Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper, then added two safeties with Quintin Demps and Eddie Jackson.
This offseason? It's all about pass rushers and boundary wideouts.
Premium positions are the hardest to fill well in today's NFL. Like boundary lockdown guys similar to Amukamara, teams aren't letting quality pass rushers walk. Ditto for offensive tackles, which would get a mention here were they not so difficult to draft right now.
The blueprint is simple. Spending more critical assets on pass rushers provides a positive ripple effect for the entire defense. Those assets spent on a wide receivers means not only a smoother, tougher-to-defend offense, but a better chance at long-term success for Trubisky as a potential franchise quarterback.
Is it boring knowing which spots the Bears will address in a draft? Perhaps. Nationally, most didn't pin the Bears as taking a quarterback last year even though it was obvious—a rebuild has to get it right there or it'll fail no matter what.
Based on this blueprint, there won't be any "surprises" like Trubisky—but that isn't such a bad thing.
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