6 Players Chicago Bears Must Make Priority This Offseason
On the field, a positive season has turned sour for the Chicago Bears, a team now riding a five-game losing streak and still sitting at three wins.
Much of the positivity surrounding the team before the season and the subsequent surprise when it picked up three wins over seven weeks came thanks to an offseason of strong moves by general manager Ryan Pace and the front office.
Granted, the Bears didn't receive a ton of credit nationally while struggling to land top-flight free agents and going after lesser-known names in the draft. But young talent from Mitchell Trubisky to Eddie Jackson has flashed, as have free-agent adds such as Prince Amukamara.
Adding another layer of strong personnel decisions this upcoming offseason will keep the rebuild headed in the right direction.
Here are a few names in free agency and the draft the Bears need to target if they're to keep building a strong foundation.
Trumaine Johnson
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The Bears went after one of the top cornerbacks on the market a year ago while pursuing Stephon Gilmore.
Chicago is a hard sell right now, though, given the state of the rebuild. Though the money is there, free agents using the Bears as leverage makes sense.
However, a guy such as Trumaine Johnson—one of the top projected free agents next offseason—should have plenty of interest.
He's had problems staying healthy this year after getting hit with a franchise tag and seeming unlikely to be back thanks to his fit with the Los Angeles Rams. But where the market might not pay him top-flight money, a rebuilding team such as the Bears wouldn't hesitate.
The Bears have options of their own on the roster to bring back and what should be another high pick in the draft, but rookie corners aren't easy to draft and inking Johnson or a top name like him would leave the door open for Chicago to address something else.
Connor Williams
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Speaking of the draft, it couldn't hurt the Bears to take the top offensive lineman available.
The front office hopes it found the right guy on the left side with Charles Leno Jr. and his new extension, but right tackle is still a question mark and so is depth on the interior.
It's hard to ignore Texas' Connor Williams, a tackle who declared for the draft already and figures to be one of the first names off the board. He could come in and start right away at a spot if necessary while providing some much-needed depth for the unit as a whole.
This might seem boring to some—but the long-term health of a potential franchise quarterback isn't anything to toy with and most teams aren't letting top offensive line talent get away these days, meaning clubs such as the Bears need to invest early.
Derwin James
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If the Bears choose to go a different direction at the top of next year's draft, it needs to be at a premium position like defensive back.
When looking at this area, nobody comes close to Derwin James out of Florida State.
Yes, the Bears drafted Eddie Jackson a year ago and Adrian Amos has shown some intriguing play. But do you know what's better than Jackson and a question mark like Amos or a struggling veteran like Quintin Demps?
Another top-flight prospect to pair with Jackson.
James is a stud who seems likely to enter early because he's a rare talent at an incredibly important position.
With a strong front seven led by Akiem Hicks in front of him, James is the type of guy the Bears should want flying around making plays in a division featuring Aaron Rodgers and other talented passers.
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Luke Joeckel
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Don't laugh—the stigma around Luke Joeckel overshadows what was a career revival of sorts with the Seattle Seahawks at guard before he got hurt.
Joeckel, the second pick in 2013, is still just 26 years old and worth a look not only as depth on the interior of the Chicago offensive line but as a guy who might be able to push for a starting job.
The Bears clearly have problems there with Kyle Long and Josh Sitton both getting on in age and being unable to stay on the field thanks to injuries. And those issues, paired with a season-ending injury to Eric Kush, pushed center Cody Whitehair out of his developmental comfort zone and had him struggling at guard.
Developmental issues for young linemen such as Whitehair right now are a potential problem for a team unable to afford mistakes in front of Trubisky, so targeting an underrated guard such as Joeckel and throwing enough money at him to get him to town makes sense.
Jarvis Landry
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If the Bears are comfortable throwing big cash at a cornerback, why not do the same at wideout?
After watching Alshon Jeffery go find plenty of success and an extension in Philadelphia, Chicago needs to be willing to take a risk on a top name such as Jarvis Landry this offseason.
It seems Landry is on his way out with the Miami Dolphins thanks to guys like DeVante Parker, so swooping in to grab someone who has a minimum of 84 catches over his first three seasons in the NFL and is still only 25 makes sense.
Landry is a target hog in Miami, sure. He doesn't score a ton of touchdowns, either (19 over 59 games). But he's an elite presence who can open up an offense for others, meaning a spaced field for Trubisky to pepper names such as Cameron Meredith, Adam Shaheen and his running backs with targets.
At the least, Landry makes a return on the investment because he helps along Trubisky and again, lets the Bears attack elsewhere with early draft picks in various rounds.
Prince Amukamara
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The Bears have plenty of their own they could bring back this offseason. Prince Amukamara is the top name to know, though.
Given a one-year deal of the prove-it variety this past offseason, he took the ball and ran with it, earning lock-down status along the way while sparring with top weapons featured by opposing offenses.
The nice thing about bringing back Amukamara? He isn't going to be the top name on the market or command top dollar. The Bears are already solid at nickel with a guy like Cre'von LeBlanc, too, meaning those two plus some draft assets could have cornerback slowly morphing into a strength as opposed to something teams look to exploit.
Here's another layer to good roster-building for a rebuilder—gambling on a guy such as Amukamara, winning and proceeding to find a way to keep him in town long term. It's not as flashy as some of the other potential moves listed here, but it's a contender for the most important.
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