Chicago Bears 2023 Off-Season Plans Just Got Way Harder
The Chicago Bears know the 2023 off-season is crucial for them. It’s when the true part of their rebuild begins. That means throwing their newfound resources at upgrading the roster. They have over $100 million in salary cap space and will likely secure a top five pick in the draft. GM Ryan Poles should be able to find some good players under those conditions. Unfortunately, other teams aren’t going to make it easy for him. That much was obvious on Friday when two top free agents going into next year were taken off the market.
Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins reached an agreement with the Green Bay Packers on a four-year contract extension. He will remain with his original team. Many had hoped the Bears could steal him away since the Packers have cap issues. Then barely a couple of hours later, another tough blow landed when the Cleveland Browns extended right tackle, Jack Conklin. That means arguably the two best offensive linemen in the 2023 class are off the table. Not great for a team in serious need of blocking help.
That could change Poles’ game plan for free agency and the off-season as a whole.
The Chicago Bears may alter their entire approach now.
With three games left, it was becoming clear how the team might attack next spring. The general feeling was they could use free agency to upgrade the offense, paving the way for Poles to spend his 1st round pick on the best defenders on his draft board. That idea may need tweaking now. Jenkins and Conklin leaving the picture mean the Bears won’t have any surefire offensive linemen that would be instant upgrades. Orlando Brown of Kansas City might be the closest, but he has flaws that make him an awkward fit in this offense. After that, it’s guys like Kaleb McGary, Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey, Terence Steele, Ben Powers, Nate Davis, and Garrett Bradbury.
Not exactly a collection of household names. On the other hand, the defensive line market still looks strong. Da’Ron Payne, Dre’Mont Jones, Javon Hargrave, Yannick Ngakoue, Marcus Davenport, and Samson Ebukam headline an intriguing group. Adding one or two would instantly upgrade the Chicago Bears’ weak defensive front. Perhaps then Poles might consider trading down from the top five and taking the best offensive lineman available such as Peter Skoronski of Northwestern or Paris Johnson of Ohio State.
It isn’t an easy problem to navigate. The Bears GM must be careful not to get desperate with his approach. Overpaying for players who don’t deserve it won’t solve anything. He must do what is best for the team.