Phase 1 of the Chicago Bears roster reconstruction is done with a slew of free-agent signings in the opening week. Now attention turns toward next month’s draft — and readers have plenty of questions for Brad Biggs’ weekly Bears mailbag about how the team will fill its remaining holes.
I always thought you did a rebuild by building inside out starting with the trenches. Ryan Poles didn’t get any difference makers in the trenches in free agency, and at No. 9, there’s a slight chance for one but both sides of the ball need many more. I’m disappointed he’s addressing the secondary in last year’s draft and linebackers in 2023 free agency as priorities. How is Justin Fields’ passing going to be evaluated in 2023 with a marginal line with subpar protection? The Bears do not have anyone on either side of the ball that can win one-on-one battles against their opponents. I know this is a two-year rebuild, but the process is backward by not addressing the trenches first. Not impressed with Poles to this point. — Brian N.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s see if I can tackle all or most of it.
I agree to accomplish a successful rebuild, you need to be strong up front on both sides of the ball. I also agree the Bears probably didn’t get a difference maker for either line via free agency. However, I am interested in seeing what guard Nate Davis can bring to the offense. He doesn’t have to be elite to be an upgrade, but he’s not at a premium position such as offensive tackle, edge rusher or three-technique defensive tackle.
The Bears can come away with a Day 1 starter on the offensive or defensive line at No. 9 if they don’t select a cornerback. They can get a really good player with a little luck. I think Poles is confident about the players who will be available, and who knows, maybe he can trade down again when he’s on the clock. Would he be better off if the Bears hadn’t traded down so far — eight spots? Sure, but then they probably still would have a gigantic hole at wide receiver, which I think DJ Moore will fill, and they probably wouldn’t have as much future draft capital. That’s the thing about a 3-14 roster — there are needs and holes all over the place. The trade instantly filled one of those voids with the addition of Moore.
You make a fair point about addressing the secondary with the first two picks last year, both in Round 2. I would remind you in 2021 the Bears allowed a league-worst 103.3 passer rating. So while you can make valid arguments that the needs up front were more acute, you also have to acknowledge the secondary was in serious need of help. We’ll see how cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker develop in Year 2. Poles explained after the draft that the Bears felt the strength of the draft was in the secondary when their picks came up. In other words, they felt the available defensive backs were better than the options on the offensive and defensive lines.
Definitely fair to question taking a big swing in free agency on off-the-ball linebacker Tremaine Edmunds while also prioritizing another linebacker in T.J. Edwards. There are a few points to make here. First, signing Edmunds and Edwards did not preclude them from signing a right tackle such as Mike McGlinchey or a defensive lineman. It’s not like this was an either/or. Second, there’s no mistaking the fact the defense needed an upgrade at linebacker, and what I think Poles did here — he hasn’t said it — is lean into the strength of free agency at a position that doesn’t look deep or great in the draft. Third, Matt Eberflus rose through the NFL assistant ranks as a linebackers coach. He surely had some influence here as well.
As far as protection for Fields, let’s see what the offensive line looks like after the draft. There’s a chance Poles will add a starter — maybe two. I think folks will feel differently about the offensive line in May than they do right now. Also, let’s not pretend a quarterback needs a clean pocket on every snap to operate at a high level. Joe Burrow and Josh Allen have played behind shaky lines and thrived. Deshaun Watson had an awful line in Houston early in his career. Justin Herbert’s protection was iffy his first two seasons. In other words, the Bears don’t need the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line — which they would not be able to build this offseason — to provide Fields with a chance to excel. The Bears do need to be better up front this season, and that’s why I think chances are good Poles will do more work on the starting five in the draft. They also needed to be better at wide receiver, and that goal has been accomplished and will aid Fields.
I agree the Bears lack players who tilt the field on both lines. I think they hope Braxton Jones can take a big step forward at left tackle, and as I wrote above, they probably aren’t done adding to the group. They really need to add talent on the defensive line, and they’re totally inadequate right now when it comes to edge rushers. Fortunately, there’s a lot of depth in this draft at edge. With 10 picks currently, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears drafted three.
Has Poles gone about this backward? His hands were tied in free agency last year, when he decided to eat a ton of dead money in order to straighten out the salary cap. Let’s see what the rest of the offseason brings. Also, I think it’s a three-year rebuild, not two. They should be a heck of a lot more competitive in 2023, but they need another full offseason in 2024 to get the depth chart to where they feel like they’re really ready to go. The Bears have not filled every need, but they do look much better now than they did at the end of Week 18. We all can agree on that.
How does entering the draft with $41 million in cap space help the Bears rebuild from only three wins last year? — @willardofodds
I don’t know there are many veterans availabl
e right now who could be part of a long-range plan (think beyond 2023) and would be worth serious expenditures. I expect the Bears to bring in more free agents, although it could be a slow trickle leading up to the draft. They’re better off keeping cap space to remain flexible — and they can roll over unused cap space into 2024 — than overspending for guys who might be quick fixes or might be disappointments. This roster isn’t a player or two away from being a serious contender.
Free agency is no way to build a roster. It’s a means to supplement a few positions and maybe make a big signing here or there. Were there some free agents they missed on? No doubt. But imagine how you would feel two years from now if they overspent by a considerable margin on a few players who were coming off underwhelming seasons. Then the complaint would be the team has been way too loose in free agency and handed out bad contracts.
Ryan Poles was pretty straightforward before free agency when he said they would take a calculated approach and remain draft-driven. He has a first-round pick this year after not having one in 2022. The ultimate evaluation of Poles will be the team’s record and how he builds the roster via the draft.
With two more seasons of control over Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney and three seasons of team control over DJ Moore, does it make sense for the Bears to draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba or any other blue-chip receiver prospect in Round 1? — Gregory M., Beverly
Claypool and Mooney are entering the final year of their contracts, so the Bears can control one of them beyond 2023 if they are willing to use the transition or franchise tag after this season. Each team can use only one tag. The franchise tag for wide receivers this year was more than $19.7 million and the transition tag was nearly $18 million. So Claypool or Mooney would need a massive season for the Bears to spend more than a minute even considering this possibility.
Moore is under contract through 2025, and the Bears could keep him in place even longer with the franchise or transition tag. He is set to earn $52.3 million over the next three years, and if he produces as a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, I’d expect him to seek an extension.
I don’t believe the Bears will consider Smith-Njigba. You can’t rule it out, but he doesn’t block for the quarterback or rush the passer, and I’m sure you’re as aware as other mailbag readers about the team’s issues at those positions. To come out of the offseason with a proven playmaker at wide receiver in Moore, who is in the prime years of his career, is a pretty good addition to the position.
What is the future of Alex Leatherwood? — @tkeckerle
It doesn’t look like the Bears are waiting around for him to have a breakthrough. Provided he gets to training camp, when true evaluation of line play can begin, Leatherwood ought to have an opportunity to earn a roster spot. He’s still young and had high-caliber traits to be drafted in the first round in 2021 by the Las Vegas Raiders. Even if he was overdrafted — some thought he should have been a Round 2 pick — there were a lot of traits there.
The Bears’ investment in him involves only money — they claimed him off waivers. Leatherwood got 32 snaps last season, and while that’s a very small sample size, he didn’t play particularly well. It also took a long time for the Bears to roll out Leatherwood, and that tells you he probably wasn’t performing at a high level in practice either. If Leatherwood had looked good in practice, I think we would have seen more of him and seen him sooner.
He’ll benefit this year from knowing the scheme and coaches. The Bears are on the hook with Leatherwood for fully guaranteed salaries in 2023 ($1.96 million) and 2024 ($2.62 million).
Should the Bears just throw the book out of the window and draft Bijan Robinson with the No. 9 pick? The running attack would be a force and would complement Justin Fields’ athleticism. They would be unstoppable. — @stevenhbaumann
There’s a pretty good reason the book you’re referencing was written and most teams live by it. The Bears led the NFL in rushing last season with 3,014 yards — 296 more than the second-ranked Baltimore Ravens. Robinson wouldn’t do a whole heck of a lot to aid a passing offense that was moribund, and if the Bears can lead the league in rushing with Fields, David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, why would they invest a prime draft pick in the position? I’d be stunned if they drafted Robinson, and I respect him as a super-talented back who should have a highly successful NFL career.
I realize a 3-14 team has a ton of holes to fill. At this point, some of those have been filled, but not the three-technique tackle. Are the Bears relying on the draft for a starting 3T? Or is there still hope one becomes available in free agency via cuts? — @ajlight315
I imagine the Bears are hopeful to draft a three-technique who at minimum can play in the rotation and develop at the position. A best-case scenario would be to find a young building block at the position, but there aren’t a lot of disruptive interior linemen walking the planet. They probably will do more work on the defensive line in free agency, but I wouldn’t count on another team discarding a must-have defensive tackle. Teams generally don’t cut offensive or defensive linemen in their prime.
With the addition of Nate Davis, where does Teven Jenkins fit on this offensive line? Guard or tackle? — @just_acy
I think Jenkins remains at right guard. He started to blossom at that position last season with only recurring minor injuries stunting his growth. He was pretty solid there, and the Bears should attempt to build off the foundation he laid last year. He struggled some at tackle early in training camp and might be best on the interior. Why not keep him in the same spot?
Is not re-signing DeAndre Houston-Carson yet as much a shock to you as it is to me? — @billbrasier
Shock, no. Surprise, yes. Houston-Carson has been the team’s most valuable special teams player for several seasons based on his leadership and ability. Maybe there’s a possibility the Bears will bring him back, but if not he’ll probably be a glue guy for someone else. Houston-Carson wasn’t drafted by the current regime, and that often leads to turnover. The Bears struggled on special teams in the second half of last season, and some of it was due to having a lot of inexperienced players on the field. Basically, they didn’t have enough Houston-Carsons. Some of those young players will have more experience this season, but he’s a good one.
Is Lucas Patrick even part of the discussion for O-line? There were high expectations but it seems he’s no longer in the mix. — @housegeek1
Were expectations really high? Patrick signed a two-year, $8 million contract, and as I have written many times before, expectations are shaped by two things — a player’s contract size or his draft status. Injuries prevented Patrick from getting a lot of work last season. Sure, he’s in the mix this year. How or where he fits, I think we have to wait until after the draft to sort that out. The same probably can be said for Cody Whitehair.
A question on the business side of football. How does NFL escrow work? Do teams have to have all remaining guaranteed money on contracts in escrow? Or is it a percentage by year or some other formula? As you’ve mentioned, salary cap and cash flow are two entirely different things. — @halfadrink
Good question. Agents are quick to tell you the escrow rule for funding guaranteed contracts is antiquated. The rule dictates that a team put into escrow the amount of money equal to what they are guaranteeing a player beyond the first year of the contract. So, for the sake of this discussion, let’s say the Bears sign a player to a five-year, $100 million contract that is fully guaranteed and pays him $25 million in Year 1. The team would have to place $75 million in escrow, and that, as you can imagine, ties up a whole bunch of money.
The massive success of the league and the booming television and streaming rights have led players to point out this shouldn’t be an obstacle for teams any longer. The Cleveland Browns drew the ire of other owners last year when they signed Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. That’s reportedly one of the hang-ups in the Lamar Jackson contract situation with the Baltimore Ravens. It’s worth noting Watson’s agent, David Mulugheta, also represents Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Browns have released Jadeveon Clowney. He has pedigree but the sack production hasn’t matched it. His run defense has been pretty good though. Is he a guy the Bears could throw a short-term deal at until they can draft a successor? — Mark L., Davenport, Iowa
In my mind, Clowney projects as a left end in Matt Eberflus’ defense, and the Bears already signed a player who probably will line up there in DeMarcus Walker. As you said, Clowney’s sack production can leave a little to be desired, so I’m not sure how adding him to an anemic pass rush would change things. Clowney had two sacks last season for the Cleveland Browns. He did produce nine for the Browns in 2021 but totaled only three sacks in 21 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons for the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.
Can you rank the remaining team needs? Here’s mine:
Center
Three-technique DT
Right tackle
Cornerback
Edge
Wide receiver
If I’ve missed any, let me know. — @themaxconnor1
I probably would order it this way:
Edge
Three-technique
Right tackle
Cornerback
Center
Nose tackle
Wide receiver
You could talk me into reversing the first two and prioritizing a three-technique over an edge defender. Honestly, I’m stunned you have edge fifth as the Bears spent too much of last season not even in sniffing distance of the opposing quarterback.
A right tackle is always more important than a center in my mind. Just look at the difference in pay for those two positions.
I added a nose tackle because getting a young player to develop alongside newly signed Andrew Billings is probably a good idea. I think Billings could be a sneaky-good addition on a one-year contract, but why not draft a nose tackle as well?
