The Chicago Bears have a ton of money to spend this off-season to upgrade their roster. General manager Ryan Poles did a good job of getting the salary cap in order during his first year on the job and now it is time for him to start adding some talent.
Chicago is set to have nearly $94.5 million in money to spend this offseason, which is almost $38 million more than the next closest team. That will give them an edge when it comes to free agency as they will be able to outbid virtually every team for whatever player they want.
While it can be a positive to have that much money to spend, it could also lead to some rash decisions. Poles has to make sure that he isn’t throwing money at the wrong players, spending just because he can. Instead, he needs to make sure he is targeting players that fit the Bears’ plan so that the team can start taking some steps forward.
Having holes at multiple positions on the roster, any signings that the team makes would likely be considered an upgrade. However, some players may look like upgrades but won’t help move the team in the right direction nearly as much as they need.
One of those players is wide receiver DJ Chark. Improving the wide receiver group around Justin Fields this offseason is imperative, but it is certainly debatable if Chark is the right fit in Chicago.
The Bears already have good complementary players in Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool; adding Chark to that mix still leaves them without a true No. 1 option. While Chark is likely an upgrade over some of the depth pieces they had this season, his extensive injury history is another reason to stay away.
Another area offensively that the Bears need to address is the offensive line. Fields was sacked an NFL-high 55 times last season and revamping the unit is a must. One player Chicago should avoid retaining is right tackle, Riley Reiff.
Reiff was far from the only reason the offensive line struggled, but bringing back the 34-year-old would be less than ideal. He played at a backup level in 2022, registering a 64.3 grade with PFF. Adding a youthful presence to the offensive line to grow in front of Fields would make sense.
Defensively, the Bears need to address their pass rush. It was anemic in 2022 as they registered only 20 sacks on the season. That isn’t all too surprising when taking into consideration Khalil Mack was traded away in the offseason while Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith were dealt ahead of the deadline.
Needing some juice in that area, Brandon Graham is someone that should theoretically fit, coming off an 11-sack season. Graham has found plenty of success as a pass rusher in his career when healthy, but going on 35 years old, he doesn’t fit the Bears’ timeline.
Graham will likely command a one-year deal, which doesn’t seem like a bad thing. But the Bears need to take a long-term approach to their roster building. Not close to contending, this isn’t the year to add the finishing touches with one-year veteran deals. This is the year to build the foundation of the roster for years to come.
