The Chicago Bears are going to be busy this offseason. General manager Ryan Poles has his work cut out for him when it comes to upgrading the roster. Luckily for him, he is flush with assets to make some big changes.
The Bears will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, providing plenty of avenues. They can use that pick on an impact prospect or trade it to a team looking to select a quarterback for a king’s ransom. But, before the draft gets underway, the first order of business is free agency.
Chicago has by far the most cap space in the NFL to work with, with over $94 million to spend. If there is a free agent that they want, they will be able to present a competitive offer and shouldn’t be outbid by any other team.
Their No. 1 goal this offseason should be to upgrade the weapon around Justin Fields. The first-round pick from 2021 made strides during the 2022 season, which was certainly encouraging. There is still work to be done, but for him to take that next step, the talent around him needs to be upgraded.
Many people have pointed to wide receiver being a position of need and that is true. Finding a legitimate No. 1 option to round things out around Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool would be beneficial. However, wide receiver isn’t the only spot the Bears could upgrade their pass catchers.
The team could opt to make an upgrade at tight end, pairing Cole Kmet with another player. That is one of the free agency predictions made for Chicago, as they will sign Dalton Schultz to a four-year, $48 million contract.
Schultz has come on the last three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, becoming one of Dak Prescott’s most reliable targets in the passing game. He battled through injuries in 2022 but still managed to catch 57 passes for 577 yards and five touchdowns.
Given how much the Bears run the ball, adding another tight end would make a lot of sense. They could line up in heavy formations with multiple tight ends but, still, find success in the passing game having two pass-catching threats in Kmet and Schultz in the formation.
Lacking top-tier wide receiver options in free agency, Schultz would be a good alternate route for the Bears to consider. One way or another they need to upgrade the weapons around Fields and Schultz would certainly qualify as such.
