The Bears continue to try to build a competitive team around second year quarterback, Caleb Williams. A new coaching staff, lead by head coach, Ben Johnson, will remake multiple facets of the team to their own standards.

Going into the offseason, the entire world knew that upgrading the offensive line was the top priority in Chicago. They got a jump start on that by acquiring guards Jonah Jackson from the LA Rams and Joe Thuney from the Chiefs. There is still work to be done, including center and a possible upgrade at left tackle, but the need doesn’t seem as pressing anymore.

Adding a pass rushing edge to complement Montez Sweat was another item high on the Bears priority list. Given the fact that the Bears hold the tenth overall pick and two early second round picks, I’m not sure they’ll break the bank in free agency on an edge rusher.

Interior defensive line could use some upgrades, but it’s a weak free agent class and a strong draft class, so I doubt they’ll go fishing in that pond. Ditto for adding running back and tight end depth.

With that being said, here’s what I expect to see from the Bears in the coming days:

Edge Rusher

If the Bears are going to make a splash in free agency, here’s where I think they might do it. The biggest splash would be signing Josh Sweat from the Super Bowl Champion, Philadelphia Eagles. I wouldn’t be totally shocked, but I think it’s a long shot that Chicago spends the kind of money it would require to land Sweat.

In my Free Agency Bold Predictions piece, I have the Bears signing Chase Young from the New Orleans Saints. Young has familiarity with new defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, and is still young enough to have intriguing upside. He should command a relatively inexpensive salary compared to top tier edge rushers.

Pairing a Young signing with second year pro, Austin Booker and an early round draft pick would satisfy me. Booker has intriguing upside as a pass rusher and the Bears’ picks in the first two rounds give them an opportunity to land an impactful rookie pass rusher.

While signing Young and drafting an edge is a solid plan, I cannot help but be intrigued by a reunion with Khalil Mack. Reports state that Mack has interest in returning to Chicago and it seems that the interest may be mutual.

Mack, at age 34, will no longer command a top tier salary, but how much less is he willing to take and how high are the Bears willing to go for a rotational pass rusher.

If the price is right, I’m all for a Return of the Mack, and drafting an edge in the early rounds of the draft.

Prediction– Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I think the Bears will bring Khalil Mack back to Chicago on a reasonable deal and then target an edge early in the draft.

Offensive Line

The Bears went a long way towards fixing their offensive line with the acquisitions of Jackson and Thuney. Center, left tackle and depth are now the only glaring issues.

Offensive tackle is a vast wasteland in free agency. The Bears are better off not wading into that pond and instead looking at the draft for an upgrade.

Two weeks ago, I would have told you that the Atlanta Falcons’ Drew Dalman was priority number one in free agency. Now, I’m far less certain. Dalman will have multiple suitors, causing his price tag to become inflated.

The Raiders are set to release Andre James, which is another intriguing name. He may challenge Dalman for the honor of top center on the market.

I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing back Coleman Shelton, provided they target either North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel or Georgia’s Jared Wilson in the draft.

I’m hearing rumors, from sources in Indianapolis, that the Colts’ Ryan Kelly is a Bears target, on a short term deal. Like Shelton, I think a Kelly signing would require targeting the aforementioned Zabel or Wilson in the draft.

Green Bay’s Josh Myers and New Orleans’ Connor McGovern are also names to think about, but I consider them long shots.

Prediction– Once again, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I liked the idea of bringing back Shelton as a placeholder/quality backup, but Kelly would be an upgrade. At 32 years old, Kelly would only be a short term solution so I’d like to see the Bears find a way to land Georgia’s Jared Wilson in the draft.

Wide Receiver

Keenan Allen will likely be playing elsewhere in 2025, giving the Bears a need for a number three receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.

The Bears will not be shopping in the upper echelons of the receiver market, they’ll be bargain shopping for fit and upside.

Jacksonville’s Josh Reynolds and Detroit’s Tim Patrick both have history with new head coach, Ben Johnson, and both would make sense as an inexpensive third receiver on a short term deal.

Cleveland’s Elijah Moore and Washington’s Dyami Brown both have intriguing upside that could complement the Bears top two receivers. I think Brown’s playoffs run might have put him out of Chicago’s price range, however.

Tennessee’s Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a name I like, a lot, but I’ve heard nothing on that front. Just a name to watch.

Prediction– Call it a hunch, but I think Ben Johnson will want to bring in a familiar face that he can rely on as his do it all third receiver. Tim Patrick played for Johnson in Detroit last season and embraced and excelled at his role. I think he’ll join him in Chicago.

Quarterback

Caleb Williams is the franchise quarterback the Bears have long searched for. Lost in the Bears drama in 2024 and overshadowed by Jayden Daniels’ incredible rookie season in Washington, is the fact that Williams had a pretty good rookie season. Don’t forget that he came within a Hail Mary of leading a strong comeback victory against Daniels and the Commanders. He’s also the reason Ben Johnson chose Chicago.

I think the Bears have legitimate interest in adding a veteran voice to their quarterback room. Tyson Bagent is a decent back up, but he’s only entering his third season. What can he do to help Williams on his path to being a franchise quarterback?

There’s a couple veteran back up quarterbacks that could make a ton of sense, including Indianapolis’ Joe Flacco and Carolina’ Andy Dalton. However, in my mind, one name makes more sense than any other.

Prediction– Teddy Bridgewater came out retirement to back up Jared Goff in Detroit for the stretch drive last season. Ben Johnson knows him and he knows Ben Johnson’s offense. If he doesn’t go back into retirement he would be the perfect veteran voice to add to the QB room.

Now I’ll take a quick look at other positions that I don’t expect the Bears to be major players for:

Interior Defensive Line– The 2025 draft class is quite deep with interior defensive linemen, while the free agent class is rather shallow. A small move or two here wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m not expecting anything.

Running Back– Much like the defensive line, the running back draft class is strong, while the free agent crop is weak. The Bears could use another running back, but I expect them to address that in the draft.

Tight End– The Bears already signed Durham Smythe, so I don’t expect any other moves here, unless they bring back the ageless Marcedes Lewis. They could target a tight end in the draft.

Secondary– Secondary is probably the strongest position group for the Chicago Bears, but there could be a low key need at safety given Kevin Byard’s age and Jaquan Brisker’s injury history. Free agency is not where this will be addressed unless Byard gets released.

Linebacker– Unless they surprisingly release Tremaine Edmunds or TJ Edwards, the Bears will not be shopping for a linebacker this year. Depth could be added, but that could also come in the draft.