The NFL’s “legal tampering” period opens one month from today. And with it, the beginning of the league’s transactional period. But before we get to that point, let’s assess where the Chicago Bears are heading into the new league year.
Chicago Bears salary cap update
The Bears are $62,968,403 under the cap, according to OverTheCap.com. That represents the sixth-most space among NFL teams. Only the Los Angeles Chargers ($63.409M), Arizona Cardinals ($71.333M), Washington Commanders ($78.110M), Las Vegas Raiders ($92.526M), and New England Patriots ($120.041M) have more space than the Bears. As things stand right now, eight teams (Texans, Cowboys, Falcons, Dolphins, Seahawks, Bills, Browns, and Saints) are over the league’s projected salary cap of $272.5 million. And while every NFL team will be under the cap by the time the new league year begins on March 12, no team has a climb like a New Orleans franchise that is more than $54 million *OVER* the cap. But I digress.
Despite some missteps along the way, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles and his front office have done a good job maintaining a healthy cap situation for the team. That said, this could be a time for the team to flex its cap muscle and bring in some serious roster upgrades.
Chicago Bears draft picks
The Chicago Bears currently own the following picks in the 2025 NFL Draft (h/t Tankathon):
- Round 1, Pick 10
- Round 2, Pick 39 (Thanks, Panthers!)
- Round 2, Pick 41
- Round 3, Pick 72
- Round 5, Pick 149
- Round 6, Pick 197 (via the Steelers and the Justin Fields trade)
- Round 7, Pick 235 (via the Bengals)
- Round 7, Pick 242 (via the Vikings by way of the Browns)
At this time last year, the Bears just five picks. So, to have eight selections going into the offseason feels like a bonus. Chicago’s football team could add picks by trading back with one of its first three selections. Or perhaps it could dangle those choices to move up or even snag a player in a trade. I am willing to keep an open mind to how the Bears use their draft capital this offseason.
Outgoing free agents
Here’s who’s on the cusp of exiting Halas Hall as an unrestricted free agent this offseason:
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
- Keenan Allen, wide receiver
- Teven Jenkins, left guard
- Coleman Shelton, center
- Matt Pryor, offensive lineman
- Larry Borom, offensive lineman
- Jake Curhan, offensive lineman
- Marcedes Lewis, tight end
- DeAndre Carter, wide receiver and return specialist
- Collin Johnson, wide receiver
- Travis Homer, running back
- Darrynton Evans, running back
- Stephen Carlson, tight end
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS AND SPECIAL TEAMERS
- Darrell Taylor, defensive end
- Jacob Martin, defensive lineman
- Byron Cowart, defensive lineman
- Amen Ogbongbemiga, linebacker
- Tarvarius Moore, safety
- Adrian Colbert, safety
- Patrick Scales, long snapper
- Scott Daly, long snapper
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
RFAs are players who have accrued three years of service time and *CAN* negotiate with other teams. However, the Bears can decide to match an offer sheet that a player signs with another franchise.
- Josh Blackwell, cornerback, and return specialist
- Chris Williams, defensive tackle
- Doug Kramer, center
- Jack Sanborn, linebacker
- Jaylon Jones, cornerback
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
Players who are ERFAs have two seasons or fewer of accrued service time and are on an expiring contract. If an ERFA is extended a qualifying offer, then the player cannot negotiate with other teams.
- Ameer Speed, cornerback
- Bill Murray, offensive lineman
- Jonathan Ford, defensive tackle
- Daniel Hardy, defensive end
- Douglas Coleman III, safety
All things considered, there are some useful puzzle pieces listed above. But I can see the Bears parting ways with a chunk of those players — which would give the players and the team a much-needed fresh start.
2025 Chicago Bears projected starters
This is what the Bears’ starting lineup looks like right now based on who I feel confident in going into this year:
OFFENSE
QB – Caleb Williams
RB – D’Andre Swift
WR – DJ Moore
WR – Rome Odunze
WR – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
TE – Cole Kmet
LT – Braxton Jones
LG – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
C – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
RG – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
RT – Darnell Wright
The Chicago Bears’ offensive line needs are so great that we’ve already estimated the cost of rebuilding it via free agency. Considering the team’s needs along the interior of the offensive line and the collection of quality guard and center players set to hit the market, I expect the Bears to do some heavy lifting here.
DEFENSE
DE – Montez Sweat
DT – Gervon Dexter Sr.
NT – Andrew Billings
DE – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
LB – T.J. Edwards
LB – Tremaine Edmunds
CB – Jaylon Johnson
CB – Kyler Gordon
CB – Tyrique Stevenson
FS – Kevin Byard
SS – Jaquan Brisker
Dennis Allen, the team’s new defensive coordinator, inherits a defense that could return all 11 starters from Week 1. However, I think Chicago could look to upgrade at the starting defensive end spot opposite of Montez Sweat. If the Bears can successfully pull that off, it could allow the team to deploy incumbent starter DeMarcus Walker in a role that fully takes advantage of his versatility.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Cairo Santos
LS – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
P – Tory Taylor
The big question in this position group has everything to do with the long snapper position. Patrick Scales missed the entire 2025 season because of an injury that occurred during the Bears’ Hall of Fame Game appearance back in August. Scott Daly did well to hold down the fort. But with Daly and Scales set to become unrestricted free agents, that position seems like it is up in the air.
Team needs, plausible fits, and possible targets
Here is how I would rank the Bears’ five most glaring needs going into the offseason:
- Right guard
- Center
- Left guard
- Defensive end
- Running back
You can make a case for center or left guard to take the top spot over right guard. But as far as I’m concerned, I would prioritize a right guard to pair with right tackle Darnell Wright to create a tag team that a running back could run behind and gain chunks of yards in 2025. From a positional value standpoint, there is a case to be made for a defensive end being a top need.
Predicting the Bears’ offseason approach
In 2023, the Chicago Bears prioritized players in the trenches with a handful of their early draft picks. Right tackle Darnell Wright and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. have entrenched themselves in starting roles. But Zacch Pickens, another defensive tackle, has yet to find his footing in the NFL. He was a healthy scratch late in the season and could be at risk of being bumped off the roster in a training camp positional battle. With that being said, it would make sense for the Bears to invest in the offensive and defensive lines in free agency.
The team is reportedly “all-in” on fixing the offensive line after hiring Ben Johnson as its new head coach. There is also an expectation that the Bears will dip into the deep end of the free agency pool to upgrade the offensive line, with NFL insiders seeing the Bears as a team to watch for the best offensive linemen who will hit the market. We have long begun looking at free-agent options for this team. Can you blame us?
But with that being said, I do not want to ignore the defensive side of the ball. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl performance should serve as a reminder that disrupting the opponents’ backfield is as important as protecting your own. With that in mind, Chicago’s football team would be wise to copy that blueprint and build inside-out after spending last season building from the outside-in.
2025 NFL MOCK DRAFT: WHAT DO BEARS DO IN THE FIRST POST-SUPER BOWL MOCK DRAFT?
In any case, the Bears have a lot of fascinating decisions to make in the days, weeks, and months ahead. I am looking forward to covering the wild ride that is the NFL offseason. Thanks for taking the time to read this far into the post. Your readership is appreciated. Go, Bears!
