Bears have opportunity to strengthen offensive line in free agency and NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL offseason will allow the Chicago Bears to strengthen the offensive line, and in this post, which continues my offseason look at how GM Ryan Poles can rebuild the Bears into a playoff team, we’ll focus on a few moves that make sense upfront.

The Bears’ offensive line was abysmal in 2022. Injuries played a role, but the talent level was simply too shallow. We saw significant improvement in 2023, spearheaded by standouts Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, and rookie Darnell Wright, but the offensive line still maxed out as a league-average group.

That won’t be good enough if the Bears want to contend for titles.

Luckily for Poles, this offseason will see many potential upgrades available via free agency and the draft. Let’s take a look at some directions he could go.

Cuts/Extensions

The most obvious move to make on the offensive line has already been taken: Cody Whitehair was released by the Bears last week. A longtime member of the team, his career started off well, but injuries and overall poor play in recent years, combined with a massive cap hit in 2024, made this move inevitable.

While technically not a cut because his contract is already up, Lucas Patrick should also be allowed to walk. He was brought in as someone who knew Luke Getsy’s scheme and could serve as a quasi-coach in the offensive line room, but Getsy is now in Las Vegas, and Patrick’s play wasn’t good enough for a 2024 roster spot.

The Chicago Bears are strong at offensive tackle. Jones and Wright have been dependable early in their careers and flashed Pro Bowl or even All-Pro potential. Depth, however, is a concern but not a problem that I would consider an emergency for Poles.

One player Poles should consider opening the checkbook for is guard Teven Jenkins. He’s been an absolute beast on this offensive line since settling in as an interior player, showcasing All-Pro talent at both left and right guard positions.

Injuries are a major concern with Jenkins, and that may be a sticking point in contract negotiations, but there are ways to mitigate those risks (such as with incentives and bonuses). One way or another, Poles cannot risk Jenkins departing in 2025, and that should mean getting a deal done now.

Free Agency

The Bears need to find a starting center, and there are two highly regarded options entering free agency, but both come with a caveat: they ended their 2023 season on IR.

Connor Williams (Miami Dolphins) and Connor McGovern (New York Jets) have both been tremendous assets to their teams as starting centers. Still, Williams tore his ACL midseason, and McGovern had surgery on a dislocated kneecap. Both should be recovered and ready for the 2024 season, but injuries like those for an offensive lineman make GMs nervous. This is especially true for Williams, who is likely to fetch over $67 million for a 5-year contract, according to Spotrac.

McGovern would be significantly cheaper given his age (he turns 31 in April), but he would not offer the kind of long-term outlook that the 26-year-old Williams does.

Dalton Risner (Minnesota Vikings) is another name to keep track of for the Bears in free agency. Jenkins and Nate Davis missed games in 2023 due to injury, and their absences were obvious. Risner would provide solid depth behind them if one or both have to miss some time.

2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft is where constructing the offensive line can be fun for Poles.

As stated above, the Chicago Bears offensive tackles have been pretty good so far, but the 2024 NFL Draft has two elite left tackle prospects, and one or both of them should be available when Chicago picks at 9th overall: Joe Alt of Notre Dame and Olu Fashanu of Penn State.

Despite their high draft grades, it would be a mistake for Poles to select either offensive tackle in Round 1. I think Braxton Jones has done enough in two years to prove he can be the Bears’ franchise left tackle, and with needs elsewhere on the roster, using a top-10 pick on a position of strength would be a mistake.

That said, both Alt and Fashanu would be upgrades, and if Poles thinks that that is where his draft picks are best spent, so be it.

The 2024 NFL Draft is also loaded with talent at center, led by Senior Bowl standout Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon. He might have played himself into the first round, and unless Poles trades back from the ninth pick, he’ll be out of reach for Chicago.

Fortunately, at least one of Zach Frazier f(West Virginia) and Sedrick Van Pran (Georgia) should be available in Rounds 2 and 3, and both are excellent prospects who figure to have long NFL careers.

Another interesting name to track in the draft is Zack Zinter, an offensive guard from Michigan. Zinter would have likely been the top guard prospect in the 2024 Draft, but a brutal leg injury in late November ended his season early and tanked his draft stock.

Poles could select Zinter on Day 3 and keep him stashed on the roster while he recovers. It would be a big-picture move as Zinter would likely not play in 2024, but he could be a key feature of the line in years to come, ready to take over just as Nate Davis’ contract expires.

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