The Chicago Bears are set to take a huge leap forward during the 2025 NFL season. Chicago has already made great strides this offseason, starting with hiring Ben Johnson as head coach. Now the Bears have plenty of cap space to spend in free agency and multiple premium pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Chicago has an opportunity to quickly assemble a team around QB Caleb Williams that fits Ben Johnson's vision.
Chicago already has several talented players already in place on both sides of the football. There is still plenty of work to be done, but if the Bears add enough talent they could become an NFC powerhouse this fall.
The offensive line is the most obvious position of need in Chicago. It is also a position group that is very important to Ben Johnson.
Chicago did not bother waiting for free agency to address the issue. The Bears made two aggressive trades this week to improve their o-line, which theoretically makes it less of a priority in free agency.
So what's next for the Bears?
Below we will explore who should be Chicago's biggest priority during NFL free agency after this week's big trades.
Bears pull off two bold trades to add guard before NFL free agency
Chicago made two aggressive trades this week, rebuilding their interior offensive line with new starting guards.
First, the Bears sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Rams for guard Jonah Jackson. Head coach Ben Johnson is familiar with Jackson because of their shared time with the Lions. Jackson signed with the Rams last offseason but eventually fell out of favor. Now he projects as a reliable starter for the Bears.
Chicago followed that up with an even bigger trade. The Bears acquire veteran guard Joe Thuney from the Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Thuney is an excellent guard who has found success both in New England and Kansas City. He also happens to be a four-time Super Bowl champion.
Both Jackson and Thuney should start at left and right guard for the Bears this fall.
Now that they are in place, should the Bears focus on other position groups in free agency? Or should they double down on the offensive line and add even more talent?
Bears need to target center Drew Dalman to complete interior offensive line makeover
Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman (67) leaves the field with an injury against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Former Falcons center Drew Dalman is the best player at his position on the free agency market.
Dalman is a former fourth-round pick by the Falcons who started played in every single game over the first two year of his career. He took over the starting center job in Atlanta in 2022 and kept the job the past three seasons.
The biggest question mark for Dalman heading into free agency is health. Dalman suffered an ankle injury in 2024 that caused him to miss eight games. That may make some teams nervous to sign him.
Those brave enough to go after Dalman will get a starting-caliber center who is a monster in pass protection and on zone running plays.
ESPN's Matt Bowen agrees that Dalman could be a great addition to Chicago's o-line.
“Dalman wins his assignments with movement and leverage to offset a smaller frame (6-3, 300 pounds),” Bowen wrote on Thursday. “He's a technician on tape, best suited for the zone run game, and his pass block win rate of 95.1% ranked ninth among centers with at least 500 snaps in 2024. (He missed time due to an ankle injury, though.) Chicago traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and Dalman could fit right between them on the line.”
The decision on signing Dalman could end up coming down to cost. Some analysts worry that Dalman may demand a contract similar to Creed Humphrey's four-year, $72 million deal from August. Dalman is not the same caliber of player as Humphrey, but he could push for a higher annual salary because of the precedent set by Humphrey.
According to Spotrac, Dalman should only command $6.8 million per season on a new contract.
In my opinion, the Bears should not be scared away of giving Dalman a lucrative contract if they believe that he could improve their offensive line. If Dalman is their guy, Chicago should be willing to offer a contract worth at least $10 million per season.
I simply cannot overstate how important it is for the Bears to get the offensive line right this offseason. Maybe the bigger takeaway here is that even if Dalman is not their guy, center and tackle need to be priorities this offseason.
Chicago already has plenty of talented skill-position players on offense. Fixing the offensive line, in addition to adding Ben Johnson as play caller, could propel the Bears' offense into one of the better units in football.