We’re lower than every week from the NFL mix and fewer than three from the opening of free company. What strategy will new basic supervisor Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus absorb rebuilding the Chicago Bears roster? The Tribune’s Brad Biggs reads the tea leaves on this week’s Bears mailbag.
How are the Bears going to handle the offensive line? Free company or the draft? — @daniel11605
As a lot as basic supervisor Ryan Poles talked about constructing a roster starting with each traces, that is one thing to observe. We’ll want some clues to get a greater thought of the path the workforce will go first. To me, it's a must to begin with evaluating the offensive linemen the workforce has below contract. The place do the Bears wish to line up Teven Jenkins once they hit the sector this spring? If the reply is left sort out, then possibly that place isn’t on the prime of the to-do listing when free company opens subsequent week. If the Bears imagine Jenkins is finest at proper sort out or guard, do they imagine Larry Borom has a shot at anchoring left sort out?
If the Bears don’t see a long-term left sort out possibility on the roster, that may be a main gap to fill — and could lead on thm to pursue Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars) or Terron Armstead (New Orleans Saints) in free company, offered they attain the open market. Robinson performed on the franchise tag final yr, and the Jaguars should tag him once more or re-sign him earlier than free company. The window for groups to make use of the franchise or transition tag opened Tuesday. The Jaguars have the No. 1 choose within the draft, so they might draft a left sort out and permit Robinson to depart. The Saints absolutely wish to retain Armstead, however they're buried in salary-cap points.
I believe most imagine veteran Cody Whitehair is finest at guard, so the Bears might preserve him there. James Daniels is a pending free agent and will command an enormous payday on the open market. Sam Mustipher has 1½ years of beginning expertise, however the Bears seemingly will search an improve or competitors at middle. Borom might challenge as a sort out or guard, however the Bears would possibly wish to add competitors.
If the Bears actually wish to overhaul the offensive line, they in all probability would have to take action through free company and the draft through the use of their second- or third-round choose. First, we have to hear from Poles and coach Matt Eberflus on how they really feel concerning the gamers the workforce has below contract.
Are you able to foresee any options the place the Bears can bolster their offensive line, broad receivers and a few lacking holes on protection with out by some means shifting a big wage? Simply looks as if too many holes and never sufficient cap house. — @eric_pedersen83
I agree that the Bears have quite a lot of points to handle on each side of the ball, and it'll require some tough selections. It will likely be fascinating to see how the brand new regime prioritizes a few of these wants. The Bears have the cap house to make some huge strikes in free company and may make a number of strikes to create extra working room, but when Poles stays true to his phrase, he shall be doing a little discount purchasing. It’s about discovering suits for the scheme and getting gamers with expertise to fill roles. It will likely be a course of for Poles to do a whole roster makeover, which is able to take a while. A roster is rarely “set,” however determine he in all probability wants two swings by free company and two draft courses to essentially get issues rolling.
Is it a foregone conclusion that Allen Robinson received’t return? — @bearssox4ever
Foregone conclusion? No. However I definitely count on Robinson to discover his choices in free company, and my hunch is that can lead him to signal elsewhere. For no matter purpose, there simply didn’t appear to be chemistry between him and quarterback Justin Fields final season. Robinson shall be in search of an enormous payday, and the Bears would possibly select to make use of their sources otherwise.
Any probability the Bears would franchise tag James Daniels? Unsure what the salary-cap ramifications can be, however I believe he nonetheless has untapped potential. Is the sensation across the league about him that he's ascending or capped out? — @jeffdetra
I believe folks imagine Daniels’ finest soccer is forward of him. He’s solely 24, has quite a lot of expertise and was fairly good final season. That being mentioned, I might be very stunned if the Bears selected to make use of the franchise tag on him contemplating it comes with a price ticket of $16.7 million. It’s doable the Bears will see if they will work out a brand new contract, however I might count on him to at the least discover what’s on the market on the open market. He might simply get a deal that tops $10 million yearly.
The place has everybody on Matt Nagy’s workers landed? — @1959WhiteSox
Defensive high quality management assistant Ronell Williams is the one member of Nagy’s workers to stay with the Bears below Eberflus. Coaches who haven't landed work for 2022, to my information, embody Nagy, offensive coordinator Invoice Lazor, passing recreation coordinator/quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, broad receivers coach Mike Furrey, tight ends coach Clancy Barone, assistant particular groups coach Brian Ginn, power coach Jason Loscalzo, offensive high quality management/quarterbacks coach Mike Snyder, assistant defensive position coach Shane Toub and offensive assistants Tom Herman and Henry Burris.
These coaches have been employed elsewhere:
- Juan Castillo: Washington Commanders tight ends coach
- Sean Desai: Seattle Seahawks affiliate head coach/protection
- Chris Jackson: Jacksonville Jaguars broad receivers coach
- Invoice McGovern: UCLA defensive coordinator
- Mike Pettine: Minnesota Vikings assistant head coach
- Michael Pitre: Atlanta Falcons working backs coach
- Donovan Raiola: Nebraska offensive line coach
- Chris Rumph: Minnesota Vikings defensive position
- Invoice Shuey: Jacksonville Jaguars outdoors linebackers coach
- Chris Tabor: Carolina Panthers particular groups coordinator
- Deshea Townsend: Jacksonville Jaguars passing recreation coordinator/cornerbacks coach
Who're the choices for beginning cornerbacks in free company? — @twtamtrakandrew
J.C. Jackson of the New England Patriots would be the most coveted cornerback if he reaches the open market. He’s a possible candidate for the franchise tag, though the Patriots have usually averted utilizing that. Different veterans accessible embody Stephon Gilmore, Carlton Davis, Casey Hayward, Darious Williams, Steven Nelson, Kyle Fuller and Charvarius Ward. One factor I might take into accout is that Eberflus did fairly effectively in Indianapolis with an growing old veteran in Xavier Rhodes, whom the Colts had been in a position to signal on a budget. Rhodes was slower than he was initially in Minnesota, however the Colts recognized a participant who would match their scheme and wouldn’t take up a lot cap house. It was a terrific signing.
So it’s doable the Bears would take the same strategy — and it may not be somebody whom they'd signal within the first wave of free company, when groups inevitably overpay. Cornerback is a big want, and the Bears must infuse the place with at the least two new choices to lift the extent of play.
There appears to be a view that an offensive participant is the inevitable choose within the second spherical, however would you be shocked if the Bears took a defensive participant with their first choose given the change of scheme and holes at CB, LB, security and DT? — @davidpbmaddox
I’m unsure who has that view. It’s actually arduous to foretell what a workforce goes to do in Spherical 1 this far out — though final yr right now, it was obvious that if the Bears didn’t make a transfer for a big-time veteran quarterback, they'd transfer mountains to attempt to draft one. It’s much more tough to foretell what place a workforce will goal in Spherical 2. What if Poles makes his most vital strikes in free company on offense? Would people saying an offensive choose is inevitable pivot at that time? I’ve at all times mentioned it’s finest to see what occurs by the primary two weeks of free company to get a greater thought of the true roster wants a workforce has. We will speak at size about positions of want, but it surely’s unimaginable to say who the top-graded gamers shall be when the Bears are on the clock. My finest recommendation is to attend and see what shakes out with the roster. Which gamers shall be signed? Which gamers shall be launched? What areas of want will look extra settled by early April? Take a step again and see what clues the workforce leaves.
How does Tarik Cohen’s future with the Bears look proper now? Ought to we count on him on the roster in Week 1? — @Bearssznn
A key date for Cohen is arising shortly after the brand new league yr begins March 16. He has a $3.9 million base wage for 2022, and $2.5 million of that turns into totally assured if he’s on the roster on the set off date. Sometimes, these set off dates are within the first few days of the league yr. Proper now, $2.5 million of his base wage is assured for damage, and Cohen has missed the final 31 video games (together with postseason) since tearing the ACL in his proper knee early within the 2020 season. For sure, it has been a protracted highway again with at the least one important detour. Given the time he has missed and the cash he’s owed — $4 million when together with a exercise bonus — I might not be stunned if the Bears determined to maneuver on.
In fact, it’s unimaginable for me to say the place he's bodily proper now, because the workforce has mentioned subsequent to nothing about his rehabilitation and the way it differed from a extra typical return from an ACL damage. That looks as if some huge cash to pay a gadget participant on offense and punt returner, however that’s simply my opinion. The timing of the assure within the base wage and the change in entrance workplace and training workers definitely complicate issues.