Offseason mistakes the Chicago Bears must avoid
The Chicago Bears have a ton of cap space and the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. What mistakes should they avoid making? Justin Fields did take a leap in year two, and it should be enough for Ryan Poles, the General Manager, to build around him.
The team also has nearly $100 million in cap space and obvious needs to fill. The Chicago Bears should be a busy team in the offseason, but this also opens up the possibility of them making big mistakes.
What are three mistakes they should avoid in the coming offseason?
Offseason mistakes the Chicago Bears must avoid
Not trading the first overall pick
If they are set on Justin Fields, they need to trade the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. There is not an offensive prospect, besides the quarterbacks, worthy of taking first overall.
The Bears do not need a quarterback, so the logical choice here is trading the pick. Seeing as this is going to be a strong quarterback class, I’m sure there will be teams wanting to jump into the Bears’ spot. Getting draft picks in return to further increase the chance of building a strong team is the way to go.
Failing to invest in legitimate wide receivers
I’m not sure what Ryan Poles was doing last offseason when he thought it would be a good idea to sign WR4 caliber players. He did make a nice trade in swinging a deal for Chase Claypool, and he and Darnell Mooney can certainly be functional.
I do think the Chicago Bears need to invest in the WR market in free agency. DJ Chark and Juju Smith-Schuster make some sense. Jakobi Meyers is also out there. Also, the team should look to the trade market to see what else could be out there.
I think all of Brandin Cooks, DeAndre Hopkins, and Mike Evans could be moved. Either one of those studs could certainly help Justin Fields.
Failing to use the abundance of cap space
Some teams take a more conservative approach to free agency, but I think in the Bears’ case, they need to use the money that they have because of the amount of holes on their roster. Plus, they have Justin Fields on his rookie deal, so if he takes another leap in year three, they might actually have a chance to compete.
Spending big with a QB on their rookie deal is a smart move, and the Chicago Bears need to do that.