CHICAGO -- As Ryan Poles fielded questions about the Chicago Bears' plans at quarterback during the combine, the general manager stressed the importance of how the environment around the quarterback plays into his early success.
"I think as a young quarterback, and I've been around it, the infrastructure is important, and I think we've made really good progress in terms of having really good infrastructure for whoever were to come in or if Justin [Fields] were to stay here as well," Poles said.
Six weeks remain until the Bears are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on April 25. What Chicago chooses to do0 when free agency begins Wednesday will determine the strength of that infrastructure, should the Bears use the top pick in the draft on a rookie quarterback, with the odds pointing to USC's Caleb Williams.
When the two-day negotiating window opens at noon ET on Monday, Chicago can begin talking with pending free agents and fortify several positions of need. The first wave of free agency is when the Bears can make their biggest splash and turn a team that finished with a 7-10 record in 2023 into a playoff contender.
While the draft is the lifeblood of Poles' roster-building philosophy, the Bears saw how quickly things can change with the addition of talented veterans. DJ Moore, who the Bears received in a package for the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, became Chicago's top receiver while putting together a career year. Defensive end Montez Sweat, who the Bears traded for in November, led the team in sacks and was the catalyst behind Chicago's surge on defense in the second half. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, the Bears top free agent signings a year ago, led the team in interceptions and tackles, respectively.
With over $60 million in salary cap space, here's a look at where the Bears can make their biggest splash to upgrade the roster in free agency.
Defensive line
During Eric Washington's introductory press conference last month, the Bears new defensive coordinator stressed the importance of an effective pass rush.
"We're going to be a team that generates pressure with our front four," Washington said. "We're going to build the best pass rush in football ... and we have the personnel to get that done."
The return on investment from the 'Tez Effect' saw the Bears generate 20 sacks after Sweat arrived on Nov. 1 after totaling just 10 during the first nine games of the season. The 27-year-old pass rusher earned Pro Bowl honors after finishing as the sack leader in Washington and Chicago in 2023, the only player to ever lead two teams in sacks in the same season.
Still, the Bears' pass rush needs work after finishing 31st in pressure percentage (25%) and with the worst pass rush win rate among edge rushers last season (9.2%), according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Chicago could look to upgrade the edge rusher spot opposite Sweat with the Minnesota Vikings' Danielle Hunter, New York Jets' Bryce Huff or reunite Sweat with his former Washington teammate Chase Young, who will hit free agency after being traded to the San Francisco 49ers at the deadline. Hunter is the top name among free agent defensive ends after six seasons with 10-plus sacks, including a career-best 16.5 in 2023.
But perhaps Chicago's best approach is to go big at the position coach Matt Eberflus calls the "engine" of his defense. The market for defensive tackles centers on Miami's Christian Wilkins, who did not receive the franchise tag and is set to his free agency.
The market exploded after Baltimore signed defensive tackle Justin Madubuike to a 4-year, $98 million deal on Friday and Kansas City gave Chris Jones a 5-year deal that contains $95 million in guarantees in the first three years. That bodes well for Wilkins, one of the most versatile interior defensive linemen who had the fifth-most sacks and ninth-most pressures at his position in 2023.
Chicago recently made Sweat the fifth-highest paid edge rusher in the NFL. If the Bears can meet Wilkins in the range of $24.5 million per year, which is likely what the 28-year-old will command after Madubuike's deal, securing the disruptive three-technique would instantly fortify the Bears' pass rush.
Wide receiver
The biggest issue at wide receiver?
"We don't have a lot of depth there first of all," Eberflus said at the combine. "When you add a piece or two to the other side [of Moore], it really balances you out. It's hard to defend for sure."
Moore and tight end Cole Kmet were the focal points of the Bears' passing attack in 2023. Aside from Moore's 1,364 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, no other Chicago wide receiver had more than 414 receiving yards or one touchdown (both totals which belong to Darnell Mooney, who is a free agent). The 950 receiving-yard drop from Moore to Mooney was the second-largest between the team's leading and second-leading wide receivers.
Several players have already been taken out of contention for the Bears, namely Mike Evans (who signed a two-year deal to remain with the Buccaneers), Tee Higgins (who received the franchise tag from Cincinnati) and Michael Pittman Jr. (who was tagged by Indianapolis).
The depth at wide receiver in the draft is good news for the Bears and could be a position to target with the No. 9 pick given how weak the free agent class appears. Jacksonville's Calvin Ridley, Arizona's Marquise Brown and Buffalo's Gabe Davis could be targets, but Ridley age (29 years old), and the injury history for Brown could factor in to the Bears waiting until the draft to find who's starting opposite Moore.
Offensive line
Last week, the Bears sent a fifth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for Ryan Bates, an interior offensive lineman Chicago has been after for years. In 2022, the Bears signed Bates, who was a restricted free agent, to a four-year offer sheet. Buffalo matched the offer and Bates remained with the Bills.
Bates has experience at multiple positions and is expected to slot in at center, for now. That all depends on who else Chicago brings in on the offensive line. Denver's Lloyd Cushenberry is the top free agent center and should command a deal that reflects that. Miami's Connor Williams tore an ACL in 2023 but could be a fit in Chicago.
Safety
It was difficult to envision the Bears paying top dollar for a safety after they released Eddie Jackson in February, but the number of safeties that have been released ahead of free agency, from Buffalo's Jordan Poyer to Denver's Justin Simmons to Seattle's Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs make this an intriguing position for Poles and his staff to explore. Chicago appears to actively be searching for Jackson's replacement after reportedly hosted free agent safety Kevin Byard over the weekend.
Running back
The best way for the Bears to protect a young quarterback is with support in the backfield. The free agent options, from the Las Vegas' Josh Jacobs to the New York Giants' Saquon Barkley to Tennessee's Derrick Henry make sense as new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron installs his vision for the Bears' backfield.
Given the suppressed running back market, Chicago wouldn't have to break the bank to bring in a player to upgrade a backfield that already has Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson.