The Chicago Bears did everything they could to prepare the offense for a significant step forward this season. They hired Shane Waldron as a new offensive coordinator. Caleb Williams took over at quarterback as the #1 overall pick. D’Andre Swift signed as a free agent to bolster their rushing attack. Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze arrived to add firepower in the passing game. The offensive line was the one area GM Ryan Poles couldn’t address with any significant resources. It was hoped that continuity (four of five starters were returning) would keep things stable this year.
It now seems that the gamble was a misguided one. Chicago has allowed 16 sacks in four games and has one of the worst rushing attacks in the league. Mental errors and health issues plague the unit. There isn’t much the team can do right now except try to find a combination that works. However, a new article from The Athletic suggests Poles has future plans for the line, and it doesn’t include all but one of the current starters.
“When Waldron first interviewed with the Bears, Eberflus and Poles provided him with glimpses of their vision for their team. Their full plans weren’t revealed but specific things were discussed. Waldron knew what the Bears had: the first pick in the 2024 draft, Moore as their No. 1 receiver and a young starting bookend tackle in Wright, the No. 10 pick.”
Notice how left tackle Braxton Jones and left guard Teven Jenkins weren’t mentioned? Most believed those two were potential long-term fixtures for the line. The fact Poles didn’t feel the need to mention them when recruiting Waldron feels like a telling sign.
He holds three picks in the first two rounds of next year’s draft. A 1st rounder and two 2nd rounders. They’re also projected to have more than $72 million in salary cap space, with only Keenan Allen and Darrell Taylor as notable in-house free agents to think about. If the Bears want to take a big swing on the offensive line, they can. Some interesting names, such as Trey Smith, Alaric Jackson, Zack Martin, Will Fries, and Drew Dalman, will be available. It isn’t crazy to think the Bears will have three new starters up front next year.
This isn’t impossible to pull off. The Kansas City Chiefs had major offensive line problems in 2020. Going into the subsequent off-season, they made it a mission to fortify the front. They traded for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., signed top free agent Joey Thuney at left guard, and drafted two rookie starters: 2nd round pick Creed Humphrey and 6th round pick Smith. The turnaround was immediate. Ryan Poles has the resources to do the same. It comes down to whether he can do the proper evaluations.
