The Chicago Bears Offseason
2022 Dream Draft Pick: George Pickens
The Chicago Bears don't have a 1st round pick in the 2022 NFL draft but this is such a talented class that they can get a good player still by their 39th pick and if Georgia wide receiver George Pickens is available to them in the 2nd round they should jump on him. Pickens has been plagued by injuries and a lack of game tape but every game he's played in he's made an impact on the outside for his team and that's exactly what the Bears need for quarterback Justin Fields. Fields needs a reliable receiver on the outside to meet his potential as a quarterback and Pickens, when healthy, can be that guy Fields.
The To-Do List
Resign Roquan Smith
Roquan Smith has been one of the few bright spots when it comes to recent Chicago Bear first round picks and although he hasn't made a pro bowl in his career he has certainly earned the right to be there with his excellent production and he has earned himself a nice long-term contract with the Bears. One of the biggest reasons for why the Bears need to resign Smith is because of the new head coach in Matt Eberflus whose easily one of the best linebacker developers in professional football and you can expect his influence to take Smith's game up a major notch. Roquan Smith is still a tremendous athlete, he's still got elite football IQ and fundamentals, and his production despite a bad defensive system is excellent and I would expect the main reason Matt Eberflus got hired in Chicago is because ownership wants Eberflus to turn Smith into the next Mike Singletary. They'll have to obviously sign him long-term and he could cost a pretty penny but if you signed to very long-term deal of 6 or 7 years, I think under the tutelage of Eberflus the Bears could have an All-Pro linebacker on a defense with Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn rushing the passer and Eddie Jackson in the secondary making plays and preventing them. Matt Eberflus is a very good coach and I wasn't shocked that he got the job in Chicago but every year there is one head coach that surprises everyone in the league and if I was a betting man my money would be Eberflus to be that guy.
Find Justin Fields a competent wide receiver
Justin Fields rookie year was up and down but then against he had one of the worst coaching staffs in the NFL, one of the worst front offices in the NFL, and possibly one worst offenses in the NFL around him as he never had time to throw the football nor did he have much of a receiving corps to throw to and without a first round pick, they traded it away to move up for Fields, the Bears need to study the hell out of the receiving class this year or maybe go after one of the receivers in free agency. The draft is probably the least likely place the Bears would go considering they lack a pick in Day but with 39th overall pick the Bears could potentially get lucky if a George Pickens fell to them or if one of the Ohio State receivers in Garrett Wilson or Olave come tumbling down but free agency is where they will most likely find a replacement for Allen Robinson. Chris Godwin is expected to be available and he's the perfect receiver for a young quarterback like Justin Fields with his ability to run super clean routes, get open quickly, and be very reliable pass catcher and he could come relatively cheaply with his unfortunate torn ACL at the end of the season. Davante Adams will be a free agent, unless Rodgers stays in Green Bay and forces them to resign him, and he's one of the best receivers in the NFL and even though he's approaching 30 he still is the best in football at running routes and separating from corners just through pure skill and nuance. He would cost a pretty penny for the Bears considering that he would be the hottest free agent in football but if the Packers traded Rodgers, it could piss him off enough to go to divisional rival in Chicago just to stick it to his former team. The Bears also could try and resign Allen Robinson for Fields but he's note expected to be retained and he didn't workout in Chicago to begin with. The Bears need to give Fields a pass catcher that he can trust as his game develops because we have seen what happens to young quarterbacks that don't have a receiver they can trust fully.
Fix the offensive line
The Chicago for some reason pinned all their hopes on a rookie in Teven Jenkins to bolster this offensive line in 2021and unfortunately for them it didn't workout that way and with James Daniels potentially leaving free agency as well as Jason Peters probably hanging his cleats, one the worst offensives lines in 2021 is about to get worse and without a Day 1 pick the Bears need to hope for one of the better guards or tackles to fall in the draft. The free agent is probably their best bet to fix the offensive line but if they go into the receiver market here as well I am not sure of the cap room they would have, although with some cuts to this roster they could easily become more of a player in the market, but if they can swing a deal for Brandon Scherff or an Andrew Norwell, they could become a much better unit overall. Justin Fields is an elite athlete at the quarterback position with legit breakaway speed and agility but if your the Bears, you would hope that he doesn't have to use his legs as much as he did in 2021. Getting quality offensive lineman will ensure that he can develop as a passer in the NFL and only use his legs when he wants to and not because he's getting chased by defenders two seconds into his back pedal. If a Trevor Penning or a Daniel Faalele fall to them in Day 2 they absolutely pull the trigger on either regardless of their free agency signings. The only they can succeed in the 2022 NFL season is with drastic change on the offensive line.