Coming off a 5-12 season and a last-place finish in the NFC North, it was clear changes needed to be made in Halas Hall.
One piece of the puzzle was implemented when Chicago hired Ben Johnson as head coach on Monday.
As Johnson works on hiring his coordinator staff, it’s time to examine the Bears’ roster and determine which positions need the most upgrades this offseason.
Interior Offensive Line
Over the past three seasons under General Manager Ryan Poles, the offensive line has been the team’s overall weakness. In each of the previous three years, a Bears quarterback finished as one of the five most sacked in the league.
In 2024, according to PFF, the Bears’ offensive line was the 24th-best unit out of 32 teams. Not good.
However, there are some positives to this unit. Both tackle positions — held down by Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones — were overall positives from this past season. It’s the interior of the line that needs an overhaul.
With 2024 starters Coleman Shelton, Teven Jenkins, and Ryan Bates hitting free agency this offseason, Chicago will have the opportunity to bring in a whole new unit. Add in holding the 10th overall selection in the NFL draft and $66 million in cap space, we could see a combination of young and old additions to the offensive line in 2025.
Pass Rushers
When Poles traded a second-round pick in 2023 for Montez Sweat, many hoped the addition would improve a weak unit. While Sweat had a Pro Bowl season in 2023, in 2024, he ended with just 5.5 sacks.
As a team, the Bears in 2024 finished in the middle of the pack, 16th in total sacks. Looking back to 2023, the Bears finished second to last. Ever since the departure of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, the pass rush has been a recurring problem in Chicago.
Like the offensive line, however, there are some positives in the current unit. While the production wasn’t there in 2024, Sweat still commands much attention from opposing offenses. Gervon Dexter Jr., a second-round rookie from the 2023 draft, had a breakout season with five sacks in 2024. While not eye-popping numbers, they’re pretty impressive for a defensive tackle.
Another problem with the pass rush was an overall low blitz rate by the Bears’ defense in 2024. Under previous head coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears had a blitz rate of just 23.5 percent, ranking 19th in the league.
When you already have a weak pass rush unit, it’s up to the coaching staff to scheme up creative ways to pressure the quarterback. No matter the team, it’s difficult to consistently get pressures only rushing four guys.
This group doesn’t need a complete overhaul. They have pieces to build around. The Bears need to go and get a second good edge rusher to line up opposite Sweat. That way, it can take the pressure off Sweat and work more one-on-ones.
Also, just being more aggressive overall. Bring back the “Monsters of the Midway”.
Running Back
The running back room left a lot to be desired in 2024.
At the start of the season, the Bears had a trio of D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert— a nice mix of power and finesse. Unfortunately, the group didn’t live up to expectations.
Starting with Swift, who was one of the marquee off-season signings by the Bears, really struggled. In year one in Chicago, Swift averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per attempt and showcased an inability to run up the middle.
Khalil Herbert, who was the featured back in 2023, was traded away to the Bengals mid-season.
Finally, there’s Roschon Johnson, the unit’s bright spot. While his numbers weren’t spectacular, he was extremely effective in short-yardage and goal-line situations. The main problem with Johnson this year was his lack of usage. With Swift struggling, many hoped Johnson would take on more of a load in the running game.
But that wasn’t the case.
Unfortunately for Chicago, the running-back room might not look all that different in 2025. Both Swift and Johnson are under contract through the 2026 season.
With substantial money already committed to Swift, it’s unlikely Chicago will be big spenders in the running back market this off-season. Drafting a ball carrier isn’t out of the question, but with more important needs to address, don’t expect a high-value pick to be used on this position.
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