Chicago Bears: 5 mistakes the Bears must avoid in the offseason

The Chicago Bears cannot ignore improving the offensive line

It doesn’t matter who’s standing behind center for the Bears next season if the offensive line can’t pass protect. If you watched what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rush did to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl then that’s all the evidence football fans need.

People want to say that Chicago would have won three championships by now if the front office selected Mahomes or Deshaun Watson ahead of Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, but I’m not so sure after watching the Super Bowl and how the Bears pass protection held up in 2020-21. The tackle positions are where the team needs to focus on replacing Bobby Massie and Charles Leno.

Whether that’s in the draft or free agency, Ryan Pace needs to get it done. Look at the back half of last season when David Montgomery was running all over opposing defenses. That can be our identity and what’s the best way to keep some of the best quarterbacks sidelined? Running the football.

I remain optimistic that Pace can achieve this because the coaching staff finally figured out what made the o-line tick down the final stretch and getting a healthy Tarik Cohen back should help the offense. Keep building around Cody Whitehair, James Daniels and Sam Mustipher on the o-line without being afraid to add depth because injuries happen and who knows what this pandemic will look like next year.

The Chicago Bears must get a massive upgrade at quarterback

Many of you probably have this pegged as the top priority for the Bears this offseason. I 100-percent agree it’s up there, but the team could also bring in a veteran as a stopgap to play alongside a rookie quarterback like Mac Jones or Trey Lance.

Nick Foles is still under contract so there’s a chance he could be the stopgap quarterback on the roster, but nothing from last season should get Bears fans excited for that. Whether it’s trading or cutting Foles and then bringing in a veteran like Ryan Fitzpatrick or Andy Dalton via free agency assuming the front office plans to build the future around a rookie.

There’s always the chance at pulling off a blockbuster deal for Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz or Dak Prescott. Ryan Pace has done it before by acquiring Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders, but the longer the Bears wait the more unlikely that seems. Obviously, whoever comes in at quarterback will play a huge role in whether or not Allen Robinson would want to return to the team.

Robinson has proven he’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. It’s also well-documented the quarterbacks he’s played with throughout his career, and yet he produces at a high level. He reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald before the Arizona Cardinals brought in Carson Palmer and Kyler Murray.

If I’m the Bears front office, I’m making a decision on Robinson and asking him personally who he wants throwing him the football. It could go a long way in the careers of Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet.