6 Offensive Linemen the Bears could sign or draft in the offseason
By Peter Jurich
The Chicago Bears have many holes on their roster that will need to be addressed in the 2023 offseason. Perhaps the biggest priority is the offensive line. One of the few bright spots this season is Justin Fields. He is clearly the future of the franchise, and protecting him for years to come should be the team’s top priority.
In the past two drafts, Chicago has seemed to secure two good starting offensive linemen in right guard Teven Jenkins and left tackle Braxton Jones. But the Bears will need much more help up front to be a consistent offense in the NFL. Jenkins and Jones have both played well enough to not only be assumed starters for the 2023 season but could develop into elite offensive linemen within the next couple of years.
The Chicago Bears should look to add three starters on the OL
Outside of Jenkins and Jones, the Bears could effectively replace every other starter across the line. Ryan Poles can improve their ability to protect Justin Fields and create running lanes for whoever ends up as the running back in 2023.
Riley Reiff, who has started over Larry Borom for parts of the season, and Cody Whitehair are both decent players, however, they are on the wrong side of 30 for a young team to build around. Center Sam Mustipher is not as terrible of a player as many Chicago Bears fans believe. However, he is simply not a great scheme fit as the Bears look to revolutionize to an outside zone run team underneath offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. He ran similar schemes as the quarterbacks coach in Green Bay.
The Chicago Bears should effectively be looking for a center, a guard, and a tackle to dramatically improve this roster for 2023 and beyond. With over $100 million to spend in free agency, the Bears should be involved in discussions with the highest-profile players on the market. Whether or not the Bears trade down from their first-round pick in the draft, the team will be in a prime position to draft one of the best offensive linemen coming out of college.