With the past two NFL Scouting Combines being plagued with questions of what the Chicago Bears would do at the quarterback position while holding the No. 1 overall pick, this offseason's Scouting Combine has a different feel to it for the Bears.
The hiring of Ben Johnson has brought a new sense of energy when talking about the direction the Bears are headed. It can't stop there. What Ryan Poles has to do next is have something he has yet to accomplish in his first three seasons as general manager of the team: have a successful offseason from start to finish.
Poles set himself on the right path with the hiring of Johnson but the next piece will be hitting on additions made to the roster through trades, free agency, and the 2025 NFL Draft. Not to mention, Kevin Warren may have placed some pressure on the general manager by proclaiming that the team will be aggressive in improving their roster this offseason.
With nearly $80MM in salary cap space and three draft picks within the first 45 selections of the draft, the Bears have the means to make any move they desire. One of those moves could be a blockbuster trade.
While the Cleveland Browns remain insistent that they will not be trading Myles Garrett this offseason, that hasn't stopped speculation. Assuming the impasse between the Browns and Garrett does resolve with a trade, ESPN's Courtney Cronin wasn't shy about mentioning the Bears.
"But should that change, Chicago may be one of a few teams that could actually pull off a trade for the defensive end who totaled 83 pressures, 14.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, and a pressure rate of 18.4% in 2024. The Bears own a top 10 pick and have two second-round selections, including Carolina's pick at No. 39," Cronin makes the case for the Bears being a suitor for Garrett.
Myles Garrett trade rumor won't go away for Chicago Bears
There are very compelling reasons why the Bears should aggressively pursue a trade for Garrett. There is no question of the fact that Garrett is a transformational talent that would likely ignite the Bears' defense toward being one of the best units in football. However, I will be the boring old man in the back of the room yelling about how the Bears must address their needs along the offensive line before entertaining using one of their early-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft to trade for Garrett. Say the Bears add two starters to the offensive line during free agency, sure, then trading for Garrett using their first-round pick this season would be a plausible scenario. We're not at that point yet and until we are, the offensive line needs to be the priority.