As confirmed by general manager Ryan Poles, the retirement of center Drew Dalman caught the Chicago Bears by surprise. But they also wasted no time finding Dalman's replacement, acquiring Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots for the reasonable cost of a 2027 fifth-round pick.
But Bradbury has one year left on the two-year deal he signed with New England last offseason, so he's easy to see as a stopgap replacement for Dalman as the Bears search for a longer-term option.
The pre-draft Pro Day circuit is in full swing at notable colleges around the country. It has been reported the Bears were at Kansas State's Pro Day to get a look at center Sam Hecht, and a subsequent visit to Oklahoma's Pro Day likely included a closer look at another potential center prospect.
Bears are doing plenty of due diligence to find long-term replacement for Drew Dalman
As expected, the Bears are leaving few (if any) stones unturned in the search for Dalman's long-term replacement. Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports has reported they were among the teams to ask Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge to do some work at center during the school's recent Pro Day.
"Fast-rising lineman Keylan Rutledge had a terrific day. He was smooth and fluid and moved incredibly well in drills. Rutledge displayed terrific footwork in bag and pass-protection drills. Several teams requested Rutledge, who played guard for Georgia Tech, to work at center. When he did, his snaps were accurate and looked natural."
"I can confirm the Chicago Bears were one of the teams that asked Rutledge to work at center. If you remember my report earlier this week from Kansas State pro day, I mentioned the Bears were on hand specifically for center Sam Hecht, as (offensive line coach) Dan Roushar, (assistant offensive line coach) Kyle DeVan, and (director of player personnel) Trey Koziol were also at that workout."
Rutledge primarily played right guard during his college career, two years each at Middle Tennessee State and Georgia Tech. He was a First Team All-ACC selection in 2024, his first season with the Yellow Jackets, and last season he posted equally good Pro Football Focus grades as a run (77.1) and pass blocker (77.6) with zero sacks and just five pressures allowed.
Rutledge had a nice week at the Senior Bowl, and according to ESPN's Jordan Reid he took snaps at all three interior lines positions during at least one practice session there. He followed that with a nice showing at the NFL Combine, including the top Athleticism Score among guards at the event. Now, by Pauline's account, he impressed at his Pro Day.
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The Bears feel like a lock to draft someone they envision as their future starting center in April. So they are, as expected, getting a look at as many prospects as possible to see who might be the best fit.