The Chicago Bears won't have the opportunity to pursue Trey Smith once free agency officially begins in a couple of weeks, but the team is still planning to have an aggressive offseason in Ben Johnson's first year as the team's head coach.
Offensive line figures to be at the top of the shopping list for the Bears this offseason. A recent report suggested that the Bears are planning to make Drew Dalman a priority in free agency as well as a potential run at Aaron Banks.
In recapping the information he gathered from the NFL Scouting Combine, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler confirmed that the Bears are interested in both Dalman and Banks and have expressed an interest in Will Fries.
"The sense is Chicago will sign at least one interior offensive linemen. Drew Dalman, 49ers guard Aaron Banks and Colts guard Will Fries are among players on the radar. Like Dalman, Banks and Fries are in line for sizable contracts. Guards dominated free agency last year and will do well once again," Fowler reported.
The idea of the Bears spending near the top of the market was all but confirmed by Ryan Poles last week. Poles said that with a clear vision of roster needs, there is a scenario where the Bears could be aggressive in free agency. A need for three new starting offensive linemen doesn't get as much clear as that.
Bears expected to invest heavily into the offensive line
Given the Bears have nearly $80MM in cap space this offseason, the team can not only be aggressive, they can also be selfish. A scenario where the Bears add Dalman in addition to one of Banks or Fries shouldn't be discredited. Such a scenario would give the Bears two new starting offensive linemen before the 2025 NFL Draft.
Entering the draft with a new center and guard in place, would give the Bears more flexibility for what they could do with the No. 10 selection. With a report that the Bears are set to host running back Ashton Jeanty for a Top 30 visit, that flexibility to take the best player available may be exactly what the front office is looking for.