Two important things must happen at the 2023 NFL Combine for the Chicago Bears

The lull that we have experienced over the last two weeks is about to come to an end. Next week marks the start of the 2023 NFL Combine. If I am being honest, I always found the order of operations by the NFL to be a little strange. The NFL holds a combine for upcoming draft prospects in February and into March. Then, a week or so later, free agency starts. A little over a month after free agency kicks off, the NFL Draft is finally upon us. Personally, I think free agency should be before the Combine or hold the entire NFL Draft prior to free agency.

I'm not sure that any of the NFL executives or Roger Goodell agrees with my thought process on this one, but it makes more sense to me to hold all draft-related events closer to draft day or if the draft were to be held prior to free agency, teams would know exactly what holes they need to fill. Instead, teams must add free agents first and hope they can fill holes in the draft second. There is usually a second wave of free agency that takes place after the draft, but the quality of those players is watered down compared to the first wave.

Two important things must happen for the Chicago Bears at the Combine

Nevertheless, next week will start the fun of the offseason. The NFL Combine will once again be held in Indianapolis. Fans will be able to view the event on television starting on March 2, 2023. 319 participants were invited to the event and teams will be looking closely at how each participant performs. That said, I personally do not put that much stock into Combine performances - also known as the "Underwear Olympics." The Chicago Bears will have a close eye on prospects, but that's not the most important or even second-most important thing to come from the Combine.