Chicago Bears fans need to be patient. Ryan Poles told everyone this when he took over as the Bears' general manager in 2022. He told everyone he was going to build this thing right, take the NFC North, and never give it back. Well, he's doing exactly that, yet many Bears fans want to see him fired already.
No general manager is perfect. Every one of them will make bad decisions and have misses in both free agency and the NFL Draft. Right now, there are two big blunders on Poles' resume. Hiring Matt Eberflus looks to be a mistake — possibly his biggest to date. I still have to wonder if Poles truly had the ability to hire a different coach seeing he was given three candidates to choose from who were already interviewed by George McCaskey and Ted Phillips. Worst-run ownership in the NFL?
What do the Chicago Bears need to be successful in 2024 and beyond?
His second mistake was trading a second-round pick for Chase Claypool. He found a way to somewhat come back from that though and didn't let the move sway him from doing something similar this year when he traded for Montez Sweat.
If you look at the overall makeup of the roster, this team is trending up. In fact, should Ryan Poles move on from Matt Eberflus this offseason, the Chicago Bears would be one of the best situations for a new coach. The team is made up of young talent who are developing nicely. The team has a great amount of salary cap to work with in free agency. The team has solid draft capital over the next two years and could gain even more depending on what Poles does with the team's two first-rounders this upcoming offseason. The team could even end up with the top pick in the draft.
Let's take a look at what the Chicago Bears need to succeed in 2024 and beyond.
1. Coaching Staff
The Chicago Bears need an upgraded coaching staff. I am not a fan of keeping Matt Eberflus, but even if he stays, Luke Getsy at least has to go. The team also needs to hire a new defensive coordinator as Eberflus cannot maintain that role while also being the head coach. Preferably though, Eberflus will be cut loose (#CutFlusLoose) and a whole new staff will come in. This needs to happen whether the Chicago Bears stick with Justin Fields or not.
Having the right coaches in place is extremely important. Personally, I think it's the most important thing for a team to get right if they are going to succeed and maintain that success. There are plenty of solid options to consider.
Jim Harbaugh is a hot name should he leave Michigan and go back to the NFL. Harbaugh has found success and has built a winning culture wherever he's gone. Offensive coordinators, Ben Johnson, Shane Waldron, Eric Bieniemy, Frank Smith, Brian Callahan, and Todd Monken are all names being thrown around. Defensive coordinators Dan Quinn, Raheem Morris, Steve Wilks, and Brian Flores are among others. Another name to consider is Chiefs' special teams coach (former Bears' coach) Dave Toub.
I haven't dove into all of these guys yet and probably won't until Matt Eberflus is officially given his pink slip. However, there are a few guys on this list who I'd find highly qualified and would enjoy seeing in Chicago. Shockingly, Brian Flores is one of them despite my hatred of defensive-minded head coaches. We will see though as rumors are that Matt Eberflus is likely staying and today's performance over the Falcons might have further supplanted him.
2. Center
The next position of need that I think needs to be addressed is the center position. Some might shocked that I don't have quarterback here. We will have to see if it even makes my list. Watching Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick play center this year was nauseating. The team has to look to add someone in free agency and also draft one. I wouldn't spend big in free agency and I'd put my focus more on the draft, but I'd highly consider adding one of each.
Sedrick Van Pran out of Georgia would be the prize prospect at center. However, he might not be easy for the Chicago Bears to land as I'm expecting him to go between the Bears' second and third picks in the draft. Jackson Powers-Johnson out of Oregon and Zach Frazier out of West Virginia are two other solid options. Finally, I'd be perfectly fine with Seth McLaughlin out of Alabama.
There are a few interesting names that could hit free agency, but if I'm being honest, the draft is the main source I'd look to add a new center. Too much pressure came from the interior part of the offensive line and replacing Whitehair and Patrick should lower the amount of pressure up the middle.
3. Wide Receiver
For anyone who thought DJ Moore wasn't a WR1, I hope you understand just how ridiculous that seems now. He already has 1,123 and seven touchdowns. He's on pace for 1,272 yards and 8 touchdowns. Granted, I think he finds a way to get closer to 10. The problem is, the team doesn't have a strong second wide receiver. We all thought Darnell Mooney would become that player, or maybe Chase Claypool. However, neither lived up to those expectations.
The Chicago Bears need to find a second wide receiver to complement Moore. The best place to do this seeing they have two first-round picks is the 2024 NFL Draft. Luckily for the Bears, they have multiple options to consider. For me, Marvin Harrison, Jr. is the top prospect. He is by far the best player in this draft in my opinion -- even better than the quarterback prospects. What's good though, is if the Bears choose to wait and use their second first-round pick on the position, then Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze are great consolation prizes. Even Keon Coleman could be a first-rounder.
If the Chicago Bears are going to propel themselves into one of the best teams in the NFL, then finding a second WR will be important. Look at the Miami Dolphins (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle), look at the Philadelphia Eagles (A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith), look at the Minnesota Vikings before they lost Kirk Cousins this year (Jaylon Johnson and Jordan Addison), etc. The Bears can do that by selecting one of the top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft.
4. Safety
Up next is the safety position. I originally thought Eddie Jackson was a lock to be cut next year. However, finding a safety to pair with Jaquan Brisker might be harder than it sounds. Ryan Poles can fill this void with free agency or the NFL Draft, but free agency is very thin. If he makes it to free agency, Antoine Winfield, Jr. would be the top option. Budda Baker might become available but has a club option. Outside of these two, true free safeties are not easy to find. A couple of safeties who can probably play both spots include Jordan Whitehead, Micah Hyde, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
If Winfield doesn't make it to free agency or Ryan Poles cannot sway him to Chicago, then the 2024 NFL Draft is still an option. A few names to consider who should be available on Day 2 and Day 3 include Calen Bulloch, Rod Moore, Jaden Hicks and Tykee Smith.
If by chance Eddie Jackson is retained, then safety will drop down this list from fourth to seventh. Either way, the team needs some depth. Elijah Hicks has filled in at times with Jackson sidelined. The team should look to add another option to the group though because history says Jackson will miss multiple games per year and that won't change as he just turned 30.
5. EDGE
The addition of Montez Sweat has fully transformed this Chicago Bears defense. The trade is even better knowing that Ryan Poles didn't back down from making a move despite swinging and missing in 2022 when he traded for wide receiver Chase Claypool. General managers are never going to be perfect, but to move on from Claypool and not be afraid of trading another second-round draft pick speaks volumes to me. It also says that Poles believes in his processes -- something that I have preached to be the reason why the Claypool trade wasn't nearly as bad as it looks in hindsight.
When we look at the Chicago Bears roster up front, Sweat is clearly the top dog, but rookie defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, Sr. is coming into his own. His get-off has improved and although many fans felt like he was never going to be a pass rusher, he has quietly put some nice pass-rushing stats together.
The signing of Andrew Billings was always my favorite defensive signing by Ryan Poles this offseason. I talked about how bad the Bears' rush defense was in 2022 but felt that a guy like Billings would instantly improve everything up front. I was right. Billings signed a one-year deal but earned a multi-year contract extension. His big body frees up other players, most notably the linebackers, and allows them to make the splash plays on the football. He deserves some credit for the elite season that T.J. Edwards is having this year.
Now, Ryan Poles needs to build and expand on the defensive line. Yannick Ngakoue was a solid player but is not likely to return after going on injured reserve, ending his 2023 season. It will be the first time in his career that Ngakoue will not reach at least eight sacks in a season. Thanks to a slow start and his late injury, Ngakoue will only record half of that with four sacks this year. I doubt he returns in 2024 and Poles can look to the draft or maybe free agency again to find a compliment to pair with Sweat and rotational end DeMarcus Walker.
6. Left Tackle
Many fans will put left tackle much higher on the Bears' needs list for 2024, but Braxton Jones has been playing well again this season. The fifth-round draft pick has struggled at times, but overall he has been an above-average left tackle throughout his first two seasons. Although left tackle isn't as big of a need as other positions, it is not one that Ryan Poles can overlook in the 2024 NFL Draft. With having two picks likely inside the top 12, Poles needs to consider one of Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu should the opportunity arise to select one.
Currently, I have Fashanu and Alt in my second tier of 2024 NFL Draft prospects along with Caleb Williams. Marvin Harrison, Jr. is in a tier all on his own. Nothing against Braxton Jones, but his ceiling will never be as high as either Alt's or Fashanu's ceilings. Taking a starting left tackle early means that the Chicago Bears would spend two, early first-round picks on offensive tackles in back-to-back drafts. Ryan Poles wants to build through the trenches and the draft and this is how he can do it.
If one of these two is not an option come April, then Poles needs to at least add some depth at the position. This can once again come through free agency or the draft, but the Bears cannot go into 2024 expecting Larry Borom to be the swing tackle and main backup. Darnell Wright has had a strong rookie campaign and this line can become an absolute force with just a few tweaks.
7. Running Back
I think it is safe to say that the Chicago Bears need to add a running back to their group. The team did fine with some plug-and-play games from D'Onta Foreman, but he was never a long-term answer. In 2023, Ryan Poles drafted Roschon Johnson out of Texas. He has shown some serious growth in his rookie season and I'd be fine with him being the main back heading into 2024 with Khalil Herbert as his compliment. Herbert cannot block and is a major liability in the passing game. Johnson is a complete package though and I'd like to see him have more opportunities.
I think Ryan Poles will add a guy in free agency. There are some big names like Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Saquan Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Austin Ekeler, and D'Andre Swift. I cannot get behind the idea of spending big on a running back though. Poles' approach to the running back position this season was perfect. D'Onta Foreman signed a one-year deal and was a great compliment to Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson.
If Poles looks to the 2024 NFL Draft to add another running back to the group, then he should wait until Day 3. A few possible options include Dillon Johnson out of Washington, MarShawn Lloyd out of USC, Jawhar Jordan, Louisville, Donovan Edwards out of Michigan, or Jase McClellan out of Alabama.
8. Quarterback
I think after today's performance against the Falcons, many fans want to see the Chicago Bears retain Fields and use the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to trade down and acquire more assets and possibly even more veteran players. With rumors that Matt Eberflus is staying in 2024, the chances of Justin Fields staying seems greater. The pairing seems to be a legit plan and if things don't work out, Ryan Poles still has the ability to move on from both with plenty of future assets in 2025 and 2026.
If I were Poles, I'd keep Fields. However, I'd look to add another quarterback to the mix in either the 2024 NFL Draft or even in free agency. Tyson Bagent looks like a decent backup quarterback who the team can develop, but they cannot count on him long-term if Fields misses multiple weeks. The bigger names hitting free agency are Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and Ryan Tannehill. Cousins and Mayfield will likely be starters somewhere and not worth mentioning. Some backups the Chicago Bears could consider include Jacoby Brissett, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, or Jameis Winston.
If Poles decides to add another quarterback to the mix, remember that Tyson Bagent was a UDFA, then they could add a name from Day 2 or Day 3. Michael Penix, Jr. could be a Day 2 option depending on the draft capital the team receives from trading down from first overall. Penix is a little older but could be a solid developmental option. Some less sexy names could be Spencer Rattler out of South Carolina, Joe Milton, III out of Tennessee, Michael Pratt out of Tulane, and Sam Hartman out of North Dakota.
If Poles disagrees with my rankings and moves on from Justin Fields, then obviously Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels would be the top three options. Williams is the top prospect and would require the use of their first-overall pick.