The Chicago Bears are going to need to address the center position this offseason. As they currently stand, they do not have one. Cody Whitehair was let go, while Lucas Patrick and Dan Feeney are free agents. Doug Kramer is the only player signed with center experience. He has two NFL snaps.
Should Chicago Bears double-dip at center this offseason?
So, while the question with many is whether they will sign a center or draft one, the real question may end up being, why not both? There are going to be multiple center options this offseason. The free agent pool is deeper than usual, with some names like Aaron Brewer, Tyrstan Colon, Connor McGovern, Evan Brown, Connor Williams, and more.
The draft also features three potential top-40 picks who can play center, as well as a deeper class than most years. So, the first thought is that it presents Chicago with a great chance to double-dip and add from both pools.
In free agency, there are a lot of names with starting snaps, but they get away with free agency for obvious reasons. The Bears have to be mindful of that, as they saw from signing Lucas Patrick, thinking he was a young and up-and-coming option.
The Bears also have to realize that because they will not draft a center in the top ten, they are likely to miss out on the run of the top-tier options, and then they will have to pluck a name of that middle group.
The best move may be to take a swing at a veteran and a middle-round rookie and watch them compete. Let the best center win the job, and know that the backup is a trusted veteran.
When you consider the Chicago Bears saved over $9M from the Cody Whiehair contract, and they lost two roster spots with Whitehair and Patrick, they have all of the resources available to take two swings at center this offseason. The position has been a pain for a few years now. The Chicago Bears do not need to put their eggs in one basket this offseason. They need to add two capable starting centers.