The Chicago Bears have been making money moves this offseason. It's looking like they'll pay off big time once the 2024 season kicks off.
Over the past two off-seasons, the Bears have signed, drafted or traded for the following players.
2023:
WR D.J. Moore, LB Tremaine Edmunds, LB T.J. Edwards, OL Nate Davis, OT Darnell Wright, CB Tyrique Stevenson and RB Roschon Johnson.
2024:
S Kevin Byard, RB D'Andre Swift, WR Keenan Allen, T Matt Pryor, C Coleman Shelton, TE Gerald Everett.
The draft hasn't even happened yet and the Bears already look like winners this offseason. When they draft Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick, the hype will only grow.
This doesn't look like a team in a rebuild. These moves resemble a team looking to win now. Each of the previously mentioned players will play a huge part in how the Bears do next season.
It makes sense the Bears would go all in for next season. They have the cap space to get it done. But what it really shows is that head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles are trying to get the Bears into the playoffs in Year 3.
Most successful rebuilds take about three years. That third season is so important because it can determine whether a coach is kept or fired.
On paper, the Bears should be able to get it done. They boast one of the youngest teams in football. There are a lot of cheap rookie contracts on this team and it wouldn't surprise anyone if the Bears make more moves as we approach the draft.
Yes, they definitely could've made free agency a little more interesting, but the moves they made are good. Getting Caleb Williams, their future quarterback, and two dynamic weapons on offense by the name of Keenan Allen and D'Andre Swift is major. If Williams ends up in Chicago, he's entering a great situation to succeed in.
It's not crazy to say the Bears win the NFC North in 2024. The team has the talent to make it happen. Their division is wide open. The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback, bad. The Detroit Lions lost a lot of players via free agency. The Green Bay Packers will give them the best challenge.
If the Bears win the NFC North, it will be the first time they've clinched the division since 2018.