Chicago Bears Mailbag: Chuck Pagano, Kareem Hunt and free agency

2. Status of Amos, Callahan and draft strategy

While the ideal situation this offseason is going to be figuring out a way to bring back both Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan, the reality is that the Bears might not be able to afford both. However, if I had to pick between the two, I’d say bring back Callahan.

There’s no doubt that the Bears draft plans could hinge on what happens with either Amos or Callahan. The scenario I envision is this: If the Bears can bring back Callahan, but not Amos, then I see them drafting another safety to replace Amos.

However, if they bring back Amos but let Callahan walk, then I see Ryan Pace using limited draft capital elsewhere as the team may view Sherrick McManis and Kevin Tolliver as two guys who could compete for the Nickel spot in 2019.

Unlike the 2018 NFL Draft where the goal was to add starting talent to the roster, the Bears 2019 NFL Draft is going to look different. As of right now, the Bears are slated to have just five picks, which means that the team will need to add depth at many critical places on the roster.

The Bears five selections right now don’t seem like much, but if Ryan Pace busts out his day three magical drafting skills and can find a few diamonds in the rough, then the Bears will have a massive return on investment.

Potentially finding a running back that can fit Matt Nagy’s system, while shoring up on defensive end and outside linebacker depth are going to be critical for the Bears.

Let’s face it, we all know that Jordan Howard isn’t an ideal fit in Matt Nagy’s scheme, while the Bears lack a consistent starting defensive end opposite Akiem Hicks. Luckily for the Bears, finding a defensive end in the draft just became easier as this is one of the most loaded defensive line classes in recent memory.

Also, should the Bears not bring Aaron Lynch back, depth at outside linebacker becomes a need as Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts don’t exactly give me confidence as lower-end, situational pieces.

Finding some depth pieces at positions like running back, defensive end, and outside linebacker is what I expect the Bears to do in this draft. While things will change between now and April, using the draft to fine-tune and add to the Bears roster is how I see Ryan Pace approaching this draft.