Chicago Bears establish their identity in this 2022 mock draft

The Chicago Bears took the polar opposite approach to free agency than the past regime. It’s been coined the “patient” approach by fans and some would argue that they had to take this approach considering the hand they were dealt.

This roster was in about as bad of shape as it could be in outside of a handful of players. They were tied to old defensive players with no easy outs of their contracts. With no real wiggle room for an overhaul, they decided to fall on the dead money grenade and blow this thing up.

They are currently leading the NFL with the most dead money spent, which explains why they weren’t active spenders. The problem is they are on a different timeline than most other rebuilding teams. They are in the crucial second year of Justin Fields’s rookie contract window.

With where this roster was at, no one was expecting the Bears to be contenders in 2022. However, the expectation is that Fields takes the next step in his progression.

The Chicago Bears must help Justin Fields, even in the midst of a rebuild.

Teams in recent years have brought their quarterbacks along into that next step by using the extra resources a rookie quarterback contract affords them. In other words, build up the offensive roster around them. Giving them no excuses to fail.

The Bears didn’t really have those resources this year because of the last the regime. But even then, it’s not like they had nothing. They still could or could’ve spent a little more money than they have. Now, I am not here to say I know how free agency shook out.

I don’t if they struck out on guys or flat out weren’t interested. However you want to cut it, it’s hard to feel good about where this roster is currently. Especially, on offense. It’s obviously not worse than it was last year but it’s not that much better either.

That turns the attention to the draft. Searching for immediate contributions in the draft is always a gamble. There is no real science to it, no matter how good of scouts we think we are, yet that is the bet that Ryan Poles has made for himself.

He has to find upgrades for this roster through the draft to make the most out of this season. That said, I did my the best I could in my mock with that goal in mind.