Chicago Bears: Key 2023 offseason dates to mark on the calendars

The NFL offseason goes through the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have the most available salary cap space and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles wants to build the Chicago Bears back up through the draft. He wants to leverage the No. 1 pick to land more draft picks by trading down to a quarterback-needy team.

There is a timeline he needs to follow to get to that point.

Now that the NFL Combine has wrapped up and the deadline for teams to place the franchise tag has come and gone, there are other key dates to circle on the calendar between now and the NFL Draft on April 27th.

Next week is going to be big for the Chicago Bears.

March 13th: At 11am CST, teams can start negotiating with free agents. The Bears have a lot of needs and a lot of cash to burn. Chicago could pursue left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

They might be in the mix for linebacker Bobby Okereke. Javon Hargrave will be in his 30s, but he could immediately boost the Bears’ woeful defense.

With the most cap space, Ryan Poles will be able to be in the mix for the best free agents to upgrade the roster.

March 14th: Northwestern will host its pro day. It is another chance for the Bears brass to get a look at left tackle Peter Skoronski. Despite having short arms for a left tackle, he is considered by many to be the best tackle prospect in the draft.

Skoronski’s technique is outstanding. He has taken on the best pass rushers the Big 10 has to offer and won most of those battles. Some scouts think he would make a great guard but just an adequate tackle in the NFL. The Chicago Bears could consider him if they trade down to the latter part of the draft’s top 10.

Also, defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore had an impressive Senior Bowl. He could be someone the Bears take in day two or three of the draft since he has the versatility to play the vital three-technique defensive tackle position.

Clemson and Oregon also have their pro days. Clemson defensive linemen Myles Murphy and Bryan Reese are players the Bears could look at if they trade down in the first round. The Chicago Bears could still use another starting cornerback so Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez could be a sleeper for Chicago to take if they trade down.

March 15th: This is the first day free agents can officially sign with a team. Hopefully, the Chicago Bears can avoid a situation where they do not have to void a deal like they did last offseason with Larry Ogunjobi.

Also, Georgia will have their pro day.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is one of the best prospects in this year’s draft class. His draft stock took a major hit when he was charged with two driving misdemeanors. Carter is being accused of reckless driving and racing another car that eventually ended up in a fatal single-vehicle crash that killed Carter’s teammate Devin Willock and another member of Georgia’s recruiting staff.

Carter comes with character concerns, but he is considered the best defensive tackle in the draft. If Ryan Poles has not taken Carter’s name off his draft board, expect him to be watching what Carter does at the Bulldogs pro day.