3 Bears on the Chopping Block After Ben Johnson Hiring

2. Coleman Shelton, C

The Bears' offensive line needs to undergo major changes. Caleb Williams was sacked an NFL-high 68 times and fans should expect a mostly new group in 2025. Starting center Coleman Shelton is a pending free agent and while he wasn't as bad as some of his teammates, Chicago will be looking for a more stable option in the offseason.

Shelton is 29 years old and a tad undersized at only 285 pounds. Johnson is used to a mauling, physical offensive line in Detroit. Considering how effective his offense was with that line, Johnson will want to replicate that brute style.

Pro Football Focus had Shelton as the 19th-best center out of 64 players. That's good but not exceptional and Johnson needs the latter. Shelton was 41st in penalties (four) and 51st in sacks allowed (three). He was extremely durable, playing the third-most snaps (1,121), yet the Bears still need better production.

Chicago's offensive line mistakes compounded each other. In order for Williams to reach his tremendous ceiling, he needs to be protected. Perhaps Johnson's biggest challenge in the coming finds is transforming that offensive line. His offense might still work with a mediocre group up front, though the margin of error would be substantially smaller.

Expect the Bears to stay active in free agency and aggressively pursue upgrades in the draft. Chicago has quality skill-position players but nothing matters if the line play is subpar. There's a reason Jared Goff looked so good, even MVP-like at times, with Johnson. That Detroit offensive line is ferocious and the best version of Johnson's scheme depends on it.