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5 Mistakes the Bears Could Make to Ruin 2025 This Offseason

By Larry Goldman

Aug 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles on the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Aug 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles on the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images
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3. Neglecting the Defensive Line

Pro Football Network ranks the Bears defense as 13th with a huge caveat, " [the Bears have] one of the NFL’s elite secondaries, even with a pass rush that could use an infusion of talent." Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has also been raving about the Bears secondary, especially Kyler Gordon.

The addition of Montez Sweat last year changed the defense significantly and catapulted the Bears into a top five defense. For most of this year, the Bears were at worst a top ten defense until the firing of Matt Eberflus. The six worst PFF defense grades came in weeks 11 to 16, after Ebeflus was fired.

Of the top 12 teams in sacks, eight of them are playoff teams. The Bears are 16th in sacks. Bucky Brooks has four defensive linemen in his first 10 picks of his mock drafts. If the Bears could acquire an offensive lineman in free agency, could they trade up for an elite edge rusher. Jeremiah predicts that Penn State's edge rusher Abdul Carter could go first overall to the Titans.

Conversely, could the Bears acquire a top pass rusher in free agency. In PFF's top 15 defensive free agents, six are defensive lineman including Eagles' Milton Williams (PFF's second best rusher behind Chiefs' Chris Jones), Cowboys' Osa Odighizuwa, Raiders' Malcom Koonce, Jets' Haason Reddick (top 10 in sacks over the last three years and he only played 10 games last year due to holdout), Eagles' Josh Sweat, and Chargers' Khalil Mack (a reunion for a top six edge rusher over the last two years),

The Bears have the fifth most cap space in the NFL this offseason and going big on a talented defensive or offensive lineman should be in the cards.

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