6 Bears likely leaving Chicago in the new year

The Chicago Bears face another pivotal offseason. Thankfully they have the assets to alter the team for the better.

The Bears project to have $63 million in cap space according to Overthecap.com. That is the seventh most cap space next offseason. They will have two first-round picks that project to be in the top 10. There is a good chance the Bears could end up with the No. 1 overall pick for the second year in a row thanks to owning the rights to the Carolina Panthers first-rounder.

If the Panthers lose on Sunday, that pick will be no lower than the No. 2 pick. If Carolina loses its last two games, then the Bears have the top pick.

That means general manager Ryan Poles could use the pick to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams who is considered a generational talent. Poles could decide to stick with quarterback Justin Fields and trade the top pick away like he did in last year's draft. He got wide receiver D.J. Moore and what is guaranteed to at least be a top-four pick in a deal with the Panthers.

Poles will need to decide the fate of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The defense has improved tremendously under Eberflus, but the team should be 9-6 and not 6-9. A big reason for that is blowing three games in historic fashion where Eberflus turtled in the end. Fields' struggles to develop as a pocket passer are partly his fault. Getsy's playcalling has not helped either.

The Bears will need to add a center and a couple of wide receivers. The team also could use an upgrade at left tackle. The team could use a stud three-technique defensive tackle. Overall, just adding more talent is required for the Chicago Bears to move up in the 2024 standings.

The Bears are going to have to let some players go to get better. In some cases, it is because production has declined. For others, it is for salary cap purposes. In one player's case, time has simply run out.