Grading the Bears' 3 Offensive Additions
Ryan Poles and the Bears have made a handful of signings to start the new league year on top of a couple of trades. We still are uncertain on who will be behind center for them at the start of the 2024 season, but signs are leaning towards Caleb Williams. Regardless if that is the case or it is Justin Fields, the offense will look much different than it did a year ago.
The Bears have already made several moves this offseason, most of which are not ground-breaking news. However, they have added three quality starters and upgrades at three key offensive positions. D'Andre Swift, Coleman Shelton, and Keenan Allen will all almost surely plug into starting positions at the beginning of the season. Swift and Shelton were signed in free agency while a fourth-round pick was traded for Allen.
The Bears' offense is now set up for immediate success no matter who is the QB next season. Let's grade the three biggest offensive moves the Bears have made thus far.
D'Andre Swift, RB - C+
The first big signing the Bears made was former Eagles running back, D'Andre Swift. Running back was not one of the glaring needs for the Bears going into the offseason, but Khalil Herbert was not exactly on the level of Walter Payton. Herbert is a quality back, but may have seen his best role as a backup in the days of David Montgomery. He struggled with a knee injury last season and frankly didn't look the same after returning.
Herbert struggles mightily in pass protection and lacks the speed needed for explosive plays. Swift will not be the best pass-blocker, but he possesses elite speed and explosiveness to create big plays. He also catches the ball out of the backfield with the best of them with nothing less than 35 catches a season in his career to this point.
The Bears finished second in total rushing last season, however, running the ball has not been an issue for the Bears recently. Swift is no doubt an upgrade over Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, but was this an absolute necessity for them? I do not believe so. Swift will provide much more explosiveness out of the backfield and a great pass-catching option for the QB, but this signing was not something that drastically upgraded the offense.