LAKE FOREST, Ill. — One month ago, when Ben Johnson was introduced as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, the 38-year-old directed a message to his quarterback, who sat in the front row at his news conference.
“This roster that [general manager Ryan Poles has] already built, it is stocked. It’s loaded,” Johnson said. “Everyone wants to talk about the quarterback, and Caleb [Wiliams] — I’m excited to work with you — but it’s gonna take more than just you. And there are a lot of pieces already in place.”
After finalizing Johnson’s coaching staff, stacking their draft board and organizing scenarios for free agency, the Bears head to Indianapolis this week for the NFL combine with the hopes of building around Williams after a 5-12 record during his rookie season.
In a letter to season ticket holders last week, team president and CEO Kevin Warren vowed that Johnson and Poles will be “aggressive” in free agency, while noting the Bears also have three of the top 41 picks in the draft.
That stockpile is different from the past two offseasons when Chicago entered the combine with the No. 1 pick. In 2023, the Bears used their time in Indianapolis to lay the groundwork for a trade before sending the draft’s top selection to Carolina. Last year, they used the No. 1 pick to draft Williams.
In two months, the Bears will make their first-round pick at No. 10 and begin fulfilling Johnson’s promise to his quarterback. Chicago also has the sixth-most cap space in free agency (around $59.1 million, per Roster Management).
Here are the areas of highest importance to Chicago’s growth as the offseason begins.
Offensive line
Johnson, who spent the past three seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator, benefitted from the Lions’ strategy of spending high draft capital over multiple seasons on the offensive line. Detroit fielded three homegrown first-rounders (left tackle Taylor Decker, center Frank Ragnow and right tackle Penei Sewell) and acquired former 27th overall pick Kevin Zeitler (an upcoming free agent) to play right guard in 2024.
Adopting that strategy could help Williams significantly after he was sacked a league-high 68 times.
