The Bears are a serious contender to take a real leap in 2024. They have two top 10 picks in the Draft, a top trade candidate, an upgrade at offensive play caller, and a revamped defensive roster. Here, we'll take a deep dive into what's to come for Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus in Chicago, and what I would do in their shoes.
Coaching: Let Shane Waldron Cook
The coaching situation here is pretty simple. Head Coach Matt Eberflus has been disappointing thus far, but I still believe he is a solid defensive play caller. He was able to rally the team around the acquisition of Montez Sweat and play some better defense toward the end of the year. There is no concern on this side of the ball, but Eberflus should pour his effort on his defense, and let Shane Waldron run this offense his way.
I've been high on Waldron since Seattle poached him from Sean McVay, and I still believe he has future Head Coach written all over him. He oversaw the revival of Geno Smith two years ago, and is just another name on the long list of young play callers coming out of the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay tree that boasts a strong resume of the league's top active coaches, coordinators, and play callers. DJ Moore should fit really well into this scheme, (and pssssst, so should QB Caleb Williams,) and this offense could be more explosive than it's been for as long as I've been alive.
Free Agency/Trades: Prepare for the Caleb Williams Era
Two weeks ago, we sent Justin Fields to Atlanta in their article. Regardless of where Fields ends up, Chicago's best route is simple: move on. We'll get to Caleb Williams a bit later, but that is the direction we'll be going. In this world, we are adding Atlanta's second round pick for Fields.
Aside from trading Fields - and maybe even more vital - the Bears NEED to go all out trying to re-sign CB Jaylon Johnson. Johnson was absolutely elite for Chicago last year, and will be a cornerstone for this defense for years to come if they can get a deal done. Sure, the contract will likely be historic, but corner is a premium position, the ears are already lacking in CB depth, and they can afford it, especially in this world with the rookie QB contract coming in.
Otherwise, I'll be bringing in a speedier RB than rostered currently to fit the wide zone system better, as well as filling out the depth in the trenches.
Notable Free Agents and What I Would Do ($66,996,157 in Cap Space)
Justin Fields (QB) ❌ (Traded Away)
Darnell Mooney (WR) ✅ Re-sign
Equanimeous St. Brown (WR) ❌ Let Walk
Robert Tonyan (TE) ❌ Let Walk
Lucas Patrick (C) ✅ Re-Sign
Justin Jones (IDL) ❌ Let Walk
Yannick Ngakoue (DE) ❌ Let Walk
Jaylon Johnson (CB) ✅ Re-Sign
Notable Free Agent Signing I Would Make ($66,996,157 in Cap Space)
Cam Akers (RB)
Gabriel Davis (WR)
Phil Haynes (G)
Jon Feliciano (IOL)
Fabian Moreau (CB)
Julian Blackmon (S)
NFL Draft: Finish the Job
This is an extremely envious spot to be in. Caleb Williams is the best QB prospect I've evaluated since Joe Burrow in 2020, and the first overall pick is sitting here in the palm of Chicago's hand. Not only that, but they also have a second top 10 pick at their disposal, as well as the 2nd round pick we're picking up from Atlanta for Justin Fields.
Patriots 2024 Draft Picks
1st Round (1st Overall)
1st Round (9th Overall)
2nd Round (43rd Overall) - Acquired for Justin Fields
3rd Round (75th Overall)
4th Round
4th Round
5th Round
In Round 1, we grab Caleb Williams 1st overall, along with IDL Byron Murphy at 9. He should be a great addition to Montez Sweat. On Day 2, we nab Safety Kamren Kitchens to come in and compete for Eddie Jackson's vacated starting spot. After that, we looking to tie up any loose ends later on in the draft, especially at EDGE and WR.
Altogether, here is what the revamped OFFENSE would look like;
QB – Caleb Williams
RB – Roschon Johnson + Cam Akers + Khalil Herbert
WR1 – DJ Moore
WR2 – Darnell Mooney
SWR – Cedrick Wilson
TE – Cole Kmet
I'd be sneaky high on this team coming into next season if things play out this way. Obviously, there is still work to be done: they could use some WR upgrades, as well as a true EDGE2, and Matt Eberflus needs to prove that he is the future. However, I was very low on the Bears heading into this past year, and I could safely say in this scenario they'd be heading in the right direction.
Fantasy Implications
Caleb Williams 📈
Khalil Herbert ↔️
DJ Moore ↔️
Darnell Mooney 📈
Cole Kmet ↔️