Ryan Poles apparently didn’t want to wait for free agency to open next week to improve the Chicago Bears’ offensive line. Instead, the Bears general manager did as he promised at the NFL combine and acted aggressively.
On back-to-back days, Poles kicked off the Bears’ spending by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. The deals will become official on March 12, the first day of the new league year. Thuney’s and Jackson’s current contracts come with them from the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, respectively, but the Bears now have two seasoned starters for new coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams.
It’s a great start for a team that had major holes in the middle of its offensive line. Williams took the blame for a lot of the sacks he took last season, but an improved offensive interior should give him more confidence to take deep drops and stay in the pocket.
It’s been rare for the Bears to get it right on the offensive line over the years. Pro Bowlers, cohesiveness and health have been hard to come by. The addition of Thuney should be a difference-maker.
Fishbain: Time for me to make my daily comparison to 2018. That year, alongside new (offensive-minded) head coach Matt Nagy, GM Ryan Pace went all in on adding veterans at the skill positions — wide receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel and then tight end Trey Burton. Fast forward seven years and now Poles is doing a similar thing with this offensive line overhaul, seeing that the Bears have a window to compete with their defense and second-year quarterback.
What’s different is the strategy: trades. The free-agent classes aren’t what they used to be, and the Bears can’t sit on all that salary-cap space. To me, it makes all the sense in the world to make these trades to help support Williams and Johnson. The question, as always when acquiring players this way, is, why did the Chiefs not find a way to keep someone as good as Thuney?
Joe Thuney trade grades: Bears wisely bolster line before free agency; what’s Chiefs’ plan?
Jahns: Well, maybe it’s because the Chiefs have to sign guard Trey Smith — who was considered the best free-agent lineman not too long ago — to a lucrative, multiyear extension after using a franchise tag worth $23.4 million on him. I’m sure the Chiefs will find a way to retool their line quickly. It’s what good teams do. For the Bears, these are good moves, too. Everyone knew Poles was going to spend on his offensive line. Instead of getting into bidding wars on lesser players next week during the negotiation window, Poles parted with some Day 3 draft capital this year and next to revamp his line for Johnson. Adding Thuney changes everything about the offensive line room. His credentials will result in immediate respect. He will be the leader that room desperately needed last season.
Fishbain: There’s a lot to like about having a four-time Super Bowl champ in the room who has played with Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes and for Bill Belichick and Andy Reid. He should be a phenomenal resource for Williams and the rest of the offense. I get that there are concerns about Thuney’s age, but he is coming off a first-team All-Pro season.
Do you know the last time the Bears had a first-team All-Pro guard? In 1959. This is such an upgrade both on the field and in the locker room. And I keep going back to the cap space, the Bears have an abundance of it. What else should they have done? Taken a chance on a younger, less-acclaimed player? Maybe, but why not get the known commodity? I have no issue with the cap element of it when you’re getting an established player like Thuney.
Jahns: It’s about having the right expectations. An extension seems likely for him. But if the Bears get two to three strong years from him in front of Williams, that’s a win in my book. Thuney wouldn’t be the first guard to play well into his 30s. He also will have helped with Williams’ development. The ripple effect of these moves is also interesting to consider. Not only is Thuney better than Aaron Banks, Kevin Zeitler and Mehki Becton, but adding him and Jackson opens the door at No. 10 for different options in the NFL Draft.
The Bears won’t feel compelled to over-draft a guard because they desperately need one. They just traded for two new starters. Instead, the Bears can let the board come to them at No. 10. With Johnson in place, I’m sure the Bears were already looking at Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. But I can’t help but feel that Jeanty just became a more realistic option for the Bears after they added Thuney and Jackson. The Bears need more game-changers.
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Fishbain: You can’t draft Jeanty if you don’t have an offensive line, and after next week — if the Bears sign a starting center — they could be in good shape to add Jeanty. Either way, adding two starting guards keeps the Bears from needing to draft an interior lineman at No. 10. Should they still add guards and a left tackle in the draft? Absolutely. But it’s not as big a priority. This also should make it easier to turn to the other side of the ball, either at No. 10 or in free agency, to find a starting edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat. The Bears still have plenty more players to add, but before the league year begins, they’re already a better offense.
Jahns: As Poles said at the combine, this year’s draft matches up well with their needs — and that’s especially true on the defensive line. There are plenty of edge rushers and defensive tackles to consider in the first two rounds of the draft. That could mean Georgia’s Mykel Williams or Oregon’s Derrick Harmon at No. 10 or waiting to address the pass rush in the second round. Trading back from the 10th spot also feels like an option now. That’s what happens when you make moves like this. Poles deserves credit for his two shrewd trades before free agency opens next week.
(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)
