Is ‘winning the offseason' a real thing? And what must the Chicago Bears do for the NFL draft to be a success?

Chicago Tribune

20-03-2025

Don't look now, but the Chicago Bears are doing it again. They're turning heads across the NFL with the way they're regrouping and reloading for a potential bounce-back season in 2025. And they have received widespread praise for how aggressive and purposeful they have been.
With a new coaching staff and a flurry of attention-grabbing roster moves, general manager Ryan Poles has positioned his team to make a move in the NFC North. And in so doing, that familiar feeling of hope and optimism has come flooding back for Bears fans, who just three months ago were again left downtrodden and dejected during an abysmal 10-game losing streak.
Now, with so many good vibes mushrooming, an outbreak of March Mania has been detected across the city. Again. But on the heels of two similarly juiced-up offseasons in 2023 and 2024, it's worth asking just how much spring success really counts and whether these moves will be enough to lift the Bears out of last place and into playoff contention.
Is there such a thing as 'winning the offseason'? Are things truly different this time around at Halas Hall? And what's next for the Bears during this already eventful offseason?
Tribune writers Dan Wiederer and Sean Hammond tackle those debates in this installment of 'Real Talk.'
Dan Wiederer: Let's cut to the chase. Because I've earned a reputation in these parts as a dyed-in-the-wool Bears skeptic. But I can say with unwavering confidence that the Bears have already had a productive and encouraging offseason. And that's with the draft still ahead and a couple more waves of free agency.
Since last season ended, the Bears have hired a new head coach. And not just any coach: Ben Johnson, the NFL's reigning Assistant Coach of the Year. The hottest candidate in this year's hiring cycle. The mastermind whose Detroit Lions scored 68 offensive touchdowns in the 2024 regular season while averaging a league-best 33.2 points. Not too shabby, right?
The Bears also, as expected, have strengthened the interior of their offensive line — and not just with a roll of Gorilla Tape and a wad of chewed bubble gum. They signed the best center on the free-agent market, a smart, reliable conductor in Drew Dalman, who at 26 is entering the prime of his career. Bravo.
And when the guard market wasn't shaping up exactly as Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles hoped, they took matters into their own hands with a pair of trades to land veteran starters Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. The former, by the way, is a two-time first-team All-Pro with four Super Bowl rings and extensive experience playing with Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Nice.
You and I both know that so much of the Bears' hoped-for rise in 2025 centers around the emergence of quarterback Caleb Williams. And with those four aforementioned additions, the Bears have made impressive progress toward at least making Williams more comfortable.
Sean Hammond: The green dye barely has faded from the Chicago River, NCAA Tournament pools are in full swing and Bears fans are optimistic. This is March.
Still, fans have every right to feel optimistic, given the moves the team has made. The most exciting first-time head coach in several years will be calling plays from the sideline. That alone is reason for optimism, and I can't fault Bears fans for being excited about what that means for the future.
Johnson wasn't kidding when he said at the NFL combine that he believed it was possible to rebuild the entirety of the interior offensive line in one offseason. The fact the Bears went after a player like Thuney shows they understand the offensive line was sorely lacking veteran experience and leadership in 2024. If it works out and Thuney can stay healthy and play at an All-Pro level again in 2025, it might wind up being one of the best moves Poles has made. The additions of Thuney, Jackson and Dalman should instantly elevate the entire line.
Your final point is the one Bears fans shouldn't lose sight of. All this talk about the offensive line is necessary because Williams took a league-high 68 sacks last season. We might get bogged down in the minutiae of roster building at this time of year, but none of it will matter if it doesn't put Williams in optimal positions to succeed.
Winning the offseason means nothing once September rolls around. If things are going to be truly different for this franchise, with its quarterback track record, it will be because of Williams. Props to Poles and Johnson for finding veteran linemen to block for him. But now everyone will be looking at you, Caleb.
Wiederer: Yep. I'm still not a believer in this concept of 'winning' the offseason. Until the NFL starts awarding actual victories or altering playoff seeding based on spring transactions, there's really no such thing. Don't forget, just one short year ago, the Bears were skipping home with a spectacular offseason report card. We're talking magnet-to-the-fridge grades. And somehow, all that excitement and optimism preceded a 12-loss season. So …
That said, I have to give this current leadership crew credit for understanding its priorities and attacking them with purpose. What I've said repeatedly this month is that the Bears have absolutely given themselves a chance to have a chance. And that's what you want out of the spring.
Now, to your point, Williams has to see this calculated effort from the organization to help him be at his best and respond accordingly. Through that lens, it will be fascinating to see how his relationship with Johnson grows and evolves. Especially in the earliest stages, when the grind will be intense.
Hammond: The honeymoon period is nearly over. By virtue of hiring a new head coach, the Bears can host an extra minicamp this spring, which can begin as early as April 7. In other words: It's almost time to get to work.
The Johnson-Williams pairing will be the single most important relationship in the building. During his opening news conference in January, Johnson said this: 'The quarterback needs to be able to see the game through the play caller's eyes. In my opinion, that's the only way it works.'
Those two will spend a lot of time together this spring. Both want this to work. Williams was quite clear after the hiring that he really, really wanted Johnson to be the guy. This is exactly why.
Williams wanted an offensive coach and mentor who can improve the way he sees the game. Poles found him someone who might be capable of doing just that. Maybe the 'winning' we should be talking about in the offseason is what happens behind closed doors with Williams, Johnson and a boatload of game film.
The Bears, of course, aren't finished building their 2025 roster. They could look to add another player here or there, but they're probably done with big-money free-agent additions. Everyone's attention will turn quickly toward the draft and the team's four selections in the top 72 picks. What could the Bears do that would be considered another win? And, dare I ask, is it possible they could screw this up?
Wiederer: I'm not answering that last question. At least not now. It doesn't feel like the right moment to poop the party. (And you almost got me too!)
As far as success in the draft? It's first and foremost about adding players who fit. The Bears should be looking for prospects who fit the systems of Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. They should be zeroing in on players who fit the desired atmosphere they're trying to create at Halas Hall. They should be pushing to land players, especially with those first four selections, who can contribute quickly.
Johnson was direct at his introductory news conference when he said he was taking over a team he believes can 'win now.' So that reduces the margin for error in what the Bears do in the draft.
On the bright side, if you look at what Johnson witnessed in Detroit over the last four seasons, the Lions' climb was catalyzed significantly by their success in the draft, not only landing big-time difference makers, but also limiting whiffs.
That's something the Bears haven't been nearly as good at in the last three years under Poles — and, if we're being honest, for most of the past 20 years. So now it's about Johnson doing a little bit of educating, teaching his new partners in Lake Forest about how Lions GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell created that draft success.
Hammond: The Lions' draft success, particularly in the early rounds, has been quite remarkable. They've hit on all five of their first-round picks since Holmes' first draft in 2021. If the Bears can use those top four picks to find at least two, maybe three, players who can vie for starting jobs immediately, that would be a win. History suggests they probably won't hit on all four, and that's OK. But they have to hit on a few of them.
This feels like as good a time as ever to remind Bears fans what Poles keeps repeating this spring: You can't have enough talent in the trenches. He all but promised there would be competition for Braxton Jones at left tackle. That hasn't materialized yet, but it definitely could via the draft.
The Bears also added two pieces to their defensive line with the additions of free agents Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, but it doesn't feel like they're done there either. This draft is considered to be deep at edge rusher. That's another spot the Bears could be zeroing in on.
So while it might be fun to talk about running back Ashton Jeanty or tight end Tyler Warren at No. 10, let's remind ourselves this is a meat-and-potatoes draft. The Bears might be wise to avoid any zesty side dishes in the first round.
Wiederer: In most years, I'm a devoted subscriber to what you just laid out. Get the meat and potatoes before the zesty side dishes. But … I'll also lob this into the conversation: The No. 10 pick does not have to be assessed as an exclusive entity. It should be viewed as the first piece of a draft class that likely will net the Bears six to nine players.
And with those four selections in the top 72, if the Bears feel they can tap into the quality and depth of this draft in Rounds 2 and 3 in a way that gives them the wherewithal to make a so-called luxury pick at No. 10, I'm totally on board. As long as they deem that player at No. 10 to be an absolute sure thing — be it Jeanty or Warren or tight end Colston Loveland or even a wide receiver like Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka.
There are many paths to checking the boxes the Bears want to check in the draft, which includes adding talent and depth to the trenches. But if Johnson passionately pushes for an electric playmaker to add to his offense at No. 10 before looking for reliable linemen on Day 2, I wouldn't object. Particularly with players like Jeanty and Warren, who seem to be the kind of chess pieces that could enliven a Johnson-led attack.
Bottom line: There are some fascinating debates to be had inside Halas Hall over the next five weeks. And I love the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' dynamics of this draft class.
Hammond: Maybe it's because we're still five weeks out, but this draft really does feel wide open. Not only from the Bears perspective, but also across the league. Perhaps it's because this quarterback class looks weak. The teams at the top (the Tennesssee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants) could go in any number of directions. That could make this a particularly tricky year to predict who will be available at No. 10.
I do hear your counterpoint in regard to No. 10. One of the most compelling questions about this offseason is this: How will Johnson challenge the way Poles thinks? Poles definitely didn't hire a yes man. He hired a coach whose previous team went for it on fourth down at a high rate and wasn't afraid to draft running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 — someone who thinks outside the box. That could lead to some surprises on draft weekend.
We can confidently say the Bears addressed several key areas of need this month. There's reason to believe they will be better up front on both sides of the ball