Bears 2025 Mock Offseason: Predicting the team's free agent signings, trades, and draft picks after what we learned at the NFL Combine
The Chicago Bears have a major offseason ahead of them in order to pull this team out of the depths and resurge during Ben Johnson's first season as head coach.After hearing from both general manager Ryan Poles and Johnson this week at the 2025 NFL Combine, it's clear this team plans to be aggressive in […]
The Chicago Bears have a major offseason ahead of them in order to pull this team out of the depths and resurge during Ben Johnson's first season as head coach.
After hearing from both general manager Ryan Poles and Johnson this week at the 2025 NFL Combine, it's clear this team plans to be aggressive in adding quality players to the building this offseason, through free agency and the draft.
That being said, I took some of what we learned this week at the Combine and laid out an offseason roadmap, if you will, for the Bears upcoming weeks.
Bears 2025 Mock Offseason
For this mock offseason, I included potential trades, extensions, re-signings, free agent signings, and of course all eight draft selections. Each decision will include a contract projection, along with a Year One cap hit in order to make sure things stay within the Bears' current salary cap ceiling of $69,629,590, per Over The Cap. That figure comes after adding five salaries to beef the roster up to 51 players and deducting the projected cost of the draft class, which is $5,628,813.
We'll go ahead and deduct $5 million for in-season "operating money", such as signing new players after another gets hurt and scenarios of that nature. Finally, we'll take out another $5 million to pay for a full-length, fully-rostered 17-man practice squad – that makes $10 million, in all.
With nearly $60 million in cap room and based on what I was able to put together, the Bears absolutely have plenty of options to viably get this team back on track starting in 2025. Here's some of the top moves I made for the Bears.
Trades
OG Jonah Jackson – 2026 Conditional 6th-Round Pick
To kick things off, let's start with a pre free agency trade to land a former Pro Bowl offensive lineman. Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Rams granted left guard Jonah Jackson permission to seek a trade. In 2021, this guy was a Pro Bowler in Detroit but injuries derailed his career.
The Rams will be willing to cut Jackson and simply want to see if they can get something before his March 12th roster bonus hits. This would be an easy trade to make, sending a conditional 6th-rounder in 2026 based on play-time, and then re-working his contract once he gets in the building.
2025 Cap Hit: The Bears can lower Jackson's 2025 cap hit from $17. 5 million to $11.236 million through a max restructure of his 2025 base salary.
Extensions / Re-signings
Extend CB Kyler Gordon – 3-year, $30 million (includes $10 million signing bonus)
Next up on the to-do list before free agency would be extending slot cornerback Kyler Gordon. Ryan Poles' first-ever draft selection in 2022 is entering the final year of his rookie deal and deserves a new deal, something along the lines of 3-years, $30 million.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has already raved about this guy and Poles mentioned Gordon's extension as a priority. With this extension, Gordon gets a sizable signing bonus and will likely want to add new cash to his 2025 salary.
2025 Cap Hit: $7,873,714 million after giving Gordon a raise of $1.425 million and prorating his signing bonus over five years by adding a void year.
Re-sign DT Chris Williams, DT Daniel Hardy, C Doug Kramer and CB Josh Blackwell
As for the re-signings before free agency, I'm not seeing the Bears doing anything crazy. Let Keenan Allen and Teven Jenkins walk, along with Coleman Shelton. I would consider bringing Matt Pryor back, but I could see him gone too.
The players I would bring back include Chris Williams, Daniel Hardy, and Josh Blackwell who are three core special teamers that Richard Hightower will push to have back. I'd also bring back Doug Kramer as a depth OL piece.
The quartet is projected to count no more than $11.12 million against the cap, as Willams, Kramer, and Blackwell are restricted free agents and Hardy is an exclusive rights free agent.
Main Free Agent Signings
C Drew Dalman – 4-year, $55 million (includes $16 million signing bonus)
After missing out on right guard Trey Smith, Drew Dalman has to be the Bears' top priority in free agency, and it seems like the team knew this would be the route to take. Ben Johnson explained this week how critical the center position is and how important having a strong presence at the position would be for Caleb Williams.
Dalman is the top player at the position on the market. With this deal, he won't pass Creed Humphrey to be the highest-paid center, but I see him making more than what Lloyd Cushenberry got from Tennessee last offseason (four-year, $50 million).
2025 Cap Hit: $9 million
RG Kevin Zeitler – 2-year, $15 million (includes $3 million signing bonus)
After signing Dalman, which I expect will happen really quick into free agency opening, the next order of business is finding Plan B at right guard. The popular options would be Mekhi Becton or Will Fries, but the Bears can't risk signing someone here with any concerns, and they need a veteran presence as a leader up-front.
All of those signs point toward Kevin Zeitler, who signed a one-year, $6 million deal in Detroit and played under Ben Johnson in 2024. He's not a long-term solution, but he knows what Johnson will demand out of his offensive front and can be a really strong leader for at least one-two seasons.
2025 Cap Hit: $4.5 million
DE Dayo Odeyingbo – 3-year, $49.5 million (includes $12 million signing bonus)
As for finding an impact pass rusher to play opposite Montez Sweat, I don't think the Bears will go big-game hunting after someone like Myles Garrett, Khalil Mack, or Josh Sweat who would be available.
Instead, let's go with someone like Dayo Odeyingbo on a solid three-year deal, and the reason for that will be explained later. Odeyingbo's a long-bodied player who fits the style of edge rusher Dennis Allen prefers in his system. And I fully believe the Bears double-dip that this position with someone like Odeyingbo plus a top draft pick.
2025 Cap Hit: $12.4 million
WR Tim Patrick – 1-year, $2 million
As for replacing Keenan Allen and getting a solid #3 wide receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, don't expect a top name. I also believe that #3 WR addition is going to be a boundary player, not a slot specialist.
Which leads us to Tim Patrick. Patrick played one season under Ben Johnson in 2024 as the #3 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit, where he totaled 394 yards and three touchdowns, and was reliable as a blocker. That's the kind of guy Johnson will be looking for to round out the position while turning Moore into his "power-slot" guy.
2025 Cap Hit: $2 million
Remaining Cap Space: $17,128,689 when putting the previously withheld $15,628,813 million back into the equation.
This is a very good spot to be in after the above moves. Not only do the Bears have plenty of space to use for the draft class and in-season moves like injury replacement signings, end-of-year incentives, etc., they also have the money needed for the practice squad. Those two facts, along with the fact they then have an additional cushion of just a tick under $1.5 million is what a lot of general managers want to see when it comes to their budget.
Draft Selections
10th Overall Pick – Mykel Williams (DE, Georgia)
By adding the players listed above via trade and free agent acquisitions, the Bears board can open up to the best player available with their first selection.
I still like the idea of adding Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks Jr., or Tyler Booker here but adding another top pass rusher is ideal in this class. That could be James Pierce, Shemar Stewart, or a player Poles is enamored with in Mykel Williams. I'm leaning Williams, especially after the Bears met with him at the combine this week.
39th Overall Pick (via CAR) – Donovan Jackson (OG, Ohio State)
Based on how I things going to this point, I hate missing out on Tyler Booker and wish he could make it to 39, but that's not happening. However, Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State could be more likely to fall depending on how the board goes on Day 1.
Jackson and Jonah Jackson can compete for the starting job at left guard. Donovan also has experience at left tackle in 2024 and Poles mentioned wanting to add some competition at that position as well. He provides an option at both positions.
41st Overall Pick – Omarion Hampton (RB, UNC)
Another thing Poles mentioned was wanting to add to the backfield to help make the run game more balanced on offense, which in turn helps your young quarterback. That means adding a complement to D'Andre Swift.
Swift is a dynamic and explosive back. What the Bears need to complement him is a sturdy, bruiser back, and the draft is filled with those. I'm starting to lean to Omarion Hampton, who said he's met multiple times with the Bears. He seems like someone Ben Johnson would gravitate towards just by doing everything right that Swift struggles with, in terms of powerful inside running and his ability to pass protect.
72nd Overall Pick – Kevin Winston Jr. (S, Penn State)
Safety is a sneaky need for the Bears and seeing the team meet with three different prospects confirms that. The long-term outlook at the position is questionable with Kevin Byard having one more year left and with Jaquan Brisker's health concerns.
Adding a safety to the mix in the draft would be ideal and Poles could look to a familiar pipeline in Penn State. He drafted Brisker in the second-round in 2022 and could take another hard-nosed former Nittany Lion on Day 2 in Kevin Winston Jr.
5th-Round Pick – Terrance Ferguson (TE, Oregon)
As for a sneaky need on offense, the Bears need to find a complement tight end behind Cole Kmet. Earlier this week, the Bears met with a couple tight ends, but the best option given the need and draft projections is Oregon's Terrance Ferguson.
Ferguson shined at the Senior Bowl making "wow" plays on the field. His sudden draft climb could push him higher into the 4th-round, but again you never know how things might play out in April.
6th-Round Pick (via PIT) – Kain Medrano (LB, UCLA)
After not re-signing Jack Sanborn on my predictions, and the disappointing career of Noah Sewell so far with the Bears, I expect to see a linebacker drafted at some point.
I took one here in Kain Medrano, who met with the Bears earlier this week. This might be too rich, but after seeing his 4.42 40-yard dash lead all LBs, he could be on the rise. He is very disciplined and his 3.5 sacks since 2023 will appeal to Dennis Allen.
7th-Round Pick (via CLE) – Caleb Rogers (OL, Texas Tech)
This is a guy I've had on my radar for a while as a late-round target for the Bears. The brass at the Senior Bowl met with him earlier in the process and Caleb Rogers is a do-it-all player on the offensive line, literally.
Rogers has experience at all five positions up-front and would be an incredible depth addition to the room that you can develop to where ever he shines best.
7th-Round Pick (via CIN) – Zeek Biggers (DT, Georgia Tech)
For the final pick of the draft, I'll have the Bears banking on athleticism in the interior of the defensive front. Zeek Biggers shined during drills at the combine, mainly showing off his explosiveness.
That alone will put him on some team's radar and he will surely hear his name called during the draft after this week. This guy also blocked four field goals in three years.
Bears Ryan Poles made it clear he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to fix the team’s biggest need going into free agency
Seems like they plan to be big spenders.
