Reasonable free agents still on the market who could provide quality depth to Ben Johnson's unit on the offensive line
The Chicago Bears successfully achieved the up-hill battle of rebuilding the starting offensive line during the last few days by landing Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney following by signing Drew Dalman in free agency.That new starting five, on paper, looks miles better than what the team had last season protecting their rookie franchise quarterback.But if […]
The Chicago Bears successfully achieved the up-hill battle of rebuilding the starting offensive line during the last few days by landing Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney following by signing Drew Dalman in free agency.
That new starting five, on paper, looks miles better than what the team had last season protecting their rookie franchise quarterback.
But if last season proved anything, the Bears need more than just five quality players up-front. You also need depth, and head coach Ben Johnson is well aware of that too.
"You usually play with eight or nine guys [on the offensive line] over the course of the season. It's not just the starting group that needs to be gelled, but we have some depth players, some young guys, that may or may not be in the building right now that we're going to be counting on," Johnson explained.
The "may or may not be in the building right now" peaks my interest from that quote. As does the idea of having eight-nine quality guys up-front. Right now, the Bears have two decent depth options in Ryan Bates and Kiran Amegadjie, plus other younger guys like Ricky Stromberg and Jordan McFadden.
But, none of those guys have really proven anything yet in Chicago, and if Ben Johnson wants to find more talent on the open market, these three come to mind.
Will Hernandez
The offensive guard market cleared out insanely fast, starting well before the legal tampering period opened. Which is why the Bears were smart to get ahead of the game by trading for Thuney and Jackson to secure their starting guard positions.
As far as depth goes at either position, Bates is currently the team's best option on the roster. He's also the best depth option at center too. On the market, Will Hernandez is starting to look real appealing the longer he waits for a deal to come in.
Hernandez started five games at right guard for the Cardinals in 2024 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. In those five games, he allowed just eight pressures and zero sacks. In Arizona, he solely lined up at RG but with the New York Giants, he also made 45 starts at LG over the course of three seasons.
Matt Pryor
I'm going to keep banging on this drum until it pays off. The longer Matt Pryor stays on the market, the more likely it should be that he returns to Chicago as a depth piece.
Chicago signed him last offseason for that very reason but he quickly became a vital part of the offensive front after winning the starting job at RG. Pryor played all 17 games in 2024 between RG and RT and is familiar with the locker room.
Pryor more than out-performed his paycheck last season and the Bears need to really consider having him back as an option behind Darnell Wright in 2025.
Dillon Radunz
Last but not least, I'm going to throw in one of my former draft crushes. The Tennessee Titans, like the Bears, completely revamped the offensive line this offseason and it's likely going to lead to former 53rd overall pick Dillon Radunz finding a new home.
Radunz never quite lived up to his draft status with the Titans, even if he managed to start 31 games over the last four seasons. Radunz started all 15 games he played in 2024 at right guard, allowing six sacks and 23 total pressures.
It wasn't the best results in his first opportunity as a true starter, but Radunz has shown flashes throughout his rookie contract. He also has experience at four different positions on the offensive front. I'd bank on Ben Johnson and Dan Roushar getting the most out of developing this guy if the Bears decide to bring him in for cheap.
