The Chicago Bears are in line for one of the more exciting offseasons in quite some time.

The team has eight draft picks, which will likely include a top-5 pick in the first round, and over $120 million in cap room. When combining that with the ascension of Justin Fields in 2022, it's easy to see why many pundits and fans are going to be tracking every move Ryan Poles and co. make in 2023.

It's hard to pin down what teams are looking for without being in the room. But, what is known, however, is the fact teams are obviously trying to sign/draft the best player available. At the same time, they also prioritize transactions based off a hierarchy, so to speak, of positional importance and what it means to the team as a whole.

For instance, when the Seattle Seahawks were known as the Legion of Boom, they prioritized rangy safeties and big corners because they knew how valuable those players were to maximizing the scheme.

Well, when it comes to today's Bears, it's the three-technique defensive tackle and WILL (weakside) linebacker positions that hold a ton of weight with Matt Eberflus.

It makes a lot of sense for both positions to be at the top of the list priority-wise. Eberflus' system is a standard 4-3 system that relies on four-man pressures to get the job done.

And one must have a good three-technique on the inside in order to have an effective four-man rush.

The 3T is by far one of the most important positions, if not the most important position, on the Bears defense. From an overall standpoint, the 3T has the most direct route to the quarterback, so if a team finds the right guy, things can get really messy in a hurry for opposing offenses.

"We call it the engine that makes everything go," Eberflus told reporters Tuesday. "Because, in the running game, you can't run at the 3 [technique] and you can't run away from them. It's hard to really dictate where you're going to run the ball, number one. And it creates a lot of free lanes for your linebackers to run through in the run game.

"In the pass game, a lot of times when you have two of them -a 3-technique and a defensive end opposite of him- it's hard to move your line that way. He creates a lot of 1-on-1s and he's typically overmatched on a guard. Typically, your best offensive linemen are on the outside and if you have your best player on the inside, it's certainly an advantage for you."

Warren Sapp, Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins, Gerald McCoy, and many others come to mind when thinking of the better 3Ts in NFL history. If you watched them play, you know how disruptive they were (and still are in Donald's case) and how their roles ignite the trickle-down effect on defense.

Things no different for the Bears. It's why they targeted Larry Ogunjobi and were willing to pay him $13+ million a year before things fell apart and it's why they subsequently signed Justin Jones to a two-year, $12 million deal.

While the whole defense benefits from a strong 3T, it's the WILL linebacker that directly benefits the most. An effective 3T, as Eberflus mentions, creates 1-on-1s and opens up lanes for the WILL to chase the ball, shoot backside gaps, and do pretty much whatever they want when it comes to making plays on the ball.

And for Eberflus' defense, that's just as important as anything else.

"If you do it like we do it," said Eberflus. "The old school Tampa Bay/Chicago Bears, they would put Lance Briggs/Derrick Brooks behind the 3-technique [and] they'd always travel together. That means you're covered "to the hit". You can create a lot of things with that. The last place I was at with DeForest [Buckner] and Shaq [Leonard], he [Leonard] was always covered to the hit.

"Those two positions are really important to us."

With all that being said, it certainly sounds like the Bears are going to be in the market for both positions in 2023.

Jones enters the last year of his contract in 2023 and Nicholas Morrow, the team's current WILL, signed a one-year deal with the Bears back in March. Both players have been OK, but they haven't been anywhere near the caliber of player Eberflus needs for his defense to excel.

Even though the Bears need help on offense, it makes sense for them to take Jalen Carter at No. 2 overall, as long as Carter continues his current level of play and aces the Combine like many expect. In terms of free agency, names such as Fletcher Cox, Daron Payne, Javon Hargrave, David Onyemata, and others could be available for the Bears to look at.

A Trenton Simpson out of Clemson could also be a WILL prospect for the team, as well as potential free agents Lavonte David, Bobby Okereke, Quincy Williams, and David Long.

And then there are even options on the edge, as well. Players like Yannick Ngakoue and Marcus Davenport could be available in free agency and there are guys like Myles Murphy, Tyree Wilson, and Adetomiwa Adebawore in the draft.

There will be plenty of options and plenty of routes to take when it comes to how the Bears improve their roster in 2023. Based off Eberflus' defensive background, the importance of these positions, and the needed defensive improvements, it won't be a surprise if the Bears target a high-caliber 3T and WILL once the 2023 season begins.

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