2026 Chicago Bears Offseason Thread

[NorthsideAvenger]

13 minutes ago, Old Style said:

Dexter Lawrence traded to the Bengals for the #10 pick. The Giants also have #5. 

Good on the Giants but that is a yikes for the Bengals. 

[MidoreX]

1 hour ago, NorthsideAvenger said:

Good on the Giants but that is a yikes for the Bengals. 

And they're going to have to pay him as much as they would've paid Hendricks despite giving up that draft capital... I know he's younger and interior DL game changers are harder to find, but pretty terrible resource allocation

[raw]

Starting to warm up to the idea of OT at 25. I previously said that an OT at 25, effectively ends Ozzy Trapilo's career, but that may not really be the case. I think there's a decent amount of snaps for Ozzy as the extra 6th linemen in short yardage and pseudo 13 personnel. Then there's always injuries. He wasn't drafted super high to where you are completely throwing away a super asset (56th pick) and gives you a really talented swing guy. But to be fair, I also believe he showed enough last year to where he could be the starting LT of the future and nobody would bat an eye.

The Bears are in a better position on paper than they were at this point last year. Nobody was sure if Braxton was ready at LT. Theo Benedet was just the guy in the Speedo from 2024, and wasn't even thought to have a roster spot. Amegadjie was this ball of clay. Didn't have a pure lottery ticket like Jedrick Wills who they signed this offseason. And Ozzy had not yet been drafted. Yet the Bears didn't draft OT early last year. But to be fair, Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks went off the board before 10 and the next OTs didn't go until 29 and 32. 

My change of heart is due to the Bears not simply having the realistic option to go OT top 10 last year. Also, just because they got away with a hodge-podge at LT last year doesn't mean that's the ideal situation this year w/ a downgrade a center. There's also may be no Colston Loveland available at 25 who is a great prospect and perfect fit. So it's definitely something to keep on the table.

The problem at 25 is you aren't getting a sure thing at LT. I do really like Max Iheanachor and Caleb Lomu who project to be potential options on the board then. But I also do NOT like Kadyn Proctor (who played at 380 for Bama) or Blake Miller, who I don't see with elite LT upside. Iheanachor and Lomu though are also big projections as Max has played football for only like 3-4 years and Lomu is super young at 20-21 years old. So if you gamble on those guys and they aren't ready to start Day 1, they aren't in any better off than last year, while also creating a potential log jam at LT of the future with Ozzy.

[MidoreX]

You've also got some pretty great trade capital if you wind up with 3 good to great OTs in a year or two. 

I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to know, but would Trapilo or any of the late 1st possibilities be a good candidate to kick inside to G in a few years as Thuney ages and Jackson's contact expires?

I'd still prefer an impact defensive player if one is there at 25, but im pretty much always good with an OT in the first as a default

[jersey cubs fan]

Isn’t Trapillo’s career effectively at risk already? 

[Tryptamine]

I really don't want an OT at #25 unless he's heads and shoulders better than the options at DE/DL. I'd much rather deal with the Bear's current options at LT then what they'd likely be dealing with at DE/DL.

[Derwood]

I saw a mock that had the Bears taking a WR in the first round. I assume it was some new AI's first ever mock

[Outshined_One]

Just now, Derwood said:

I saw a mock that had the Bears taking a WR in the first round. I assume it was some new AI's first ever mock

I've seen some national chatter about the Bears possibly taking a WR in the 1st because they traded DJ Moore.

I agree it doesn't make sense given their needs and current roster, but if a WR they have graded in the top 10 picks falls into their laps, weirder things have happened.

[Tryptamine]

1 hour ago, Derwood said:

I saw a mock that had the Bears taking a WR in the first round. I assume it was some new AI's first ever mock

It's actually possible if Poles sticks to his word that in the first couple rounds it's strictly BPA.

[raw]

7 hours ago, MidoreX said:

You've also got some pretty great trade capital if you wind up with 3 good to great OTs in a year or two. 

I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to know, but would Trapilo or any of the late 1st possibilities be a good candidate to kick inside to G in a few years as Thuney ages and Jackson's contact expires?

I'd still prefer an impact defensive player if one is there at 25, but im pretty much always good with an OT in the first as a default

Trapilo is 6'8, I dont see him moving inside. The others, maybe you can put Proctor there, but idk about any of the other guys

[raw]

6 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Isn’t Trapillo’s career effectively at risk already? 

Theoretically. But those negative statistics with patellar tears are heavily weighed by guys that got hurt more than 7-10 years ago and are much older than Ozzy is going thru his tear. 

[jersey cubs fan]

1 hour ago, raw said:

Theoretically. But those negative statistics with patellar tears are heavily weighed by guys that got hurt more than 7-10 years ago and are much older than Ozzy is going thru his tear. 

Regardless of how it works out, he won’t be able help the team this season. The bears could use LT help. They will also lose at least one of their interior linemen to age/cost concerns within a year or two after losing the C already. The line is in constant need of talent influx. There’s never a need to ignore it, especially not to keep a space open for an injured player 

[raw]

1 hour ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Regardless of how it works out, he won’t be able help the team this season. The bears could use LT help. They will also lose at least one of their interior linemen to age/cost concerns within a year or two after losing the C already. The line is in constant need of talent influx. There’s never a need to ignore it, especially not to keep a space open for an injured player 

Yeah, I never suggested to ignore it. In fact, my most recent post said the opposite.