Bears Mailbag

Photo Courtesy: Bleacher Nation

Recently, I posted to social media and asked people to give me questions related to the Chicago Bears. Here are a handful of those questions.

Q: Without basing it on a curve, what letter grade do you give the Bears for their offseason efforts so far with signings and roster management? Better yet, why the grade?

A: This is a fun question, and to give this the correct grade, you have to grade everything individually. 

Head Coach Hire: A+

The Bears went out and got the best coaching candidate on the market, instead of doing what they usually do. Hiring Ben Johnson was the biggest swing the Bears have made under Ryan Poles’ leadership, and it led to a ton of other dominoes falling for the Bears so far.

Coaching Staff: A-

Ben Johnson put together a star-studded staff that will help take the stress off him in his first season as a head coach. In my opinion, the Bears’ best hires (outside of Johnson) are Antwaan Randle El (WR Coach, AHC), Dennis Allen (DC), and Dan Roushar (OL Coach). 

Free Agency: B+

Joe Thuney: A+

Jonah Jackson: B-

Durham Smythe: C (don’t hate it, don’t love it)

Drew Dalman: A

Dayo Odeyingbo: B

Grady Jarrett: A-

Olamide Zaccheus: B-

Devin Duvernay: B+

I could say a lot about the Bears’ free agency period, but to keep it short, I love it. 

Overall: A- (Draft will change my overall grade)

I’m super happy with how the Bears attacked the offseason after the disaster we all saw in 2024. Who knows if this translates to wins, but on paper, the Bears have done what they need to get themselves in a position to start winning games soon.

Q: Ben Johnson got locked in for 5 years. The assumption is out there that Poles also received an extension to go along with Ben's contractual years. With that being said, say the team has more down years in these next two years, is Poles’ job on the line even with the extension?

A: The short answer is no, but it might be more complicated than that. I don’t foresee Ryan Poles being let go unless the Bears win less than seven games in 2025. The front office has taken this offseason seriously and is giving Ben Johnson all the pieces he needs to build a successful team. Another piece to that is the Bears don’t like firing coaches/front office personnel with numerous years left on their contracts, unless they have to.

Q: Why aren’t the fans and media higher on Dexter? Looks like a future star to me. Am I missing something?

I’ve been wondering this as well, and as a lot of people know, I am vocal about my enjoyment of watching Gervon Dexter play football. But, I feel that it boils down to him not being a household name and being a guy who quietly plays well. In 2024, Dexter doubled both his previous sack total and tackle total, while adding four tackles for loss. 

He’s a guy who will elevate to a new level now that he has the opportunity to learn from a proven guy in Grady Jarrett. 

Q: Should the Bears draft Ashton Jeanty?

A: This is my favorite question that I have received. Ashton Jeanty is going to be a star in the NFL, but the Bears drafting him relies on who else is left on the board. 

I have stated before that if Will Campbell, Mason Graham, or Armand Membou are left on the board that it wouldn’t be wise for the Bears to take Jeanty. But as we inch closer to the draft it seems likely that none of those guys will be there for the Bears to take at 10 overall.

When it pertains to Jeanty, he would force teams to gameplan towards him and not just the Bears’ passing offense, ultimately, allowing Caleb to have a natural development.

Q: What is your pre-draft record prediction for the Bears?

A: 8-9. The Bears have a brutal road schedule, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they end up going 1-8 on the road. 10 of their 17 games will come against playoff teams. 

Q: Who is your favorite target for the Bears if they trade down from the 10th pick?

A: Without a doubt, it’s Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen. When I look at this class, my eyes look towards defensive tackle as the position with the best value in the first round. There are four guys that I have given first-round grades to at the position (Mason Graham, Walter Nolen, Kenneth grant, and Derrick Harmon). 

Nolen could come in and be an impact player as soon as he steps foot on an NFL field.

Q: How do you rank the Bears’ needs heading into the draft?

A: Before I get into how I rank the needs, this shouldn’t deter the Bears from going best player available with their first-round pick, unless they get a good enough trade offer.

1. DE

2. DT

3. LT

4. S

5. RB

6. TE

Q: What is your statistical prediction for Caleb in 2025?

A: I don’t think it’s crazy to say Caleb will surpass 4,000 yards in 2025, but I’m going to avoid saying that it’s a foregone conclusion before I see that he can do it. If I had to give my best guess, I would say he throws for 3,700 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 

Q: Who do you think will be the Bears’ most improved player in 2025?

A: I want to avoid the obvious answer, with that being Caleb Williams, so I’m going to go with Darnell Wright. 

Year three is always the year in which we see tackles take that leap to stardom. Wright had a sophomore slump in 2024, but a lot of that could be tied to having Nate Davis next to him. Coming into 2025, he will have a former Pro Bowl-level guard on the right side, helping him grow to another level. 

Q: Which running back not named Ashton Jeanty do you think the Bears should take?

A: Judkins. For some reason, it seems like TreVeyon Henderson is getting more of the focus when it comes to the OSU running backs, but the traits Judkins has shown have me confident he will be a good running back in the NFL.

I don’t think he will be an S-tier running back in the NFL, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits the Joe Mixon or Tony Pollard level.

Q: In the new offensive and defensive schemes, who are guys you expect to take a big jump next year?

A: I thought this question was the perfect one to close out this mailbag with. While it may seem similar to the previous question I answered, this one is quite different.

Offense:

This answer is quite hard… but I think it has to be Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore. As a rookie, Rome caught 54 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns. While the Bears’ scheme won’t look identical to the Lions’, there are still some trends that could show what the Bears do in 2025.

I expect the Bears to line up Rome as the “X”, with D.J. playing in the slot (where I expect his game to translate the best). 

Both guys could easily get over 1,000 yards in an offense that tailors to their strengths like I feel Ben Johnson will do.

Defense:

With the new Bears’ scheme being a “4-3 Under” where defensive ends will be lined up as wide nines (outside shoulder of tight end), I think Austin Booker could be a guy who shines in this defense. 

Booker’s athleticism will allow him to beat opposing tackles at a higher rate because he can mix that with his quick and powerful hand strike to force the tackle off balance, leading to winning with a finesse move.