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There is lots of positivity surrounding the Chicago Bears this week, but they still have a long way to go before anything resembling playoff contention.
Coming off a 5-12 season, the most discouraging development for the Bears, outside of their 10-game losing streak and firing their head coach, was Caleb Williams' propensity for sacks. He took 68 of them, 16 more than any other NFL quarterback this season.
While Williams himself has lots of work to do in order to improve in that area, the Bears' offensive line was also an obvious culprit, and improving that group in free agency will be a top priority for general manager Ryan Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson.
Incumbent center Coleman Shelton is a free agent, so one way the Bears could look to upgrade is to pay a more highly-regarded center in this year's class.
On Wednesday, Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus named the Bears as the "best landing spot" in free agency for three-year Atlanta Falcons starter Drew Dalman.
"An early season ankle injury knocked Dalman out of the lineup for an extended period, but he returned to produce at a high level, typical of his resume," Cameron wrote.
"With Coleman Shelton’s short-term deal manning the middle of this offensive line set to expire, new Bears head coach Ben Johnson may opt to replicate the success he found in Detroit with All-Pro center Frank Ragnow."
Dalman, 26, is a 6-foot-3, 305-pound monster who has grown into one of the NFL's best centers in his four years with the Falcons. In 2024, PFF ranked him as the fourth-best center in the league by their overall offensive grading system (78.8).
The Bears have nearly $70 million in projected cap space this spring, and choosing how to spend it will play a heavy role in their 2025 success. Dalman would be a worthy use of resources for a team that desperately needs a better infrastructure around their young QB.
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