The Chicago Bears have made a flurry of moves to address their offensive line this offseason. In just one week, they have traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. The Bears are one of the frontrunners in the Drew Dalman sweepstakes. With the focus on the offensive line this offseason, it’s clear that first-year Head Coach Ben Johnson and the front office are intent on doing a better job of protecting Caleb Williams in his second year.
A starting line that was piecemealed together in 2024 is going to have some fresh bodies up front next season for the Chicago Bears. A unit that failed to establish a consistent camaraderie last year is currently being overhauled. Not only will some of the linemen from last season not be able to make the 2025 roster, but those who stay will be buoyed by the reinforcements brought in so far and those that are still to come.
Chicago Bears Revamped Offensive Line
The Chicago Bears have wasted no time this offseason making moves to improve their roster. The clear motivation for GM Ryan Poles and Johnson is to do everything in their power to support Williams and this offense. This was made extremely clear this week when the team made a pair of trades to bring in proven, established offensive line help in the form of Thuney and Jackson.
In a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chicago Bears traded a fourth-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft for Thuney, a two-time First Team and two-time Second Team All-Pro lineman. The 32-year-old was moved around last year to try and salvage the Chiefs offensive line late in the season. His primary position and likely destination for the Chicago Bears is at left guard. That position has been held by Teven Jenkins in recent years. The willingness of Kansas City to part with such a productive player at a position of need is mostly due to his contract status. Thuney is looking for an extension and the Bears are more than willing to make that happen.
In a deal with the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago Bears traded a sixth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft for Jackson, a 2021 Pro Bowl selection. Jackson, 28, played in Detroit with Johnson for the first four seasons of his career. Jackson played well enough to garner a three-year, $51 million deal from the Los Angeles Rams last offseason. After a year plagued with injuries, the Rams were willing to move off the Ohio State product and send him to the Bears. Unlike Thuney, Jackson has a more stable contract situation, with $9 million in guaranteed money for 2025. With Thuney playing left guard, Jackson, who also plays left guard, will likely be moved to right guard.
Potential Future Moves
Even with these recent trades, the Chicago Bears don’t appear to be done making moves to improve the offensive line. The top-rated offensive line free agent after the news that the Kansas City Chiefs would be franchise-tagging Trey Smith is Dalman. Dalman, 27, has been in Atlanta with the Falcons, but with their cap situation, they are unlikely to retain him. The Chicago Bears are primed and ready to make a move to bring in the center and complete what has been a whirlwind of an offseason for the offensive line.
Dalman is the main, and so far, only focus on the offensive line after the moves this week. Last offseason the Chicago Bears went cheap with their offensive line solutions, trading for Ryan Bates and signing Coleman Shelton. This year is a huge departure from that philosophy and it shows in the roster construction of this front. As of now, the offensive line reads from left tackle to right tackle: Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Ryan Bates, Jonah Jackson, and Darnell Wright.
Adding Dalman would move Bates into a role as a swing guard and likely push Jenkins out of town. Jenkins is a free agent who will probably get snatched up by another team. He has been unreliable both from a physical and mental standpoint, taking away from the raw talent he has that enticed the Chicago Bears to draft him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. If teams are scared of the red flags and the Bears can bring him back on a team-friendly deal or retain the strong locker and lineman room presence of Coleman Shelton, the Bears will have both top-end talent and depth up front.
Final Thoughts
I might be the wrong person to come to when the conversation is about exchanging draft picks for players. I wholeheartedly believe that taking veteran players is a better move than taking players later in the NFL Draft. I am a huge advocate for the moves the Chicago Bears have made so far this offseason. Thuney has been one of the better and more versatile offensive linemen in football during his career and Jackson has shown flashes of being a premier lineman when healthy.
When it comes to what the Bears should do from this moment on, I would put almost all of my eggs in the Dalman basket. Shelton is a smart and resourceful center, but he is just not talented enough to be a long-term solution for the Chicago Bears. Dalman would not only solidify the last remaining question mark on the offensive line but signing him would clarify the draft strategy for the Bears in next month’s NFL Draft.
Combined with the slew of additions made on offense last year, this offseason’s transactions have created a landscape where adding Dalman could complete the offensive arsenal for the Chicago Bears. It would allow them to focus most of their draft attention on the defensive side of the ball. If Poles and new Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen can come up with a few gems in this year’s draft, this team that was 5-12 a year ago becomes one of the scarier teams in the NFC.
