The Bears have had a disappointing 11 weeks in the 2022 NFL season. However, it’s not without hope as Justin Fields has been steadily improving every week. The offense has looked sharper and the coaching staff seems to be a huge improvement from years past. But it’s still been a tough season to watch and the team isn’t getting better, so let’s just jump to the fun stuff and get right into the 2023 mock offseason.
Starting Cap Space: $116,251,704
Cuts:
- Lucas Patrick (3.9 million saved)
Patrick seems to be a good locker room presence but he was awful at guard and never really played at center, so it makes sense to save some money.
Updated Cap Space: $120,151,704
Resignings:
- David Montgomery, 4 years 20 million
- Riley Reiff, 1 year 1 million
- Nicholas Morrow, 2 years 5 million
- N’Keal Harry, 2 years 4 million
- DeAndre Houston-Carson, 1 year Vet Min
- Patrick Scales, 1 year Vet Min
- Matthew Adams, 1 year 1.5 million
- Khari Blasingame, 1 year 1.5 million
- Equanimeous St. Brown, 2 years 5 million
- Angelo Blackson, 1 year 1.5 million
- Ryan Griffin, 1 year Vet Min
Updated Cap Space: 100,651,704
Free Agent Signings:
Orlando Brown Jr., 5 years 100 million
Brown Jr. has ties to Ryan Poles from Kansas City. Brown wants to be one of the highest paid tackles in football and the Bears have the money to make it happen.
Jack Conklin, 3 years 45 million
Another upgrade at tackle, Conklin can start opposite of Brown and give Fields the protection he needs
Yannick Ngakoue, 2 years 22 million
The Bears need serious help at edge rusher and Ngakoue can provide it. He has 6.5 sacks this season and 62 in his career
Da’Ron Payne, 4 years 35 million
Payne may sign an extension with the Commander but if he does hit the open market, the Bears need to be all over it. They can afford to pay him and absolutely should if they are given the opportunity.
Emmanuel Moseley, 2 years 10 million
The Bears still need help in the secondary and Moseley can provide that help
Dan Arnold, 2 years 6 million
Terrell Edmunds, 2 years 7 million
2023 NFL Draft:
Round 1, Pick 3: Traded to Seattle for Pick 5, 21, and a 2024 7th round pick
Round 1, Pick 5: Traded to Indianapolis for Pick 14, 45, 81, and a 2024 1st round pick
Round 1, Pick 14: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech
Round 1, Pick 21: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Round 2, Pick 45: Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama
Round 2, Pick 58: Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia
Round 3, Pick 66: Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson
Round 3, Pick 81: A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest
Round 4, Pick 101: Tony Grimes, CB, North Carolina
Round 4, Pick 131: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh
Round 5, Pick 134: Clark Barrington, G, BYU
Round 6, Pick 157: Colby Wooden, DT, Auburn
Round 7, Pick 198: Cameron Mitchell, CB, Northwestern
The Bears get all kinds of talent and another 1st round pick for 2024. They upgrade the defensive line, the receiver room, and the offensive line within the first two rounds.
Final Roster:
QB: Justin Fields, Trevor Siemian
RB: David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Israel Abanikanda, Khari Blasingame
WR: Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, N’Keal Harry, Equanimeous St. Brown, A.T. Perry, Velus Jones Jr.
TE: Cole Kmet, Dan Arnold, Ryan Griffin
OT: Orlando Brown Jr., Jack Conklin, Riley Reiff, Larry Borom
OG/C: Sedrick Van Pran, Teven Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, Clark Barrington
DE: Trevis Gipson, Yannick Ngakoue, Tyree Wilson, Dominque Robinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad
DT: DaRon Payne, Justin Jones, Angelo Blackson, Tyler Davis, Colby Wooden
LB: Henry To’oTo’o, Jack Sanborn, Sterling Weatherford, Nick Morrow, Matthew Adams
CB: Jaylon Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley, Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor, Tony Grimes, Cam Mitchell, Elijah Hicks
S: Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Jaylon Jones, Terrell Edmunds
ST: Patrick Scales, Cairo Santos, Trenton Gill
