Chicago Bears: 2 players Ryan Pace must target this offseason
By JOHN OWENS
With the Chicago Bears officially eliminated from playoff contention, all attention now turns to what must be done in the offseason. If they cannot sign Trevathan, Clinton-Dix, or the host of other expiring contacts, they may be forced to fill those positions of need through the draft or free agency market.
In this article, we are going to turn our attention to the offensive guard position and what the Chicago Bears might look to do if they decide to move on from Kyle Long this offseason. The former first-round pick was a mainstay in the starting lineup during his first three years in the league, but the seven-season veteran has sustained multiple injuries causing him to miss 34 games in the last four seasons.
The Bears would take a $9.6 million cap hit if they decided to move on from Long, but knowing the franchise’s history on managing its investments, releasing Long is highly unlikely. Now, you may be asking yourself what the Bears will likely do. The ideal situation would be to look in the draft and draft a guard with one of the mid-round picks they will have at their disposal.
If the Bears can land a stud prospect, you could see this as an opportunity for Long and offensive line coach, Harry Hiestand, to groom the next starting right guard for Nagy’s offense. Here we will take a look at one draft-eligible prospect and one free agent that Chicago may take a shot at this coming offseason.