Bears Wire – The Chicago Bears have made their first big splash of free agency agreeing to terms with center Drew Dalman, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s a three-year, $42 million deal that includes $28 million guaranteed, which makes Dalman the second-highest paid center in the NFL.
The Bears had a glaring hole at center, and Dalman was considered the top option available in free agency. Dalman was a top-five graded center last season with the Atlanta Falcons, where he had just three penalties, allowed two sacks on the season and was an impressive run blocker.
LOVE IT!
Absolutely LOVE it.
Here’s why:
- Top 5 Center in the league on a team that had bottom-5 production from the position last year
- 26 years old
- He’s BRILLIANT
- Stanford educated
- Center has been a monster pain in the ass since Olin Kreutz left – arguably our 2nd worst position in that time behind quarterback. And even that’s an argument.
- Clearly the best center available in free agency
- It’s a hard position to draft given all of the needs
Now we add him with Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson between the tackles and you’re looking at a complete overhaul in protection. So much that you’re allowed to feel good about the Chicago Bears offensive line right now.
I understand Dalman missed 8 games last year. I know Jackson has his injury concerns and Thuney is plenty old.
But if you compare it to the last couple seasons, we basically have Murderer’s Row right now and that’s incredible. Especially with Caleb Williams taking a record number of sacks in 2024 and basically all of our hopes/dreams/wishes tied directly to his pass blocking.
And that’s where this is actually serious for a lot of us.
We have no choice but to get sucked into the Bears drama. Fight it all you want, but Sunday comes and you’re watching the Bears and giving a shit. I don’t care how tough you are or how much you’re out on the team and all that bullshit. You honestly cannot help yourself when kickoff comes and the same goes for all of us. It simply means that much to Bears fans and there’s no escaping it.
The sadness that comes from not being able to protect against a traditional 4-man rush may never be properly explained. Only experienced and I’ve had enough to know that’s rock bottom for the Bears. We’ve been a warm, soft piece of Swiss in the trenches for too long and it’s embarrassing and emasculating and rage inducing.
So no – I’m not overreacting to the upgrades and neither is anyone else. They’re that significant and it’s all happened before the draft.
Speaking of which.
I love these picks.
- Round 1, Pick 10
- Round 2, Pick 7 (39th overall)
- Round 2, Pick 9 (41st overall)
- Round 3, Pick 8 (72nd overall)
- Round 5, Pick 10 (149th overall)
- Round 7, Pick 17 (235th overall)
- Round 7, Pick 24 (242nd overall)
4 in the top 72 with the opportunity to trade down from the 1st round and add more day 2 picks? That’s the sweet-spot and again, we don’t have any pressure to reach for interior line early now. We don’t have to make a safe-bet on someone who could start right away vs. developing a pro bowl talent with some character issues, etc.
All this flexibility and it brings me to one drastic conclusion:
No matter how big of a meatball I can be, there’s no way I want a running back in the 1st round. I don’t care if he’s all pro tomorrow and all that bullshit. I only care about being smart over sexy and this one of those situations we need to be very smart.
In that vein, I want more protection and more pass rush before anything else. I want big and mean and scary players that can intimidate the Green Bay Packers. I want dogs in the house with a taste for blood, and I them right now.
Nice thing is Drew Dalman moves us significantly closer to that reality, and that’s fucking awesome.
So credit to Ryan Poles.
Keep it up and one day I might buy him a hot wet sloppy beef.
“I’d like that very much” – Ryan Poles
I became a Poles guy today
So fucking back
Blog looking good Carl. Bears looking good Carl. Let’s have a Monday babe
Go out and get the kid from LSU or OSU if available to shore up the line. Snag a RB in the later rounds. Bears just got Dayo Obeyingbo from Indy
Good to hear from your carl