And That Is Why You Never Wait For Next Year! (and a little Hive offer)

Well the Chicago Bears offseason is off to a shocking and very Chicago-like start. Just One year after assembly the best interior offensive line in football, the wheels have already come off.

I still remembering celebrating last year when the Bears signed the best center available in free agency. In a very non Bears-like move, as soon as free agency opened, the Bears signed pro bowler (not that kind of bowler) Drew Dalman who ad just finished out his fourth year with the Atlanta Falcons. Not only was he the best available center, at the age of just 26 years old, he was also very young. The Bears signed him to his first big payday.

From the moment he entered the building, he formed a bond with second year quarter back Caleb Williams that resulted in some of teh most amazing plays in the history of teh Bears. That bond, which played over 99% of the snaps together, also lead to one of the most exciting seasons in Bears history.

From day one Dalman anchored an offensive line that went fro joke to absolutely spectacular in one offseason. It seemed the Bears had found the anchor of their line for at least the next four years.

Well that was short lived. Today, at the ripe old age of 27, Drew Dalman retired from the NFL. I honestly can't blame him. How many people do you know who would keep doing their job after winning a $14 million lottery jackpot? Of thsoe that would keep their job, how many would keep that job if it felt like they were in 70 car accidents every time they did their job? To be honest, I am surprised more players don't retire in their 5th year after hitting their first payday. But it is a surprise. Most relatively "healthy" elite athletes don't have the mental and emotional strength to walk away instead of abusing their body more.

So after this shocking move, what do the Bears do?

First, they crap down their leg. That line just went from one that allowed 68 sacks of their young franchise QB the year before to only 23 this entire year. Dalman was a big part of protecting the present and future of the franchise.

Next they got the best center currently available, Tyler Biadasz, into the building. Biadasz (which I imagine sounds like "badass") who made the pro bowl in 2022 was just released by the Washington Commanders (still such a dumb name... should have been Generals). Tyler Biadasz is only one year older than Dalman which would be nice. Because he was a veteran who was released, the Bears do not need to wait for the free-agent frenzy to start. They can sign him today.

Hopefully the bears deem him worthy of signing and they are able to sign him for less than the $14 million they would have owed Dalman. Tyler Biadasz was scheduled to make $5 million this year so hopefully the Bears can get him for less than $10 million per season. This would free up some much needed cap space to help fill the many other holes they have.

But all of this rests on wheteher or not Ben Johnson thinks that Biadasz is good enough to protect the Bears present and future. After how well he judged talent last offseason, he has earned the benefit of the doubt.

You never know what will happen in an offseason, so when you make it to the playoffs, you have to take the bull by the horns and win. There is no such thing as "next year"... especially for Drew Dalman.

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