Illinois’s Lake Forest Now that the 2023 NFL season is officially over, all 32 teams will focus on free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears, led by third-year general manager Ryan Poles, will be among the most interesting teams to watch for the second
straight offseason as he looks to add quality to the squad.
With a projected cap space of $66 million and two first-round picks, Poles has ample resources to make bold personnel changes. The
Bears were busy but frugal with their expenditures during the previous offseason, Poles’ second with Chicago, adding a few important
players who had just signed rookie contracts.
What will the team do at running back as we now turn the page to the third season for the Poles? Following the signing of veteran
D’Onta Foreman to a one-year contract, Chicago did use a fourth-round pick on Roschon Johnson during the previous offseason.
Khalil Herbert, an experienced player, was also quite helpful all season long.
Based on a cursory examination, Johnson and Herbert appear to be the Bears’ starting running back tandem in 2024. There are
concerns about what Chicago could do in the backfield now that new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is part of the team.
As his time in Seattle shown, Waldron’s offense has always included strong aerial attacks combined with explosive running games to
knock opposing defenses off balance.
The Bears will have some alternatives at running back when it comes to free agents. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and other former
first-round picks will be available, as will veterans like Derrick Henry, who is seeking a third contract after joining the league in 2016.
Saquon Barkley is one of the most interesting names on the market, but getting another contract hasn’t come easily. Barkley went to
Giants training camp following rumors that surfaced during the offseason that he was unwilling to play without a new contract.
However, following a season in which New York faltered to the end, concerns are already being raised about what lies ahead for the
second overall choice in the 2018 NFL Draft. Barkely’s teammates would be thrilled to have him back in the locker room. However, the
issues go beyond what the players may think.
There are concerns regarding Barkley’s future as general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll begin their third season in
charge in The Big Apple. Teams will be most concerned about his health because he is 27 years old.
He has battled a chronic ankle injury and an ACL tear since joining the league in 2018. Only twice in his career has the former Penn
State player participated in a full season.
He averaged 3.9 yards per carry in 2023, with 14 starts, 962 rushing yards, and six touchdowns. Although Barkley’s individual output
declined in 2023, teams will undoubtedly take that into account when evaluating Barkley for a long-term contract, even as New York’s
offense took a step back.
For Jacobs, a former first-round pick, everything appears bleak due to a new front office and coaching staff in Las Vegas, a guy who
has been the center of the Raiders offense for the last five seasons.
Like his rival Saquon Barkley, Jacobs has demonstrated that he can contribute to any offensive line and is searching for a long-term
contract. Owner Mark Davis is prepared to make financial investments in order to turn
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