The Bears have a big offseason ahead, with valuable assets to upgrade a five-win team that sure seems to have potential for massive improvement in a flash.

They’ve got the talented quarterback in Caleb Williams. They’ve got the offensive wizard in head coach Ben Johnson. They’ve got a top 10 pick and three selections in the first 41.

RELATED CONTENT:

• State of the Bears: Biggest strengths; Contract moves; Biggest needs; Salary-cap situation
• NFL mock draft roundup: Bears get Myles Garrett for No. 10 overall (and more)
• Bears 2025 offseason primer: Salary Cap, NFL draft picks, key dates and more
• Bair Mail: On Keenan Allen, Braxton Jones and NFL draft depth

Oh, and they have a giant roll of cold, hard cash. General manager Ryan Poles and Johnson have roughly $55 million in effective salary-cap space, a number OverTheCap.com derives from signings of 51 players – the Bears haven’t reached that number yet – and contracts for each player in NFL draft slots assigned to the Bears.

That’s, you know, a lot. Spending wisely, however, is key. A bad contract saddles a team with more trouble than a bad draft pick – the mistake resonates but doesn’t have dead money attached – so Poles and Johnson must spend wisely.

And while we look at that number and assume it’s all available for those on the open market, some simply must get earmarked for Kyler Gordon. Paying your own is important, and is key to building trust between the front office and the locker room. You can’t let the good ones walk out the front door, and Gordon’s a legit talent and locker-room presence. He also plays a position that’ll come with a hefty franchise tag number and isn’t getting any worse, so locking him up right now is a smart play.

So let’s ink Gordon and drop the cap space number down some. How should the Bears spend the large chunk of cash remaining, knowing they’ve got a quarterback on a rookie deal for three-plus seasons? They can go big right now, and probably should. They’ve also got some stars locked up on both sides of the ball, with areas of need at premium positions. That includes pass rusher and the interior offensive line.

Here are some options the Bears could explore on the open market. You won’t find all the top talents on this list, but a blueprint for how the Bears can go big at spots and find cheaper solutions at others.

But first, we go big at an often-undervalued position:

OG Trey Smith (Kansas City)

Going big on an offensive guard isn’t always done. While money given to the position is relatively new, things are getting expensive in the guard market. This would be a sign that the Bears are going big and properly investing in the offensive line, as the Lions often did when Johnson was in Detroit.

The Bears can’t miss when pondering an investment that spotrac.com estimates could cost $19.97 million per season, possibly on a four-year deal worth $78-ish million in sum. Smith seems like someone who makes the entire front better and would be a true tone setter in the run game. That’s what the Bears need up front, and an individual who could anchor the left guard spot and pair well with Braxton Jones or a top 10 pick.

C Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis)

The Bears need a veteran to help Caleb Williams with the mental part of the game, someone who can command a room from Day 1. The center market is pretty thin and the draft class isn’t much better, so this might be an area to splurge on a short-term deal with a higher AAV. The Bears need a talented a smart individual, someone who could be a leader up front. Kelly is all of those things.

OG Kevin Zeitler (Detroit)

This would be a stopgap solution, especially if the Trey Smith market soars or the Chiefs tag him. Johnson could use an ambassador from Detroit, and the veteran could vouch for him and help with those learning a new system. Zeitler would provide leadership and real value if the Bears generally decide you go young up front.

DE Chase Young (New Orleans)

This is someone new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen already knows, a talente former top 10 pick who hasn’t quite lived up to expectation. There’s surely hope for better, and Young could at least be a rotational piece to join the position group and pair well with a pass rusher taken in the second-round of the draft, where the Bears could splurge on a higher-rated individual in a deep class of pass rushers.

DE Josh Sweat (Philadelphia)

There’s no way the Bears can reel Smith and Sweat in at the same time, though he could be an option if the team doesn’t land what I believe should be their top target. This is a 27-year-old who could be a real threat opposite Montez Sweat at a position that’s worth paying the big bucks.

If this happens, expect the Bears to go super heavy in the NFL draft. Sweat’s postseason performance surely drove his market price up, but he could be worth it if the Bears don’t land a top offensive lineman, which should be its primary focus.

RB Nick Chubb (Cleveland)

I get it. Nick Chubb is 29 and still recovering from a serious injury and hasn’t yet shown that he’ll return to elite form. But he might. And that’s worth a flyer, considering he could be the “Knuckles” from the Lions mold, someone who can be a thumper and split time with D’Andre Swift, who has a relatively immoveable contract in 2025.

If he turns into the Chubb of old or even a close facsimile, the Bears are winners. If he’s not, they have Swift and Roschon Johnson available to carry the ball. Chubb has an estimated $3.3 million annual value, definitely worth the flyer either as a producer or a leader of a position group.

WR Brandin Cooks (Dallas)

The Bears need a blazer, and while he’s 31 years old, Cooks can still book it. That would add a new element to the receiver corps and could round out a position group that would center on DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Adding a veteran could even be valuable if Keenan Allen comes back or not. Cooks could probably be had on a one-year deal, which could help the 2025 club without hurting things down the road.

Submit your Bears questions and comments below for inclusion in the next Wednesday mailbag. 👇