The Chicago Bears have a lot of work to do this off-season when it comes to upgrading the roster. After the first offseason with general manager Ryan Poles was focused on cleaning up the roster and salary cap, this offseason will be about adding talent around their foundational pieces. Offensively, that means improving the supporting cast around quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields showed some real signs of growth in his second season in the NFL. He improved across the board when it came to his production, looking more and more comfortable as the season moved along.
What Fields was able to accomplish in 2022 was quite impressive given the circumstances. He was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL, getting taken down 55 times. The skill-position groups around him were lacking, to say the least.
Despite that, he fell just short of breaking Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record, which was 1,206 yards. Fields finished with 1,143 in 15 games as he led a truly dominant run game. Looking to put some talent around him, could the Bears have a new starting running back in 2023?
One former NFL executive that spoke to NFL Analysis Network certainly thinks so. They believe that one of the moves that the Bears will make in free agency is a splash signing at the running back position to upgrade the backfield.
“Josh Jacobs is going to have a massive market with quite a few contenders interested. However, I think he’ll end up in Chicago. They will build an elite offense around Justin Fields this year and Jacobs will be a key part of doing that.”
With David Montgomery hitting free agency this offseason, this NFL executive believes the Bears are going to replace him with Josh Jacobs. Jacobs, who had his fifth-year option declined by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2022 offseason, is set to cash in as a free agent this year.
Jacobs led the NFL with 1,653 yards, adding 12 rushing touchdowns. His 393 total touches and 2,053 yards from scrimmage also led the league. The Alabama product has put himself in a great spot when it comes to cashing in and maximizing his value.
Armed with the most cap space in the league this offseason, the Bears are going to be able to throw their weight around a little bit in free agency. They should make some aggressive offers to improve the roster and start climbing out of their rebuild. Jacobs would make for an intriguing target, offering an upgrade over Montgomery and another explosive option to take advantage of offensively.
More must-reads: