Bear Digest

A Bears personnel inventory aimed at getting what they really need

What the Bears have and what they need isn't necessarily a specific player but players with various qualities and here's what they should look for at the combine and in free agency.

Gene Chamberlain

Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten breaks away for a TD against Virginia. Tuten could rate among the combine's fastest runners.
Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten breaks away for a TD against Virginia. Tuten could rate among the combine's fastest runners. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
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Before the Bears start talking and scouting at the NFL Scouting Combine, they need to do what everyone does prior to major shopping excursions.

After all, that is what free agency and the NFL draft essentially are.

They need to determine what exactly they'll be looking for in the offseason, whether it's specific position or qualities.

To do this, first you need to take inventory.

Assuming all of their unsigned free agents this late in the game will make it into the marketplace—and that's not a big assumption—then here's what the checklist reveals is in the Bears' pantry.

Bears Depth Shortage

For the sake of sheer numbers and to fill out roster spots so they can hold a veteran's minicamp, they need to have their eyes at the combine and in free agency on running backs, tight ends, guards, defensive tackles, defensive end and wide receivers.

The roster has three running backs, and one is Ian Wheeler who is coming off an ACL tear. They're not going into a veteran's minicamp with two or three running backs.

Getting rid of DeMarcus Walker while the contracts of Darrell Taylor and Jake Martin expire leave the Bears with a deplete stock of edge rushers.

Dominique Robinson, Austin Booker and Jamree Kromah currently are the ones currently expected to take pressure of Montez Sweat. Good luck with that

The only tight end of three on the roster now who has played in the NFL is Cole Kmet. Joel Wilson and Jordan Murray are only household names in the Wilson and Murray homes.

The desire to come up with guards on the offensive line is well documented and often repeated, and it is possible they could sign backup Matt Pryor to return. Nevertheless, it's unsafe to assume this, and even if he did they only have two true guards under contract. One of those was more well known last year for his underwear than his play. That's Theo Benedet, the Canadian Eagle from HBO Hard Knocks fame. The other is Jordan McFadden, a  player who was in 13 games for the Chargers in two seasons. The Bears picked him up after the season ended.

You can also count Ryan Bates at this point. He has yet to be cut for cap purpose and he has to be considered with the centers and guards both.

While they have two wide receiver starters, the rest of the group hardly instills confidence in case of injury to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.

Tyler Scott is the best of the rest and just completed a season with one catch and one target. Samori Toure, Caleb Williams' college buddy John Jackson and former Lions practice squad player Maurice Alexander complete their receiver group.

For the pure sake of depth, the Bears will be watching possible additions in the combine and free agency at all levels of players.

Slow Pokes

Ben Johnson's offense really took off in Detroit once he had a running back who ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, Jahmyr Gibbs, and wide receiver Jameson Williams with good health. Jameson was said to have run a 4.25-second 40, although he never timed at the combine. He claims to have 4.1 speed.

It still worked in his first season before he had Gibbs and when Jameson couldn't play due to injury, but the speed is critical.

The Bears need more speed, whether it's on offense or defense. They need speed at safety because Dennis Allen will play single-safety high at times in man-to-man coverage. They can't complain about the speed of Odunze, who ran 4.45. Scott had a 4.44 combine time. Those are all solid times.

Yet, the Bears have a defensive end, Sweat, who ran faster in the 40 at the combine than any of their wide receivers. He officially ran 4.41. D'Andre Swift (4.48) didn't run as fast, either.

It's obvious what the Bears need to be doing and that's watching the 40 times. They need to get Johnson a very fast weapon, besides the linemen everyone knows they need.

The wide receivers expected to challenge the stop watches are Georgia's Arian Smith, Baylor's Monaray Baldwin, Texas' Isaiah Bond and Virginia's Chris Tyree

There are running backs who show this type of speed, like Rayshon Luke from Arizona and Oregon's Tez White, but both are smurf types, Luke at 5-9, 172 and Johnson 5-9, 156.

Tennessee's Dylan Sampson is said to have run 4.32 seconds in a 40 in the past. Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten can't be ruled out and TreVeyon Henderson from Ohio State will be heard from, too.

Star Power

The Bears' stock of star power is awfully low. Caleb Williams and Odunze are supposed to be it but haven't reached it yet. Moore is there but hasn't even made a Pro Bowl. Jaylon Johnson and Sweat are the stars and made Pro Bowls but they're on defense.

They are really hurting on the offensive line for players at this elite level. Darnell Wright could be it, and he might reach there this year. No one else on the O-line qualifies.

Some of this might be Ryan Poles' fault. Some might be the fault of their past coaching staff for failing to develop players.

Poles needs to find linemen for two reasons. They can afford Williams and Odunze opportunities to realize stardom, and they can become stars in their own right.

The Bears won't reach playoff level until they start locating these special players that have eluded them in the draft under GMs Poles, Ryan Ryan Pace and even Phil Emery.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.