Chicago Bears: 2018 NFL free agency preview, predictions

The Chicago Bears face free agency in a matter of weeks. They need to make big decisions to improve the roster. We take a look at some possible moves and make predictions.

The NFL is about to be in the spotlight again in a matter of weeks. The 2018 season begins on March 14 at 4:00 p.m. ET, which means free agency begins. Teams get their first crack at redoing their roster (April 26-28 is their second opportunity). The Chicago Bears are among those teams looking to improve.

After a 5-11 season, the Bears obviously have plenty of needs on both offense and defense. There are also players who played last season who are free agents. The front office needs to decide which of those players they re-sign.

Of course, protecting quarterback Mitch Trubisky and giving him weapons to throw to is general manager Ryan Pace’s top priority. He made the big move to move up to draft him in 2017 so he wants the youngster to succeed. In fact, Pace’s job may depend on Trubisky. Pace already gave Trubisky a coaching staff specifically brought in to help in his development. Now he needs to give him the pieces on the field.

While the offense is a big priority, the Bears cannot forget about the defense. The Bears need to improve their pass rush. Also, the cornerback unit is filled with free agents and Pace needs to decide who to re-sign and who to bring in to improve that spot.

This is perhaps the most important offseason in recent Bears history. They are at a crossroad. Even with a 14-34 record over the past three seasons, the team showed promise in 2017. The moves made during this period could keep the upward trajectory or bury the team for seasons to come.

Pace already made some moves to the roster earlier this week. He cut linebacker Jerrell Freeman and declined the option on guard Josh Sitton. Let the games begin!

Here is the Chicago Bears free agency preview and some predictions on possible moves: