The Super Bowl is now behind us. The league crowned its champion. The attention turns to the offseason. The Chicago Bears have some holes to fill in order to contend for a playoff spot.
The new NFL league year begins at 4PM Eastern on March 13th. With it comes free agency. Teams look at available players who could help them win games. While general manager Ryan Poles continually says he wants to build through the draft, picking up free agents can help complement the draft picks. In addition, selecting a free agent could be a better option than some of the available prospects.
The Chicago Bears have a huge hole in the middle of the offensive line. Here are three centers that could help plug that hole.
One of the holes for the Bears is at center. They had Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick at the position. However, both of them struggled to succeed. Patrick is a free agent but it seems that Poles will look elsewhere for help. Poles had high hopes for him when he signed him in 2022. Injuries took a tool, though, and derailed him. Now he looks a step slower.
Whitehair is still under contract. However, he has a salary cap hit of $13.25 millon. With his age and struggles, that is not something the Bears want to dish out. If they part ways with him, they can save $9.15 million to $10.25 million. That chunk of change adds to the already nice $46.9 million in available cap space.
We recently had a list of available center prospects in this year's draft. Here is a list of free agent centers that could help. Keep in mind, though, that this could change as the new league year begins and teams place franchise tags or make cuts.
Lloyd Cushenberry, Denver Broncos
Lloyd Cushenberry has been a starter with the Denver Broncos since they drafted him in the third round of the 2020 draft. He is a great example of how hard work pays off. He took his lumps as he gained experience and learned at the pro level. It culminated with a career year in 2023.
Pro Football Focus had Cushenberry as the ninth-best center in the league (among 39 qualifiers). As a pass protector, he had the second-highest ranking (78.8). The last sack he allowed came in Week 6. Additionally, he gave up just six pressures all season.
The Chicago Bears interior line had trouble up the middle giving up sacks and pressure. Quarterback Justin Fields was flushed out and there were many times he did not have time to find open receivers. Having a good anchor up the middle gives Fields or whoever is the quarterback some confidence to stay in the pocket,
Cushenberry could be the top center available in free agency. The Broncos would love to keep him but their financial difficulties might prevent that. They are currently $24.1 million over the salary cap. Moreover, they have cornerback Patrick Surtain II and offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz who could be bigger priorities. In fact, Meinerz played center so he could step in if the Broncos have to use him.
Aaron Brewer, Tennessee Titans
At $67.8 million under the salary cap, the Tennessee Titans have plenty of space to pick up free agents. However, they need to completely overhaul their offensive line. Aside from Peter Skoronski, the starting lineup has to be replaced.
That would include center Aaron Brewer. He had a tough time last season. However, if Poles is looking for a backup interior lineman he could be of help. He has experience at not only center but also both guard spots. If the Bears retain Teven Jenkins, they need to have a contingency plan. Jenkins has shown that he cannot stay healthy. He will miss multiple games so having a capable backup is imperative.
Additionally, he has other experience that could be helpful.
Brewer has experience playing with current Chicago Bears right guard Nate Davis. Furthermore, he has experience in the wide zone blocking scheme. Jason Houghtaling, the current Chicago Bears assistant offensive line coach, worked with Brewer in Tennessee. Being comfortable with a coach and a teammate helps in becoming better.
Coleman Shelton, Los Angeles Rams
Coleman Shelton is a name that hasn't been on many free agent lists. He was under contract but had a clause in it that triggered free agency if he played in 55 percent of the offensive snaps. He played in 97 percent of them.
Shelton has experience playing in Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's system. Waldron was the passing game coordinator and Shelton was a backup center together in 2020 with the Los Angeles Rams. Waldron brings with him the same system the Rams have.
Additionally, Shelton brings experience in making a Super Bowl run. The Rams won it all in 2021. That would be good for an up-and-coming team like the Bears. This is a young team that could learn what it takes to play in and win big games. There were plenty of close games in 2023 the Bears lost late.
At 6-foot-4 and 299 pounds some feel Shelton is a bit light. However, with the wide zone blocking scheme the offense needs an athletic center who can move quickly and at times get to the second level. Shelton is quick and athletic and is a good fit with the Bears. The offensive line is transitioning to being a younger unit. Shelton, at 28, is still young, and has plenty of experience to help the Chicago Bears win some games.