3 Bears free agent signings that would ruin the offseason

The NFL offseason is finally here. Gone are the sins of the past, and in their place is a renewed sense of optimism for each team that next season could be the one. Chicago Bears fans have a lot they'd like to leave in the past, and now that Ben Johnson has been hired to be the team's new head coach, there's a growing sense within the fanbase that the franchise finally knows what it's doing.

Wishes and dreams are nice, but they don't win football games. The Philadelphia Eagles just proved that, as their superior roster suffocated the two-time defending Kansas City Chiefs en route to a blowout Super Bowl win. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman deserves an enormous amount of credit for the way he constructed the team, and the job he's done will have many other general managers around the league attempting to follow suit.

Bears GM Ryan Poles would be wise to learn from Roseman, especially after second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter, whom the Eagles acquired after a draft day trade with the Bears in 2023, was such a major part of a defensive line that hounded Patrick Mahomes into sacks, interceptions and incompletions up until garbage time.

Jalen Hurts may have won Super Bowl MVP, but it was the offensive and defensive lines that made the biggest difference in the game. The Bears haven't built from the trenches out in decades, but it's high time they start. That's what this offseason needs to be about, unlike last year when Poles focused mostly on the skill positions.

With that in mind, let's think not only about what kinds of players the Bears should be looking to sign once March 12th hits. Poles also needs to keep in mind which players to avoid. Whether they play a position that the Bears shouldn't be prioritizing, or they're a bad fit for another reason, here are three players the Bears and their $63 million in cap space should steer clear of.

Cam Robinson

The Bears need a lot of help on the offensive line, and many fans have expressed a desire to move on from Braxton Jones at left tackle. While I can understand the sentiment because Jones is league-average at best and left tackle is such a premium position, Poles' focus really needs to be on the interior line instead.

Teven Jenkins is a free agent after four years in Chicago, and his checkered injury history makes re-signing him a risky play. Other guards are available, such as the Chiefs' Trey Smith, but he'll command top dollar on the open market. Still, it's an investment that would make sense for the Bears after Caleb Williams was sacked more times than any quarterback in the league in his rookie season.

If the Bears do sign someone to replace or at least compete with Jones, it shouldn't be Cam Robinson. The 29-year-old was traded by the Jaguars midseason, which is the first red flag, and then he didn't put his best foot forward once he joined the Vikings. I can't get the image of him being turned into a human turnstile against the Rams in the playoffs out of my head.

Robinson gave up 12 pressures and a sack in that game, just one week after the Lions beat him consistently in the regular season finale. Both games resulted in lopsided losses in which the Vikings once-vaunted offense only put up nine points.

Teams don't just trade away franchise left tackles, and if Robinson was one, he would have shown up when it mattered most in Minnesota. I'd rather see the Bears draft a tackle or just stick with Jones rather than sign him.

Haason Reddick

The Eagles proved that the surest way to beat a great quarterback is to get consistent pressure with your front four. The Bears were mediocre at doing that this past season, which makes finding an edge rusher a top priority.

There are quite a few defensive ends on the market that could make new Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's job easier. Josh Sweat is coming off a phenomenal Super Bowl performance that should have earned him MVP consideration. Chase Young is still a disruptive force, and he played for Allen in New Orleans last year. Even a reunion with Khalil Mack could make sense.

One player that I'd like to see the Bears stay far away from is Haason Reddick. The former disgruntled Eagle got traded to the Jets last offseason and then held out until Week 8, and when he did finally decide to play, he was nearly invisible, registering just one sack (really, two half-sacks) in 10 games.

Reddick's production was nonexistent last year, and his lack of judgment and inflated sense of self-worth in holding out makes him a bad cultural fit for a team that's trying to turn over a new leaf. The Bears need accountability and a team-first attitude now that the Matt Eberflus era is over, and Reddick isn't a guy that fits that mold.

Diontae Johnson

Along the same lines, keep Diontae Johnson as far from my team as possible. This guy went from the Panthers to the Ravens to the Texans all in the span of about a month, and he made himself look worse at every new stop.

Johnson caught one ball in four games with Baltimore, but his brief stint with the team is mostly known for his refusal to enter a game against the Eagles in Week 13. He was asked to go in after Rashod Bateman was injured, but unhappy with his role and lack of playing time, he declined.

Johnson then picked up with another playoff team, the Texans, and quickly wore out his welcome there, again because he was upset over his lack of usage. He was cut before the playoffs, which is even crazier considering the Texans had already lost Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell for the season. I can understand, to a degree, how a player could be discontent playing for one of the worst teams in the league. But if you can't make it work in Baltimore with John Harbaugh or in Houston with DeMeco Ryans, that's a you problem, buddy.

Keep Johnson and his negative energy far away from Caleb Williams, please and thank you. He'd clearly be behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the depth chart, so the same issues are sure to crop up. The Bears don't need a malcontent.

As we said above, the Bears need to address the trenches on both sides of the ball first and foremost this offseason. Bringing Keenan Allen back at a reasonable price could make sense, but in lieu of that, shopping in the bargain bin for a new third wideout is the way to go. Bringing in someone like Johnson who is talented but a constant headache is the last thing the Bears need.