3 free agents the Bears must sign to get the most out of Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams

Most times when trading in a used car, people walk out of the dealership with a newer version of basically the same thing they already had. The Chicago Bears have been like that when it comes to head coaches, continuously passing the baton from one uninspired choice to the next.

Not anymore.

General manager Ryan Poles has been under fire for how badly his last hire, Matt Eberflus, worked out. He just went and totally redeemed himself by upgrading from Eberflus to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the hottest coaching candidate on the market.

Bears fans have long wanted their favorite team to make a splashy hire, but have always been held back by ownership that seemed intent on delivering mediocrity. This is the equivalent of trading in a 25-year-old wood-paneled station wagon for a fully loaded cherry red Corvette.

This is a day of celebration for Bears fans, who've had Johnson as their consensus top choice since the moment Eberflus was fired in November. The fanbase was already feeling good about the collective playoff flameout of the rest of the NFC North — now they actually have a reason to puff out their chest that isn't purely based on schadenfreude.

Johnson's decision to join the Bears is more than just a matter of accepting a new job. He famously eschewed any head coaching jobs last offseason when he would have had no trouble being hired, so the fact that he decided that this is the right time and the Bears are the right team is the greatest compliment the Monsters of the Midway could have been paid. Johnson was also pursued by the Raiders and Jaguars, but this shows that he likes what he sees in Chicago and believes that the Bears give him the best chance to succeed.

The Bears now have the two most critical components of any great football team — the quarterback and the head coach. They also have a host of pieces in place, such as DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, DeAndre Swift and Cole Kmet, that could allow Johnson's creative offense to flourish. Now it's time to fill out the rest of the roster. Here are three free agents that Poles should sign to get the most out of Johnson's first year in charge.

Mekhi Becton would be a massive (literal and figurative) upgrade to the interior offensive line

More than any other position group, the Bears need to upgrade the offensive line. Ryan Poles has done a poor job of devoting resources to the trenches during his time as general manager, but with Johnson on board, it's time to put up or shut up.

Johnson had the best offensive line in the league in Detroit, and it's unlikely he agreed to come to Chicago without assurances that Poles would prioritize getting some protection for Caleb Williams. One option could be Kevin Zeitler, Johnson's former guard in Detroit, but Zeitler is 34, making him a short-term option at best. The Bears signed Johnson so that they could contend for years to come. This isn't a team that is in Super-Bowl-or-bust mode next year, so it would make more sense to find someone that can be around for the long haul.

Why not Mekhi Becton, who was a major part of the Eagles' dominant running game this year? Saquon Barkley deserves the MVP consideration he'll get for a phenomenal year, but he's always been great, even when stuck on those putrid Giants teams. It took a great O-line to fully unlock Saquon's superstardom.

At 6-foot-7 and 363 pounds, Becton is a monster. Bears fans would love the sight of him pancaking Packers and Vikings as he paves the way for D'Andre Swift. Given that he's missed a total of three games the last two seasons combined, his availability would make him an upgrade over the oft-injured Teven Jenkins all on its own.

Zay Jones is a great buy-low candidate to replace Keenan Allen

There are some big-time free agent receivers out there such as Tee Higgins and Amari Cooper, but with Moore and Odunze already locked up and other more pressing needs on the roster, the Bears don't need to splurge for another pass-catcher. They do need someone to replace Keenan Allen though, after the former Charger had an uneven first season in Chicago.

The Bears could choose to bring Allen back, but his untimely drops and lack of burst make it clear that his best days are far behind him. Zay Jones, who did next to nothing in Arizona this year, is going to be an overlooked name that could outperform many players that end up getting a bigger contract.

Jones was suspended for the first five games of the season for violating the NFL's personal conduct penalty, and he missed an additional week with a hamstring injury. After that, he caught only eight balls in 11 games, so there's certainly a lot of risk with counting on him to be a contributor.

Jones' invisibility this season is completely his own doing, but he should come into next training camp with a clean slate. This is a guy that still holds the NCAA records for receptions in a single season and a career, and it was just two years ago that he caught 82 balls for the Jaguars.

Jones isn't on the level of someone like Amon-Ra St. Brown, who Johnson had the good fortune to coach in Detroit. He'll be 30 by time next season starts, but he's shown that he can run the entire route tree. In Johnson's offense, he could challenge for his career-high in receptions as the Bears' slot receiver.

Trey Smith might be the most coveted offensive lineman on the market

I can think of no better way to set Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams up for success than to give them a first-class offensive line. We've already talked about Mekhi Becton as one free agent that the team should pursue, but just as the Bears swung for the fences by hiring Johnson, they should also be willing to take a huge swing on the offensive line.

Outside of Darnell Wright at right tackle and maybe Braxton Jones at left tackle, the Bears don't have anybody else on the roster that should be starting up front next year. Snagging two of the top guards available would transform this line overnight from an underperforming disaster to a real strength, and the fact that none of the players mentioned are over the age of 25 means that there would only be room to grow.

Smith could help bring some of the Chiefs' winning culture to Chicago, and though he'd no longer be protecting Patrick Mahomes, he'd be protecting the player whose skill set has most often been compared to his. Smith will be able to command a huge contract, but with the Bears having the fourth-most cap space in the league, they should be able to make it work.

Pro Football Focus ranked Smith as the 14th-best guard in football this year, and the 10th-best in the rushing game. Johnson was known for all kinds of wild trick plays and helping Jared Goff regain his mojo, but his offense was predicated first and foremost on having a strong running game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery running behind a dynamite offensive line. Signing Smith would help him replicate that success in the Windy City.