The Chicago Bears may be entering a new era, but there's still plenty of work to do as part of the rebuild.
Chicago believes it has found the face of the franchise in Caleb Williams at quarterback, and has done a solid job surrounding him with skill players. The defense has a lot of promise as well, as the Bears have drafted well at linebacker and corner in the past few seasons.
However, keeping Williams upright will be paramount to the Bears' success, and the offensive line the rookie will inherit doesn't look great on paper. The biggest hole appears to be center, where Ryan Bates is listed as the current starter over Coleman Shelton.
While one of those two six-year veterans could prove serviceable in 2024, the Bears would be wise to look for an upgrade at the position for next season. And there aren't many better options than a four-time Pro Bowler.
On Monday, Bleacher Report's Scouting Department predicted the Bears to land Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly in 2025 free agency. Kelly was the Colts' first-round pick in 2016, and has spent his entire NFL career in Indy.
"Center is arguably the biggest weakness on Chicago's roster right now," the authors said. "While Kelly, who turns 32 in May, won't have a long tenure with the club, he can make sure Williams stays upright after allowing just seven pressures in 2023, per Pro Football Focus."
In addition to his four Pro Bowls, Kelly was a second-team All-Pro in 2020. The ninth-year veteran has started 111 games in his career, blowing just 1.6% of his blocks and accruing 184 total points earned, per Sports Info Solutions.
If the Bears want to ensure a long, productive career for Caleb Williams, having a steady hand like Kelly snapping him the ball would be an excellent place to start. And with a projected $73 million in 2025 cap space (Spotrac), they'd have plenty of room for Kelly on their payroll.
Of course, Kelly may well have other offers. But the Bears could do a lot to sway his decision to come to Chicago with another four-win jump like the one they had a season ago.
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