00:00Bears' urge to solve key issue early in free agency.
00:03The Chicago Bears are at a crossroads, and
00:06free agency is the moment to fix a glaring weakness, center.
00:10For years, the team has struggled to find consistency in the middle of
00:14the offensive line.
00:15Last season, Ryan Poles took a chance on Coleman Shelton.
00:18It didn't work.
00:19Too much pressure up the middle.
00:21Too many blown assignments.
00:22Too many times Caleb Williams had nowhere to go.
00:26That has to change, and it has to change fast.
00:29The Bears have assets.
00:31They have cap space.
00:32They have a front office determined to turn this team into a contender.
00:36But to do that, they need a rock solid anchor at center.
00:40That's why the Bears must target Drew Dallman or Ryan Kelly in free agency.
00:45These aren't just upgrades, they're necessities.
00:49Let's talk about Caleb Williams.
00:51The Bears are expected to draft him first overall, and if they do,
00:54protecting him is priority number one.
00:57Rookie quarterbacks struggle when they don't have a clean pocket, and
01:00interior pressure is the most disruptive force in football.
01:04A shaky center can ruin an offense.
01:06Just look at the struggles in recent years.
01:08Bad snaps, missed blocks, and failed communication.
01:12With Ben Johnson running the offense, a strong interior line is even more crucial.
01:16His scheme in Detroit relied on Frank Ragnow,
01:18one of the best centers in the league.
01:20Now Johnson comes to Chicago, and he needs his own version of Ragnow.
01:24Drew Dallman or Ryan Kelly could be that guy.
01:28A good center does more than just snap the ball.
01:31He's the brain of the offensive line.
01:33He makes protection calls, adjusts to blitzes, and keeps everything in sync.
01:38If the Bears ignore this position, it will affect everything,
01:41from the passing game, to the running game, to Caleb Williams' development.
01:45The Bears cannot afford another year of instability.
01:50Dallman is a beast in the run game.
01:51He finished as Pro Football Focus's fourth highest graded center in 2024,
01:57trailing only elite names like Creed Humphrey and Frank Ragnow.
02:00His 78.8 overall grade was no fluke.
02:03He's an exceptional run blocker, and
02:05with the Bears committed to a strong ground attack, he'd fit perfectly.
02:09He's only 26, he's entering his prime.
02:11He allowed a career low pressure rate of 3.7% last season, that's elite.
02:17But he won't come cheap.
02:19The Falcons want to keep him, and other teams will be in the mix.
02:22Projected salary, somewhere between $13 to $16 million per year.
02:27That's a steep price, but the Bears can't afford it.
02:30And more importantly, they can't afford not to make this move.
02:34The Bears need an offensive line leader, and Dallman fits that role.
02:38His ability to command the trenches, his intelligence in reading defenses, and
02:43his consistency in both run and pass blocking make him the ideal candidate.
02:47He has the potential to anchor Chicago's line for years to come.
02:52If the Bears miss out on Dallman, Ryan Kelly should be the next call.
02:56He's 31, so he's not a long term answer, but he's a rock solid veteran.
03:02He's been a pro bowler.
03:03He's been one of the best centers in the league for almost a decade.
03:08He knows what it takes to lead an offensive line.
03:12Kelly has said he wants to see what's out there in free agency.
03:15But he also mentioned he'd like to stay in Indianapolis.
03:18The Colts might be moving on, though, with Taynor Bortolini waiting in the wings.
03:22If that happens, Chicago needs to act fast.
03:25Projected salary, around $8 to $13 million per year.
03:31Not cheap, but for a short term fix, it makes sense.
03:34Williams needs protection.
03:36The Bears need leadership on the line.
03:38Kelly could provide both.
03:40His experience is invaluable.
03:43He has faced the best defensive tackles in the league and held his own.
03:47He understands the mental game as much as the physical,
03:50making pre-snap adjustments and keeping his unit aligned.
03:54For a young quarterback like Williams,
03:57having a center with that level of football IQ could be a game changer.
04:02This isn't a situation where the Bears can wait and see what happens.
04:05The free agent market at center is thin.
04:08If Chicago doesn't land Dallman or Kelly, the options drop off fast.
04:13Coleman Shelton is still out there, but we already know how that went.
04:17Beyond that, not much.
04:19And the draft doesn't offer an instant fix either.
04:22The best center prospects in 2025 aren't expected to go until the third round or
04:28later.
04:28That's a problem.
04:30The Bears have to act fast.
04:31Free agency moves quickly.
04:33And when top tier players hit the market, they don't last long.
04:37Chicago has the resources to be aggressive.
04:39They need to use them.
04:42Other teams are also looking for center upgrades.
04:44The Falcons could try to retain Dallman.
04:46The Colts might push to bring Kelly back.
04:48If the Bears hesitate, they could miss out, and
04:50then they'd be scrambling for second tier options.
04:54Let's paint a picture.
04:56Imagine Caleb Williams stepping onto the field in week one,
05:00knowing he has a reliable center in front of him.
05:05The snaps are clean.
05:08The communication is sharp.
05:11The pass protection holds up.
05:13The running game has a dominant force up the middle.
05:17Now imagine the alternative, another season of instability,
05:21another year of pressure up the middle, another season where the offense
05:25can't fully function because the interior line keeps breaking down.
05:29That can't happen, not in this new era of Bears football.
05:34A good center doesn't just help the quarterback.
05:37He helps the entire offense.
05:39The run game benefits from cleaner blocking lanes.
05:43The guards play better with a stable presence next to them.
05:46The play calling becomes more aggressive when the offensive line is reliable.
05:51Everything improves.
05:53The Bears have to make a move.
05:54Whether it's Drew Dallman or Ryan Kelly,
05:56they can't afford to go into next season with uncertainty at center.
06:00They've invested in their offensive weapons.
06:03They've got a new head coach with an elite offensive mind.
06:07They're set up for success, but only if they get this right.
06:12Pre-agency is coming fast.
06:13The Bears need to be ready.
06:14They need to be aggressive, and
06:16they need to solve this problem before it becomes a crisis.
06:19Because this isn't just another off-season move.
06:21This is the foundation for the future of the franchise.
06:24The front office has a chance to set the tone for a new era of Bears football.
06:29They've built momentum.
06:30They have a plan.
06:31Now they need to execute.
06:33If they get the center position right, everything else falls into place.
06:36Caleb Williams can thrive.
06:38The offense can function at a high level.
06:40And the Bears can finally take that step toward becoming a legitimate contender.
06:46It's time to make a statement.
06:48It's time to fix the center position once and for all.
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