Given that it can be difficult to find multiple OL starters in the same draft and Ryan Poles is hesitant to spend big on individual players in free agency, do you think the Bears will focus on signing less expensive linemen and maybe forgoing Trey Smith? Specifically, could Drew Dalman become a priority free-agency signing at center coupled with someone like Brandon Scherff at right guard? The team could follow up by using its first three draft picks on OL, DL and RB.— Tim T.

I agree it can be challenging to find multiple starters on the offensive line in the same draft class, certainly as rookies. It’s supply and demand, and there’s a long list of teams with O-line needs. I would push back on the idea Poles is hesitant to spend big in free agency. The Bears gave middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds a four-year, $72 million contract in free agency two years ago, and they haven’t hesitated to be in the market for other top players who didn’t wind up signing with them.

Let’s not pretend like signing Dalman would be a budget move either. He’s going to be the best center to hit the market, provided the cap-strapped Atlanta Falcons don’t re-sign him. The Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey is the league’s highest-paid center, earning $18 million per season. Four other centers are at or above $12 million annually, topped by the Detroit Lions’ Frank Ragnow ($13.5 million). I wouldn’t be surprised if Dalman aims to slot in just above Ragnow.

It’s difficult to forecast how the puzzle will be put together. We’re a month away from the start of free agency. I could envision a scenario in which the Bears sign two offensive linemen in free agency and add one with a premium draft pick — one of their first two selection. They also could double down on offensive linemen by taking two in their first three picks and signing two veterans in free agency.

If Smith doesn’t reach free agency or the Bears don’t land him, there’s a long list of experienced guards they could consider. Scherff, 33, is probably older than they would want to consider, at least as a Plan B. You’re talking about more of a stop-gap measure than a building block.

Will the Bears be interested in signing free agent Khalil Mack? Do you think he has enough juice left to be considered a counterpart to Montez Sweat at end? — Pat R., Chicago

Mack’s production dipped to six sacks this past season for the Los Angeles Chargers after he had 17 in 2023. He turns 34 this month and I believe he has another year or two of quality production, provided he’s not on the field too much. Mack is set to enter free agency for the first time in his career, and I can’t imagine he’d be looking to suit up for cheap in 2025.

“I don’t want to go out with a loss based on who I am,” he told reporters in Los Angeles after the Chargers’ final regular-season game. “I definitely want to make that push and play some important games in the playoffs.”

I’m not sure he would view the Bears, coming off a five-win season, as a team that’s prepared to make a playoff push this year, but maybe they could make a compelling pitch to him. I’d imagine Mack will draw solid interest in free agency because, while some marquee edge rushers are rumored to be potential trade candidates, the list of free agents is underwhelming.

Mack wouldn’t solve any of the Bears’ long-term issues, and my thinking is they would prefer to pursue options with more runway. Unless Ryan Poles feels pressure to try to turn the Bears around immediately — and I don’t get the sense that is the situation — I would be surprised if they were interested in paying significant money to a player as old as Mack.

Remember, the same front office traded Mack for pretty cheap back in 2022. But if the Bears believe he can give them 20-plus sacks over two seasons and make Sweat better, who knows? Maybe there’s a chance for a deal.

Do you see Tremaine Edmunds as a cap casualty? Not a lot of difference-making production for a big cap number that could be used elsewhere. — @jeg_gregory

That would be a bit of a surprise to me, especially after Ben Johnson praised the team’s linebackers — alluding to Edmunds and T.J. Edwards — at his introductory news conference. I don’t think Edmunds was as good in 2024 as he was in 2023, but you could say that about almost every player on the defense.

The Bears could save about $4.4 million against the cap if they released Edmunds, but it’s not like they need cap space right now. They have other players whose releases would clear more space. If they cut tight end Gerald Everett and defensive end DeMarcus Walker, they would add nearly $11 million in space.

They don’t have a replacement for Edmunds on the roster, and I don’t know that they would find an upgrade with the $4.4 million in savings. I think he’ll be on the team with the hope that a new scheme and an improved defensive line would better showcase his talents.

Is there a scenario where you see the Bears trading up in the first round of this draft? — @gil_irizarry715

Phone lines always will be open, but it’s pointless to discuss this a month before free agency begins. You can’t rule out the possibility, but my hunch is the odds are slim the Bears would trade up. It would take the right player being available within a short distance of No. 10 for the Bears to make the move without eroding a lot of their draft capital.

Who is that player? You’d be taking a stab in the dark. There aren’t a lot of super-high-end prospects in this class, or at least that’s the popular thinking right now. So I’m sure there could be teams interested in trading back.

Where would the ideal trading-back spot be? — @togatogatoga87

It’s rare when I get a question about the Bears staying put and not trading a first-round pick. They’re coming off a lousy 5-12 season, the kind of record that usually results in a better pick than No. 10. They need difference makers. I think chances are greatest they stay put.

As I said above, phone lines are always open and if there’s an enticing offer, it could be something to consider. Some folks really like the depth of this draft, saying there isn’t a lot of difference among players in the range of, say, No. 15 to No. 40 or so. If that’s the prevailing thought when the draft rolls around, trading back might be difficult. I think the Bears are best off staying at No. 10 and getting the highest-graded lineman (offense or defense) on their board.

If Ian Cunningham were to accept a GM role with Jacksonville, do you believe Ryan Poles would fill his vacancy? Do you know who he might have in mind if so? — @mdourlain

Jeff King, who originally joined the Bears as a scouting intern in 2015 and was hired as a pro scout in 2016, has slowly climbed the ranks and is likely the next man up. King was promoted last year to senior director of player personnel and was one of the trusted advisers Poles had on the search committee for a new coach.

The Bears haven’t always had an assistant GM and some teams don’t have one. If the Jaguars hire Cunningham, who remains in the running for that job, I’d expect King to be promoted.

Do you think Ricky Stromberg could be a surprise under-the-radar candidate for the center spot if he’s healthy going into camp? — Scott D.

That seems unlikely. Stromberg, whom the Bears signed to the practice squad in November, would be in the mix to start only if Plans A, B and maybe C fall through or something unexpected happens.

As I have written a couple of times, it’s not a good draft for the position. Unless you like the idea of drafting North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel relatively high and moving him to center, there’s probably not a premium center in the draft. My hunch is the Bears will make center a priority in free agency and attempt to end what has been sort of an annual revolving door at the position.

In that scenario, Stromberg perhaps would have a shot to compete for a job as a backup, but he wouldn’t be in the mix to start. He was signed to a reserve/future contract, so he is on the 90-man roster.