The Chicago Bears overhauled the entire interior offensive line in a matter of a week, which includes the trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as the signing of center Drew Dalman in free agency.
Dalman, who was a top-five graded center with the Atlanta Falcons, was considered the best available center on the free agent market, and he had a number of suitors entering free agency. But he was looking for something specific when choosing his new home.
“The things that are most important to me with football [are] about the culture that I’m playing in and the people I’m playing next to, the vision for the team as a whole,” Dalman said during his introductory press conference. “All those things were top of mind for me as far as finding the next home.”
Dalman said that learning the Bears checked those boxes “gave me a lot of confidence in the decision and made this place really appealing.” Plus, there’s something about being the NFL’s charter franchise that intrigued him.
“On top of that, the Bears are a historic team, and this is an awesome town,” he said. “That’s something I think everyone wants to be a part of. It’s made the whole thing really, really enticing for me.”
The Bears are ushering in a new era with head coach Ben Johnson, who comes to Chicago with a new direction and looking to get this team back to its winning ways. And there are pieces in place, including quarterback Caleb Williams, that inspires confidence that the tide might soon be changing.
