LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears have signed top free agent center Drew Dalman, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 26-year-old former Falcon completes an overhaul of the Bears’ interior offensive line after Poles and company jumped the market by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.
Schefter reports that it’s a 3-year, $42 million dollar deal with $28 million guaranteed.
Dalman was considered the best free agent center available and the Falcons likely could not resign him due to cap space issues from Kirk Cousins’ contract and extending OL Jake Matthews.
Dalman was a 2021 fourth-round pick out of Stanford.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) uses an overall analytic grade for every player and listed Dalman as the fourth-best center in 2024 and the second-best in 2023.
According to Sportstrac, the Bears entered Monday with $37.7 million free in cap space after the trades, good for 18th in the league.
With the overhaul of the interior line, the offensive line decision in the first round of the draft will come down to if Poles and Johnson want to replace left tackle Braxton Jones. Jones rated as the 20th best offensive tackle in football last year, according to PFF.
It’s clear offensive line was a massive priority for the Bears’ brass after Caleb Williams was sacked the most times in the league with 68.
They could turn their attention to the defensive line with the 10th pick if Michigan’s Mason Graham falls to them.
The legal tampering period kicked off at 11 a.m. and goes through Tuesday.