Roster Move: Bears sign elite center to $48 million deal

Rich Barnes - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 3 hours ago

Apparently, the NFL tampering period took on a whole new meaning this season. Not only did teams take this period seriously when negotiating with new players, but several massive deals were reached today, which hold merit for the future.

Even if none of these deals officially become official until Wednesday, the deals reached today will more often than not hold true when things begin on Wednesday. The Chicago Bears have already had a successful offseason, but they also wanted to get in on the fun and found their center of the future in Drew Dalman, as the two sides reached a three-year, 42 million dollar contract.

The former Falcon was the top free-agent center on the market, and the Bears made it a point to target him right from the start and officially inked a deal with him. Add in the trades for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, and the Bears will have one of the most, if not the most, improved interior lines in the game, which has to be a pleasant sight for Caleb Williams.

Offensive line depth has always been an issue for this team, even when they tried to make things work. Take last season, for example, when Ryan Poles made an effort to add to the line but signed veteran pieces who were more of the reserve type.

The problem was that most of that depth was indeed depth, as very few of their off-season pickups were starting-caliber players. Ryan Bates was the lone exception, but with a league-high 68 sacks allowed, plenty of wholesale changes are on the way.

Adding the players they have already added is a clear indication that Poles is finally addressing the offensive line, and Dalman is the exclamation point for that thus far. Chicago has desperately needed a center for quite some time, and that need was further proven after cutting ties with Cody Whitehair ahead of last season. This may be the least talked about spot on the entire line, but it takes a great center to make an offensive line unit great, as their communication with the quarterback is crucial.

This is why acquiring Dalman was so cruical as the Bears not only have the best center on the market, but someone who will be around for several years and can build up some communication with Williams. Seen as the 26th-best free agent this offseason, the 2021 fourth-round pick has been with the Falcons since day one and has emerged as one of the best centers in the game despite not getting the attention he deserves.

A bit undersized in height (6-3), Dalman makes up for it in size as he weighs 304 pounds and comes with impressive strength. That strength comes in hand with the Falcons' style of offense, and that alone is the biggest reason why the Bears wanted to bring him to Chicago as they play a similar offensive style.

According to PFF, Dalman’s 78.8 PFF overall grade ranked fourth among centers in 2024, and his 82.3 overall grade in 2023 ranked third among centers. Compare that to where the Bears centers have ranked in recent seasons; there is no comparison, as Dalman would put even Whitehair's best season to shame.

Playing in a pass-heavy offense like the Falcons', you would like his pass-blocking to be better, but he has continued to grow into a complete pass-blocker over the past two seasons. His run-blocking ability stands out, as Dalman is not only the best run-blocking center in the game but also one of the best run-blocking linemen in this year's class.

For a team desperate for a center, Dalman is the perfect fit for the Bears. His addition will make the Bears a real threat in the NFC. Not only have they drastically changed the entire interior of their offensive line, but they did it by adding quality pieces with proven track records, as the Bears are hungrier than ever to return to greatness.