The made waves in the 2022 offseason for their glaring , even as they publicly championed the young signal-caller's future. Now, entering the 2023 offseason, perhaps no team is better positioned to make up for a lack of prior activity. It's been a half decade since Chicago last won the NFC North and even longer -- 13 years -- since the club won a playoff game. "Winning" the offseason would be just one step toward rejuvenating the franchise. But again, one thing is for certain: The Bears have the resources to at least take that step. How, exactly, are they so well suited to upgrade their lineup? And what might a home run offseason look like? We've got you covered with a breakdown of their a sets, plus a look at which moves could catapult them into contention. The Bears spent 2022, their first under general manager Ryan Poles, dumping their most lucrative salaries. Three different defensive cornerstones -- , and -- headlined the turnover, separately departing via trade. Now, Chicago enters free agency with a projected $98 million in 2023 salary cap space, . That total doesn't just lead the NFL. It blows the rest of the teams out of the water. The are No. 2 in terms of total cap space, with $66.8M, meaning there's a more than $30M gap between the Bears and their counterparts. Roughly $10M of the Bears' total will be devoted to their forthcoming rookie cla s. But no matter how you slice it, Chicago has enough flexibility to outbid everyone for any premium free agent, and/or dish out multiple lucrative contracts on the veteran market. Even better than the fact the Bears have an abundance of cap space for proven upgrades: They're well stocked with premium picks -- and primed to accumulate more. Here's a look at their full slate of projected picks in April's draft: RoundPicks in 2023 NFL Draft1 1 2 54 (from ) 36541044134 (from )51385151 (from Ravens)7221Owning the first pick in most of the rounds is a big deal itself. But the No. 1 overall pick, acquired in part due to the ' surprising late-year push, is especially golden. The Bears could stand pat and guarantee its top choice of the cla s -- Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Alabama pa s rusher Will Anderson Jr., for example, profile as instant playmakers. But the more likely scenario, considering Fields' existing presence as an ascending young QB, is Chicago auctioning the pick to teams desperate for their own homegrown quarterback. All four of the consensus top QB prospects -- Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson -- have been forecast as potential No. 1 picks. And there are far more than four teams that could easily be in the market for them, including the Texans (No. 2 overall), (4), (5), (6), (7), Falcons (8), (9). That's Morgan Cox Jersey not even accounting for teams outside the top 10 who may have reason to entertain a bold move up, such as the (11), (16), (19), (23) or (30). Simply put, if the Bears are comfortable collecting a haul to move down, they'll be able to do so. Recent history suggests that teams moving into the top three for a quarterback will overpay to do so. CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Ryan Wilson recently incorporated the following trade : The Colts acquire the Bears' No. 1 overall pick in exchange for the No. 4 pick, a 2023 second-rounder (No. 36), third-rounder (No. 80), plus 2024 first- and second-rounders. If it sounds steep from the Colts' perspective, just remember how many other teams figure to be desperate to land a crown jewel at QB. Even if it's the Texans jumping one spot to No. 1, you can bet that if the Bears move down, they will net -- at the very least -- another two first- or second-rounders. There is, of course, another scenario where the Bears can stockpile picks dealing the No. 1 pick, and it involves trading their most premium current a set: Justin Fields. Here's a simplified overview of why that would (or wouldn't) be appealing: The argument for trading Fields: With the No. 1 pick, the Bears could flip Fields for additional picks and still end up with their choice of this year's top QB prospects, some of whom at least project as more polished pa sers. Fields has been very erratic and inefficient throwing the ball (24 TDs, 21 INTs, 57.9% completion in 27 games). And it's unclear if his heavy rushing workload is sustainable, given the injuries it might invite. Fields will also be eligible for an extension starting in 2024, whereas a drafted QB would enter with a rookie contract, enabling more spending elsewhere.The argument for keeping Fields: The QB's iffy pa sing marks can at least partially be attributed to a barren supporting cast; Fields often single-handedly carried Chicago's offense in 2022, and he already looks like the NFL's most electrifying rushing QB this side of . It's conceivable that, like in Philadelphia and -- to a le ser degree -- in Miami, Fields would take big leaps as a thrower with simply better protection and weapons. He's under team control through at least 2025, and unlike the incoming rookie prospects, he's already proven he has NFL traits.The unorthodox way for the Bears to avoid prematurely marrying or divorcing Fields would be to keep Fields draft a QB early -- a sort of bigger, Marlon Humphrey Jersey bolder spin on what the Eagles did in 2020, when they spent a second-round pick on Hurts just a year after extending . But with so many resources at their disposal, right in the thick of a rebuild, Chicago probably isn't the best equipped to handle whatever drama would inevitably accompany such a gamble. The smarter bet, it seems, would be to commit to one option over another, and go all-in from there. With all that said, how might we practically govern the Bears' a sets and rebuild the lineup this offseason? Here's one idea: Trade the No. 1 pick As outlined above, it just makes too much sense. There are too many needy teams who should be willing to cough up a fortune. And while Chicago would be a nice landing spot for, say, disruptive interior man Jalen Carter, the Bears could benefit even more from multiple Day 1 and Day 2 swings over the next year or two. Commit to Fields It's a tougher call than you might think. Bryce Young, in particular, stands as out as the kind of total package on which you could roll the dice atop the draft, but it's his own durability questions, as an undersized prospect, that tips this in Fields' favor. Would C.J. Stroud give you a cleaner path to prototypical production from the pocket? Perhaps. But again, Fields has already proven he's got NFL-caliber talent; it's simply got to be polished and complemented. Even if Fields somehow flops in 2023, the Bears will likely have extra picks from the presumptive trade down from the No. 1 pick, which could be used for future QB exploration. Let the internal free agents walk Chicago has 21 of its own free agents set to hit the market. Only two of them -- running back and linebacker -- figure to draw strong immediate interest around the NFL. There's frankly no need for the Bears to prioritize either of them. Montgomery is a sturdy, hard-nosed starter, but with in tow and set to be available, they can afford to let him field other offers first. Morrow also plays a more replaceable position. Sign at least two OL/DL starters Fields badly needs more help out wide, but we'll get to that momentarily. Nothing reliably predicts NFL succe s more than the trenches, and Chicago just Matt Judon Jersey happens to require help on both sides of the ball. This is where that cap space comes into play. Offensively, the Bears' first priority should be a proven bookend. The ' would be an instant upgrade at right tackle and thrives as a run blocker, which should appeal to a Fields-led attack. The Falcons' profiles similarly, coming out of Arthur Smith's run-heavy system. The ' is a bit more of a gamble, breaking out in 2022 after a bumpy start to his career, but going on 26, he's a reasonable longer-term option at the same position. Just about any of the top free agent guards would make for nice consolation prizes: (Ravens), (Eagles), (Titans) and () all deserve to be on the radar. On defense, securing one of the top two interior free agents makes all the sense in the world: Even if you have to overpay, the Eagles' or Broncos' would inject instant credibility into Chicago's once-vaunted front. The former just turned 30, but he's in the prime of his career, logging a career-high 11 sacks as a headliner of Philly's NFC-champion pa s rush. Jones is le s proven as a full-timer and has primarily played end in a 3-4 scheme, but he's got the makings of a true building block; at 26, he's coming off his third straight season with Nico Siragusa Jersey at least 5.5 sacks and 10 QB hits on a stingy Denver "D." Acquire a No. 1 WR via trade The Bears kind of tried this midseason in 2022, dealing a second-rounder for the ' . But it quickly became apparent that Claypool, just like holdover speedster , is better suited as a No. 2/3. Unle s you've got under center, the general rule of thumb in the NFL is that you'd do well to employ a at receiver -- either a physical alpha-type, or a dynamic home-run hitter. Chicago currently has discount versions of each. The absolute dream scenario involves prying from the . The 24-year-old has been an underrated star for , with or without teammate on the field, and Cincy is already poised to pay big bucks for the Burrow-Chase pairing. Still, it's hard to envision the Bengals moving Higgins rather than, say, tagging him next offseason and cro sing that bridge then. The ' Gabriel Davis would be an intriguing bet given his 2023 age (24) and elite speed, but his mercurial turn as a full-timer in 2022 makes him more of a wild card. The Texans' also figures to be available, and he still boasts straight-line speed going on 30, but you're probably wanting a little more bang for your buck in this case. So consider these the most feasible preferences: (Buccaneers): He'll soon be 30, but he's as steady as they come, and his combo of size (6-5, 225) and downfield athleticism makes him virtually uncoverable. Entering a contract year, he's a candidate to be moved by the cap-strapped Bucs, and even as a short-term upgrade, he'd be worthwhile as a confidence booster for Fields. (49ers): Like Higgins in Cincy, he'd be a hard man to pry away from a contender. But San Francisco just paid and a blockbuster offer might intrigue a front office still searching for short- and long-term security at QB. Going on 25 and fresh off a 1,000-yard breakout as a more traditional complement to Samuel, he'd be a killer addition. (Buccaneers): A year removed from inking a $60M extension, he may be le s likely to depart Tampa Bay than Evans, but then again, maybe not, considering he was a bit le s explosive coming off injury in 2022, and that a trade would save the Bucs upwards of $30M through 2024. His experience as a do-it-all po se sion type is still valuable. (): Availability is a concern here; he's mi sed 15 games the last two years due to injury and suspension. Like Evans, he'd likely be a shorter-term rental. But Arizona will be willing to shop him as it rebuilds, and when he's active and healthy, few have more reliable routes and hands. He'd be a true safety NFL Baltimore Ravens Jersey valve for Fields. (Broncos): Not entirely di similar to Gabriel Davis, Jeudy hasn't nece sarily met recent expectations as a starter. But he'll only be 24 in 2023, and he po se ses all the tools to be an above-average threat both inside and outside. Parting with a pick or two to secure just one of these vets would go a long way to upping the offense's ceiling. Pairing one of them with yet another complementary piece in free agency -- such as (), () or (Colts) -- would be a bonus. Add a new backup QB It's a secondary item, to be sure, but an important one nonethele s. Fields' 2022 backups, Trevor Siemian and Nathan Peterman, offered neither developmental upside, emergency composure, nor the athleticism to run a Fields-esque offense. Having a locker-room mentor is one thing, but Chicago can afford to dip into a deep pool of free agent vets to improve its insurance under center, if not give Fields the smallest of summer pushes. Marcus Mariota, Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke or Gardner Minshew -- all of whom have plenty of starting experience --could make sense. Prioritize OT and DE atop the draft Back to the trenches we go. With Fields in place under center, hopefully protected by an anchor like McGlinchey or McGary and throwing to a rugged veteran like Evans or Hopkins, the Bears would be wise to pour right back into the offensive and defensive fronts in the draft. Other depth holes at RB, LB and CB can probably be filled later. Early on, presuming the team has moved down from No. 1, here are the most logical targets: Alabama pa s rusher Will Anderson Jr., Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski and Texas pa s rusher Tyree Wilson. Anderson would be in serious consideration for the top pick if it weren't for the crop of QB prospects. But he might be available even if Chicago slides to No. 4 or later, considering said quarterbacks. And he'd instantly become the top edge presence for a unit sorely lacking in pre sure-makers. Skoronski is le s likely of a top-five target, but inside the top 15, he'd offer tackle/guard versatility. Wilson, meanwhile, is widely considered the next-best edge rusher and could slide due to the QBs. None of this is to say the Bears should shy away from considering, say, an elite CB prospect for Matt Eberflus' defense, even with onboard, but when push comes to shove, you can't go wrong building a wall for your QB -- or getting after the opposing QB.