Chicago Bears busy at combine in Indianapolis. Much work to do ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears may be a team down on their luck in the department of wins and losses, but when it comes to the upcoming NFL Draft and free agency, the Bears are sitting on top of the world.

The Bears are in the driver's seat when it comes to the franchise rebuild. The biggest question is whether they already have the franchise quarterback of the future in Justin Fields or that player exists in this year's draft.

Here's what is coming out of the Bears camp at the NFL scouting combine:

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The top priority for the Bears is deciding what to do with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Generally speaking, most teams in Chicago's situation are excited about grabbing their signal caller of the future.

The Bears' uniquely already have Fields in place. While trading Fields is a possibility, recent rumblings have the Bears parlaying the top pick into a player of need, as well as adding future picks and/or players by trading down.

Five of the teams picking in the top nine have expressed interest in finding a franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, making the No. 1 overall slot very valuable. Let's not forget Fields has a unique and exciting skillset, and is still only 23 years old.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles discussed his plans for the Bear's offseason at length during the NFL scouting combine Tuesday in Indianapolis, according to USA Today Sports.

The main takeaways are that while trading Justin Fields isn't out of the realm of possibility, the possibility of trading back is a more likely scenario as the Bears have needs on the defensive line, offensive line, wide receiver, linbebacker and cornerback.

Poles said he would have to be "blown away" in a trade offer for Fields and the Bears are doing their due diligence on the quarterback prospects for 2023.

He also noted no one has officially asked about the availability of Fields, but multiple teams have inquired about the top pick in the draft. He said the ideal situation is to trade back, but it “just depends on how far back.”

So let's look at a couple recent projections for the Bears and the No. 1 pick overall:

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Reuter anticipates the Bears trading back twice and still picking in the top 4. Trading the No. 1 pick to Houston with a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans for the No. 2 pick in 2023, a third-round pick in 2023 and a 2024 first-round pick is his suggested first move.

In this scenario, Chicago would then move the No. 2 pick in an agreement with the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 4 pick and a second-round selection in 2023, as well as second- and third-round picks in 2024.

At No. 4, he predicts the Bears would take Alabama edge Will Anderson Jr. after the Arizona Cardinals swoop up Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter.

Nate Atkins, USA Today Sports

Atkins also has the Bears trading back twice before making a selection in 2023. The first move is swapping No. 1 pick overall with the Las Vegas Raiders for pick No. 7 overall, a second-round pick (38), a fifth-round pick (146), a sixth-round pick (204) and a 2024 first-round pick.

He suggests Poles then trade the No. 7 pick with the Tennessee Titans to acquire pick No. 11, a second-round pick (41), a third-round pick (72), and three 2024 seventh-round picks (Carolina, Philadelphia and Tennessee).

After picking up plenty of draft capital for rebuilding, the Bears are projected to fill a need with Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy at No. 11.

Mel Kiper, ESPN

While Kiper doesn't give exact compensation for his trade scenarios, he predicts Houston will get the No. 1 pick from the Bears and a trade with Indianapolis for the No. 2 pick would follow, leaving Chicago with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.

Kiper believes the Bears will select Carter with this pick, citing Anderson Jr. being drafted at No. 3 by Arizona.

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Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL Free Agency

According to USA Today Sports, the Bears' main priorities this offseason will be defensive line, offensive line and finding a true No. 1 wide receiver.

The NFL combine is a good opportunity for the Bears to meet with player representatives and explore potential free agent matches.

The Bears control the free agency narrative much like they do the NFL Draft, boasting the most available money ($98.84 million) to spend heading into free agency with the Atlanta Falcons ($66.71 million) a distant second, according to Spotrac.

The first question to answer may be whether or not bring back free agents like running back David Montgomery and offensive tackle Riley Reiff. While every offensive lineman for Chicago is replaceable, Poles made a point to single out Reiff, according to USA Today Sports.

“That guy did more than a lot of people think for that O-line room and the mentality,” Poles said.

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Here's what is being said about the Bears in NFL free agency:

Pro Football Focus

Looking at available free agents, PFF sees Chicago potentially landing three of the league's top 50 available players:

Javon Hargrave, interior defensive linemen

PFF has the Bears wooing Hargrave away from the Philadelphia Eagles. Hargrave may be a top priority for the Eagles, but should he find his way to Chicago, the Bears will welcome his 11 sacks that tied for sixth in the NFL last season.

Mike McGlinchey, offensive tackle

McGlinchey is the consolation prize for the Bears after missing out on Orlando Brown Jr., who PFF predicts will sign with New England. According to PFF, McGlinchey tied for 15th in the NFL for sacks allowed with six across 1,036 snaps.

PFF writers Arjun Menon and Brad Spielberger have this to say about McGlinchey:

“Adding McGlinchey to this line would help give the Bears a long-term solution at RT, forming a promising right side of the offensive line with Teven Jenkins. In his career, McGlinchey has mostly been a better run than pass blocker, and while there is a chance that the Bears look to air it out more with better receivers around Justin Fields, they will still look to dominate on the ground with Fields’ mobility, which plays into McGlinchey’s strengths as a blocker.”

Bobby Okereke, linebacker

The Bears are predicted to bring in a second Colts linebacker in as many years with the addition of Okereke, someone head coach Matt Eberflus is very familiar with from his days in Indianapolis, according to PFF.

“Okereke reunites with his former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator in Bears head coach Matt Eberflus after Chicago balked at former first-round pick linebacker Roquan Smith’s asking price and traded him to the Baltimore Ravens at the trade deadline. Okereke earned a career-high 79.3 run-defense grade in 2022, with his 31 run-defense stops tying for 13th.”

USA Today Sports

The prediction by USA Today Sports has Chicago landing two of the top 21 free agents available:

Kaleb McGary, offensive tackle

The Bears are once again projected to miss out on Brown Jr., but land a tackle that tied for 15th in the NFL for sacks allowed with six across 1,051 snaps.

Writer Christian D'Andrea had this to say about McGary:

"Poor Justin Fields has been sacked 91 times in 679 dropbacks as a pro. Sure, some of that is due to his penchant for scrambling, but a 13.4 percent sack rate is … disturbing. With Brown off the market, McGary is 2023’s top available blocker. Chicago has more money to throw around than anyone in free agency — and protecting Fields/adding receiving talent should be their top priorities."

Jonathan Jones, cornerback

D'Andrea has the Bears filling a need in the secondary with Jones, who tied for 11th in targets (86) and fifth in interceptions (4).

"Jones allowed just a 73.0 passer rating in coverage last season and could be a less expensive alternative to bigger names like (Jamel) Dean and (James) Bradberry. That won’t really matter to the Bears, who can outbid needy teams like the Commanders, Vikings and Cardinals to upgrade their secondary."

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Players to watch for Chicago Bears at NFL Scouting Combine

Here's a look at some of the players to become familiar with as they are being talked about as potential prospects for the Bears or have had actual conversations with the team at the NFL Combine:

• Will Anderson Jr., edge rusher, Alabama

• Bryan Bresee, defensive tackle, Clemson

• Jalen Carter, defensive tackle, Georgia

• K.J. Henry, edge rusher, Clemson

• Myles Murphy, edge rusher, Clemson

• P.J. Mustipher, defensive tackle, Penn State

• B.J. Ojulari, edge rusher, Louisiana State

• Anfernee Orji, linebacker, Vanderbilt

• Zacch Pickens, defensive tackle, South Carolina

• C.J. Stroud, quarterback, Ohio State

• Noah Taylor, linebacker, North Carolina

• Lukas Van Ness, edge rusher, Iowa

• Keion White, edge rusher, Georgia Tech

• Tyree Wilson, edge rusher, Texas Tech

• Bryce Young, quarterback, Alabama

Chris Sims is a digital producer for Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Chicago Bears news and rumors from combine ahead of 2023 NFL Draft