5 steps to the perfect Chicago Bears offseason: Silvy

As the polar vortex subsides in the Chicago area this week, it is up to Ryan Poles to take the Bears out of the deep freeze – much of it his own doing.

I’ll continue to lean into my corniness and call this the Bears “on season” as Poles has put the off in offseason too often. No more excuses. No more youthful GM mistakes.

The NFL combine begins Monday, and it’s time for Poles to get rid of the games – figuratively and literally. Stop drafting punters and gadget players like Velus Jones Jr. when there’s a football team to build.

With the combine days away and free agency less than three weeks from commencing, here’s how I would map out my perfect offseason for the Bears in order of importance.

1. Shop the top shelf.

Poles has used free agency to tip-toe towards mid-level acquisitions hoping that quantity leads to quality. Nate Davis and Gerald Everett were a waste of money. The Bears paid $8 million a year to D’Andre Swift when they whiffed on Saquon Barkley. The largest free agent contract Poles handed out was to a non-premium position player in Tremaine Edmunds. That money should’ve been used on a big-time player on either line.

Sign the top dogs in free agency or acquire top talent via trade. Poles has gotten rid of more pro bowlers than he’s acquired. Pay whatever it takes to land Trey Smith. I’d rather spend over $20 million on a great offensive lineman than acquire two more mid-tier players that will hardly make an impact. It’s why I’m still open to trading for Myles Garrett.

2. Draft a center and let him grow with Caleb Williams.

I’m tired of the plug-and-play game. Many have suggested paying for Falcons center Drew Dalman, who is only 26 years old. Dalman is a nice player who will be overpaid in free agency. In my lifetime, the Bears have had two sustainable winning eras, and while neither had a consistent quarterback, they did have centers who were leaders in Jay Hilgenberg and Olin Kreutz. Both developed by the Bears. Both set the tone.

The center can help set protections. The center, when paired with Trey Smith, can ease pressure up the middle for Williams. Draft and develop him. I’m open to signing Ryan Kelly, who has been a stud in the league as a shorter term solution, while the drafted center develops.

3. Break ground in Arlington Heights.

Stop the city charade. In football terms, it’s time to audible. You won’t get the public funds for the lakefront. And stadiums shouldn’t get that money anyway. The Michael Reese site (where I was born) isn’t big enough to build “Bearadise.” There’s enough room for the same fixed-roof stadium as downtown, as many tailgate parking spots for everyone, for bars, restaurants and hotels. There’s a Metra station that already has a stop at the entrance. This isn’t a city vs. suburbs argument. You have a blank slate in Arlington Heights, the stadium is your oyster. And if money is an issue as a landlord, sell the entire team to someone who would love to pay you $10 billion for the franchise or sell a 10% equity of the team at a $10 billion valuation so the McCaskey family has more cash to work with. And speaking of cash, asking Bears season ticket holders for 10 percent% more for tickets is a slap in the face.

4. Get Williams, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet somewhere warm, rent them a house and a practice field. Clearly chemistry was an issue, especially between Williams, Moore and Kmet. You don’t have to be best friends, but you need to start thinking alike on and off the field.

5. If Ian Cunningham leaves for Jacksonville, hire some experience for the assistant GM job. Poles and Cunningham were both green running a franchise and the results speak for themselves. Like Ben Johnson with Dennis Allen, Poles could use some guidance from a former GM who he trusts that would accept the assistant role.

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.