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Chicago Bears: Free Agents Who Could be on their Radar

By Bryan Dietzler

Dec 11, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (92) and defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) celebrate after a play during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (92) and defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) celebrate after a play during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 11, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (92) and defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) celebrate after a play during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (92) and defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) celebrate after a play during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Bears are going to be evaluating their roster picking who stays and who goes.  They will be looking to fill some holes next year through free agency.

Players with previous NFL experience are very valuable but there are three issues with them.  For one, they are older and may not last as long as long as a draft pick.  Sometimes, free agents don’t make it the full length of their contract.  Another issue is that they can come with hidden injury risks.  Yes, teams take a lot of time to thoroughly check any potential free agents for injuries but sometimes an injury can slip past a medical staff and cause issues.  See Pernell McPhee.

The final major issue with free agents is their price tag.  Some free agents, although capable of impacting a franchise in a positive way, can be rather expensive.  I previously mentioned McPhee.  He came to the Bears with a lot of hype and promise and ended up costing the team $38.7 million over five years.  As we have seen, he has missed a ton of time and hasn’t lived up to the billing.  You can see what kind of risks you take when signing a free agent.

But, there are risks when you draft a player as well.  Football is unpredictable and never easy.

Related Story: Chicago Bears Biggest Draft Needs

The Bears need to find some help at several positions.  They need quarterback help, safety help, offensive line help and some depth or replacements at other positions.  A lot of what they do depends on which of their own free agents they re-sign.  They have also had several injuries this season and how their current injured players return from injury will play a big part in what they decide to do.

This writer has looked at the needs that the Bears have heading into the offseason and matched that up with the list of free agents that could be available next spring.

For this review, I am not going to not include any running backs, linebackers, offensive guards or specialists (kickers/punters). I feel that the Bears don’t really need any immediate help at those positions.  The rest of the positions on the team could use some help.  The following slides contain a list of a few players that could help them out immediately if they are available.

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