Second Wave of Free Agency: Five players the Chicago Bears should consider

Jelani Jenkins, Outside Linebacker

The final free agent on this list, Jenkins is originally a fourth-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2013 and was given the starting role due to a number of injuries surrounding the Miami Dolphins Linebacker corps. He quickly made a name for himself as finished the season as the team’s leading tackler with 110. Jenkins then went on to sign with the Oakland Raiders, but was cut, and then proceeded to sign with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.

At just twenty-six years old, he’s fairly young and wouldn’t cost too much considering his most recent contract with the Houston Texans was a one-year deal worth $775,000 dollars. The best thing about Ryan Pace is that he structures certain contracts in such a way where if a second-tier free agent signing does not pan out, the team is able to get out of it immediately.

Bringing in Jenkins does represent somewhat of a risk as the Bears paid big money to Pernell McPhee back in 2015, a free agent signing which didn’t pan out. So deciding to bring in another veteran outside linebacker would also be a risky move, but the one advantage Jenkins has is that he hasn’t been injured to the extent that Pernell McPhee was. Bringing him in would allow for the Bears to continue their system of rotating linebackers depending on the in-game situation.