3 free agent cornerbacks Chicago Bears should spend big on

The Chicago Bears should spend big on Stephon Gilmore

After feeling as though the New England Patriots mishandled his injury situation last year, Stephon Gilmore was finally given what he wanted: a fresh start. Gilmore was traded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

Now, typically a scenario like this would result in Carolina re-signing Gilmore, without question. But, the Panthers only gave up a 2023 sixth-rounder — which was a steal, yes. But, the fact that the Panthers didn’t give up much to acquire Gilmore when their defense was on the rise early in the 2021 season, means that they may evaluate him differently now when looking at their future.

Gilmore is still one of the best defensive players in football as a recent NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He is considered one of the elite shutdown cornerbacks in football and is destined for one more big contract this offseason at 31 years old.

The 5-time Pro Bowl selection and 2-time All-Pro has two seasons under his belt in which he defended 20 passes and has 27 career interceptions. Adding him to the mix would immediately elevate the Bears defense back into a sure-fire top-10 unit.