8. Justin Jones, Free Agent
The Chicago Bears tried to make their big splash of free agency be a three-technique. At the very least it is a gaze into the plan that Matt Eberflus has with his defense. It is easy to think that Eberflus saw how vital trading a first-round pick for DeForest Buckner was for his defense. If Larry Ogunjobi could be a similar force the cost was not going to matter.
Then, he failed his physical. What killed the Chicago Bears was that they could not give him the physical until 48 hours after he agreed to terms because of the tampering window the NFL implemented. So, other players started to commit to other teams, and it left the Bears scrambling. They wound up with Justin Jones.
That is not to diminish Jones but he was not their plan A. What it does speak to is how valuable of a role they feel Jones will play. If he slides into it with success, Eberflus sees him as a key to the defense.
What helps Justin Jones is that he is only 25 years old, so there is time for him to hit what he could become. It is better to bet on a young upside than an older player who may have lost a step.