Top 5 free agent targets for the Chicago Bears in 2023
By Ryan Olson
Chicago Bears Free Agent Target No. 2: Kaleb McGary, OT – Atlanta
Kaleb McGary is coming off a career year in which he was graded the number one right tackle in all of football by Pro Football Focus (PFF). McGary’s 2022-23 was by far the best year of his career as he was not nearly as highly graded of a player as he was this year in all of his other years in the league.
McGary is a great fit for the Chicago Bears because of his dominant run blocking and scheme fit as he would come from the Falcons who were a run-heavy team, similar to the Bears. Not only is it a great fit because of the schemes, but also because the Bears need a ton of help on the offensive line that was atrocious all year. McGary would slide in perfectly opposite to Braxton Jones who is likely to be a starter next year at left tackle.
That being said, I would expect McGary to be franchise tagged by the Falcons who also have an excess amount of cap space and it would be a no-brainer to retain such a good tackle. However, if McGary were to hit free agency the Bears should be all in on the tackle and willing to not only match his four-year, $70 million dollar projected contract but go well above that market value. McGary is only 27 years old and could very well have some of his best football ahead of him — making him a long-term solution for the Bears.