Chicago Bears fans are patiently waiting for general manager Ryan Poles to make a splash move in free agency, but they might be waiting a while since they only have $1 million in cap space to work with.
Despite making some nice moves with signing Coby Bryant and Devin Bush, it still hasn't quite moved the needle for everyone in free agency. The Bears might have filled in some big needs, but there are still some things they need to improve upon.
Positions like edge rusher, safety, linebacker, defensive tackle, and wide receiver still have big question marks. Among the moves they have already made, though, it's pretty clear which are the best and which are the worst.
Bears' best and worst offseason moves according to NFL writer
Pro Football Focus writer Zoltán Buday looked at all 32 NFL teams to see which were the best and worst free agency moves. Buday was a fan of the Bears signing Bush to a three-year, $30 million contract.
"The veteran linebacker played the best football of his career during his two seasons in Cleveland. His 79.2 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked ninth among linebackers, and he was even better last season. In 2025, his 87.3 PFF run-defense grade ranked ninth at the position, while his 80.4 PFF coverage grade placed fourth, leading to an 87.6 PFF overall grade (fourth among 88 linebackers). Still, Chicago managed to secure him for only $10 million per year, which is tied for just 17th among linebackers."
Bush's 125 tackles from last season were a career-high for him with the Browns in 2025. He will be replacing Tremaine Edmunds in the starting lineup and should be an upgrade as a more consistent tackler and better in coverage, despite Edmunds having more interceptions last season.
As for the Bears' worst free agency signing, Buday certainly was not a fan of them signing defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.
"The Bears signed Gallimore to a contract that suggests he'd start. However, Gallimore has yet to earn a PFF overall grade above 60.0 in any season, and his 56.6 PFF overall grade in 2025 ranked just 75th."
Gallimore landed a two-year, $12 million contract as he will compete with Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett for the starting job. It feels like Gallimore is more of a rotational player than a starter, but it does give Chicago much-needed depth on the defensive line.
Read more: Bears' latest 30 visit would certainly have the attention of Garrett Bradbury
There's still time for Poles to make other moves before the 2026 season, but the slow starts suggest not much will happen. The Bears' free agency had some nice and not-so-nice moments, but Chicago fans hope it's not the end of the moves.