One aspect of the offseason that everyone knows needs improvement for the Chicago Bears is the defense.
The Bears need to find another solid starting edge rusher to help with Montez Sweat after he produced 10 of the 35 sacks Chicago had a season ago. Another position to keep an eye on is at linebacker after the Bears released Tremaine Edmunds to free up over $15 million in cap space to be used in free agency.
ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler shared a new article with multiple free agency-worthy headlines to monitor before the new league year begins. Fowler had a small part about the Bears and what they could do to replace Edmunds.
"To replace Tremaine Edmunds, Alex Anzalone is a name to watch. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was with him in New Orleans and he's good in coverage."
Bears are targeting Alex Anzalone in free agency
Last season with the Lions, Anzalone racked up 95 tackles, nine pass deflections, six quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one interception in 16 games. There are injury concerns with Anzalone, as he has missed eight games over the last two years.
The connection that Anzalone and Allen have is big, as that could be exactly what the Bears need to improve at linebacker. While guys like T.J. Edwards and Edmunds made a lot of tackles for the team, they were not playing as well as Bears fans wanted, and have not lived up to their contracts.
Chicago could also look to bring back D'Marco Jackson, who emerged late in the season and played well when multiple defensive players were injured. Anzalone, along with bringing back Jackson, would be a big addition on defense as the team starts thinking about the future at the position.
Edwards would also have been cut with Edmunds if it wasn't for the contract situation and the hit the Bears would take if they cut or traded him. To be exact, the Bears would lose $2 million by releasing him before June 1. A trade might be possible with about a $6 million savings, but his market might not be there, so it's better to hold off and see how he does in 2026.
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Watch for the Bears to be active at linebacker and try to replace Edmunds. Anzalone would be a great addition to the team and would help tick off the Lions fans, which is always fun for the Bears fan base.