2 free agent hits, 2 free agent misses for Chicago Bears in 2023

1. Will Tremaine Edmunds progress with the Chicago Bears?

For as much as T.J. Edwards has progressed, Tremaine Edmunds has remained stagnant. This is not good, especially when you compare the two contracts. Edwards has a $7M cap hit next year, and then it is $7.5. Meanwhile, Edmunds will be on the books for $22M in 2024 and then $17.5M in the two years after that. 

This is serious money. The Bears can restructure his deal, but that will make things tougher in the long term. They may want to eat that cap hit next year. Either way, he will be on the team, and the Bears need to see him play better. 

He looks slow to process, and even his plays on the ball come from tips, thanks to other players. Injuries have impacted his development in the defense starting back in the summer, but still, he is underplaying his salary. 

It is great that Ryan Poles found two solid mid-level signings with Andrew Billings and T.J. Edwards. However, his two biggest swings were on Yannick Ngakoue and Tremaine Edmunds, and they are two of the worst players on the defense as it stands right now. 

Does this change the way Ryan Poles views free agency, or is this his Chase Claypool moment before he rebounds with D.J. Moore and Montez Swea?