This year's crop of free agents boasts an ultra-impressive group of safeties. In fact, it might be the most stacked free agent class of all time.
The group is saturated with a healthy combination of established veterans (including seven former Pro Bowlers) and young players hitting the market at the right time. There are even a handful of talented young players looking for a fresh start following a slightly disappointing start to their careers.
The class not only features solid depth across the board, but it also has a great variety in terms of the type of player available. There are just as many starting-quality center fielders as those who make their living near the line of scrimmage.
Ryan Poles and Co. have done a remarkable job turning the Chicago Bears' defense around since the regime change two years ago. However, they are still a few players away from fielding a complete unit. Their most glaring hole is at the free safety spot, as the team moved on from seven-year starter Eddie Jackson last month.
Their secondary could cement itself as one of the league's best if they can lock in a solid starter opposite Jaquan Brisker. We saw what Eddie Jackson did at the height of his powers with Adrian Amos on the other side of him, and a similar situation could work wonders on Brisker.
With a less-than-stellar crop of prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft (and the Bears' lack of draft capital), it makes much more sense for the team to target the position through free agency. That being said, a few options stand out from the crowd for Chicago.