4 free agents the Chicago Bears must win a bidding war on

It's safe to say the Chicago Bears roster isn't where it needs to be in order to win a Super Bowl.

Along with their top-10 draft status, the Bears have, what the kids call, money to blow. After the NFL adjusted the 2024 salary cap, the Bears are third in the entire league in cap space with $79 million. In total cap, the Bears are second in the league with a whopping $80 million.

The Chicago Bears will need to win stiff bidding wars this off-season on free agents

The big thing, however, is spending that money correctly on the right free agents. With free agents, there are multiple factors in why players sign with certain teams. The two most prominent options are money and winning.

The Bears might not have the winning part of the equation down, but they do have quite a lot of money in the bank. In many walks of life, especially the NFL, money talks. And if the Bears want to be able to get the "Winner's Discount" on free agents, they'll need to spend up this off-season.

Some free agents likely won't require winning a major bidding war, but there are at least four players who most certainly will if the Chicago Bears want them on their roster next season.

Bears Free agent No. 1: Connor Williams, Center

With the likelihood of the Chicago Bears drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 pick, the idea of pairing that rookie quarterback with a veteran at center is an idea with strong logic behind it.

Though there's a new, shiny center in the draft, Jackson Powers-Johnson, pairing a rookie QB with a rookie center could cause some rookie mistakes early. The center is a bit like the quarterback of the offensive line, so having two players at those positions taking their very first NFL reps together might not be the best option.

If Ryan Poles agrees with that logic, Connor Williams is an option that could make sense. And Williams is going to be a popular free agent this off-season.

Williams is one of the best centers in free agency. With that, a heavy paycheck will be required, most likely. Per Spotrac, Connor Williams' calculated market value is an average annual salary of about $13.5 million. An estimated five-year, $67-million contract is in store for Williams, if Spotrac nails the projection on the head. For context, that's Frank Ragnow-type of money.

On top of being paid as a top center, there are far more teams in the market for a center than those not in the market. Center is an important position on the offensive line, and it's a position that has a lot of turnover rate per team. Those who are elite stay for a while, otherwise, it's a turnstile of players until that elite one is acquired.

In this free agency period, Connor Williams will be a hot name.

The biggest issue is Williams' injury history. Having the record Williams does makes him a bit less likely for Ryan Poles to go out and sign. However, if the Bears draft a center, like Zach Frazier, and have him behind Williams to start, it might not take very long for Frazier to develop into the starter.

But at that point, it seems like quite a bit of money for someone who won't be available. Since being drafted in 2018, Connor Williams has missed 16 games— almost a full NFL regular season.

Most recently, Williams tore his ACL in Week 14 of last season, which makes him an incredibly risky option. The Bears could find him as a risk worth taking, and if they do, they'll need to win quite the bidding war.

2. Calvin Ridley, Wide receiver

This is one of the signings that I'm anticipating most for the Chicago Bears.

In the passing league that the NFL has become, the need for studs at the wide receiver position is crucial. And when a rookie quarterback is coming into the scene, having as many well-versed receivers as possible is only a plus.

The major issue is that Ridley is going to cost quite a bit for whichever team he goes to unless it's the Chiefs. The Chiefs are a team that gets the "Winner's Discount," but 31 other teams are paying full price.

Per Spotrac, that amount is about $17 million per year, with a projected contract of four years, $ 68 million.

Are the Chicago Bears willing to pay $17 million for a soon-to-be 30-year-old wide receiver? It's possible due to how barren the Bears' receiver room is, and Calvin Ridley possesses an impressive skill set.

A major if, but if the Bears walked out of Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, Calvin Ridley would be a great choice to add to the mix. It'd be tough not to be excited about an offense with Caleb Williams at the helm, throwing to D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Calvin Ridley, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet.

Going for Ridley, however, will cost them. If the Bears want Calvin Ridley catching passes in their uniform next season, they're going to need to be aggressive in their bidding.

3. Saquon Barkley, Running back

The Chicago Bears and Saquon Barkley have been linked together for a second offseason in a row, but Barkley will take a hefty bidding war to bring him in.

Running backs are not seen as a position that NFL teams should pay well beyond their rookie contract. That notion becomes especially true when running backs add injuries to their resume the way Saquon Barkley has.

It's unlikely if this is a deal Barkley would accept, but his projected market value is just short of $10 million per season, with a projected three-year contract worth about $29.9 million.

Considering Barkley's injury history, along with his production season after season, there's a lot of reason to like the idea and dislike the idea.

The injury history makes him a risky buy, however.

The major injury was in 2020 when Saquon Barkley tore his ACL and sprained his MCL in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears. Mixed in his draft date and the present day, Barkley has had a few ankle injuries.

Saquon Barkley is risky, but he's regarded as one of the best running backs in the NFL for a reason, and that reason is he's able to put an offense on his back.

However, will the Chicago Bears decide he's worth the bidding war? Ryan Poles has a type, and I'm not sure it's Saquon Barkley.

4. Mike Evans, Wide receiver

As noted previously, the Chicago Bears are in dire need of receivers for their roster.

Mike Evans, the 10-time 1,000-yard receiver is set to potentially hit the free agency market, and if the Bears have any plans of signing him, they'll need to win a heated bidding war.

Evans is seen as one of the top free agents this offseason, and it's for good reason. In every season Mike Evans has suited up, he's had at least 1,000 receiving yards.

The main issue: Mike Evans will be close to being 31 by the start of next season, and he wants a contract between $25- to $30-million per year. While Mike Evans would make the Chicago Bears much better, the negatives outweigh the positives.

Ryan Poles appears to be more cautious with spending money on free agents, but if he decides to make a swing on Mike Evans, it'd be a stiff bidding war.

For a receiver like Mike Evans to come to the Chicago Bears, the number would likely need to be closer to $30 million per year than the $ 25 million per year.

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