As the Chicago Bears continue on into the thick of the 2024 offseason, one thing is very clear: these are not the same Bears.
General manager Ryan Poles seems to be relishing the fact that people are starting to realize this fact, and you can see the plan coming into place as the team gets ready to draft Caleb Williams no. 1 overall.
As the roster keeps getting more competitive in preparation for the arrival of Williams, we can't help but take a look around the free agent pool and see some of the leftover names from the Bears' roster of old.
These four guys are having a tough time finding their next job, but hopefully they land on their feet sooner than later.
1. Robert Tonyan, TE
Last year, when the Bears signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan, the thought was that he'd give this team a second threat in the receiving game, at the position, next to Cole Kmet. It was a nice idea, especially considering Tonyan was just three years removed from a breakout season that saw him catch 11 touchdown passes.
Last season, though, Tonyan was a bit of a disappointment. To be fair, he only played 28 percent of snaps. However, Tonyan was also only targeted 17 times, coming up with 11 receptions for 112 yards and zero touchdowns.
One thing we would have liked to see out of Tonyan was a would-be touchdown against the Browns, which could have greatly impacted the outcome of that game. A wide-open, deep touchdown pass from Justin Fields was dropped by Tonyan in what could only be described as your "typical Bears" type of moment.
The veteran is set to turn 30 years old in April and is now looking for his third NFL team.