It’s been one week since NFL free agency opened, and for the most part, things are starting to die down. This rings especially true for the Chicago Bears. After being one of the busiest teams early on, it’s been radio silence from Ryan Poles.
Chicago made several notable signings out of the gate, including upgrades at linebacker, adding T.J Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. The team also added guard Nate Davis and defensive end DeMarcus Walker to sure up the trenches.
While Chicago has filled some holes in the early stages of the offseason, it’s reasonable to expect more from a team that finished the 2022 season with a meager 3-14 record.
Poles’ patience and unwillingness to overpay for players like Mike McGlinchey and Jawaan Taylor is admirable, but at some point, he has to pull the trigger.
His regime is now in its second year and after an underwhelming and largely unsuccessful free agency in 2022, some are starting to lose patience. As valuable as draft capital is, winning teams can’t be built solely through the draft.
With that said, the offseason is a marathon; not a sprint. There is still time to sign several quality players in this free-agency class. It’s also worth noting that the second wave of free agency signings tends to come at a lower price, potentially leading to better value.
One week in, here are some of the top free agents that are still available for the Bears to sign.