5 free agents the Bears could sign with cap savings from cutting Jackson, Whitehair

4. Connor Williams, C

Now that the Bears no longer have Whitehair on board and Lucas Patrick is a free agent, the center position becomes a pivotal one that needs filling. The 26-year-old center is coming off a fantastic year with the Miami Dolphins and comes into free agency as arguably the best available interior offensive lineman.

As big of a signing Williams would be for Chicago, he'd actually come cheaper than the other four guys on this list. Per Spotrac, his annual average value is projected to be $13.5 million, leaving the Bears with another $8 million left over from the initial savings in cutting Jackson and Whitehair.

While Williams is a good pass blocker, he might also be the best run-blocking center in the game today.

Now, the one hiccup with signing Williams is the fact that he tore his ACL back in December, so he may not be quite ready for Week 1 this year. But, if the Bears believe in him long-term, signing him at somewhat of a discount is a great move. Had he not gone down with an injury, he'd be more expensive.