Chicago Bears Free Agency: 3 Things we learned on Day 1

Jalen Carter falling to pick nine looks like the best-case scenario on

The Bears' struggles on the line were not limited to the offensive side of the ball, as they arguably had the worst defensive line in the NFL. They finished with a league-low 20 sacks, and no player on the line had more than three quarterback takedowns (Jaquan Brisker led the team with four sacks from his safety spot). As such, many expected their front office to prioritize the front four in free agency.

However, the acquisition of DeMarcus Walker, whom the team signed to a two-year, $7 million deal, was the only new addition to the front on day one. There is still plenty of time to address the line throughout the remainder of free agency, but the big-name defensive tackles are off the board after Javon Hargrave signed with the 49ers and Dre'Mont Jones signed with Seattle. The Bears were rumored to be in on both players before their market became too rich, as both players received a bag (Hargrave received $21 million AAV, and Jones received $17.1 million AAV) from their new squads.

Luckily for Chicago, they could find themselves in a position to land Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was presumably on a very short list of players they would have considered with the top pick if they could not find a trade partner, with the ninth pick. It is difficult to quantify just how important the role of the three-technique is in the Bears' defensive scheme, and Carter would be the perfect fit as a disruptive force in the middle of the defense. 

The Chicago Bears have reportedly been doing their homework on Carter at the University of Georgia, as they want to make sure that his role in the racing accident that took the life of his college teammate and a team staffer was not an accurate portrayal of his character. If he falls into their laps, and the extra digging on him works out in his favor, they would be wise to pull the trigger on the two-time All-SEC selection.