Chicago Bears address linebacker corps on Day 1 of free agency

The Chicago Bears defense still has major question marks

It will take some creativity for the Chicago Bears to get Edwards, Edmunds, and Sanborn on the field together next season, but for a team who is looking for defensive players to build around, adding both of these talented, young, productive players is a great first step to build around head coach Matt Eberflus's expertise, while maintaining enough cap space to remain flexible for the rest of this offseason, and potentially next year as well.

With the three starting linebacker positions seemingly filled out with premier talent, we should still look for this team to add depth at the position throughout the remainder of this offseason. With a number of later draft picks, as well as more than enough cap space to sign various reserve-level contracts, the team will likely draft and sign some younger players to serve as backups at the position. Backup linebackers are also generally crucial for special teams play, so any athletic young backer could be a potential depth add for this team moving forward.

Across the rest of the defense, the team already possesses a strong secondary and could use only one other cornerback to truly bolster the back seven of this defensive unit. Throughout the remainder of this free agency period, as well as the upcoming draft, the defensive line will likely be a major focus to supplement the apparent strength of this defense.

With complementary football, there is a strong opportunity for a younger defensive line to grow and perform well quickly due to a great level of talent behind the front four. Outside of a few potential signings, it looks like the Chicago Bears defensive line may be the weak part of this defense heading into next season.