As the Chicago Bears start to turn their eyes toward free agency, there are situations on every team that will play out over the next few weeks that may shake up the free-agent situation. It may put the Bears in a good position to acquire some talent for their roster from other teams.
Which players on the Washington Commanders could end up being with the Chicago Bears next season?
5. The Chicago Bears could find depth lineman from the Washington Commanders
The Chicago Bears need to continue to beef up their offensive line. The Washington Commanders have two players on their roster who are going to be free agents along the offensive line. First, Tyler Larsen.
Larsen has mainly been a depth piece, but this is a player with 2,308 snaps at center, and that includes 466 snaps at center last season. Larsen started in seven games for the Commanders, filling in for the injured Nick Gates before an injury wiped him out as well.
Larsen is not the answer at center, but he is better than anything the Bears currently have. Another name to watch is Saahdiq Charles. Charles was a 2020 fourth-round pick from LSU. He did not work out with this coaching staff and front office, and the new staff may not be looking to re-sign him. Still, he is just 24 years old, and a fresh start could really do him well.
Charles has seven snaps at left tackle, 704 snaps at left guard, 402 snaps at right guard, and 71 snaps at right tackle. That is to say that he can move around. That kind of versatility would be valued, and at his age and ability, he is an upgrade as a depth piece over what Chicago had last year.
4. The Chicago Bears should look into two Commanders skill players
Curtis Samuel would be a fascinating addition to the Chicago Bears offense. He already has experience playing with D.J. Moore, going back to their time with the Carolina Panthers. The Chicago Bears need weapons at wide receiver in the worst way, and considering Washington will have a new General Manager and head coach, they may not want to re-sign the free agent.
Samuel is coming off of a great year, though. He averages 1.37 yards per route run for his career, but last year he was at 1.52. Samuel has posted 600 yards and four touchdowns in two straight years, showing that he has the ability to produce as a secondary wideout.
The Chicago Bears should have interest, as he would instantly slot into their number two role right now.
Another name to watch for is Logan Thomas. The Commanders will save $6.5M to move on, and that seems like a no-brainer after he has failed to get back to his 2020 skill set, which is when he signed that deal. In the three years since he has had just 1,015 yards.
Still, the fit would make sense for Chicago because they need depth pieces behind Cole Kmet. He could have a reduced role and possibly get his value back up on a cheap, one-year deal.
3. Will the Washington Commanders let Kam Curl walk in free agency?
Kamren Curl would be one of the more intriguing names to come from the Washington Commanders. Curl was a seventh-round pick for the Commanders but has been an excellent asset in the secondary over the last four years. Still, as we have noted for every player, there is a lot of uncertainty with a new coach and General Manager coming in. Do they value Curl in the same ways that the old Commanders' brass did?
The odds are that they do not. While Curl is a great player, he may end up being a big name to hit free agency. The Chicago Bears could clear about $13M if they release Eddie Jackson. Do they just give that to Curl, who is much younger? The one big issue is that Curl plays more in the box, although he does move around and has over 1,000 snaps as a deep safety. Still, he is best in defense against tight ends in coverage, and that would be asking Jaquan Brisker to play deep too often.
If the Commanders let Curl walk, he is interesting to think about but may not be in play for Chicago.
2. Should the Chicago Bears sign any of these Washington Commanders rushers?
The Washington Commanders traded the best of their edge rushers, and now they just have some depth pieces left. Even there, most of the rushers who led the way after Montez Sweat and Chase Young were gone are going to be free agents.
The Bears need depth behind Sweat, so why not add the old players who were depth behind Sweat? Casey Toohill, James Smith-Williams, and Efe Obada are all free agents.
Obada dealt with injury and otherwise may have been the best of them all. He could be a sleeper addition as a depth edge rusher in free agency. Toohill has bounced from Philadelphia to Washington and has not had much success. Smith-Williams did not set the world on fire, but 15 of his 23 pressures came after Sweat and Young were traded, showing he took advantage of the bump in play the most.
All three are depth options, but the Bears need to add to this group in the worst way. Do not be surprised if all three are on the Bears' radar.
1. The Chicago Bears could find a backup quarterback from the Washington Commanders
One name that would be notable as a backup quarterback is Jacoby Brissett. Brissett would likely want to go somewhere that he thinks he can start, but if the Bears drafted a quarterback number one, he might also think this is a chance to get a few games in during the early portion of the season. Brissett also worked with Marcus Brady, who is a candidate for the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator job. It could be a short bridge to let the rookie sit for a little.
The question with Brissett will come down to the market around him. If there are jobs open and potentially more money, he will be gone. If the fit makes sense, there is familiarity, and the money is not bad, he would be the best case as a backup quarterback.