Every analyst and reporter is starting to share their thoughts and opinions on how the Chicago Bears' offseason has gone so far, after over two weeks of free agency.
The most memorable moves the Bears have made in free agency have been signing safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush. On the flip side, the Bears lost a ton of starters in the secondary with Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
There have been polarizing opinions on what everyone feels about the Bears' free agency, but how does theirs stack against the rest of the NFL? ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak ranked all 32 NFL teams' free agency moves, and where the Bears landed might surprise some fans.
Where does Bears land on ranking of free agency class?
Chicago almost landed right in the middle of the pack as they got a 14th ranking from Solak. The move that stood out to him as the best of the Bears' class was getting Bryant on a three-year, $40 million contract.
"The Bryant signing. Chicago endured an avalanche of departures in the defensive backfield, as Nahshon Wright (1,177 snaps), Kevin Byard III (1,220), Jaquan Brisker (1,221) and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (612 snaps) have all signed elsewhere this cycle. The Bears needed a starter at safety -- a new culture-setter and leader -- and Bryant was one of my favorite free agents of the cycle. He's highly versatile, has explosive stopping power as a tackler and shows great on-field instincts. He's going to shine for coordinator Dennis Allen."
As for the part of the free agency class Solak didn't like, he was a bit worried about the Bears' offensive line and how they didn't get to where they wanted to be.
"How the chips fell at offensive line. The Bears were put in a tricky spot by a brutal patellar injury to left tackle Ozzy Trapilo and then a surprise retirement from center Drew Dalman. Bradbury is a good quick solution at center, but NFC North fans will remember his struggles in pass protection when he was with the Vikings. The Bears still might improve upon him in the draft.
Returning Jones at left tackle is another acceptable Band-Aid. The hope there is that his 2025 season was never healthy, and he'll return to 2024 form. But Chicago's line, which was generally very healthy last season, is now thinner. The Bears need to nail this position at the draft."
The good news is that the Bears have the right pieces in place to hold the offensive line down until Trapilo returns, but they still have Joey Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Darnell Wright, so they should be just fine. Bryant's arrival was much needed to help a thin secondary, as the team appears to be looking to use the NFL Draft to find the other starter at safety.
Read more: Bears reporter's suggested draft pick would send loud message to D'Andre Swift
Every Bears fan wanted them to land a star player like Maxx Crosby in a trade, but it doesn't mean they are in a bad spot compared to the rest of the league.