The Chicago Bears have mostly been deemed winners of free agency.
They met many of their needs, and they have been aggressive in making moves to keep the roster fresh and ready to compete. However, that meant letting some names out of the door. While the Bears feel comfortable letting them walk, some saw them as the best free-agent signings.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report went through the ten best steals in the first week of NFL free agency. Interestingly enough, he did not choose any of the Bears' moves, but three former Bears made the list.
Did the Chicago Bears let values out the door in NFL free agency?
Tremaine Edmunds to the New York Giants, Nahshon Wright to the New York Jets, and Kevin Byard to the New England Patriots were deemed some of the best signings of the period. In the defense of Davenport, all three were good players that the Bears would have wanted back at the right price. However, the team appears much more comfortable with where they stand across all areas.
Tremaine Edmunds is the classic case of a player that you want on your team, until he is on your team. Most Bears fans grew frustrated with him and realized that even with him taking a little less on the Giants, he is still not a steal.
D’Marco Jackson was better than Edmunds when he played last season, and Devin Bush comes in cheaper. The two should combine to be an upgrade at the position and a better scheme fit all around.
Wright was always going to be a questionable free agent signing. He lived off turnovers but still gave up a lot of big plays. When the turnovers go away, he may need to be benched. So, his contract came in lower than expected, but there was also an expectation that teams could be wary.
Byard is the best case for a player that the Bears will regret letting go. Still, his $9 million salary came in slightly higher than projected, given his age. Jaquan Brisker made fewer plays and was younger, with a bit more high-end play last season.
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Chicago still needs a safety and may regret leaving these two off their board at those prices. Still, it's hard to say that the team is missing out on much.