Chicago Bears Free Agency Preview: Players to Watch
The Chicago Bears have been busy this offseason.
They’ve traded away D.J. Moore, released Tremaine Edmunds, and traded for Patriots center Garrett Bradbury. But they are just getting started.
Free agency begins tomorrow at 11:00 AM CT, and I expect the Bears to be active. They have needs at safety, linebacker, defensive tackle, edge, and left tackle.
I’ll take you through some of the players the Bears could add in the coming days.
Positions the Bears Need to Address
The Bears’ roster is much improved from when Ryan Poles took over in 2022, but there are still many holes left to fill. Not all of them will be addressed in free agency. Players will be added during the draft in April and through trades.
Here are the positions the Bears may add in free agency.
- Safety – the Bears currently don’t have a single safety on the roster. They will need to add three or four players during the offseason, whether that’s re-signing Byard and Brisker or bringing in other players.
- Linebacker – after parting ways with Tremaine Edmunds, the Bears will need to add another starting linebacker to pair with T.J. Edwards.
- Defensive Tackle – this is the Bears’ biggest position of need in my opinion. They have Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter, but they need a true difference on the interior.
- Edge – the Bears have Sweat, Dayo, and Booker on the roster, but they’ll add at least one more player to rush the passer.
- Left Tackle – After Ozzy Trapilo’s devastating injury last season, the Bears need to find a starting left tackle.
- Wide Receiver – the only receivers the Bears have right now are Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Jahdae Walker. They will add 2-3 more throughout the off-season.
- Tight End – while they still have Loveland and Kmet, Durham Smythe is a free agent, so the Bears will either bring him back or replace him with another veteran.
Connections to the Bears Coaching Staff
There are several players in this free agent cycle that have crossed paths with some of the Bears coaches, Dennis Allen and Ben Johnson in particular.
Alex Anzalone // Lions Linebacker
With a glaring need at linebacker, Alex Anzalone makes a lot of sense. Anzalone played in New Orleans for four seasons under Dennis Allen. Then he crossed paths with Ben Johnson in Detroit.
The 31-year-old linebacker is an experienced veteran who would be a great addition to the Bears’ defense. Spotrac predicts Anzalone will sign for $7.2 million per year, which isn’t too expensive. One downside to signing Anzalone is his lack of speed. Ryan Poles said they want to increase their team speed on defense, but Anzalone is past his prime and has never been the greatest athlete.
Jeremy Fowler recently tied Anzalone to Chicago, so if the Bears were to bring in a veteran LB, keep your eyes on him.
Cam Jordan // Saints Edge
This one is a lot less likely, but you can’t deny the connection. Cam Jordan is a 34-year-old defensive end who has spent all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Saints. Dennis Allen coached Jordan for 10 of those seasons, and Jordan fits Allen’s size profile to a tee.
Jordan is obviously an experienced player and was once one of the league’s best edge defenders. However, those years are past him. I’m not sure how much production he could bring to Chicago, but don’t be surprised if Jordan and the Bears ink a deal.
Taylor Decker // Lions Left Tackle
When rookie Ozzy Trapilo stepped in at left tackle, he showed signs of being the team’s long-term starter. Since his devastating injury, the Bears have been in need of a short-term “stopgap” at left tackle. Who better to bring in than veteran Taylor Decker?
Decker (32 years old) played under Ben Johnson in Detroit for three seasons, and even earned a Pro Bowl appearance in the final one. Even though he’s dealt with some injuries throughout his career, Decker is still a good player.
Spotrac is predicting Decker to sign for $21 million per year, which is a steep price given his age and down year in 2025. But the Bears need a starting left tackle and might pull the trigger on Decker.
Expensive Difference Makers
After trading away D.J. Moore and parting ways with Edmunds, the Bears currently have around $26 million in available cap space. There are a few free agents who would be “splashes” for the Bears, but they will cost a pretty penny.
Trey Hendrickson // Bengals Edge
Bears fans have been hearing Trey Hendrickson trade rumors for over a year. Now, the star pass rusher is a free agent. At 31 years old, Hendrickson is still a great player. He had 17.5 sacks in 2024 and would be a force on Chicago’s defensive line.
Spotrac predicts Hendrickson will sign for $25 million per year, which is A LOT of money, but I would argue that he’s worth it. The Bears need someone to get to the quarterback, and Hendrickson could be that guy.
Coby Bryant // Seahawks Safety
Coby Bryant was one of the stars of the Seahawks’ dominant Super Bowl defense. His range and coverage ability are spectacular, and I would argue he’s an even better tackler. My favorite part of his game is that he has no wasted movements. Everything is intentional, and he moves with a purpose.
Given the Bears’ need at safety, Bryant could be somebody the Bears target. He’s predicted to sign a deal for $13 million per year, which is high for safeties, but he’s a darn good one.
Devin Bush // Browns Linebacker
The Bears need to add another starting linebacker and improve their team speed. Devin Bush would fill both of those. Bush is coming off a breakout season for the Browns with 3 INTs and 124 total tackles.
If I’m being honest, Bush might be my dream free agent addition. The Bears’ defense was SO slow last season, constantly getting burned. Bush ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the 2019 combine, and the 27-year-old can still fly. He’s projected to cost around $8 million per year. While that’s a decent amount, I would do it for a player of his caliber.
Depth Pieces
The players I’ve mentioned so far would likely play major roles for the Bears next season. As I discussed earlier, this team has many needs and will add several players for depth.
Tyquan Thornton // Chiefs Wide Receiver
Since the Bears only have three receivers on the roster, they need to add a couple more. And since they want to increase their team speed, Tyquan Thornton seems like the perfect option. Thornton ran a 4.28 40-yard dash and was drafted to the Patriots. His career in New England didn’t go well. Then the Chiefs picked him up, and Thornton broke out.
Last season, Thornton finished with 438 yards posing as a viable deep threat. I would love to see Ben Johnson incorporate a speedster into his offense, and for $2.8 million, I would sign him.
Khyiris Tonga // Patriots Defensive Tackle
Tonga was an unsung hero on the Patriots’ SB run. The 29-year-old DT is stout up front. He isn’t crazy explosive or anything, but just a solid player. The Bears need quality players on the interior, and Tonga would provide that.
He’s only projected to sign for $3 million per year, so why not add some depth to the D-line?
Free Agency is here! And the Chicago Bears will be active.
We might not see any splash signings this year, but the Bears will have their hands full trying to fill every last need.
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