The Bears didn’t wait round for the beginning of free agency to start out remaking their staff, buying and selling for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing tight finish Durham Smythe to a contract final week.
Common supervisor Ryan Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson nonetheless have loads of work to do to construct a roster utilizing their shared imaginative and prescient, beginning on the offensive and defensive traces.
Right here’s the place the Bears roster stands coming into the beginning of the free agent tampering interval at 11 a.m. Monday, when groups can negotiate with brokers earlier than signing contracts beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday:
Cap house
The Bears have $40.9 million in wage cap house, which as of Sunday ranked 18th within the NFL, per Spotrac. The highest 5: the Patriots, Commanders, Chargers, Cardinals and Steelers.
Rating the Bears’ wants:
1. Offensive line. Even after buying and selling for Thuney and Jackson, the Bears are in determined want of a beginning heart — and maybe a left sort out to take Braxton Jones’ job. The big-scale change is justified — quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked 58 instances final 12 months, tied for the third-most ever in a season.
2. Defensive position. After reducing DeMarcus Walker, the Bears want an assertive edge rusher to start out reverse Montez Sweat — and an inside lineman or two to push the pocket alongside nostril sort out Andrew Billings. Throughout the Matt Eberflus period, no NFL staff had fewer sacks than the Bears’ 90.
3. Tight finish. The Bears gave Durham Smythe a one-year deal Thursday, however he profiles extra as a blocking tight finish. They want a pass-catching complement to Cole Kmet after Gerald Everett whiffed badly final 12 months, catching eight balls for 36 yards.
4. Working again. D’Andre Swift appears like a timeshare participant and Roschon Johnson is coming off a 2.7 yards per sport common. If Johnson desires to recreate the Lions’ “Sonic and Knuckles” backfield, the Bears want so as to add a bodily rusher.
5. Security. A daunting concussion final 12 months value Jaquan Brisker all however 5 video games. If the Bears determine they’ll’t depend on him to remain wholesome, there are many succesful veterans out there in free company.
6. Extensive receiver. The Bears are out there for a 3rd receiver to staff with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze after Keenan Allen posted his worst season since 2016, when he suffered a season-ending damage within the first sport. The Lions’ Tim Patrick might make sense.
7. Quarterback. Williams’ improvement final 12 months didn’t go as easily because the Bears hoped it will. Maybe including a veteran quarterback to a room with he and Tyson Bagent will change that. Jarrett Stidham performed for brand new Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle final 12 months in Denver, whereas Teddy Bridgewater completed the season with Johnson’s Lions.
8. Cornerback. Jaylon Johnson stays one of many league’s finest and Kyler Gordon is on observe for an extension within the coming months. How a lot does the brand new workers belief Tyrique Stevenson?
9. Linebacker. Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards stay strong, although the Bears will eye a strong-side linebacker.
10. Specialist. Kicker Cairo Santos and punter Tory Taylor are among the many league’s higher specialists. The Bears have a gap at snapper.
Return of the Mack?
The Bears put out a social media video with defensive highlights from latest years on Friday. Edge rusher Khalil Mack appeared greater than anybody else.
Mack — whom the Bears traded to the Chargers three years in the past — is among the many family names out there at edge rusher. Others embrace his former teammate, the Chargers’ Joey Bosa; the Eagles’ Josh Sweat, recent of a Tremendous Bowl title; the Jets’ Haason Reddick, who had just one sack final 12 months; and the Payments’ Von Miller, who was reduce Sunday.
Chase Younger, who performed for brand new Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen final 12 months with the Saints, is accessible, as is Matthew Judon, for whom the Bears made a commerce provide final 12 months.
Then there’s the Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks final 12 months and whose agent has been granted permission to hunt a commerce — and negotiate a record-breaking contract.
Beneath-the-radar candidates embrace the Colts’ Dayo Odeyingbo, the Cardinals’ Baron Browning and the Raiders’ Malcolm Koonce.
Mack has missed only one sport in three years in Los Angeles. He had 17 sacks in 2023 and averaged 10.3 in three years with the Chargers. In 4 Bears seasons, he averaged 9. He’ll seemingly fetch not less than $20 million a 12 months over not less than two assured seasons.
Bears market
Under are Bears gamers slated to turn out to be unrestricted free brokers, restricted free brokers or unique rights free brokers Monday. The Bears have the fitting of first refusal on restricted free brokers and unique negotiating energy on ERFAs.
The listing contains defensive finish DeMarcus Walker and tight finish Gerald Everett, whom they reduce final month. Included is every participant’s 2024 common annual wage, based on spotrac.com. All gamers are UFAs until famous:
OFFENSE
RB: Travis Homer ($2M), Darrynton Evans ($1.1M)
WR: Keenan Allen ($20M), DeAndre Carter ($1.2M), Nsimba Webster ($1.1M), Collin Johnson ($1.1M)
TE: Gerald Everett ($6M), Marcedes Lewis ($2M), Stephen Carlson ($985,000)
OL: C Coleman Shelton ($3M), G Teven Jenkins ($2.1M), G Matt Pryor ($1.2M), T Jake Curhan ($1.1M), T Larry Borom ($953,270), RFA Doug Kramer ($915,000)
DEFENSE
DL: DeMarcus Walker ($7M), Darrell Taylor ($3.2M), Jake Martin ($1.3M), Byron Cowart ($1.1M), ERFA Jonathan Ford ($915,000)
LB: Jack Sanborn ($855,833)
CB: ERFA Ameer Pace ($915,000),
S: Tarvarius Moore ($1.1M), Adrian Colbert ($1.1M), RFA Jaylon Jones ($854,167), ERFA Douglas Coleman ($795,000)
SPECIAL TEAMS
LS: Patrick Scales ($1.4M), Scott Daly ($1.1M)
Facilities of consideration
The Bears have solved their guard downside with two trades, however heart stays their largest concern. Listed below are 4 potential free agent options:
1. The Falcons’ Drew Dalman. By far the very best in the marketplace, the 26-year-old ranked fourth in Professional Soccer Focus’ heart rankings final 12 months and third the season earlier than. He might command upwards of $15 million a 12 months.
2. The Colts’ Ryan Kelly. The 31-year-old has gone to the Professional Bowl 4 instances, most just lately in 2023, and certain wouldn’t want greater than a two-year contract.
3. The Bears’ Coleman Shelton. He was completely fantastic final 12 months, rating twelfth by PFF metrics. If can’t land a beginning job elsewhere, the staff might deliver him again for depth.
Eye on D-tackles
Matt Eberflus by no means obtained the tone-setting defensive sort out that he desired. The Bears nonetheless want one. The Eagles’ Milton Williams, who starred within the Tremendous Bowl, sits atop the category and could be too costly for a Bears staff with different holes to fill. Poles preferred Javon Hargrave the final time he hit the market, although the 32-year-old is coming off surgical procedure to repair a torn triceps with the 49ers. Jonathan Allen went to 2 Professional Bowls with the Commanders.
