Changed Bears Needs for Free Agency

In one phone call, everything changed for the Bears.

It was as if Thanos snapped his fingers again

The offseason building program before everyone's eyes suddenly took on a different look. The Bears no longer had that top pick in the draft. They still have a huge wad of salary cap cash, the most in the league by $12 1/2 million, but after they took the big plunge down from first to ninth, accepted all those draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore, their needs have changed for free agency starting Monday officially at 3 p.m. Unofficially, expect it to start sooner, like 11 a.m.

A team's needs for the offseason come in two distinct types. There are free agency needs and draft needs. The free agency needs and how they are filled can impact draft needs, but don't always have to be one in the same.

For instance, players drafted can be selected on a best-player available case. A team's draft board dictates who is there.

A trade down can occur because the best player available might not be at a need position but if the trade down isn't there, teams might select a player who it seems doesn't fit a need.

Smart teams take them, anyway, because you build a stronger roster with stronger players regardless of position.

In free agency, it's like Ryan Poles said. The Bears have value buckets and if they have a need for a particular position they pursue a player in a value bucket. Need drives free agency more than it does the draft.

What's in the value buckets hasn't changed much since the trade. Perhaps a few different players have been added who have been cut already, but there hasn't been a shocking move of this type yet. There could be one on Monday if it turns out the Chiefs' last-minute attempt to sign Orlando Brown Jr. fails—it had to be assumed earlier he would be tagged a franchise player after an early report saying he would. He hasn't been and his addition to the tackle pool makes him someone to consider.

What has changed now is the priority for each bucket. The Bears don't need to look to one of those buckets as badly now.

They also don't get to go to the buckets as many times since they have less money available.

Remember, however, the Jacksonville Jaguars had just over $60 million available when they started free agency last year and, well, at the snap of a finger they signed seven key free agents who turned around their fortunes.

So Poles need not sit on his hands in free agency, he just needs to be a little more selective. He already planned to be anyway.

Here are the greatest Bears needs heading into free agency.

1. Defensive Tackle

They need ends, probably as much as tackles, but the priority for those talent buckets is also partially determined by what's in there. Only a supreme optimist would look at the talent pool of edge rushers available and dip their hand in expecting to come away with a gem. There might not be an edge worth signing early in free agency other than New Orleans' Marcus Davenport. And if you believe Spotrac.com's salary assessment, he is going to be entirely overpriced because of that small pool of elite free agents at $23 million a year. Don't expect the Bears to come throwing that kind of money at Davenport just because he's available and better than the rest. He's not in the truly elite bucket. There are valuable tackles available.

What must be remembered here is the Bears need more than one defensive tackle. They have no one else besides Justin Jones. They are looking for three techniques and also one techniques, the nose.

Denver's Dre'Mont Jones can be a potential Bear because of his quickness and athleticism inside as a three technique and rates a better choice because he's only 26 years old. Javon Hargrave is 30 but he does have the advantage of being a player who plays either the one technique or three technique because he's just over 300 pounds. But Jones can fit a dual need, as well, because at 6-3, 281, he's ideal size for playing defensive end in a 4-3 or to move inside as a slightly undersized three technique like Aaron Donald.

Best Fits: 1. Dre'Mont Jones; 2. Javon Hargrave; 3. Dalvin Tomlinson.

2. Tackle

The real questions if Brown is available are how much the Bears are willing to spend now with cap space a little less abundant, because the massive left tackle would command over $20 million, and also whether they'd be willing to move Braxton Jones to the right side where he has never played. It's difficult to imagine Brown switching back to the right side even though he was a Pro Bowl player on that side for two years before the Chiefs put him at left tackle. Getting to play the left side meant so much to him because his late father played there and had always stressed its importance over the right side to him. Cost and the positional headache weight against Brown no matter what way you look at it. Cast those aside and he's ideal. Mike McGlinchey, Kaleb McGary and Jawaan Taylor would cost a good deal less than Brown but would be fitted to the right side and let the Bears keep Jones at left tackle, a position he already knows how to play.

Best Fits: 1. Mike McGlinchey; 2. Orlando Brown Jr.; 3. Kaleb McGary.

3. Linebacker

You can't run a 4-3 Tampa-2 style defense without linebackers. Really, the Bears have only one right now in Jack Sanborn for the middle and it's questionable whether he has the speed to start there after only six games of experience. He definitely has the instincts and toughness. A ready-made weakside linebacker is available in Bobby Okereke from Indianapolis and he already knows Matt Eberflus' HITS principle. The number of off-ball linebackers in free agency is relatively high so they could dip into this for a middle or strong side as well. A perfect middle linebacker to pair him with is Cincinnati's Germaine Pratt, who is 6-2, 245, runs low 4.5s and last year was PFF's top pass coverage linebacker and is projected at $8.25 million a year by PFF. Anthony Walker played in Eberflus' system in the middle already and is projected at a bargain $2.25 million.

Best Fits: 1. Bobby Okereke; 2. Germaine Pratt; 3. Anthony Walker.

4. Defensive End

They need this drastically but it appears it's going to need to come in the draft because the options here look better for a low-cost, later signing who serves mainly as a pass rush specialist in a rotation with a draft pick, with Trevis Gipson and with Dominique Robinson. They even looked last year at tackle Justin Jones playing some end to see how he might fit in that group.

One player who might catch their eye as a budding standout is Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, the Texans end who played in this scheme and was peaking late last season. He wasn't a starter until Week 11, and Pro Football Focus had him at an extremely high 88.5 pass rush grade from Week 7 on. He would be a sleeper type to some but potentially effective. Yannick Ngakoue would also be possible as he's played in many schemes, including this one, but wasn't a Colt until after Eberflus left Indianapolis and doesn't seem interested in stopping the run. Frank Clark is a strong possibility for a veteran, rotational role player because of his experience, much like with Arden Key.

Best Fits: 1. Frank Clark; 2. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo; 3. Arden Key.

5. Running Back

They could simply solve the need by signing David Montgomery back. Devin Singletary is an option, though he's slower in the 40 than Montgomery. Someone with power who could break away, or someone to complement Khalil Herbert would be goals. There are numerous options, which works against Montgomery's free agency cause even though he seems to be at the top of the board with Miles Sanders for free agents. If you were thinking Sanders, Montgomery is probably a better choice because of system knowledge and superior pass-blocking fit. If you're looking for a player who was overshadowed elsewhere and has much to offer, Alexander Mattison is one with a low projected price tag. Hard runners include Rashaad Penny, D'Onta Foreman and Damien Harris. System fits are Jamaal Williams, Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert and Kareem Hunt. Really, they could go anyway here but the way they should go is the draft if it's not to Montgomery.

Best Fits: 1. Jamaal Williams; 2. Alexander Mattison; 3. Kareem Hunt.

6. Interior Offensive Line

Either center or guard are possibile but most likely in free agency for depth later. Besides having Cody Whitehair already, the Bears have been put back into a prime position for offensive line help in Round 1 or 2 of the draft now after the trade. They never got to see what Lucas Patrick could do at center. A value move at guard might be possible. PFF suggests Isaac Seumalo of Philadelphia would get $11 million a year. He had a strong season in 2022. Whitehair is slated for $14.1 million this year. Cutting him and signing a player like Seumalo gives them a player a few years younger and the cost would be about the same considering what they would eat in dead cap from Whitehair. A player like Nate Davis could be of interest from his experience in wide zone blocking. It's just as likely they'd look at center because of the abundance of high quality, the relatively low cost projections and system fit. Ethan Pocic has blocked the wide zone and is projected at $7 million a year. Signing Garrett Bradbury deprives a division rival of a starting center and he's relatively inexpensive. Bradley Bozeman is another inexpensive option but like guard Ben Powers is a bit oversized for this blocking scheme. The draft looks like a better fit for starting help but don't discount them signing back Michael Schofield as a backup because they were impressed with his play as a fill-in.

Best Fits: 1. Ethan Pocic (C); 2. Garrett Bradbury (C); 3. Isaac Seumalo (G).

7. Tight End

The quality of backup tight end play last year in terms of receiving was lacking. When you get only 12 targets all year for the second and third tight ends, something is wrong. With Cole Kmet in a contract year, signing one of the top tight ends in free agency makes zero sense. There are some who do rate well for experience and relatively low cost projection. The Vikings never got from Irv Smith Jr. what they wanted because of injuries, but he is projected at $4.25 million a year. That's about twice what they paid for Ryan Griffin but still not a huge amount. Even better, Packers tight end Robert Tonyan knows the offense, is a smaller (238 pounds) tight end overall a better blocker than Smith and projected at $5 million a year. And he knows Luke Getsy's offense at a position where system knowledge seems so vital. Baltimore's Josh Oliver might be the best choice of all. There is no system fit but he's projected at much lower cost than others but he is coming from a team where they churn out tight ends. He was buried in the shadow of Mark Andrews and could emerge. They liked Trevon Wesco's blocking last year and a return as blocking third tight end is possible.

Best Fits: 1. Robert Tonyan; 2. Josh Oliver; 3. Irv Smith Jr.

8. Cornerback

The real need is drafting a third starting cornerback because signing them is not cost effective. A cornerback with system knowledge is always possible They'll look again here later for a potential slot cornerback. Usually it's a position requiring some NFL experience or it's one where a team takes a very fast rookie and grooms him. They actually might have a potential slot in Josh Blackwell but he hasn't been tested enough. If projections of $5.5 million a year for Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones are accurate, the cost is worthwhile as he was better as a slot cornerback than when he was tried outside. At 29, he'd only be a shorter term option. Rock Ya-Sin is a real system fit as a former Eberflus cornerback but would he be too expensive?

Best Fits: 1. Jonathan Jones; 2. Rock Ya-Sin. 3. Sean Murphy-Bunting.

9. Wide Receiver

They no longer need this position in free agency. Additions here should be relegated to training camp competition, special teams interest or Day 3 draft picks. A sixth receiver after Moore, Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown and Velus Jones Jr. would need to be a surprise camp player or draft pick. Dante Pettis could fill this as well as anyone but there are some options. DeAndre Carter was briefly with the Bears until injured and is coming off his best year as a receiver with the Chargers while also being a better punt returner than Pettis. Braxton Berrios is reportedly being cut by the Jets and is also a punt returner with an 11.4-yard career average. He led the NFL in kick return average in 2021 (30.4) and is a classic slot receiver, not something the Bears necessarily have. An example of a receiver who has been overlooked because of others on his team but could break out on his own is Miami's Trent Sherfield.

Best Fits: 1. Braxton Berrios; 2. DeAndre Carter; 3. Trent Sherfield.

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