4 Major Takeaways From the Chicago Bears’ First Wave of Free Agency

The Bears had a busy start to free agency, even if many of the moves they made were retaining their own players or acquiring depth pieces on the defensive side of the ball.

While some might have been upset with their lack of movement to improve some areas of their defense, I think they took a calculated approach and are looking at the bigger picture. A few of their moves provide insight into how they view that bigger picture, as well.

Free agency is only step one of improving the talent on the roster, and the NFL Draft has actually proven to be a much more reliable way of acquiring talent for sustained success. It would be wise to hold judgment until May, when the roster is roughly complete.

What takeaways can be gleaned from the moves the Bears made through the first wave of the free agency cycle?

Ryan Poles wasn't lying when emphasizing the importance of adding speed on defense

Devin Bush's 4.43-second 40-yard dash time is tied for seventh all-time among linebackers in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine. I know that was seven years ago, but he's still got unreal speed.

Meanwhile, Coby Bryant might not possess rare speed for a safety (he was timed at a respectable 4.48-second 40 at the 2022 combine), but there's little doubt as to whether he's got better wheels than 32-year-old Kevin Byard III. They clearly got faster with that signing.

Their lower-tier defensive line additions, Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Steet, won't win many foot races. However, they've both been praised for remarkable quickness at their size. They're both significantly more athletic than the players they'll probably be replacing, Andrew Billings and Chris Williams.

Notably, they also seemed to emphasize versatility. Bush and Bryant are both extremely versatile players. On top of being elite in coverage, Bush is also a really solid blitzer. Bryant has experience at virtually every position in Seattle's secondary.

The Bears seem to like the safeties in the 2026 NFL Draft

No team wants to be in a position where they're starting multiple rookie safeties. That's the perfect recipe for a coverage bust, and the Bears were smart to avoid that scenario by prioritizing Coby Bryant, who was their most expensive free agent addition with a three-year, $40 million deal.

With that said, it's clear at this point that they're going to find their other starting safety via the draft. They passed up on some surprisingly cost-effective options to be in that position, too. Jaquan Brisker and CJ Gardner-Johnson (who really wouldn't be a great option in Brisker's old role) signed for $5.5 million and $6 million, respectively. Nick Cross was someone I hoped the Bears would take a shot on. He only signed for $7 million per year with the Commanders. Kevin Byard III is only making $9 million with New England.

The Bears had plentiful options if they wanted to land two safeties on the free agent market. They clearly didn't go that route, and I wonder if they have their eyes on a specific player at pick 25 (potentially Oregon's Dillon Thieneman or Toledo's Emmanuel McNeill-Warren), or someone in the second round there.

Poles might've learned from his previous mistakes; They didn't overpay to improve the pass-rush

Much like the safety position, the Bears also had plenty of options if they wanted to improve their pass-rush through free agency. However, unlike many of the free agent safeties, they would've had to PAY UP to do it. They were smart for going that route.

I like Jaelan Phillips. He's a nice player. He is nowhere near as good a player to be making $30 million per year, though. I feel similarly about Odafe Oweh, who is making $25 million per year with Washington. A 31-year-old Trey Hendrickson is making $28 million per year with Baltimore, and that somehow looks like the best value of this year's free agent edge market.

I wanted Maxx Crosby wearing blue and orange as much as the next guy. However, I'm relieved they didn't cough up the desired two first-round picks to get him in the building. They would've then had to extend him when he's still got two years left on his deal. Who knows how much he'll have left in the tank beyond the 2027 season? I don't, but I know who would have all the leverage in those impending contract negotiations.

I'm confident the Bears are going to build up the pass-rush the right way. They're going to build through the draft, and this year's defensive line class offers just about everything a team could need. That's great news, because the Bears could use help just about everywhere up front. They were smart for not overpaying for it, though.

The Bears appear dead-set on having a left tackle competition

The Bears seem to like what they saw from Ozzy Trapilo in limited action last season. They drafted him in the second round and hope he can be their left tackle of the future. Unfortunately, they'll have to wait some time to see if he can take that job and run with it, as he will be on the shelf to start the 2026 NFL season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in the Wild Card Round against Green Bay.

While they could still surprise and address the left tackle position early on, everything they've done this offseason indicates that they plan to have a veteran competition there. I imagine they're hoping they can just hold down the fort there until Trapilo is back in the lineup.

They're leaving the door open for Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, Jedrick Wills Jr., or Kiran Amegadjie to take the left tackle job to start the season. While I normally wouldn't love the idea of Williams' blindside being protected by a patchwork situation at left tackle, I think it's the right call in this situation. They're returning three very good starters up front and have a lot of other weaknesses. Drafting for one of those other needs also wouldn't stunt the development of their second-round pick from a year ago.