Grading the Chicago Bears' Signings From the First Week of Free Agency

The Chicago Bears have had a very interesting offseason thus far. They didn't have much spending money this time last month, but a swath of high-caliber cap-cutting measures put them in a good position to make some moves.

They certainly didn't disappoint (unless your happiness is tied to their ability to land a star pass-rusher). They had a busy first week of free agency that included passing on some of their own pending free agents, nearly all of whom went on to sign modest contracts elsewhere.

While I have a few questions about their willingness to bring back a few players on the defensive side of the ball (although I'll hold my judgment until after the draft), I liked many of the moves they've made over the past week. How did the individual grades shake out?

Coby Bryant: Three-year, $40 million deal

The Bears decided to make Coby Bryant the big-ticket addition from this year's free agent class, and I'm not really surprised that's the case. He's gotten better every year and brings a ton of versatility to Chicago's DB room, as he has experience playing virtually every position in the secondary. Notably, he played free safety in 2024 before moving to strong safety this past season. I think Dennis Allen will move him around if they can find a quality counterpart in the draft.

The Bears aren't exactly attempting a three-pointer from mid-court with the signing of Bryant (yes, I went there). They know what they're getting. They're also paying him a more-than-reasonable price, as his contract ranks 14th in Average Annual Value (AAV) among safeties.

GRADE: B+

Jedrick Wills Jr.: One-year, $1.2 million deal

The Bears are clearly attempting to have an open competition for the starting left tackle job. While that would normally be less-than-ideal, I completely understand the logic, since they'd have to use their first-round pick to land their hopeful left tackle of the future (one year after using their second-round pick on their hopeful left tackle of the future who played extremely well before suffering a torn Achilles).

Wills has a real shot to start at left tackle if he can bounce back strong after sitting out last season to recover. He was previously a solid starter for Cleveland before injuries took their toll. They can't count on him to stay healthy, but they've got a boatload of backup options if he were to go down. He's a textbook low-risk, high-reward signing.

GRADE: B+

Devin Bush: Three-year, $30 million deal

I really can't say enough good things about their decision to sign Devin Bush to a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason. It was one of the best moves any team made on day one of free agency.

Bush was someone I thought could interest Chicago, as he's a perfect fit for Dennis Allen's defense. However, I'm shocked they were able to land him at the price they did. Despite coming off the best season of his career (in which he was named Pro Football Focus's fourth-ranked linebacker), his $10 million AAV ranks seventh among 'backers who put pen to paper this offseason. It also ranks 19th at the position. A downright steal.

GRADE: A+

Neville Gallimore: Two-year, $12 million deal

Chicago's decision to sign Neville Gallimore to a two-year, $12 million deal was honestly the only head-scratcher for me. He's not a bad player, but I question whether he's worth $6 million per year with 7.5 career sacks through his first six seasons. I know you can't really use sack numbers for a defensive tackle as a crutch, but they mean something when his pass-rushing ability is considered his biggest strength.

I'm not going to cry over spilled milk, but Jaquan Brisker and Nahshon Wright both signed one-year deals for $5.5 million. They might not have been great fits for what Dennis Allen wanted to do, and had real warts to their games that contributed to the low number, but they both played 97% (Wright) and 99.9% (Brisker) of the Bears' defensive snaps last year. They'll need to somehow address both positions in the draft while also still having a glaring need at defensive tackle. Gallimore's contract hurts from that perspective.

GRADE: C

D'Marco Jackson: Two-year, $7.5 million deal

I love that they were able to bring D'Marco Jackson back, and the fact that they were able to get him for as cheaply as they did is icing on the cake. Bringing him back wasone of their biggest offseason priorities after getting Tremaine Edmunds' contract off the books. He knows the defense well and can provide starting-quality play at a dirt-low price.

GRADE: A+

Cam Lewis: Two-year, $6 million deal

I have questions as to the role they expect Cam Lewis to fill, but he will be a solid addition to a secondary (and mostly a safety room) in dire need of reinforcements. He will immediately be one of their top special teams contributors and likely replacement for CJ Gardner-Johnson (I think he'll be the next man up in the slot if Kyler Gordon were to get hurt. Not too shabby with CJGJ costing twice as much.

GRADE: B+

Daniel Hardy: Two-year, $5 million deal

Speaking of special teams contributors, Daniel Hardy was one of their best. I'm not surprised they prioritized bringing him back into the fold for his contributions to the third phase. The contract is definitely on the high end for someone whose sole impact will come via special teams, but it's safe to assume that he would've signed for similar numbers elsewhere.

GRADE: B

Kalif Raymond: One-year, $3.25 million deal

Ben Johnson bringing his old friend Kalif Raymond to Chicago was the most obvious free agent signing in the history of obvious free agent signings. The Bears needed a new returner after opting not to re-sign Devin Duvernay, and they landed a great one in Raymond. He will also be a deep threat and gadget player on the offensive side of the ball. He probably won't get more than two targets per game, but I imagine they might result in some fireworks.

GRADE: A-

Jaylon Jones: One-year deal

Jaylon Jones was another key re-signing for the special teams unit. The contract details haven't yet been released, but I can't imagine they're spending much more than the veteran minimum. He probably won't play much (barring a disaster) on the defensive side of the ball, but he'll return as one of their core special teamers.

GRADE: B

Jordan McFadden: One-year, $1.3 million deal

I'm happy the Bears decided to bring Jordan McFadden back for another run. He might've gotten significantly more attention if Chicago were able to knock off the Rams (considering he started the Divisional Round matchup at left guard and held up extremely well). However, with him being one-and-done in the starting lineup and playing sparingly during the regular season, I'm not surprised there wasn't a ton of interest in him on the open market.

McFadden might not play a single offensive snap this season. The Bears would actually prefer that to be the case. However, if he does have to see the field, I think he showed enough promise that it wouldn't feel like the sky is falling. That's all you can really ask for from a backup guard.

GRADE: A-

Kentavius Street: One-year deal

Assigning a grade to the Kentavius Street signing is difficult without the details of the pact being released. However, if the deal is closer to McFadden's than Gallimore's (which I expect to be the case), then I think it was a solid signing. He provides a bit more pass-rushing juice and is another body along the team's interior. He's not a needle mover by any means, but should provide solid depth.

GRADE: B

Braxton Jones: One-year, $5 million deal (worth up to $10 million)

The Bears can do a lot better at left tackle than Braxton Jones. They proved that last season. However, for a one-year pact worth only $5 million, they also could do a lot worse. I'm surprised they made the decision to re-sign him after benching him (and opting to not start him in the playoffs after Ozzy Trapilo went down), but its a strong indication how they feel about the left tackle free agent market.

Jones will be the favorite to grab the starting left tackle job, but their actions point to a clear open competition. I imagine they included the hefty incentives in his deal to motivate him to bounce back strong with another offseason removed from ankle surgery.

GRADE: B+

Elijah Hicks: One-year, $2.6 million deal

Elijah Hicks was another re-signing to keep the core special teams unit semi-intact. I'm not surprised that they decided to bring him back, and it actually wouldn't shock me if he played a slightly bigger role on the defensive side of the ball. I don't think he'll start at either safety spot, but I could see him being the next man up at safety (similar to the role Jonathan Owens played last year) if a starter were to go down.

GRADE: B

Case Keenum: Two-year, $5.5 million deal (worth up to $8 million)

Case Keenum is basically a coach at this point in his career. I mean, how many times did we see him coach up Caleb Williams on the sidelines last season? It was evident in practically every Mic'Ed up clip.

My main question with this one is whether it indicates that they plan to move backup Tyson Bagent this offseason. I think he'll have a market, and you could argue that Keenum signing for two years (Bagent's remaining contract length) could indicate that they intend to make a move there.

GRADE: B+