Ranking Chicago Bears remaining roster needs after Day 1 of NFL free agency

The Chicago Bears knocked out three of their biggest roster needs on the first day of free agency by agreeing to deals with Drew Dalman, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett.

Ryan Poles still has plenty of work to do.

The starting lineup is mostly set, but the team is set to lose many of the key backups from last season that look to be signing elsewhere.

Poles can still add key contributors that will rotate in on gameday without costing nearly as much as his initial investments into the trenches.

Here are the Bears biggest remaining needs after Day 1 of free agency.

Wide Receiver

The only wide receivers from last season that are under contract for 2025 are DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Tyler Scott.

Ben Johnson didn't invest heavily in his number three receivers with the Detroit Lions, but he'll need a better option in Chicago than Scott, who has a total of 18 catches for 173 yards in his two NFL seasons.

Fortunately, some of his former Lions wide receivers are available in free agency, including Josh Reynolds, Tim Patrick and DJ Chark.

Defensive End

Despite signing Dayo Odeyingbo to a three year, $48 million contract, the Bears still need to add more at the defensive end position.

Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat will be the starters, but the current number three edge rusher on the depth chart is Austin Booker.

The 2024 fifth-round pick has plenty of upside, but he's not ready to step into such a large role in the defense after playing less than 300 snaps as a rookie.

Dennis Allen can never have too many good pass rushers, and he can still find some quality names in free agency that won't cost as much, like Chauncey Golston, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marcus Davenport.

Offensive Line

The Bears rebuilt the starting offensive line. The backups still need some upgrades.

If the last few seasons have taught Poles anything, it's that he'll need more than five quality blockers. Odds are, at least one starter will miss games with injury, and the Bears need good replacements.

Right now, Ryan Bates provides a decent option as a versatile backup guard or center, but Kiran Amegadjie is still very raw as the top backup tackle.

One or two more veterans and draft picks on the offensive line would go a long way. A familiar free agent like Andrus Peat or Nick Gates would make a lot of sense.

Tight End

The Bears already signed former Miami Dolphin Durham Smythe to be a backup to Cole Kmet, but those two are the only tight ends with NFL experience that the team has under contract.

Johnson liked to use a lot of two tight end formations in his Lions offense, so the team is going to need to add more depth at the position.

Smythe might be able to handle the number two role in the offense, but it would be ideal for the team to find another backup with more upside.

A free agent like Juwan Johnson might cost more than what Poles is willing to pay, but his familiarity with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and offensive line coach Dan Roushar could go a long way in Chicago.

Running Back

D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson should give Johnson more than enough at running back, but if the right option is available at the right price, the Bears could always add more.

Even if it's not a starter, the team still has a need for a new number three running back who contributes on special teams.

2024 undrafted free agent Ian Wheeler is the only other running back currently under contract in Chicago.

More depth at the position shouldn't cost too much. Free agents that could make a lot of sense are Jamaal Williams or Kareem Hunt, who both have connections to this new Bears coaching staff.

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