Skip to main content
Bear Digest

Roster Gaps Ryan Poles Left Untouched in Week 1 of Bears Free Agency

Free agency is one week old and there are big gaps in the work performed by the Bears GM, especially at these positions.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jamree Kromah makes his first appearance in a Bears uniform in the 2024 Hall of Fame Game. He's currently one of their best options as a defensive end behind Montez Sweat and Austin Booker.
Jamree Kromah makes his first appearance in a Bears uniform in the 2024 Hall of Fame Game. He's currently one of their best options as a defensive end behind Montez Sweat and Austin Booker. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The traditional idea heading into training camp is to have all lineup spots covered with at least a veteran option, just in case draft picks taken to play as starters experience rookie troubles.

Under GM Ryan Poles, this usually is taken care of during free agency at some point prior to the draft. Most of the time it's addressed in the first week of the free agency. Occasionally, they'll have to find a low-budget players later in free agency to fill spots.

One week of free agency has passed and here are the spots Poles failed to fill, positions they'll most likely count on the draft for help.

1. Defensive Tackle

The two defensive tackles they signed fail to address the need they have at the position. These two might have some sort of system fit or past ties to Chicago coaches, but Poles has left a gaping hole that four players above or near 300 pounds each failed to address. They couldn't stop the run last year and no one added so far does.

Neville Gallimore has had five seasons with meaningful playing time and here's where he graded as a run stopper: 100th of 134 in 2025, 85th of 132 in 2025, 85th of 132 in 2024, 72nd of 131 in 2023, 123rd out of 127 in 2022 and 95th of 128 in 2020. Poles could have signed Sebastian Joseph-Day, who was a top 35 run stopper in four of the last six years, but he went to Pittsburgh for only about $1.5 million more total for two years than he paid for Gallimore.

Kentavius Street was a Falcons practice squad player last year and not even on an NFL 53-man roster until Nov. 14. He failed to finish in the top half of the league among defensive tackles as a run stopper with PFF grade in seven of eight seasons.

The stop-gap measures taken to patch the NFL's 27th-ranked run defense don't look capable of stopping up many gaps.

2. Safety

At least they finally covered the roster need by signing Coby Bryant, Elijah Hicks and Cam Lewis, but Lewis isn't necessarily a natural safety. He's a slot cornerback. They better get to signing more help and then drafting them, as well.

3. Defensive end

Shemar Turner and Dayo Odeyingbo are coming back from serious injuries and are the players behind starters Montez Sweat and Austin Booker right now. There is no reason to think Odeyingbo can be back 100% by the start of the season from a torn Achilles tendon. That can take 12-18 months to regain full strength and mobility. Turner had a torn ACL and shouldn't take as long but he also hasn't had much experience playing there in the NFL. Daniel Hardy is still on the roster, but mainly as a special teams player and possibly a strongside linebacker as much as a defensive end.

They also have Jeremiah Martin, Jamree Kromah and Jonathan Garvin.

So, they essentially don't have anyone behind their two starters in the edge rotation even though they have six players listed there on the roster.

4. Kick returner

Kalif Raymond is fine for returning punts, at least as far as 32-year-old return men go. He has returned only nine kickoffs since 2020. He's not a kick returner anymore, and they did not sign back Devin Duvernay, who was a top-10 kick returner last year. Duvernay signed Sunday with Arizona for $2.5 millon this year according to Jordan Schultz.

5. Tight end

Like at defensive end, there are bodies on the roster but after third tight end Durham Smythe left for Baltimore there is no third tight end who is the blocker. Practice squad players Stephen Carlson, Nikola Kalinic and Qadir Ismail lining up in critical blocking roles within an offense that used three tight ends the fifth-most times last year (8%) has to give Ben Johnson nightmares. Poles better find an option.

6. Center

They just traded for Garrett Bradbury but the closest thing they have to a backup center is right guard Jonah Jackson. At least he has snapped a football in the NFL. Maybe they successfully get Luke Newman turned into a backup center, maybe they don't. He hasn't done it yet. At least they have the draft to find this spot and a good college center is the most likely alternative.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News