The first wave of NFL free agency is on the books, with the Chicago Bears making some strides to strengthen some positions and address some pressing needs on the roster.
Though, the work is far from done for Bears general manager Ryan Poles, as there are still some roster gaps to fill heading into the second wave of free desks and ahead of the NFL draft.
With the many moves made over the past week – from signings to cuts to trades – the roster looks different than even a week ago. Here’s a look at where the Bears roster stands after the first wave of free agency.
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Fields is entering a crucial third season with the Bears where he is expected to take a step forward in the passing game. The team signed Walker to serve as Fields’ backup and released Trevor Siemian soon after.
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- Khalil Herbert
- D’Onta Foreman
- Travis Homer
- Ebner punished
- Khari Blasingame
The Bears overhauled the running back room after David Montgomery left at large. They contracted Foreman and Homer to serve alongside Herbert in running back. Foreman should challenge Herbert for game time, while Homer also brings production and consistency to special teams. Chicago also re-signed fullback Khari Blasingame to a two-year contract.
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- DJ Moore
- Darnel Mooney
- Pursue Claypool
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Equanimous St. Brown
- I’m planting Webster
- Daurice Fountain
- Joe Reed
The Bears improved their wide receiver group with the addition of Moore, who was part of the trade for the No. 1 pick with the Panthers. Now Chicago’s best wideouts include Moore, Mooney and Claypool, as well as Jones and St. Brown.
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- Cole Kmet
- Robert Tonyan
- Jack Tonges
- Pursue Allen
Kmet is coming off a career year with the Bears where he was a big part of the passing game. Chicago signed Tonyan to a one-year free agency contract, where he will serve as a great addition to Kmet. Tonyan is more of a receiver than a blocker, and he should consider the red zone approach.
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- Cody Withaar
- Bitches Jenkins
- Braxton Jones
- Nathan Davis
- Luke Patrick
- Larry Borom
- Alex Leerwood
- Yes, Tire Carter
- Doug Kramer
- Dieter Eiselen
- Kelly Diesch
There is currently no guaranteed runway in the offensive line. But Chicago does have pieces that could play a role in the starting lineup, including Jenkins, Jones and Whitehair. They added a solid starter in Davis who will compete on left or right guard. Poles hinted that we could see Whitehair back in the center where he has served in the past. But there is still a glaring gap in correct tackle during this first wave.
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- De Marcus Walker
- Trevis Gypson
- Dominique Robinson
- Jalyn Holmes
- Jerry Green
- Andrew Brown
- Terrell Lewis
The Bears added production to the defensive end with the signing of Walker, who has completed a career year with 7.0 sacks. Walker also has versatility playing both inside and outside the rim. He leads a defensive end group that also features Gipson and Robinson. Still, it feels like we could see more moves coming at the position in free agency and the NFL draft.
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- Justin Jones
- Andrew Billings
- Donovan Jetter
The Bears still need that disruptive 3 technique to power Matt Eberflus’ defense, but they did add some beef to the interior of the line with Billings. Billings is a 1 technique that should strengthen the running defense. Jones is the only other interior player on the roster to play in a starting role. So there’s more work to be done on defensive gear this off-season.
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- Tremaine Edmunds
- T. J. Edwards
- Jack Sanborn
- Sterling Weatherford
- The Marquis Gates
- Kuony Deng
The Bears have completely overhauled their linebacking corp with the additions of Edmunds and Edwards, who will fill the roles of MIKE and WILL in the defense of Eberflus (TBD). They join last year’s standout rookie, Sanborn, who is supposed to serve in the SAM spot.
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- Jaylon Johnson
- Kyler Gordon
- Kindle Vidor
- Jaylon Jones
- Josh Blackwell
- Greg Stroman
- Harrison Hand
- Michael Ojemudia
The Bears didn’t make any moves at cornerback in the first wave of free agency. Johnson will enter the final year of his rookie deal, which will see him back as the team’s CB1. Gordon played both slot and border during his rookie year, so it will be interesting to see where Chicago holds him in Year 2. Johnson and Gordon lead the cornerback group, but the Bears still need a third cornerback to add to the mix.
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- Eddie Jackson
- Jacques Brisker
- Elijah Hicks
- AJThomas
- Adrian Colbert
Jackson and Brisker anchor a security group that may be the strength of the roster right now. Jackson is coming off a foot injury approaching the end of the season, while Brisker has had a solid rookie campaign. Hicks will be a key backup on the safety and special teams, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if DeAndre Houston-Carson is brought back either. Chicago made no movement in safety during the first wave of free agency.
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- Cairo Santos
- Trenton Gill
- Patrick Scales
The Bears re-signed Scales to a one-year deal to keep their trio of special teams in tact heading into 2023. Chicago has consistency with their core specialists in Santos, Gill and Scales, who are heading into their second year together.