The first wave of free agency has come and gone, and most teams are well into their pre-draft process. Despite the focus shifting heavily to next month’s draft, teams will spend the next four weeks looking for ways to round out their rosters before heading into late April’s draft.
For general manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears, their approach to the acquisition period thus far has been conservative. With the league’s lowest available cap figure ($243,078) according to Over The Cap, space-saving
moves will be needed to sign their draft class and have the proper funds to operate during the regular season. With that said, Chicago is one of the few teams in the league that has yet to execute a simple restructure, which will be needed, regardless of what else they choose to do in free agency.
Knowing that additional cap-saving measures are coming, we won’t focus too much on their league-low figure. Instead, we’ll take a look at their remaining needs and dive deeper into the remaining names left on the free agent market.
Defensive End
- Cameron Jordan
- Jadeveon Clowney
- Kyle Van Noy
- Joey Bosa
- Denico Autry
- Dante Fowler
- Derek Barnett
Heading into free agency, both Poles and head coach Ben Johnson spoke about the team’s need to get after the passer with more regularity. Just one offseason after taking a swing and landing Dayo Odeyingbo on a three-year, $48 million deal, the Bears opted to sit out the opening wave of free agency at the position. While it made sense financially, their lack of proven pass rushers on the edge leaves a glaring need heading into next month’s draft.
While the names remaining on the market aren’t anything special, there are plenty of veterans who could be added who could make a difference. Jordan, who is soon to be 37, has plenty of ties to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Last year’s 10.5 sack performance was the first time he had reached the double-digit sack plateau since his 12.5 sack season in 2021. Clowney is another interesting name, even if he’s become a year-to-year journeyman since his days in Cleveland. The 33-year-old is a former No. 1 overall pick who has never experienced a 10-sack season, yet has continued to produce at a starting level. Van Noy is yet another ageless wonder who experienced a down season in 2025, but has consistently been a pass-rushing force over the last handful of years. At 35, his best days are well behind him, but in the right role, he could still have plenty of value. Bosa, Autry, Fowler, and Barnett all present their own values to a defense in need of quality pass rushers. Bosa’s best days are behind him, and at this point, he’s a rotational option at best. Autry is one year removed from being one of the league’s most underrated defensive linemen, capable of playing both on the edge and the interior. Fowler struggles against the run, but has continued to get after the quarterback, and although Barnett has never lived up to his original draft status, he’s a scheme fit for what Allen looks for on the edge.
None of the names will define the Bears’ season, but they would provide a quality rotational option, and more importantly, take the urgency off the front office early in the draft. Depending on how the draft shakes out, this is an area where the Bears could look into trade opportunities for players like Jonathan Greenard or Josh Sweat.
Defensive Tackle
- D.J. Reeder
- Christian Wilkins
- Daquan Jones
- Calais Campbell
- Shelby Harris
On paper, some might look at the Bears’ depth chart and believe they are fine heading into the draft. The team added three veterans, including Neville Gallimore (two years, $10 million), and both Kentavius Street and James Lynch on veteran minimum deals. While it’s easy to argue that they raised the floor at the position, this is still a group without a standout. Of the names listed, Wilkins is the only one who offers legitimate star potential, even if his tenure in Vegas ended in disappointment. The biggest question with Wilkins is health, but it sounds like he’s expected to be good to go closer to the start of training camp.
Reeder is more of a traditional run-stuffer tackle, but he’s just two years removed from a quality free agent deal in Detroit. Jones might be only the wrong side of 30, but he still offers plenty of value as a rotational pass rusher. Harris and Campbell are both well past their primes, but have proven that sometimes age is just a number. Campbell’s continued production in his late 30s has been impressive to say the least. Harris provides some pass rushers and a quality veteran presence.
Because the Bears added three bodies in free agency already, there’s a strong chance that their next addition will be in the draft. That said, it’s always good to have an idea of what remains on the free agent market, especially if the draft doesn’t go to plan.
Cornerback
- Rasul Douglas
- L’Jarius Sneed
- Mike Hilton
- Trevon Diggs
- Marshon Lattimore
- Tre’Davious White
Heading into free agency, cornerback felt like a bigger need than it seemed at first. In the end, most contracts were well above projections, and, similar to the theme with most other positions, the Bears stayed out of the market’s top. That said, they lost both Nahshon Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency. Despite drafting Tyrique Stevenson in the second round of the 2022 draft, the former Miami product seems to have fallen out of favor with multiple coaching staffs. Even with Terell Smith and Zah Frazier returning after missing all of 2025, it stands to reason that a veteran addition could help raise the ceiling of this group.
Looking at the list of the top remaining names available in free agency, cornerbacks follow a similar theme in terms of age and upside to the rest of the groups. That said, adding a veteran with a safe ceiling would, at worst, provide much-needed depth to a group that was marred by injuries for most of 2025.
Douglas, for my money, headlines this group. While flying under the radar last year in free agency, he performed extremely well in Miami last season. He’s the type of player that could be signed post-draft and would immediately challenge Stevenson for the starting role opposite Jaylon Johnson. Sneed is the most interesting name on this list. After spending four years in Kansas City, he was traded to the Titans with the expectation that he would take their secondary to the next level. Two years and 12 games later, Sneed was released and will look to bounce back at age 29. His physical profile fits the defense perfectly, and on a low-risk one-year deal, he could make perfect sense. Hilton has continued to play well and provides a safe floor. Diggs is a former two-time Pro Bowler who once led the league with a whopping 11 interceptions in his second season with the Cowboys. Injuries have derailed a once-promising career, but at 27, he’s yet another player who could be worth taking a one-year flier on. Not only was he taken one selection after Johnson in the 2020 draft, but his ties to defensive backs coach Al Harris are notable. Lattimore is just a few years removed from being regarded as one of the league’s best, and his history in New Orleans with Allen is worth mentioning, although it’s worth wondering how much his body has left to give. White had a bounce-back year in Buffalo, and while his age is a factor in any conversation, he’s another floor raiser and could provide quality depth at worst.
Safety
- Jabrill Peppers
- Kyle Duggar
- Donovan Wilson
- Taylor Rapp
- Jordan Poyer
On paper, safety is one of the team’s biggest remaining needs. That said, the draft is deep at the position, and following moves that included re-signing Eljiah Hicks and a two-year free agent deal for Cam Lewis, one could argue that signing another veteran before May wouldn’t make much sense. It was clear, heading into the offseason, that they wanted to remake the safety room. It started with signing Coby Bryant and letting both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker walk in free agency. Now, they must complete the transformation by adding another starter alongside Bryant.
None of the free agent options that remain are overly enticing, at least at this stage. Peppers and Duggar both spent time in Pittsburgh last year, but neither is considered a plus starter at this point in their careers. Wilson gambled in free agency by not re-signing with Dallas, and the 31-year-old still finds himself on the market. Both Rapp and Poyer spent 2025 with the Bills, but Poyer is well past his prime, and Rapp was released a few weeks ago.
With so many top options early in the draft, it’s hard to imagine that safety will be a need come May, but if it is, they will have their pick of a few veteran options who could provide quality snaps in a stop-gap type of role.
Wide Receiver
- Tim Patrick
- Brandin Cooks
- Curtis Samuel
- Noah Brown
- Josh Reynolds
Heading into the offseason, a trade of DJ Moore felt inevitable. Once the combine was over and his value was established, the Bears shipped him and a fifth-round pick off to Buffalo for a second-round selection. While the return surprised many, including myself, it also left a hole in the team’s receiving corps. Although WR3 has never been a top priority in Johnson’s offenses, this group severely lacks a veteran presence, even with the addition of Kalif Raymond.
Fans shouldn’t be surprised to see them add another speed option in the draft, but they would be smart to add another veteran to this group. While the top-end names out there can be enticing to fans, the focus should be on a veteran who can provide quality snaps as a WR3 or WR4. That’s why Patrick, Cooks, Samuel, Brown, or Reynolds could make sense. Patrick and Reynolds have experience in the same role under Johnson in Detroit. Samuel is an interesting name, even if his production has fallen off. Brown is another name that most Bears fans are probably familiar with. As a depth option, he could make sense.
Wide receiver is yet another spot where they could either add a player now or wait to see what the depth chart looks like post-draft. Either way, another veteran should be added before the start of training camp.
