Now that the NFL Draft is complete, the Bears have a clearer picture of what the depth of their team will look like this season and where they can get help. GM Ryan Pauls will therefore have a more focused plan when it comes to culling the remaining free agents on the market to fill the remaining holes on the roster.
Compared to when the Poles scrapped the roster in 2022, there won’t be as much work left in the front office. After the first wave of free agency and the draft, teams will be set up at skill positions on offense. Their secondary remains are piled up. If a team could use an extra body anywhere it’s the offensive line and defensive line (like most NFL teams), so that’s where they’ll look.
It’s also worth noting that the Bears probably won’t be making any new splash signs. Depending on how you look at it, it’s estimated that the Bears have between $8 million and $12 million in effective cap space after the draft, and the Pole may want to keep some powder he can use throughout the season. not. So don’t expect any huge deals planned here.
Rasheem Green – Defensive End
Green could be an option to reunite with the Bears for a year with only Austin Booker added in the draft. The depth on the defensive line is good, but what he brings to special teams is even better. Green blocked two kicks for the Bears last season.
Phil Haynes – Guard
Haynes has been plagued by injuries throughout his five-year career, so it’s unlikely he will be called up as the Bears’ starter. But he can still hit his two goals for the Bears. 1) Increase competition for inside depth spots and 2) Help teach new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme and language. Haynes worked under Waldron the past three seasons in Seattle.
Linval Joseph – Defensive Tackle
Joseph will be 36 next year, but he’s not the same player he was in his prime with the Vikings. But defensive tackle is one of the Bears’ thinnest position groups, and Joseph could be an impactful veteran presence to help Garvon Dexter with Dexter possibly taking over as the team’s starting three-tech. be.
Yannick Ngakoue – defensive end
The Bears brought Ngakoue on a one-year deal last summer to strengthen their pass rush, but an ankle injury ended his season early. If medical checks are done, it would make sense for the teams to replay the game since both sides know each other well. It would also take some of the pressure off Booker to hone his raw talent during his rookie season.
Rakeem Nunez Rochus – Defensive Tackle
Nunez-Rochus is younger than Joseph at 31 years old, but he has only four career sacks and is not yet an established pass rusher. He still has plenty of experience, playing in 118 games and starting 42, and brings positional versatility with snaps at NT, DT, and DE. Poles have previously played a key role in selecting Nuñez-Roche. Pauls was Kansas City’s director of college scouting when the Chiefs selected Nunez Roches in the sixth round of the 2017 draft.
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