The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of free agency, where general manager Ryan Poles has some pressing needs to address on the roster.
Wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, defensive line and defensive back are some of the biggest needs this offseason, and there are options to upgrade in free agency.
The Bears are slated to have 28 players hit free agency, and Poles has plenty of work to do to rebuild this roster. Good thing he has $75 million in salary cap space to work with.
Here’s a look at where the Bears roster stands ahead of free agency:
Quarterbacks
- Justin Fields
- Trevor Siemian
Fields is entering a pivotal third season with the Bears, where the expectation is he takes a step forward in the passing game. Siemian is penciled in as his backup, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chicago draft a young quarterback to groom behind Fields.
Running backs
- Khalil Herbert
- Trestan Ebner
- Khari Blasingame
With David Montgomery set to hit the open market, the Bears are down to just Herbert and Ebner at running back. Chicago wants to bring back Montgomery, but we’ll have to see how things work out. The Bears are re-signing fullback Khari Blasingame to a two-year deal, per his agency.
Wide receivers
- DJ Moore
- Darnell Mooney
- Chase Claypool
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Equanimeous St. Brown
- Nsimba Webster
- Daurice Fountain
- Joe Reed
The Bears upgraded 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 top wideouts include Moore, Mooney and Claypool, as well as Jones and St. Brown.
Tight ends
- Cole Kmet
- Jake Tonges
- Chase Allen
Kmet is coming off a career year with the Bears, where he was a big part of the passing game. He’s currently the only tight end that figures into the active roster, and Chicago could find a nice complement for him in free agency or the NFL draft.
Offensive line
- Cody Whitehair
- Teven Jenkins
- Braxton Jones
- Lucas Patrick
- Larry Borom
- Alex Leatherwood
- Ja’Tyre Carter
- Doug Kramer
- Dieter Eiselen
- Kellen Diesch
No starting job is guaranteed on the offensive line right now. But Chicago does have pieces in place that could factor into the starting lineup, including Jenkins, Jones, Patrick and Whitehair. But could Whitehair and/or Patrick potentially be a cap casualty? There is a glaring need at right tackle right now, which should be addressed in free agency.
Edge rushers
- Trevis Gipson
- Dominique Robinson
- Jalyn Holmes
- Gerri Green
- Andrew Brown
- Terrell Lewis
The Bears have a lot of work to do at defensive end this offseason, where Gipson and Robinson are the only two who factor into significant playing time in 2023. Al-Quadin Muhammad was a cap casualty earlier this offseason. Chicago will likely look to address the position both in free agency and the NFL draft.
Defensive line
- Justin Jones
- Donovan Jeter
Jones was probably the only player on the defensive line worth bringing back in 2023, and he’s the only interior defensive lineman currently on the roster (who factors into the active roster). The Bears are likely going to target a disruptive three-technique in free agency, but Jones still figures to factor into the defensive rotation in 2023.
Linebackers
- Jack Sanborn
- Sterling Weatherford
- DeMarquis Gates
- Kuony Deng
Sanborn is the only starting linebacker on the roster right now, and there’s plenty of work to be done. Assuming the Bears keep Sanborn at MIKE, they need to find a WILL linebacker to pair with him. Luckily, there are some top options available in free agency, including someone Matt Eberflus is familiar with in Bobby Okereke.
Cornerbacks
- Jaylon Johnson
- Kyler Gordon
- Kindle Vildor
- Jaylon Jones
- Josh Blackwell
- Greg Stroman
- Harrison Hand
- Michael Ojemudia
Johnson is entering the final year of his rookie deal, where he’s back as the team’s CB1. Gordon played both in the slot and on the boundary during his rookie year, so it’ll be interesting to see where Chicago keeps him in year 2. Johnson and Gordon headline the cornerback group, but the Bears still need a third cornerback to add to the mix.
Safeties
- Eddie Jackson
- Jaquan Brisker
- Elijah Hicks
- A.J. Thomas
- Adrian Colbert
Jackson and Brisker anchor a safety group that is arguably the strength of the roster right now. Jackson is coming off season-ending foot injury while Brisker is coming off a solid rookie campaign. Hicks will be a key reserve at safety and special teams contributor, and it also wouldn’t a surprise to see DeAndre Houston-Carson brought back.
Specialists
- Cairo Santos
- Trenton Gill
- Patrick Scales
The Bears re-signed Scales to keep their special teams trio 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.
