The Bears will enter free agency next week with not only spots to fill on the roster but the cap space to find quality players to add for the 2024 season.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears have the sixth-most cap space in the NFL at $56,465,957. That type of currency gives general manager Ryan Poles plenty of opportunities to sign the players of his choosing.
And that includes the big-ticket free agents if Poles decides to allocate a decent portion of his cap space in that direction.
If Poles does decide to spend big, here are the players he should prioritize in this free agent class.
No. 1: Christian Wilkins, IDL, Dolphins
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus still doesn’t have the 3-tech, or what he also calls the engine, of his defense. Wilkins would absolutely fill that important position for the Bears. Last season the 28-year-old defensive tackle played in all 17 games and finished with 65 total tackles, nine sacks, two fumble recoveries, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.
According to Pro Football Focus, he set career highs last season in pass-rush win rate, pressure rate, sacks, quarterback hits and pressures. Wilkins is a disruptive player from the interior of the defensive line and would qualify as a multiplier — someone who makes everyone around him better.
Justin Jones primarily filled the 3-tech spot for the Bears last season. The veteran defensive tackle finished with 49 total tackles and 4.5 sacks in all 17 games played. The 27-year-old ended with a fairly decent season and would make for a good rotational piece if the Bears elect to bring him back.
Special interior defensive linemen are hard to find, and a player of Wilkins caliber will come at a steep cost. But the impact of having Wilkins on the inside and Montez Sweat on the edge is a scenario Eberflus would covet.
No. 2: Jonathan Greenard, DE, Texans
Sweat led the Bears in sacks with six despite only playing nine games before being traded from Washington. If Sweat wasn’t collapsing the pocket from the edge, it most likely wasn’t happening.
Greenard would be a good compliment to Sweat. The 26-year-old defensive end finished his fourth season in the NFL with 52 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, two passes defensed and one forced fumble. According to ESPN, Greenard also finished with a 22% pass rush win rate and that was tied for the fifth best in the league last season.
Greenard also ended with a 9.3% run-stop rate, according to PFF. That was the eighth-highest among qualifying defenders. Stopping the run is a huge emphasis for Eberflus and his defense.
While in Houston, Greenard played on the opposite side of the No. 3 overall pick in Will Anderson Jr. — which forced opposing offenses to be strategic with their double teams. According to ESPN, Anderson was double teamed 23% of the time while Greenard faced double teams 19% of the time.
If Greenard were to sign with the Bears, he would be in a similar situation with Sweat. Both players have the ability to win their one-on-one matchups and would create problems for opposing offensive lines.
No. 3: Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
One of the takeaways from late nights out in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine is that the Bears were not satisfied with the play from the running backs, especially when it came to pass blocking.
Barkley is a back that can do it all. Last season, the 27-year-old running back rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns on 247 attempts. He also added 41 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
The seven-year veteran was also one of four running backs last season to have at least 100 pass blocking snaps. According to PFF, Barkley finished with a 76.6 pass blocking grade, which was the ninth highest among backs with at least 25 blocking snaps.
Now, Barkley has had issues staying on the field. In six seasons, he has missed 25 games. So, there is a real possibility that Barkley would end up missing time at some point during a season.
Still, the 6-foot, 232-pound running back would add another threat to a Bears offense that still needs playmakers. A top-10 running back with a top-10 receiver in DJ Moore would also make life a lot easier for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and a rookie quarterback.
No. 4: Xavier McKinney, S, Giants
The Bears need to pair someone opposite of Jaquan Brisker now that veteran safety Eddie Jackson is no longer on the team.
McKinney’s range as a free safety in the middle of the field and versatility to play in the box would be a good fit in the backend of Eberflus’ defense. The 24-year-old safety finished last season with 116 total tackles, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in 17 games played.
McKinney also played a full season in 2021, and he ended his second year in the league with five interceptions, including a pick-6 against the Raiders in Week 9.
The 6-foot, 201-pound safety has also missed 18 games through his first four season in the NFL. During his rookie season, McKinney fractured his left foot during training camp and was placed on IR. Then in 2022, McKinney broke his hand in an ATV accident during the Giants Bye Week and he missed the final eight games.
When McKinney has been on the field, though, he has been productive. According to PFF, McKinney has 17 combined interceptions and forced incompletions over the past three seasons, which ranks him the top 20 among safeties.
Adding a veteran safety as opposed to a rookie with Brisker, who will be entering his third season in the league, would put the entire secondary in a better position to avoid mistakes while the entire groups gets accustom to the new addition.
No. 5: Calvin Ridley, WR, Jaguars
This isn’t the greatest free agent class for wide receivers. Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. have already been tagged and Mike Evans agreed to a two-year contract to stay in Tampa Bay.
With the top three guys unavailable, that brings in the second wave of players, which would include Ridley. The 29-year-old receiver played in all 17 games last season and finished with 76 receptions, 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns. He accomplished this despite missing all of 2022 with a year-long suspension due to sports gambling.
However, he did have seven drops last season — fifth-most among wide receivers. But the 6-foot-1, 190-pound wideout still led the Jaguars in receiving yards and touchdown receptions.
The Bears desperately need another receiver other than DJ Moore. The last receiver not named Moore to catch a touchdown for the Bears during the 2023 season was Chase Claypool in the Week 2 loss against the Buccaneers. It’s an insane but revealing stat that displays the lack of playmakers the Bears had at the position.
Ridley is a talented receiver who understands the nuances of route running. A combination between Moore and Ridley and Cole Kmet would provide options in the passing game for the upcoming season.
Explaining the Rankings
Wilkins was my first priority because of the position he plays and how vital it’s for Eberflus’ defense. There also isn’t as many game-changing defensive tackles in the NFL as there are edge rushers and that includes this upcoming draft. If the Bears are dishing out money, Wilkins should be a high priority.
Greenard in second place makes since because he is a young, ascending player at a premium position. He is coming off his rookie contract and set career highs in games played, total tackles and sacks. Plus, he sets the edge when playing the run — which will sit well with defensive coordinator Eric Washington.
Barkley as the third priority may surprise some people, but the Bears are interested in an upgrade at running back. The main dilemma Poles would have to sift through is the money it would take to land Barkley, for the type of player that he is and how injuries could impact his value. In today’s NFL, there isn’t as much resources that go to the running back position, but having true threats at all positions can never hurt an offense.
McKinney also falls into the category of a young, ascending football player. However, safety is a position the Bears don’t have to overpay for at this point. Would it be great to have a difference maker on the backend? Of course. But it’s tough to have consistent production from a turnover standpoint. Eddie Jackson will tell you that. Only Cincinnati’s Jesse Bates III finished in the top ten among safeties in interceptions in back to back seasons.
Ridley ends the rankings for a couple of reasons. He isn’t a No. 1 receiver, but he can definitely give an offense like the Bears a much-needed boost to their receiving core. The former first-round pick put up decent numbers despite missing out of the entire 2022 season, but the drops need to be cleaned up. He is No. 5 on this list because of the money it would most likely take to sign him. PFF has a projected contact at three-years, $18.5 million average/yearly with $32.5 million guaranteed. That’s a hefty price for a player that will turn 30 this December.
