Chicago Bears make big splash in free agency with trio of signings including former Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds

NFL free agency opened on Monday morning and Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles wasted little time attempting to improve the league’s worst team last season.

By the end of the afternoon, the Bears were reportedly in agreement with a pair of linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and an interior offensive lineman in Nate Davis.

Given that Poles entered the offseason with the most cap space to spend, he may not even be done yet, either. The team may officially sign the players when the league’s new calendar year begins on Wednesday.

Here’s a quick look at the three newest Bears.

Tremaine Edmunds — LB

The Bears opened their wallets wide for Edmunds, giving him a reported four-year deal worth $72 million with $50 million in guaranteed money. Edmunds turns 25 in May, but already has five NFL seasons to his name, including Pro Bowl campaigns in 2019 and 2020. A 6-foot-5, 250 pound linebacker out of Virginia Tech, Edmunds has been among the most reliable players in the NFL, starting all 74 games since being drafted and recording over 100 tackles in all five seasons. He comes to Chicago with a wealth of playoff experience, having started eight postseason games for the Bills.

T.J. Edwards — LB

The Lake Villa, Ill. native was a name that many Bears fans were expecting to hear this offseason, but the news of his signing turned heads on Monday morning. The four-year veteran has been a tackling machine for the Eagles defense the past two years, recording 130 tackles in 2021 and 159 in 2022 as Philadelphia reached the Super Bowl. The Bears are reportedly paying Edwards $19.5 million over the next three years with $12 million guaranteed. Nicholas Moreano has more on how Edwards will benefit the Bears defense in 2023.

Nate Davis — OG

Improving the protection for Justin Fields is one of the Bears’ biggest offseason tasks and the team will turn toward Davis as they look to upgrade their offensive line. Davis was a third-round selection by the Titans in the 2019 NFL draft and started most of his games at right guard. The 26-year-old played only one full season for Tennessee and battled COVID-19 twice in 2021. Davis is reportedly signing for a three-year deal worth $30 million with $19.25 million guaranteed. The amount of money throws Cody Whitehair’s future into doubt, as well as makes one wonder where Davis will play given that Teven Jenkins occupied the right guard spot for much of the 2022 campaign.