Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agency: Top Free Agents To Target

There will be no shortage of free agents available this offseason. Here are a few the Chicago Bears should target.

Now that the 2022 season is in the books, the focus for the Chicago Bears, among other teams, now turns to the offseason. General manager Ryan Poles is set to begin one of the most impactful offseasons in franchise history.

Poles goes into the offseason with the largest salary cap space in the league. That means he can go in on whichever players he feels he has to bring to Chicago. Of course, he will have to be prudent with his wallet. However, he has leverage against any other team if there is a “must-have” player.

After a 3-14 record in 2022, the Bears have a lot of holes to fill on the roster. Poles will fill a few of them via the draft, but there is also a need for veteran help. He’ll use the $100 million+ to acquire that veteran help. The vets will help the younger players develop better. With the money he has and the eight draft picks (for now), including the top overall pick, Poles is well prepared to put the franchise back on the winning path.

Here are some available free agents that Poles and the Chicago Bears should target when the new league year begins in March.

Taylor Lewan, OL

Taylor Lewan just announced that the Tennessee Titans would release him after nine seasons. He wanted to stay but the Titans are $23.5 over the salary cap. They need to make a lot of cuts just to get up to the cap.

Lewan’s salary was to be a $14.8 million cap hit. The big chunk saved puts the Titans a little closer to the salary cap maximum.

The cut puts one of the top tackles in the league on the open market. He is coming off of an injury that cut his season to just two games, however. In fact, he’s played in only 20 games in the past three seasons dealing with ACL injuries.

Lewan is a three-time Pro Bowl player and was the longest-tenured Titan. With his injuries he has to decide if he wants to continue to play. If he does, he could be had for a one-year “prove it” deal. If he shows that he is over the injuries and plays well again, he could be in for a nice payday. At any rate, he would be a valuable asset for some of the younger players on the offensive line.

Jamel Dean, CB

The Chicago Bears did a great job of shoring up the cornerback position. Two seasons ago, it was a unit in shambles. The previous regime drafted Jaylon Johnson in 2020 and Poles drafted Kyler Gordon in 2022.

The two players give the Bears a solid, young, and athletic duo. However, they need a third starting corner. Signing Jamel Dean could give Chicago one of the top units in the NFL.

Dean allowed a completion percentage of only about 52 percent when he is targeted. He is among the best corners in the league. Furthermore, he is only 26 so he is still a young player. He would be a great addition to Chicago’s cornerback unit.

Mike McGlinchey, OL

If ever there was a “must-have” player that the Chicago Bears should go after it is Mike McGlinchey. He will be the top offensive lineman on the open market. If the bidding war doesn’t get too ridiculous Poles should be all in on him.

McGlinchey played his college ball nearby at Notre Dame. He could return to the area and really solidify the offensive line.

Having McGlinchey gives the Bears solid bookend tackles. Braxton Jones showed how well he could be. he played every snap in 2022 and was so much better than anyone first thought.

The Bears need to improve their protection for quarterback Justin Fields. The line did a good job run blocking but there were too many times when Fields was overwhelmed at the snap and couldn’t get the pass off.

McGlinchey instantly improves both the run blocking and pass protection. If he is available Poles needs to get him in a Chicago Bears uniform.

Tremaine Edmunds, LB

There was a time before the 2018 NFL draft about whether the Chicago Bears should go after Roquan Smith or Tremaine Edmunds. As it turns out, they wouldn’t have gone wrong drafting either of them. Smith had a great 4+ seasons in Chicago. He got into a salary disagreement with Poles, however, and the Bears had to trade him in 2022.

Edmunds ended up getting drafted by the Buffalo Bills and has been an integral part of their tough defense. The Bills ranked second in points allowed and sixth in turnovers.

Now, after losing Smith, the Bears have a chance to pick up Edmunds. Yes, Buffalo wants to retain Edmunds but they are in salary cap hell. They are about $19.5 million over the salary cap so they likely lose some good assets. Edmunds could be one of them.

Edmunds has been in the league yet he’ll still be just 25 when he starts the 2023 season. He will be giving whatever team signs him some big seasons.

Edmunds played mostly at middle linebacker in Buffalo. The Bears had Jack Sanborn play there when they moved Nick Morrow to the weakside linebacker spot. While he did a pretty good job there before getting injured, Edmunds would be a much better choice at that position. The Bears have a history of great middle linebackers and Edmunds could continue that tradition.

Yannick Ngakoue, DE

The Chicago Bears had a pathetic pass rush in 2022. Not only did they rank last in sacks, they hardly even touched the quarterback. They also ranked last in quarterback knockdowns.

Chicago released Al-Quadin Muhammad so you can figure that they are really looking at a pass rusher. However, they also have a need at defensive tackle.

The two positions mentioned with the Bears in the first round of the draft are defensive end and defensive tackle. Who they pick will depend on who Poles signs as a free agent. Whatever position he picks in free agency he’ll likely go for the other in the draft.

Yannick Ngakoue would improve the Bears’ pass rush. He gets to the quarterback, having recorded 19.5 sacks in the past two seasons. Additionally, he has 39 quarterback hits and 24 hurries.

Furthermore, Ngakoue comes from the Indianapolis Colts. That is where head coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams coached as well. All three are familiar with each other so he’d fit into the defensive scheme.

Javon Hargrave, DT

Javon Hargrave seems like too easy of a choice for the Chicago Bears. While having a defensive end is critical, having a good defensive tackle allows the end to do his thing.

Hargrave is one of the top tackles in the league and he is available. The Eagles, also in salary cap trouble, ended up releasing Hargrave to free up some space.

In addition to the pass rush problems, the Bears also had trouble against the run. Opponents spent all season gashing the Bears up the middle. Without any tackles taking up double teams, the ends won’t have the space to operate one-on-one. With the tackle doing his job, the linebackers can come in and make plays to stop the run.

Hargrave is a disruptive three-technique force that Eberflus and Williams need on their defense. Poles can also draft another tackle who could take over. Hargrave is 31 so this will likely be his last big contract. Poles can draft someone and have him play in a reserve until he’s ready to take over. It becomes a win-win.