The Chicago Bears are run by Ryan Pace. He came in as one of the best pro personnel directors in the NFL. So free agency is his specialty and time has proven that true (for the most part). He’s been consistently good at finding his team quality veterans who help the roster improve without having to break the bank. One can suspect he’s got eyes on several names across the league with the market set to open March 18th.
That list is bound to be substantial. In order to help get a gauge on possible players they may target, we decided to split it by conference with one free agent from each NFC team covering this list. Rest assured it’s not just going to be a host of notable guys. There will be possible backups sprinkled in who can help the roster in other ways.
Chicago Bears free agent targets in the NFC
Emmanuel Sanders (WR, San Francisco 49ers)
The 49ers reaped big rewards by trading for Sanders at the dead last season. He gave them 502 yards with three touchdowns in 10 games. At 33-years old he’s not the star he was a few years ago, but he wouldn’t have to be in Chicago where he’d get to play across from Allen Robinson. Sanders’ ability to run routes remains undiminished and would be a great fit in this offense.
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Jason Pierre-Paul (OLB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
People might ask whether Pierre-Paul can play in a 3-4 defense at outside linebacker. Well, he did a pretty good job last season for the Bucs. Despite missing six games with an injury, he still finished with 8.5 sacks. JPP can be a dominant rusher at times when healthy. Putting him across from Khalil Mack where he’d see almost constant single blocking? That’d be a dream come true.
Joe Walker (ILB, Arizona Cardinals)
The Bears are in a tight spot at inside linebacker with three key players all coming out of contract in Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Kevin Pierre-Louis. Regardless of who they keep as the starter, their depth could take a significant hit. So they might seek some options on that front. Walker emerged as a decent player for Arizona last season, grabbing 58 tackles and a forced fumble in 11 starts.
Jeff Heath (S, Dallas Cowboys)
One criticism leveled at the Bears this past year was how they lacked a true safety presence in the box. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix couldn’t play that role, which forced Eddie Jackson to do it more often. This took away opportunities for him to be a danger in coverage. With Clinton-Dix possibly out, a guy like Heath would fit that box safety role so much better. He’s a constant presence around the line of scrimmage and a reliable tackler.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai (OT, Philadelphia Eagles)
Offensive line play was a problem for the Bears in 2019, especially at tackle. Bobby Massie suffered health issues while Charles Leno was a penalty machine. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea to bring in competition. Vaitai was a quality reserve in Philadelphia, plugging in at multiple spots including both right and left tackle. He’s a tough, strong run blocker who isn’t a turnstile in pass protection.
Austin Hooper (TE, Atlanta Falcons)
This isn’t much of a shock. The Bears are in desperate need of help at tight end. Trey Burton is an unknown after another surgery last month. Adam Shaheen is a bust. Everybody else they have isn’t starter quality. Hooper established himself as a steady, reliable pass target in Atlanta. He’s got good size and dependable hands with a sneaky speed people often overlook.
Leonard Williams (DE, New York Giants)
Williams seems to think he is going to get a large contract when free agency starts. General consensus among experts is he’ll be disappointed. Though a former 1st round pick and in his physical prime, the defensive end hasn’t exactly lighting up stat sheets. After getting 10 sacks in his first two years, he has just 7.5 in the past three including 0.5 in 2019. He picked a bad time to have his worst year. That said, the Bears might be able to convince him to join their loaded front for a year to see if he can realize that vast potential.
Graham Glasgow (C/OG, Detroit Lions)
Right guard is far and away the biggest issue on the Bears offensive line. After Kyle Long went down, the team struggled to find a replacement. Rashaad Coward did what he could but it wasn’t good enough. Glasgow is a solid player who’s logged some good performances in Detroit. He isn’t anything flashy but he’s tough and versatile, able to play guard and center. That is something that would help settle the interior down for Chicago.
Blake Martinez (ILB, Green Bay Packers)
Word is the Packers are really thinking about letting Martinez walk in free agency. That is a genuine shock. The guy hasn’t missed a game in three years. During that span, he’s compiled 284 tackles with nine sacks. He is a good football player. Try to imagine how he might look next to Roquan Smith in that Bears front, bringing with him intricate knowledge of that Packers defense for Nagy to exploit.
Bruce Irvin (OLB, Carolina Panthers)
Finding somebody who can actually get sacks across from Mack remains a big priority. Irvin did that successfully in both 2016 and 2017 for the Raiders. He delivered 8.5 sacks for Carolina this past season, so even at 33-years old there is reason to think he can still take advantage of those matchups. He’ll also be on the cheaper side due to his age, something that will appeal to the cash-strapped Bears.
Austin Blythe (OG, Los Angeles Rams)
Finding a plug-and-play starter at guard would be ideal for this offense. Blythe is not one of the big names that come up when talking about free agency. Even so, he has plenty of value. He played that position when the Rams reached the Super Bowl in 2018 and has given up just two sacks over the past two years. Nothing about him is studly but he’s dependable and there is nothing wrong with that.
Case Keenum (QB, Washington Redskins)
There are plenty of theories about how the Bears might handle their quarterback situation. Most seem to fall in the middle. That is to say they’ll seek a veteran with starting experience who can be acquired for cheap that can apply pressure to Mitch Trubisky. Keenum is a perfect example. He’s been a quality starter for the past few years including a trip to the NFC championship in 2017. He features a solid arm and is no stranger to absorbing new offenses quickly.
Vonn Bell (S, New Orleans Saints)
Perhaps the best strong safety that is going to hit the market this March is Bell. He’s been such an unspoken member of a good Saints secondary who routinely racks up 80+ tackles and is a highly effective blitzer. He’ll never be much in coverage but that isn’t what he’ll be paid for. He can be the ideal wingman to Jackson on the back end, though it might cost a bit to make that happen.
Luke Willson (TE, Seattle Seahawks)
This may not be the big splash a lot of people are hoping for from the Bears regarding the tight end spot. Rest assured though,Willson is better than pretty much everybody they have on the roster. He’s a decent pass target who can deliver a big play from time to time and never gets enough credit for being a solid blocker as well. He’s versatile, experienced, and won’t cost too much.
Trae Waynes (CB, Minnesota Vikings)
People will panic and think this is a terrible idea. Waynes has never been anything more than an average corner for the Vikings. This is true. That is why no teams are going to offer him significant money, thus allowing the Bears to snag him at a cheap price. This secondary needs more depth at cornerback with Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson their only options on the outside. With Prince Amukamara’s future in question, this isn’t a terrible idea.
