Free agency is just around the corner, and the Chicago Bears have some big needs to address — edge rusher, safety, wide receiver, tight end and center. And it sounds like Chicago could look to reinforce the offense.
According to The Athletic, the Bears are expected to target wide receiver and running back in free agency.
One of the deepest and best positions in this year’s draft is wide receiver. But it’s a potential target position for the Bears in free agency, according to several league sources at the combine.
Another position one league source brought up was running back, and a belief from outside the building that the offense could benefit greatly from a dynamic back.
The Bears may not be able to draft one of the big three wide receivers in this draft because of their positioning, but it would be nice to have Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers. If they are unable to get one as expected, free agency could be the route for them.
Mike Evans (extension), Michael Pittman Jr. (franchise tag) and Tee Higgins (franchise tag) are already off the board. But some other targets could include Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown, Gabe Davis and Tyler Boyd.
As for running back, it’s a loaded free agent group featuring Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Austin Ekeler, D’Andre Swift, Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs. The Bears could have a much-improved offense if they added a couple of these guys this offseason.
Chicago will likely select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. They already have DJ Moore and Cole Kmet in place, so adding a good receiver and/or running back to the mix would help Williams hit the ground running in the league.
This is an offensive league and the Bears need to start trending in that direction. General manager Ryan Poles controls the draft with that top selection, and he has a good amount of money to spend in free agency. If he does this right, they could be a very good football team soon.