The Chicago Bears had a busy first week of free agency, where they welcomed several new faces to the roster via signing and trades.
General manager Ryan Poles added some new weapons in wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett for his new rookie quarterback (to be named). Poles also shored up the defense with the additions of safeties Kevin Byard and Jonathan Owens, along with re-signing star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Even after all of that, Chicago still has the fifth most salary cap space in the NFL after the first wave of free agency.
According to Over The Cap, the Bears have $30.89 million in cap space, which is behind the Commanders, Patriots, Titans and Eagles. Chicago’s total doesn’t include Gerald Everett, Coleman Shelton, Dante Pettis, Matt Pryor, Brett Rypien, Jake Curhan, Jake Martin or Amen Ogbongbemiga’s contracts — as the full details aren’t out yet. But the Bears are still in a favorable position.
Here’s a look at the individual cap hits for some of Chicago’s new additions:
- WR Keenan Allen: $23.1 million
- S Kevin Byard: $6.47 million
- RB D’Andre Swift: $5.8 million
- OL Ryan Bates: $4 million
- S Jonathan Owens: $2.2 million
Heading into the second week of free agency, Poles still has needs on the defensive line, including edge rusher and defensive tackle, and wide receiver. While those positions figure to be focal points in the NFL draft, there are some quality players still left on the board.