The first wave of NFL free agency is on the books, where the Chicago Bears have taken steps to strengthen certain positions and address some pressing needs on the roster.
Although, the job is far from done for Bears general manager Ryan Poles, as there are still a few holes in the roster that need to be filled before the second wave of free agency and before the NFL Draft.
With the slew of moves made over the past week – from signings to cuts to trades – the roster is different than it was even a week ago. Here’s a look at where the Bears’ roster is after the first wave of free agency.
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Fields is entering a pivotal third season with the Bears, where he is expected to step up in the passing game. The team signed Walker to serve as Fields’ replacement and released Trevor Siemian shortly thereafter.
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- Khalil Herbert
- D’onta Foreman
- Travis Homer
- Ebner punished
- Khari Blasingame
The Bears overhauled the running back room after David Montgomery left in free agency. They signed Foreman and Homer to serve alongside Herbert at running back. Foreman is expected to challenge Herbert for playing time while Homer also brings production and consistency to special teams. Chicago also re-signed fullback Khari Blasingame to a two-year contract.
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- DJ Moore
- Darnell Mooney
- Chase Claypool
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Equanime Saint-Brown
- I plant Webster
- Fountain Daurice
- Joe Roseau
The Bears improved their wide receiver group with the addition of Moore, who was part of the trade for the No. 1 pick with the Panthers. Now, Chicago’s top escapees include Moore, Mooney and Claypool, as well as Jones and St. Brown.
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- Cole Kmet
- Robert Tonyan
- Jake Pliers
- chase allen
Kmet is coming off a career year with the Bears, where he was a big part of the passing game. Chicago signed Tonyan to a one-year contract in free agency, where he will serve as a complement to Kmet. Tonyan is more of a receiver than a blocker, and he should consider the approach to the red zone.
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- Cody Whitehair
- Jenkins female dogs
- Braxton Jones
- Nate Davis
- LucasPatrick
- larry borom
- Alex Leatherwood
- Yes’ Tire Carter
- Doug Kramer
- Dieter Eiselen
- Kellen Diesch
No starting job is guaranteed on the offensive line at this time. But Chicago has elements in place that could be factored into the starting lineup, including Jenkins, Jones and Whitehair. They added a solid starter in Davis who will consider left or right guard. The Poles have hinted that we could see Whitehair return to the center, where he served in the past. But there is still a glaring hole at the right tackle in this first wave.
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- By Marcus Walker
- Trevis Gipson
- Dominique Robinson
- Jalyn Holmes
- Gerry Green
- Andrew Brown
- Terrell Lewis
The Bears added production at the defensive end with the signing of Walker, who just finished a career year with 7.0 sacks. Walker also has versatility playing both inside and outside the rim. He leads a defensive end group that also includes Gipson and Robinson. Still, it looks like we could see more moves coming to free agency and the NFL Draft.
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- justin jones
- Andrew Billings
- Donovan Throw
The Bears still need that disruptive 3 technique to propel Matt Eberflus’ defense, but they added some beef inside the line with Billings. Billings is a technique 1 that should help strengthen the run defense. Jones is the only other interior player on the roster who matters in a starting role. So there is more work to be done at the defensive tackle level this offseason.
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- Tremaine Edmunds
- TJ Edwards
- Jack Sanborn
- Sterling Weatherford
- ByMarquis Gates
- Kuony Deng
The Bears have completely revamped their linebacking corps with the additions of Edmunds and Edwards, who will play the roles of MIKE and WILL in the Eberflus defense (TBD). They will join last year’s standout rookie Sanborn, who is expected to serve in place of SAM.
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- Jaylon Johnson
- Kyler Gordon
- Kindle Vildor
- Jaylon Jones
- Josh Blackwell
- Greg Stroman
- Harrison’s hand
- Michel Ojemudia
The Bears made no moves at cornerback in the first wave of free agency. Johnson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, where he is back as the team’s CB1. Gordon played both slot and edge in his rookie year, so it will be interesting to see where Chicago keeps him in Year 2. Johnson and Gordon headline the group of cornerback, but the Bears still need a third cornerback to add to the mix.
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- Eddie Jackson
- Jaquan Brisker
- Elijah Hicks
- Thomas A.J.
- Adrian Colbert
Jackson and Brisker anchor a security group that is arguably the strength of the roster right now. Jackson is coming off a season-ending foot injury while Brisker is coming off a strong rookie campaign. Hicks will be a key reserve for safety and special teams contributor, and it also wouldn’t be surprising to see DeAndre Houston-Carson brought back. Chicago made no moves on safety in the first wave of free agency.
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- Cairo Santos
- Gil Trenton
- patrick libra
The Bears re-signed Scales to a one-year contract to keep their trio of special teams intact heading into 2023. Chicago is consistent with its leading specialists in Santos, Gill and Scales, entering their second year together.