Chicago Bears: 5 defensive free agents worth pursuing

With March 14th rapidly approaching, Ryan Pace has several options in front of him to continue elevating the Chicago Bears defense.

Quietly, the Chicago Bears have greatly improved their defense over the course of the last two years. Much of the improvement has come due to the success of Vic Fangio’s scheme coming into effect.

The Bears finished 2017 as the 10th overall defense in points allowed, statistically speaking. Most average NFL fans would find that hard to believe, but Chicago has something special brewing on that side of the ball.

With the unit improving and Fangio staying in Chicago, it will be imperative that the Bears are big players in free agency come March.

First and foremost, the Kyle Fuller situation needs to get under control. Whether it be via the franchise tag or a long-term deal, Ryan Pace needs to keep him — period.

More from Da Windy City

• Juan Soto appears headed to the Yankees which is not a big blow Chicago Cubs offseason
• 3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks shootout loss to Nashville
• Chicago Cubs in the middle of chaos that is Shohei Ohtani’s free agency
• The Chicago Cubs are on a roller coaster of emotions chasing Shohei Ohtani
• Chicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidates

Secondly, Pace is going to need to strengthen the depth of this unit. With or without Fuller, cornerback is going to be a big position that will need at least another guy added. Alongside Fuller, the Chicago Bears have a handful of guys they need to make sure they bring back as well.

With the release of Jerrell Freeman a couple of days ago, inside linebacker will also be a spot that needs to be addressed either via the draft or free agency. Staying in the same conversation, the Bears may want to add another player to pair up with Leonard Floyd on the outside.

March 14th begins the new league year. With teams making decisions on franchise tags and cap casualty cuts, the Bears’ future decisions are coming into view little by little. What will Pace decide to attack first? That’s the big question.

Here are five defensive free agent targets that Pace and his front office should heavily consider extending offers toward.

Chris Baker

Chris Baker is a guy who could come in and fill a role that the Chicago Bears desperately need.

In a Vic Fangio defense, one of the best things a team can have on the defensive line is depth.

Looking at the success of some of the best teams out there, like the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, one of the common factors is just this. The Eagles were able to compete all year long in large part due to their impressive depth on the defensive line.

The front seven is where it all starts. The better your depth up front, the better your secondary looks, regardless of who’s back there.

Baker could come in and give Akiem Hicks another guy on the edge to help bolster their pass rush. He is someone who wouldn’t necessarily be a stud if he played the majority of snaps, but a player who would excel in a complimentary role.

Both Jonathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris have shown promise at the position, but neither have truly broken out so to speak. Having Baker come in and not only challenge them, but giving them a veteran presence to learn from would be a big help.

Baker was recently cut by the Bucs as a cap casualty. He had some rumored issues in the locker room after a costly penalty in a late game against the Panthers and never seemed to recover from that.

In any event, prior to his one year in Tampa, Baker was known as a goofy personality who was fun to be around when he played for the Washington Redskins. In his final two years in D.C., he posted 9.5 sacks and forced five fumbles.

As someone who can force turnovers, Pace should definitely be giving him a shot. What would make the most sense after last year’s fallback, for Baker, would be a short-term prove-it type of deal. Look for Baker to be someone the Bears go after in the coming days.

Bryce Callahan

Bryce Callahan is a sneaky good corner. Not many people outside of Chicago know much about him, but as a restricted free agent, fans should be happy the Bears have the ball in their court with him.

The former Rice product was an undrafted gem in 2015. He has had game action over the course of the last two years and has proven to be a valuable slot corner for Fangio.

How good was Callahan last year? Just ask Pro Football Focus.

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/966164585677049857

In two seasons, Callahan has registered 78 tackles, 14 passes defended, two interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown. That’s not too shabby for a guy who didn’t hear his name called on draft day.

The best thing I can say about him is that he plays with an attitude as if he is offended when his assignment catches the ball. Callahan is someone who is annoying to endure as a matchup. He just plain has a knack for being close to the ball, and that’s something the Chicago Bears desperately need.

As a young defensive back coming into his own, and with experience in the current scheme, Callahan should never make it out of Chicago. I fully expect Pace to bring him back as he has been a very solid piece in the defense.

Sheldon Richardson

If the Chicago Bears want to take a chance, they could go after a big name like Sheldon Richardson. Known as a guy who may not necessarily be the best for a locker room, Richardson is as controversial a free agent as they come.

There is no doubt, though, that Richardson is a force when at his best. The best thing he brings to the Bears is his ability to cause mayhem against the run. Richardson has shown the ability to make it incredibly difficult on running backs attempting to get past the first level.

As good as he is against the run, Richardson has also flashed as a pass rusher. He broke out with eight sacks in 2014 and followed it up with five in 2015. Since then, his sack numbers have been low. Whether that is due to lack of effort, skill decline or inside distractions is the real question.

I am confident enough in Richardson’s ability, though, that I think he is absolutely worth bringing in. The attitude that Hicks has brought to that front seven would fuel Richardson to put his best work on the field more than ever.

He isn’t a project by any means, but Richardson will definitely have to change some things. His locker room presence is one of those. Pace has done a fantastic job keeping guys who are team-first type of players. Can Richardson prove to be one of them? I think that’s the biggest question.

Richardson is only 27 years old entering his sixth season, so to say he should be showing any signs of decline is silly. He should most certainly have plenty of great football left in him — in the right situation. Here’s to hoping Pace can land a freshly motivated and highly talented player.

Trumaine Johnson

As I said earlier, if the Chicago Bears want to continue building their defense the way they have been, cornerback needs to be a priority. Hopefully the front office can work something out with Fuller before he hits the open market. Then, it is all about finding someone to pair him up with.

That guy could very well be Trumaine Johnson. In the last seven years, Johnson ranks as the fourth-best cover corner in terms of passer rating allowed.

Johnson made $16 million last year and will likely seek a big contract in March. While he may not necessarily deserve quite that type of money on a per-year basis, the Bears might have to shell out the cash if they want to bolster their secondary that bad.

If the Bears somehow do not retain Fuller, Johnson then becomes priority number one in free agency. There is no way Pace can hand Fangio a defense without one of those two.

Johnson, a former third round pick in 2012, has 18 career interceptions. The Bears have been in the bottom of the league in turnovers for a couple of years now, so Johnson’s knack for the football would be fully welcomed.

He has also defended 67 passes and scored three touchdowns in his six year career.

If Pace wants to do his defensive coordinator any favors this offseason, this would be a guy to secure no matter how it gets done.

Ziggy Ansah

Ziggy Ansah tops this list for a few reasons. First off, he is a high motor player. To have that kind of player on the same defense as Hicks and Floyd would be a pretty scary trio to opposing offenses.

Ansah is coming off a 12 sack season in 2017. 9 of those came in just three games, making the biggest knock on him his consistency. However, like I said earlier regarding Richardson, the right situation would benefit Ansah greatly.

It is like the old saying, “You are who you hang around.”

The culture Fangio has established in Chicago has that unit playing great football. The leaders that have established themselves, like Hicks, have been the perfect guys for the youngsters to look up to.

https://twitter.com/DLineVids/status/909970981191540736

One variable that cannot be overlooked here is the fact that Ansah knows this division. He’s played against the Packers and Vikings his entire career, his he will not have as much learning to do as other candidates when it comes to game prep.

Remember one of the last bigger names coming out into free agency from the Lions was Willie Young. Chicago knows that these inter-divisional guys are even more valuable if they stay in the NFC North. Like Young, Ansah is quick to the quarterback.

Next: Shaquem Griffin Bears draft profile

Ansah is only 28 years old, giving him a good amount of football ahead of him. The former BYU standout and fifth overall pick in 2013 will likely be one of the most coveted free agents come March, but I would not be shocked to see Pace throw a lot of money his way. He could help significantly improve a spot the Chicago Bears have lacked consistency at for a while.