Chicago Bears Mailbag: Free agency, running backs, and the NFL draft

1. Potential free agency targets

This is one of those questions that can be answered in multiple different ways. As the Bears get ready for free agency, there are three main positions that I see them targeting. I’d say pay special attention to outside linebacker, cornerback, and safety.

Cornerback and safety are pretty simple. Despite Ryan Pace telling the media that the Bears are not in an either-or situation with Bryce Callahan or Adrian Amos, anything can happen between now and March 13th. The good news for the Bears is that if Callahan and/or Amos are not back, then Pace can turn to a semi-decent free agent class to find their replacements.

For cornerback, one name that intrigues me is Brian Poole.  After playing for the Atlanta Falcons for the last three seasons, Poole appears as if he will hit the open market. For a 26-year old slot cornerback, Poole hasn’t been with discussing a new contract with the Falcons.

Regarding Safety, there are a few names that I could see the team targeting. Right off the bat, I could see the Bears going after Tyrann Mathieu, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Landon Collins. While the goal is to retain Adrian Amos, either Mathieu, Clinton-Dix, or Collins would make for a nice consolation prize.

One name that could be a wild card for the Bears is LaMarcus Joyner. He wants to secure a nice payday, so he could be a little pricey but considering the way the safety market is saturated, he could be a guy that has to take a discount to sign somewhere else.

For outside linebacker, the Bears are set with Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, but if Aaron Lynch doesn’t return, they’ll need to find someone who fits the third spot on the depth chart. It’d be interesting to see the Bears go after Shane Ray or Shaquil Barrett, both of whom just played for the Broncos. They aren’t going to get after the quarterback on every snap but make enough of an impact that they are at least reliable.

Another guy the Bears should keep an eye on is Dante Fowler Jr. I’ve got the feeling that some team is going to overpay Fowler, but if he’s still on the market after the first wave of free agency has come and gone,  then the Bears should make a play. As of right now, Fowler has been linked to the New York Jets who want to sign a pass rusher that’s not a defensive lineman.

If the Bears decide to go the older route, then Connor Barwin or Terrell Suggs both make sense. Both are in their mid-to-late 30’s and are likely looking for one last chance at a Super Bowl run. We all know the dominant player that Suggs is, but Barwin often gets overlooked with the 56.5 career sacks he’s got on his resume.