Chicago Bears Free Agency: Overlooked defensive players still available

5. OLB Shane Ray

A former first-round pick, Shane Ray isn’t returning to the Denver Broncos. After once being a promising player, Ray is now on his final chance to get his NFL career back on track. It isn’t that Ray has off-field issues, it’s just that he hasn’t been able to stay consistently healthy or that he’s been pushed down the depth chart every year since 2017.

To some, Ray may not be worth the risk, however, he is the type of guy who could be a major boom-or-bust type player. Amidst all his injuries or circumstances that were out of his control, he’s still just 25 years old.

In 2016, Ray had a breakout year, where he notched eight sacks in eight games. Although his stats may not come off as impressive to some, he was at one point, one of the more ascending young pass rushers in the NFL.

A perfect contract for Ray would be a one-year deal with two or three million dollars. This way, the Bears do not lose much if he doesn’t perform. Ray is the perfect type of player that can be brought in to compete with both Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts.

Since there hasn’t been much talk about Ray visiting other teams, it’s safe to assume that he’ll be much cheaper than most expected. This means the Bears have a legitimate shot at landing him.