Chicago Bears: Underrated defensive free agents to sign

When the 2021 NFL league year begins in mid-March, the Chicago Bears will have a number of needs to address. While many of the Bears’ needs are on offense (quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive line), Chicago must acknowledge that there are some minor needs on defense to address as well.

For many, adding to the defense in 2021 shouldn’t be an option. There is truth to such a  statement. Besides slot cornerback and strong safety, the Bears starters on defense are set for 2021. Adding a few depth pieces to shore up positions like a linebacker, safety, and slot cornerback shouldn’t be out of the question.

Who are some underrated defensive free agents the Chicago Bears should look into signing?

Every year after the first wave of free agency passes, there are still a handful of players left to pick from. Usually, these players consist of older veterans who are looking for one last chance to prove that they have something left in the tank or players that have merely slipped through the cracks because their market value isn’t as high as anticipated.

While Chicago doesn’t have much cap space this offseason, the Bears still should keep an eye on the free-agent market. While new defensive coordinator Sean Desai gives Chicago a lot of hope moving forward, adding more depth is never a bad thing for a few reasons.

First, adding depth ensures that the Bears will be in a situation where if a key player goes down, someone can step in right away and the defense doesn’t lose a beat. Second, Chicago’s lack of depth on defense in 2020 was noticeable at positions like the middle linebacker. For the last few years, Chicago had guys like Nick Kwiatkoski to back up Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan. However, when Kwiatkoski left via free agency in 2020, the lack of depth was visible.

As NFL Free Agency gets closer, who are some underrated defensive players that the Bears need to be keeping an eye on to potentially sign? Let’s examine some names and find out.