4 veteran free agents the Chicago Bears should look at before camp

The Chicago Bears should consider signing Anthony Hitchens before training camp

One of the more surprising names to still be available in the NFL free agent pool is veteran inside linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The Iowa product has been a starter for his entire career in the league, which started back in 2014 with the Dallas Cowboys. After four years in Dallas, Hitchens played for the Kansas City Chiefs for the next four. Now, he’s still without a job.

Hitchens has been as consistent and level a player as you could desire at the inside linebacker position without earning a Pro Bowl nod or any other type of honors. He’s not an elite player, but he’s a very, very good football player who still deserves a job, no doubt.

On a team like the Bears, Hitchens would come in and start right away. This offseason, the Bears have not done much to address the linebacker position. They signed former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow to come in and claim one of the starting positions, but Morrow does have some injury worries.

The Bears also signed former Indianapolis Colts linebacker and special teams standout Matthew Adams, who will likely be the team’s other starter next to Roquan Smith. But, Adams’ recent arrest might muddy the immediate future. If Hitchens came to Chicago, Smith would slide to the weak side and the Bears would have at least two dependable starters between the two of them.

In 119 games, Hitchens has a total of 685 career tackles, including 38 for a loss, and 26 quarterback hits.