Chicago Bears: 5 veteran free agents to sign after 2023 NFL Draft
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bears came away with a pretty strong haul over the course of the 2023 NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles did his best job to start strong, going after big needs within the roster, while also taking the best players on his board.
Poles was able to add three starters, without a doubt. Offensive tackle Darnell Wright, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson should all come in and start right away as rookies.
Beyond those guys, the Bears added a lot of depth and some potential starters, depending on how the summer months shake out. But, one thing is for sure, and that’s that this Bears team got much better over the last few days.
Now that the draft is over, it’s time for Poles and the Bears to start filling out their roster during yet another wave of free agency. So, who should the Bears go after with the good chunk of money remaining? Let’s look at five in particular.
Free agents for the Chicago Bears to sign after 2023 NFL Draft: Dalton Risner, G
The Bears’ offensive line is effectively set, at least in terms of the starters, for now. Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright will man the tackles, while Nate Davis is a sure fire starter as one of the team’s top free agent signings.
But, Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick are curious cases. Is Patrick completely healthy? Are the Bears comfortable moving forward with Whitehair, or would they rather save $6 million by cutting the veteran who will turn 31 in July?
Dalton Risner is just 27 years old and a very solid guard in this league. He’s a phenomenal locker room guy and has a lot of football left in him. If the Bears were to sign Risner, they would keep one of Whitehair or Patrick to play center, and they’d be getting younger in the process.