The Chicago Bears are clearly ahead of schedule in the Ben Johnson era, especially on offense. The Bears' defense, on the other hand, could use a hand. That's especially the case in the front seven, which is a unit that took a major step back during defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's first year on the job.
That's why general manager Ryan Poles should look at every possible upgrade out there, especially those coming at a discount. Guys like defensive tackle Andrew Billings didn't do much to earn a chance to return in 2026, and there should be several candidates to replace him.
With that in mind, the Bears should probably look at the AFC North for reinforcements. Veteran Cleveland Browns DT Shelby Harris is going to be a free agent next month, and with ex-defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz no longer in town, the Bears might be able to lure him to the Windy City.
Bears Must Target Shelby Harris as Andrew Billings' Replacement in Free Agency
Harris is a no-brainer pickup for this team. Spotrac projects his market value at just $2.9 million per season, probably because of his age. Even so, at 34 years old, he still logged 19 pressures and played 510 snaps for the Browns' stacked front seven last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Like Billings, Harris joined his current team back in 2023. Since then, he's outperformed Billings in every major category, including tackles for loss (18 vs. 11) and sacks (4.0 vs. 2.0). On top of that, he's also proved to have elite awareness and active hands for an interior defensive lineman, logging 11 passes defensed and two forced fumbles during that span.
Harris also used to play defensive end, and that's another area of need for Allen's defense. Having him there could bring some much-needed guidance and mentorship for Shemar Turner or any young player they may pick up in the NFL Draft, and it also gives this team some versatility to move him around the defensive line.
According to OverTheCap, the Bears are $5.3 million over the cap right now, so every penny counts. While they can restructure some contracts to free up cap space to make moves, there won't be that much cash to spend. As such, landing cheap reinforcements will be of the utmost importance.
Harris is coming off playing a key role for one of the hardest-hitting defensive lines in the game this season. Even at his age, he can still perform at a high level, and with Billings not even starting and being statistically the third-worst defensive tackle in the league, per PFF, this should be an easy decision and a major upgrade.