3 NFC North Rivals the Bears Can Steal in Free Agency

It feels like it's a bit popular in 2024 for teams to be stealing from their division rivals in NFL Free Agency. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Saquon Barkley away from the New York Giants. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Patrick Queen away from the Baltimore Ravens. Geno Stone went from the Ravens to the Bengals.

And in the NFC North, we just saw Aaron Jones go from the Green Bay Packers to the Minnesota Vikings in short order. Could the Chicago Bears find a way to stick it to their division rivals by doing something similar?

General manager Ryan Poles certainly has the salary cap assets to make it happen, and the roster flexibility to take those kinds of shots. Let's take a look at some players Poles could poach from some of his division foes.

1. DJ Wonnum, EDGE (Vikings)

As we speak, DJ Wonnum may have a shot to actually land with the Chicago Bears. The former fourth-round pick out of South Carolina (2020 NFL Draft) has visits lined up with both the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears and should have some decent offers on the table in the very near future.

There may be some appeal for Wonnum returning to the Carolinas, but the Chicago Bears could present him with an opportunity to play opposite Montez Sweat off the edge and really feast in Matt Eberflus's defense.

And the Bears as a team might be on a bit better of a trajectory compared to the Carolina Panthers, who are beginning a new era in 2024 but also were a complete disaster in 2023.

Wonnum is a quality player who would add to any defensive front around the league. He's coming off of a season in which he racked up eight sacks, 15 QB hits, and 6 batted passes. He's a productive, versatile player and the Vikings would hate to have Wonnum chasing their quarterback(s) around.