Bears' Last-Minute Guide to 2023 NFL Free Agency
The Chicago Bears are the talk of the NFL world after agreeing on Friday to send the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to the Carolina Panthers.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Chicago will receive the ninth overall pick in 2023, the 61st pick in 2023, a 2024 first-round selection, a 2025 second-rounder and wideout D.J. Moore.
The trade is a clear sign that Chicago is backing incumbent quarterback Justin Fields. It also gives general manager Ryan Poles additional draft capital with which to work.
The trade should be viewed as a big win for the Bears, but they don't have time to celebrate. Chicago must retool one of the worst rosters in the NFL this offseason, and free agency is set to kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
What's next for Chicago? Below, you'll find a quick refresher on the Bears' biggest needs, most notable free agents, potential targets and cap situation heading into 2023 free agency.
Overview
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Projected Cap Space: $75.6 million
Getting Moore as part of Carolina's trade package was a brilliant move by Poles. The 25-year-old has averaged more than 1,000 yards per season as a pro, and he can help Fields develop as a passer.
Chicago does inherit Moore's contract, which comes with a $20.2 million 2023 cap hit. However, that still leaves the Bears with more cap space than any other team.
Poles should focus on putting a few more pieces around Fields on offense. He should also focus heavily on quality defenders who can fit the defensive schemes of Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams.
Chicago has one of the least talented overall rosters in the NFL, which is how it "earned" the No. 1 pick in the draft to begin with, and there is no shortage of areas that need to be addressed in both free agency and the draft.
Expect the Bears to be heavy players in free agency.
Notable Free Agents
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DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
RB David Montgomery
LB Nicholas Morrow
WR Dante Pettis
WR Byron Pringle
OT Riley Reiff
LB Joe Thomas
DT Armon Watts
One could argue that the Bears don't have any impending free agents that should be a priority to re-sign. After all, they were part of a roster that won three games, ranked 29th in total defense, 28th in total offense, 23rd in scoring and dead-last in points allowed.
Players like running back David Montgomery, wideout Dante Pettis, receiver Byron Pringle and defensive tackle Armon Watts should be viewed as replaceable. Keeping Montgomery could make some sense, but he has a career rushing average of just 3.9 yards per carry, and Chicago should strive for more consistency and explosiveness at the position.
The Bears may have a tougher call on 34-year-old offensive tackle Riley Reiff. He's an older lineman but was mostly solid in 2022, allowing just three of Chicago's 58 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
While Chicago may look to completely overhaul its defense, players like Joe Thomas (61 tackles), Nicholas Morrow (team-high 116 tackles) and DeAndre Houston-Carson (45 tackles, 1 INT) have shown a reasonable value and could be retained.
Overall, though, expect the Bears to be seeking upgrades at most positions.
Biggest Needs and Potential Targets
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Offensive Line
Not every position needs to be addressed by the Bears. Fields is the starting quarterback, and the addition of Moore gives Chicago a fairly solid receiving corps—Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet is a strong foundation, anyway.
Chicago still has several needs, though, and none are bigger than its need for an improved offensive line.
Fields was under pressure on 26.9 percent of his dropbacks in 2022, according to Pro Football Reference.
Several good offensive linemen are expected to be available, including Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., right tackle Mike McGlinchey, guard Ben Powers and guard Nate Davis. It will be a major surprise if Chicago doesn't pursue at least one of them.
Edge-Rusher and Linebacker
Over the last year, Chicago has traded away pass-rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, along with star linebacker Roquan Smith. These are now two areas that need to be reloaded immediately.
Even before Friday's trade, many expected Chicago to move back in the first round and target one of the draft's top edge-rushers.
"Chicago has the chance to trade back and still get a blue-chip defensive talent, a move many evaluators believe Chicago will execute," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote last month.
Expect the Bears to throw more darts at the pass-rusher spot in free agency, possibly targeting the likes of Yannick Ngakoue, Arden Key and Melvin Ingram
Linebackers like Tremaine Edmunds, Drue Tranquill and David Long Jr. would also be sensible targets for Chicago.
Cornerback
The Bears desperately need to improve a pass defense that ranked dead-last in yards per attempt allowed (7.4) last season. Bolstering a pass rush that logged a mere 20 sacks will help, but Chicago also needs a top-flight cornerback.
This is another position Chicago could target early in the draft. However, it would make sense to double-dip at cornerback, and sign a player like James Bradberry, Jamel Dean or Rock Ya-Sin in free agency.
In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bears sign and draft multiple cornerbacks this offseason in an effort to quickly improve their woeful secondary.
* Contract information via Spotrac.
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