As expected, it’s been a busy first day of free agency. Even though the rules state that teams aren’t officially allowed to sign players until Wednesday afternoon, that hasn’t stopped the constant flow of reports regarding big names and even bigger contracts.
The Bears have been as active as just about any team so far, using their $50 million in cap space to make a couple of notable moves on Day 1. While Chicago wasn’t exactly in the market for the very top talent available in the free agent pool – ultimately, they probably won’t regret passing on nine-figure deals for Kirk Cousins and Chris Jones – the Bears did throw some of that cap space around addressing points of need.
And while there figures to be plenty of depth signings to come in the following days and weeks, most of the attention will remain focused on what happens in the next 36-48 hours.
There are still holes on the roster, and it’d be surprising to see them go into next season without adding some help, especially on their defensive front and in the wide receiver room. There’s always, of course, the quarterback question as well. While we wait for that all to shake out, however, here’s how the Bears’ first moves look so far.
1. Jaylon Johnson, CB: A+
Deal: 4-year, $76 million ($54 million guaranteed)
This was a no-brainer for the Bears, and kudos to them for getting it done. It wasn’t that long ago when Johnson was demanding a trade, and GM Ryan Poles gets credit for having the longterm vision to see past that request. Johnson’s been one of the best corners in football since coming into the league in 2020, and despite some injury concerns – he’s only played 15 games once – is as reliable as CB1s get. On his end, it’s a fair deal that throws him a bunch of guaranteed money upfront, and puts him in line to cash in yet again in a few years, when he’ll still only be 28 years old.
On the Bears’ end, it’s also a slam dunk of a deal. They managed to get Johnson under contract for less yearly money than he would have played for on the franchise tag, which is a credit to the cap team in Chicago. Perhaps more importantly, though, are the optics of the deal: after letting a ton of homegrown players walk over the last few seasons, keeping Johnson for the foreseeable future signals that the Bears are entering a new era, one where they feel like they have the pieces in place to compete for NFC North titles. Not only was it a savvy business move, but it was one that spoke volumes about the state of the team.
2. Kevin Byard, S, Philadelphia Eagles: B+
Deal: 2-year, $15 million
Especially with the departure of long-time Bears safety Eddie Jackson this offseason, it always made sense to go and get a veteran safety to add to the secondary. For as talented as the group is, they’re also one of the younger groups on the team: Johnson, nickel corner Kyler Gordon, and safety Jaquan Brisker are all 24, while Tyrique Stevenson is 23. The good news is that all of them already have plenty of NFL experience, but still, it never hurts to bring in a former All-Pro who’s still playing good football.
And even though he’ll be 31 when next season starts, Byard can still play. After being traded from Tennessee to Philadelphia in the middle of last season, Byard was one of the Eagles’ best players – at least, according to Pro Football Focus – over the last two months of the year. He finished the year with a career-best 122 tackles, and forced four turnovers (three forced fumbles, one interception) in 10 games with Philly. With the safety market being what it is, pessimists could argue that the Bears jumped a bit early, but it’s hard to complain about a two-year deal. At the very least, he’ll be a great mentor for a young group – and there’s plenty of value in that.
3. DeAndre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: C+
Deal: 3-year, $24 million
Running backs are back! After several years of insultingly-low contracts, it seems like the position is starting to be in more demand: Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, and more all found new deals on Day 1 of free agency. Even with the market being full of premium talent, teams are seemingly prioritizing that position once again.
The Bears jumped in on that trend too, bringing in Swift on a deal that sets up Chicago’s backfield for the next half decade or so. Opinions on Swift are mixed: on paper, he had the best year of his career last season, putting up 1,000 yards for the first time ever and managing five touchdowns for the third straight year. Some of that credit belongs to the Eagles’ offensive line, who have spent the last 5-6 years turning basically any running back into a star. But Swift’s reputation as a pass-catcher is a bit overblown at this point, and even with the Bears’ offensive line being an excellent run-blocking unit, it’ll be interesting to see how leaving Philly goes. He’s definitely an upgrade over Roschon Johnson, and probably an upgrade over Khalil Herbert, but that’s a good chunk of change for what figures to be a complimentary piece. When you have the type of cap space that the Bears have, though, you can afford to take some swings.
4. Patrick Scales, ST: B
Scales is the longest-tenured Bears player currently on the roster, and it’s not close. And while we’re not going to pretend that bringing back a long-snapper is especially important, there’s a viral 10-minute explanation from Bill Belichick that may argue otherwise. Either way, he’s reliable, good at his job, and supposedly a very popular figure in the Bears’ locker room. The decision to bring him back on a one-year extension won’t make any Best Free Agent Signing lists besides this one, but in the vacuum that is Chicago Bears football, it’s a move that makes a ton of sense.
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