The Chicago Bears had a busy week ahead of free agency, which featured several key departures and one new addition to the roster.
The Bears traded wide receiver DJ Moore (and a fifth-round pick) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a second-round pick while releasing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, which freed up $15 million in salary cap space. Meanwhile, Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman shocked the NFL world with his sudden retirement after just five NFL seasons.
Heading into free agency with some pretty important position needs to shore up on the roster as they look to once again be a contender in Ben Johnson’s second season. Here’s a look at the Bears’ biggest position needs, which mostly includes the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive tackle
Arguably the biggest need on defense, the Bears have three defensive tackles currently on the roster, including last year’s starters Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett, with last year’s rookie Shemar Turner poised to return after missing most of the season. But the simple fact of the matter is that the defensive tackle group, which also featured Andrew Billings, didn’t get the job done. Chicago needs to find a way to add a disruptive defensive tackle who can help elevate the interior pass rush. When looking at free agency, this might be a position better saved addressing in the 2026 NFL Draft, where the Bears could likely target a top defensive tackle in the first round given the lack of depth.
Left tackle
While the Bears addressed the center position with the trade for Garrett Bradbury, after Drew Dalman’s shocking retirement, left tackle remains the biggest need on the offensive line once again. Ozzy Trapilo is expected to miss most of the 2026 season after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in the wild-card playoffs, which leaves Chicago with a big hole at an important position. While there are in-house candidates with Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie — as well as potential re-signing Braxton Jones — it would be a repeat of last offseason for an issue that was never resolved. The Bears could target a short-term answer in free agency, perhaps reuniting Ben Johnson with Taylor Decker, or a potential long-term solution in the 2026 NFL Draft, especially after earning an extra second-round pick after the DJ Moore trade.
Safety
Chicago is losing their top four safeties to free agency, including starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, which makes safety a crucial need for Dennis Allen’s defense. The Bears reportedly are attempting to re-sign Byard, who had one of the best seasons of his career in Year 10, where he led the NFL in interceptions (7) en route to First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. Even if Chicago re-signs Byard or adds a veteran in free agency, that would leave a starting job and depth spots to fill. So expect the Bears to target safety both in free agency and the NFL draft.
Linebacker
The Bears are in need of a starting linebacker following Tremaine Edmunds’ release last week, which freed up $15 million in salary cap space heading into Edmunds’ final year of his contract. T.J. Edwards missed most of last season due to injury. He also suffered a fractured fibula in the wild-card playoff win, which will sideline him for most of the offseason, but he should be ready to go for the regular season. While there are some in-house options at linebacker, including last year’s fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite and former fifth-round pick Noah Sewell, there are some free-agent options that could fill a big hole. Alex Anzalone has ties to both head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, and he’s been named a player to watch for Chicago.
Edge rusher
It’s not just defensive tackle that’s a need but also edge rusher, even though Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker are on the roster. Chicago needs to get better pressuring the quarterback, especially off the edge, and there are options both in free agency and the NFL draft to get better at the position. While there were rumors that the Bears were showing interest in trading for Maxx Crosby, it doesn’t sound like they’re going to make a splash at edge rusher in free agency. Armed with an additional second-round pick acquired in the DJ Moore trade, that could open the door for a rookie to join the defensive end room.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 biggest roster needs for the Bears heading into free agency
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
