Bears' Last-Minute Guide to 2022 NFL Free Agency (2024)

The Chicago Bears are entering a new era in 2022, with a new front office and presumably, a full year of Justin Fields at quarterback.

Chicago parted with general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy at the end of the 2021 season. They were replaced by Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, respectively. Fields, who was taken 11th overall in last year's draft, enters the offseason as the new face of the Bears offense.

Building around and supporting Fields will be Chicago's No. 1 priority in the coming weeks. It's going to be a challenge, though, as Chicago had a lackluster roster in 2021, several key contributors headed to free agency and plenty of needs to address.

The good news is that the Bears have the necessary cap space to be players on the open market this offseason.

Here, you'll find a quick refresher on the Bears' biggest needs, most notable free agents, potential targets and cap situation.

The Bears have one of the better cap situations in the NFL, which will aid Poles as he looks to put his stamp on the roster.

With just under $37 million in space, Chicago has the fifth-most cap space in the league. This means that Poles should be active in the first few days of free agency and the "legal tampering" period. The market officially kicks off on March 16, and teams can begin contacting and negotiating with players at noon ET on Monday.

Chicago will need to be aggressive during free agency, for a couple of reasons. For one, it has a roster that ranked just 22nd in scoring defense and 27th in scoring last season—and one that posted a mere six wins.

That roster is now without star pass-rusher Khalil Mack, who was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Secondly, the Bears are without a first-round pick because of last year's trade-up to acquire Fields. Chicago also parted with its 2022 fourth-round pick as part of the deal. The Bears did get back a second-round pick in the Mack trade.

Expect Chicago to target both high-end starters and budget depth options this week and throughout free agency.

The Bears handed wideout Allen Robinson II the franchise tag last offseason, and retaining him would make a lot of sense this year. Fields will need weapons, and Robinson was a 1,000-yard receiver in both 2019 and 2020.

While Robinson struggled in 2021—he had only 38 receptions, 410 yards and a single touchdown—multiple factors were in play. Robinson battled COVID-19 late in the season and had a strained relationship with Nagy.

"Things like that coming into the season were a little unsettling for me, especially with that being my guy since the time I stepped foot in Chicago and us having open communication and things like that," Robinson told ESPN Radio (h/t Brendan Sugrue of Bears Wire).

Defensive linemen Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman are other candidates for retention. Both have been consistent contributors when healthy, and Chicago's front seven took a hit with the dealing of Mack.

Chicago will likely want a seasoned backup behind Fields but will likely move on from Andy Dalton. Nick Foles has one more year on his contract.

If Chicago spends heavily to keep its own, it will target positions other than quarterback.

Wide Receiver

The quarterback position appears to be set in Chicago, but the supporting cast is not. The Bears lack quality depth after budding star Darnell Mooney, and if Robinson is allowed to leave, they'll need to add pass-catchers in a hurry.

The 2022 draft class is expected to be deep at receiver, but without a first-round pick, Chicago should be reluctant to put all its eggs in that basket.

Finding a new No. 1 will also be difficult in free agency, though, as wideouts Davante Adams and Chris Godwin were given the franchise tag. The Bears will likely have to focus on high-end complementary options like Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Will Fuller.

Cornerback

Chicago did a solid job of limiting receiving yards in 2021, ranking 17th in yards per attempt allowed and third in yardage. However, big plays were hard to find in the secondary. The Bears ranked 29th in interceptions with just eight, and they ranked 26th in touchdown passes allowed (31).

It would behoove the Bears to target a legitimate No. 1 corner like J.C. Jackson, Carlton Davis or Stephon Gilmore in free agency. Landing Jackson, who had 23 passes defended and eight interceptions last season, would be a massive move.

If the Bears cannot land one of the big-ticket items at corner, there are quality budget options available. Charvarius Ward and Casey Hayward Jr. are both solid starters, and Chicago could consider bringing back Kyle Fuller.

Offensive Line

This is perhaps the most important area for Chicago to address this offseason. Fields was under fire most of the time he was on the field last season. He was sacked 36 times in 12 games and was under pressure on 27.3 percent of his dropbacks.

Chicago's line needs an overhaul, and the Bears shouldn't be shy about targeting top free agents like guard Brandon Scherff and tackle Terron Armstead.

The Bears should also work to bring back guard James Daniels, who was a serviceable starter. Linemen like Duane Brown, Connor Williams and Alex Cappa could be solid fallback options for the Bears.

Ideally, the Bears will target linemen early and often, both in free agency and in the draft.