The Chicago Bears are getting started on their plans for free agency with the early negotiating window opening on March 11. Free agents can officially begin agreeing to new contracts on March 13.
Even after securing All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a new four-year, $76 million contract, there are still holes on the defense. Most notably, the Bears are in the market for a new starting free safety. They cut long-time starter Eddie Jackson earlier this offseason.
And that’s exactly what they are looking into.
“The #Bears hosted FA S Kevin Byard on a visit yesterday, source said,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on March 9. “The former All-Pro was with the #Titans his entire career until a trade to the #Eagles last season.”
Bears Host 2-Time Pro Bowl Safety Kevin Byard Ahead of Free Agency
Byard, 30, logged a career-high 122 total tackles this past season. The two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro also intercepted one pass, deflected three others, and recovered one fumble. Byard was set to count north of $14 million against the cap this season.
The Bears have made several actual transactions in recent days, including re-signing both the longest-tenured and shortest-tenured Bears to new contracts.
Bears Re-Sign Longest, Newest Bears
“Long snapper news: The #Bears are re-signing Patrick Scales to a one-year deal that includes over $1 million guaranteed, per source,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on March 9. “The longest-tenured Chicago player is back for another season.”
Scales has spent all but his first NFL season – spent with the Baltimore Ravens – in Chicago.
He took over duties in Week 12 of the 2015 season and has held down the position ever since, making all 120 possible appearances in that span.
They also announced the return of wide receiver Collin Johnson, who was added to the active roster ahead of Week 18. Johnson originally signed with the practice squad in October and appeared in three games last season.
Johnson told Clocker Sports after the season finale that he hoped to return.
Bears Add Former 49ers Special Teamer
Chicago also announced the signing of safety Tarvarius Moore. Moore, 27, is a 6-foot-2 safety who last played in 2022. He spent all four seasons of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. He missed 2023 with an injury after signing with the Green Bay Packers.
Moore has logged 1,046 career snaps on defense and 1,096 snaps on special teams. That paints a clear picture of what his role might be in Chicago.
The Bears still have 2022 seventh-rounder Elijah Hicks (six starts in 2023) on the roster.
This year’s crop of free agents also includes two-time Denver Broncos Pro Bowler Justin Simmons and Quandre Diggs, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks. Their teams cut them earlier in the week ahead of free agency.
The Bears figure to be one of the league’s more active teams. They have needs on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver and, potentially the backfield. There is “mutual interest” with Las Vegas Raiders free agent Josh Jacobs, per former Bears running back Jason McKie, who shares representation with the former Alabama star.
The Chicago Bears’ 2023 campaign comes to a close after their Week 18 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
And with it, the seasons of so many who have taken part in a season that began with promise, saw the team encounter plenty of adversity, and seemingly take significant strides in a positive direction on the back end, will also come to a close.
4 Players on Different Paths Lead Bears Things to Watch in Week 18
1) DeMarcus Walker Not Worried About Narratives
The Bears brought DeMarcus Walker in to juice up their pass rush. It was slow going at first, with Walker recording 1.5 sacks over the first eight weeks of the season. After a five-week stint, Walker was back in the starting lineup following the unfortunate injury to Yannick Nagakoue.
He has 1.0 sacks in the last three weeks. Even more encouraging, Walker has seven pressures in that span after having 10 in his previous block of starts.
And it hasn’t changed him, despite multiple changes to his role.
“No. I’ve always been the same and, honestly, I’ve always been here,” Walker told Clocker Sports on January 3. “And, obviously, it wasn’t the production I guess you’re getting as in I wish I could have had more production. But there’s a lot of things that I had to go through, you know what I’m saying? So it’s up to you guys to kind of put whatever you guys want to in the media.
“Looking at the situation I’m in now and the production I’ve been putting up, that’s why you keep faith and you stay the course, trust God.”
He has always leaned into his versatility, though he didn’t expect a lengthy transition to end.
Walker said he had to figure out what worked best for him playing primarily on the outside after spending most of his career as an interior lineman with the Tennessee Titans. He compared it to writing an article and needing to be different in the delivery to grab attention.
“I had to figure out what works best for me, how can I have success, what I do well, and how can I counter off that.
Asked whether or not having to make that transition essentially alone with no other players quite like him on the roster was the most challenging part, Walker instead pointed to all of the moving parts that have gone into his success.
“It’s a lot of different things, bro. Because when it was time for me to learn, I wasn’t completely healthy. So there are certain things I had to just sit back and be patient and trust God on because I knew what I had to get better on. But then was just the right amount of time for me to work on it and other different things to get a lot more clear thought process on it.
“It helps having good guys around me that can rush.
“I think everyone has a different skill set on rushing, and that definitely helped me learn what to take from them, Trav continuing to evolve as a coach, getting to know the players and figuring out what works and what don’t work, the system starting to become a little bit more, I say more just diverse.
“That kind of helped a lot of people have more success,” Walker said. “So it was a lot of things that played into it.”
With Walker under contract for next season and showing more from a pass-rushing standpoint, the Bears might not necessarily need to overextend themselves to bring in another pass rusher this offseason.
2) Collin Johnson Standing Tall
It took 16 weeks and 15 games, but wide receiver Collin Johnson finally got on the field for the Bears against the Arizona Cardinals, largely thanks to injury. He made the most of his opportunity though, throwing at least one notable block with his 6-foot-6 frame.
The Bears, still dealing with injuries and without many such body types at the position, again activated Johnson in Week 17. He caught his lone target for an 11-yard gain.
Johnson was rewarded, signing to the active roster on January 3.
Johnson has maintained that message since he arrived and through his first game with the Bears and his move to the active roster. He was flashing in training camp with the New York Giants when he suffered the season-ending Achilles injury.
Perhaps he’s done enough to return for training camp next season, if not more.
3) Patrick Scales is Mr. Consistency
Fittingly, Patrick Scales is the Bears’ longest-tenured player, beating out current teammate Cody Whitehair by one season. He has snapped to holders for seven different kickers, including the two most accurate in franchise history among qualifiers: Cairo Santos and Robbie Gould.
There have also been three different punters in that span, but they have all almost always received the snap from Scales just like they draw them up. He popped up on the injury report this week, leading the team to bring in Matt Overton. But Scales logged a full practice on Friday and appears set to make his 115th consecutive game.
Asked about the key to his consistency, Scales was clear that it was in the preparation.
“A lot of focus a lot of repetition: getting snaps on hold with the guys. making sure our operation is nice and clean,” Scales told Clocker Sports on December 27. “For me, just being nice and focused and honing in on what I need to do and go out and executing.”
Scales said that he tries to help Santos – with whom he shares an affinity for the current grass at Soldier Field – and punter Trenton Gill work through the ebbs and flows of a typical game.
He also noted that he liked the current makeup of the locker room.
4) Dylan Cole’s Disappointment
A teammate of Walker’s in Tennessee, linebacker Dylan Cole started eight games for the Titans last season. The Bears brought him in for his special teams skills, with the Bears also signing Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and drafting Noah Sewell.
They also had Jack Sanborn going into his second year. And they have found other players at the position who have flashed as the season has gone on. He has missed just one game. But even as the Bears’ linebackers suffered a rash of injuries, he logged just three defensive snaps.
And his percentage of snaps on special teams has gone down as the season has progressed as well.
“This year it’s been a little frustrating, not being able to increase my role,” Cole told Clocker Sports on December 29. “But the positive of that is that I’m in a good linebacker group. It’s hard for me to see the field. That’s a good problem to have as a team because that means you got a lot of depth at linebacker. So they got – we got a lot of talent in the room.
“I try to make a name for myself on special teams out there. But it’s a little difficult this year as well. The opportunities are slim, and sometimes you miss those opportunities. But overall, I try to see the light in everything.
“Obviously, it’d be a little bit more light if we had a couple more wins out there.”
Fans met some of Cole’s defensive snaps with consternation. But Eberflus defended the decision, which Cole appreciated all things considered.
A lot of questionable personnel decisions being made by the Bears on defense today, especially in the redzone. Edmunds matched up on Amon Ra, Dylan Cole playing outside contain on Gibbs and no Sweat on a critical 3rd down. Feels like Flus has too much going on.
“I think they’re confident in my experience and what they’ve seen, knowing that things do happen. But they got other guys that can step in and not miss a beat and can call the defense and stuff like that,” Cole said. “We got a really good room, so just to have the confidence in that.
“You don’t get that in every place when someone goes down. It’s like, what are we supposed to do? … But I was ready to roll and I felt like the defense didn’t miss a beat.”
