The Chicago Bears are the early winner of free agency

Mar 18, 2023 - 9:35 PM

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The Chicago Bears ended the 2022 season with the number one overall draft pick and the most salary cap space in the NFL, which meant the Bears were primed to be big players once the 2023 league year opened for business.

They did not disappoint.

Well... they didn't make a splash at right tackle and the defensive line, two areas of need most fans were concerned about, but from a national standpoint, Chicago's early moves were seen in a positive light.

On the offensive side of things, Chicago traded for wide receiver D.J. Moore, signed running backs D'Onta Foreman and Travis Homer, tight end Robert Tonyan, offensive lineman Nate Davis, and quarterback P.J. Walker, and on defense they signed linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, and defensive lineman Andrew Billings and DeMarcus Walker.

For a detailed refresher on all the Bears' moves, you can check out our tracker here.

In SB Nation's winners/losers list for NFL free agency, they wrote, "Simply great moves all around," about the Bears, and here's more of what they had to say.

The Bears were always going to be big players in free agency this year with a ludicrous amount of cap space to play with. Where the team’s moves have been smart is not running into free agency like a kid in a candy store, instead picking their spots and improving the team holistically without drastically overspending in any area.

The trade with the Panthers plays a role in why they’re free agency winners too. Getting wide receiver D.J. Moore enabled the Bears to address other need areas, without overspending in a bad wide receiver FA class. Had the team not acquired a true No. 1 they’d be in a much more difficult position, probably leaning on someone like Jakobi Meyers or JuJu Smith-Schuster right now, rather than a young, franchise WR.

In terms of their actual signings GM Ryan Poles has been very smart too. Tremaine Edmunds is one of the best pure tackling linebackers in the NFL, Nate Davis will be a huge boon to the interior offensive line, and DeMarcus Walker helps replenish the pass rush.

The team still has plenty of more money to play with, but their value signings on Thursday of RB D’Onta Foreman and TE Robert Tonyan offer short-term relief while they can stock up in the draft.

Do you agree with the flagship's assessment that the Bears are an early winner of free agency?