3 Untagged Free Agents the Bears Should Sign

The deadline for NFL teams to apply the franchise tag passed with a flurry of activity today. Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was tagged for a cool $19.8 million, but the hope is that he will sign a new multi-year contract before the July deadline.

NFL teams will often tag valuable players who are set to hit free agency to give themselves more time to negotiate an extension, and if you take Ryan Poles at his word, you should expect an extension for Johnson in the coming months.

Of course, each team can only use one franchise tag per year and some very exciting players are officially set to be unrestricted free agents now that the deadline has passed.

Let’s take a look at three names that could (and perhaps should) be brought to Chicago by GM Ryan Poles.

Calvin Ridley

With Mike Evans signing an extension with Tampa Bay and the Indianapolis Colts tagging Michael Pittman Jr., Ridley is by far the top wide receiver in this year’s free-agent class. After missing nearly two full years of football thanks to an injury and a gambling suspension, Ridley signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and performed well for a guy who had been out of the league for so long.

He finished with 1,016 yards on 76 receptions and eight touchdowns.

There are some issues with Ridley, notably that he seemed to struggle with the Jaguars’ playbook. At times, it appeared that he was running the wrong routes on plays. That has to get cleaned up. But if he signed with the Bears, Ridley wouldn’t have the pressure of being that alpha WR1 like he would in most places. DJ Moore is that guy for Chicago, and signing Ridley wouldn’t change that. It would give whoever quarterbacks the Chicago Bears in 2024 two targets who would be the top dog in most NFL offenses.

According to Spotrac, Ridley’s market value is set at $17.5 million AAV, but that feels a little low given how many teams will likely be competing to sign him. I expect that number to be closer to $20 million, but with the third most cap space in the league, the Bears are in a great position to outbid other suitors.

Saquon Barkley

This will be a controversial one and will surely spark lively debates all over social media. Many Bears fans don’t want to sign a running back to a big contract, and I get it. Cap space disappears fast once you start signing big names, and the Bears still have a few roster holes to fill before they can seriously contend for a title. Would a running back really give them a bang for their buck?

I would answer “no” for any running back not named Saquon Barkley. The former second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley is one of the few game-changing running backs in the NFL. He’s so much more than his position. Barkley is a true 3-down back who can do it all and do it all at a high level.

Need a pass catcher? He’s your guy. Need an extra blocker? Barkley’s got you. Need someone to wear out a tired defense as you run down the clock on another win? Yep, Barkley can do that, too.

The Bears are almost certainly starting a rookie quarterback in 2024. They already have two best friends for a rookie quarterback: a dominant WR1 and a Top 10 defense. So why not add one more? A dynamic running back?

A 3-year/$30 million contract is where Spotrac puts his market value, and even though I think he’s worth a bit more than that, it is likely the most Barkley can expect to get given the current market for running backs. If that’s all it takes to acquire Barkley’s services, then there’s really no good reason why Poles shouldn’t make that offer the instant the legal tampering period begins on March 11.

Christian Wilkins

This is the big fish for defensive free agency in 2024. Wilkins is coming off of a career year in which he racked up nine sacks, a huge number for a defensive tackle. He’s been a monster for Miami since they drafted him and hasn’t missed a game since 2020.

Once again, Bears fans might think Poles would be better served using his resources on another position group. After all, the interior of the defensive line stepped up in a big way for the Bears in 2023. Andrew Billings was a phenomenal run-stuffer who signed an extension to stay in Chicago. Gervon Dexter emerged in the second half of his rookie season as a real weapon. However, Matt Eberflus’ best defenses were always anchored by an elite defensive tackle. Think DeForest Buckner. Once the Colts traded for Buckner, Eberflus’ defense took off.

Wilkins would be that guy for Eberflus. Plus, it would take pressure off of Dexter to develop ahead of schedule. In time, the Bears could have a rotation of dominant defensive tackles wreaking havoc on opposing offenses for a full 60 minutes, week in and week out.

Wilkins won’t be cheap. Spotrac sets his market value at just over $20 million AAV, but once again, that feels a little low. He will likely be by far the hottest free agent this offseason and will have no shortage of contract offers to consider. If Poles wants to make him a Bear, he might have to break from his fiscally conservative ways and pay the man closer to $25 million AAV.