Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears are off to a fantastic start to their offseason after landing Ben Johnson as their next head coach and watching Johnson assemble an impressive coaching staff. Now it’s on to the transactional phase of the offseason, and Poles and Co. will have to address some big questions if Chicago is going to be a competitor next season in a tough NFC North division. Here are five free agents that could help the Bears compete for a division title and more in 2025.
Top 5 Chicago Bears Free Agent Targets
© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images1. Trey Smith — G, Kansas City Chiefs
There’s a legitimate argument that the Bears could be better served targeting a guard such as Philadelphia’s Mekhi Becton at a lower price point, but there’s some risk there for my money. Becton had a terrific season in Philly, but there’s no guarantee he has an encore in a different setting. Smith is the top offensive lineman projected to hit the open market this offseason, and he’s been a consistent (and improving) producer for the Kansas City Chiefs in recent seasons.
Smith’s 78.8 PFF overall grade in the regular season ranked 11th among all guards, and he will still be only 25 when free agency opens. Ryan Poles will be spending at the top of the market for this one, but it’s a high-floor, long-term investment that makes sense for a team with a healthy amount of cap space to deploy this offseason.
2. Josh Sweat — EDGE, Philadelphia Eagles
Here’s the second splash for Poles and the Chicago front office, and this time, they’re shoring up their pass rush and giving Montez Sweat a dynamic pass rush partner on the opposite side of the defensive line in Josh Sweat. If Super Bowl MVP voting was done after the game, Sweat would have had a heck of a case to win the honor for his game-wrecking performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans.
With plenty of playing time opening up with Hasaan Reddick departing for New York and Brandon Graham’s injury, Sweat took advantage of an opportunity to boost his stock heading into free agency with eight sacks for the Super Bowl champion Eagles this season.
Sweat will be 28 this season and could be paired with Montez Sweat on the outside in Chicago for the next few years for roughly $18 million per season if you place any stock in PFF’s free agency projections.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images3. Drew Dalman — C, Atlanta Falcons
Chicago needs no less than three new starters on the offensive line this offseason, and while nailing one of the two guard spots in free agency should be the top priority for Ryan Poles, I think he would also be wise to spend on a center in that market, too.
Atlanta’s Drew Dalman could hit the market next month, and he’s a no-brainer, ranking as one of the league’s best centers in the past two seasons. According to PFF, Dalman’s 78.8 PFF overall grade ranked fourth among centers in 2024, and his 82.3 overall grade in 2023 ranked third among centers. Dalman has room to grow as a pass-blocker but is one of the league’s best run-blocking centers and is only 26 years old. If he reaches free agency, he would be a perfect long-term fit in Ben Johnson’s offense, which deploys a healthy amount of outside zone rushing.
4. Levi Onwuzurike — DI, Detroit Lions
With the glaring hole at the edge rusher position opposite Sweat addressed with Josh Sweat, Chicago could look to add a veteran presence on the interior on a short-term deal, and Detroit’s Levi Onwuzurike is a perfect fit. When healthy, Onwuzurike has been a solid penetrating three-technique pass-rusher that Chicago has been looking for. Onwuzurike’s 12.5 percent pass-rush win rate last season was a top 15 mark, and he turned in a 70.2 PFF overall grade, which ranked 25th among all interior defenders.
5. Kevin Zeitler — G, Detroit Lions
If Chicago can address two of the three starting spots on the interior of the offensive line in the first wave of free agency, they’ll probably look for a long-term answer at the second guard spot in April’s NFL Draft. Still, a veteran familiar with Ben Johnson’s offense like Kevin Zeitler would be a wise spend on a one-year deal, allowing the Bears to provide a rookie a runway and create quality depth on the interior offensive line next season. Zeitler will be 35 next season, but he ranked third among guards in PFF overall grade last season with Detroit after spending the previous three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
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