Thanks to Chicago’s Santa Claus, a.k.a. Ryan Poles, Christmas came early for Bears fans and the entire organization after a busy start to the 2023 offseason. On March 15, the start of NFL Free Agency, Poles went to work straight away with loading up the Chicago Bears roster.
With about $100 million at his disposal and the first overall pick in the draft, everyone expected the organization to make some pretty big splashes the second they could. And that’s exactly what they did. So, without wasting any more time, let’s dive into all the new with the Chicago Bears roster!
The Big Trade
First things first: the first overall pick.
No one knew what the team was going to do with it. The fact that they even received the #1 pick in this year’s draft was a miracle. (Thanks again, Lovie!)
But, despite all the rumors and speculative headlines, the odds were high that the Bears were going to move the pick. Which is something they eventually went through with on Friday, March 10, in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.
Stud wideout, DJ Moore, joined the Chicago Bears roster in the move, along with picks #9 and #61 in this year’s draft. On top of that, Poles acquired a first round pick in 2024, and another second round pick in 2025. All that for one pick? Sounds like a solid deal to us!
Justin Fields receives a great weapon at wide receiver AND the team keeps themselves in the top 10 for the draft. Not to mention some high picks for the next two years. Yep, we’ll take that any day of the week.
More Chicago Bears Roster Additions
There were more moves than the Moore move when it came to Poles loading up the Chicago Bears roster for next season.
With running back David Montgomery leaving for the Detroit Lions – something that almost didn’t even happen – the Bears signed two new running backs over the past couple weeks. The first signing was a two-year deal with former Seattle Seahawks running back, Travis Homer for $4.5 million. The second signing came one day later when the Bears added former Panther’s back, D’Onta Foreman on a one-year contract worth $2 million. Foreman and Khalil Herbert should provide a strong 1-2 punch, with Homer expected to fill in more of the team’s receiving back duties.
In addition to the pair of running backs joining the Chicago Bears roster, we also acquired a pair of linebackers this month. Former Philadelphia Eagle T.J. Edwards joined us on a three-year deal for $19.5 million, and former Buffalo Bill Tremaine Edmunds inked a four-year contract worth $72 million. Both guys are poised to have an immediate impact on defense, and it shouldn’t take long for them to produce that Monsters of the Midway football we all know and love.
On the defensive line, the team agreed to a three-year deal with former Tennessee Titans’ defensive end, DeMarcus Walker for a three-year, $21 million contract. They also added Andrew Billings, a defensive tackle from the Raiders for $2.75 million for one year. On the offensive line, the Bears added another Titan to the roster with Nate Davis on a $30 million, three-year signing.
To cap things off, the offense added two more pieces with former Panther quarterback and XFL legend, P.J. Walker, joining the team on a two-year deal worth $4.15 million. Our latest addition comes with the signing of former Packers tight end, Robert Tonyan, to a one year contract for $2.65 million.
What’s Next?
Only time will tell to see what else Ryan Poles has planned for the Chicago Bears roster this offseason. It’s no secret that there are still some needs in the trenches on both the DL and OL. He could certainly fill some gaps in the draft, but, we would like to hope he utilizes more of that cap space to add some veterans into the key positions. On top of that, the Bears still technically need to meet the NFL’s cash floor on money spent this year. It shouldn’t be much of a problem after some extensions and rookie contracts, but, we like the thought of them having to spend more.
Stay tuned, Bears fans, this offseason is just getting started!
Featured Image Credit: Chicago Bears Instagram