The Chicago Bears have pieced together most of the roster that will carry into the 2023 season. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus did a good job formulating a plan of attack and addressed most of the team’s needs. However, no job is ever truly done. There are still one or two moves they could make. One thing to remember is that not all players sign in March or April. Some decide to wait until the summer, right before training camp, preferring to do off-season training on their own time.
Knowing this, here are some names still available that make sense for the Bears as the calendar draws ever close to camp.
There are still good free agent targets for the Chicago Bears.
Frank Clark (DE, Kansas City Chiefs)
The question to ask is what position likely makes Bears brass the most uncomfortable right now? An edge rusher is the easy answer. They’re looking at a duo of DeMarcus Walker and Trevis Gipson as starters in 2023. That is far from ideal. Walker is a more natural interior defensive lineman, and Gipson was a disappointment last year. They need some kind of reliable presence at that position. Clark is a proven veteran with a solid track record of consistency. He isn’t the dominant force he was a few years ago, but he’s still solid. He fits their 4-3 scheme, plays the run fine, and has ties to Poles from his run in Kansas City.
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DeAndre Houston-Carson (S, Chicago Bears)
It’s a minor shock nobody has picked Houston-Carson up yet. He has been a steady and dependable backup safety for years and has developed into an outstanding special teams player. The only addition Chicago made at safety this off-season was 7th round pick Kendall Williamson. There is no reason to think Houston-Carson can’t compete with who the Bears have behind Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker. He’d be a welcome presence in the locker room and a continued mentor for the younger guys.
Shelby Harris (DL, Seattle Seahawks)
Poles invested heavily at defensive tackle this off-season. They appear to have a solid four-man rotation with Justin Jones, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, and Zacch Pickens. Still, they could use a little extra interior pass rush juice. Harris isn’t Aaron Donald, but he does have 62 pressures over the past two seasons. He can be a decent rotational option and excellent depth. He’s also a proven run defender throughout his career, which would align with the Bears’ focus this year. While approaching age 32, he can be of help for one season.
Eric Tomlinson (TE, Houston Texans)
The Chicago Bears have two quality options at the top of their tight end position in Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan. They will provide Justin Fields with options in the passing game. After them, it gets dicey. The team doesn’t really have a solid blocker that can help in those situations. Jake Tonges, Chase Allen, and Stephen Carlson have limited experience. Tomlinson is a journeyman that had a quality 2022 season in Houston, allowing only four pressures in 60 pass-blocking snaps.
