One thing became inevitable when the Chicago Bears brought in a new GM and coaching staff. It meant changes were coming to the roster. Lots of changes. They might not all happen at once, but things will look a lot different on this football team over the next two years. While GM Ryan Poles indicated the team would be “selective” in free agency, he never clarified who might be the targets.
Often in situations like this, the smart thing to do is start connecting the dots. Determine which players set to become available might have ties to people inside Halas Hall. Be they coaches or even Poles himself. Several notable names fit such a description for the 2022 class. Here are some that could end up targets for the Bears next month. Be prepared for one or two surprises.
Chicago Bears now have ties to several noteworthy free agents
Gardner Minshew (QB, Philadelphia Eagles)
It remains uncertain what the Bears are going to do with Nick Foles. While he is still a quality backup quarterback, he’s also expensive. Cutting him would net $3 million in cap space and trading him would get $8 million. A source told SM to keep a close eye on Minshew if either scenario happens. New assistant GM Ian Cunningham is a big supporter thanks to their time together in Philadelphia. Minshew went 1-1 as a starter in relief of Jalen Hurts last season with four touchdowns, one interception, and a 104.8 passer rating.
Trenton Cannon (RB, San Francisco 49ers)
Richard Hightower inherits a pretty good special teams unit from Chris Tabor. He’ll want to keep that success going. Part of that job is finding possible gunners for his coverage units. Something that can often prove difficult given how rosters constantly churn. Cannon was one of Hightower’s best in San Francisco, collecting nine special teams tackles in 2021. He could be a nice starting point for how the Bears reshape the third phase.
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OBJ sighting! Matthew Stafford connects with Odell Beckham Jr. and he takes it to the house for a 54-yard TD pic.twitter.com/1Qci0ZSaGd
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 28, 2021
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, Los Angeles Rams)
Probably not a name people expected. Yet that became a factor when Tyke Tolbert took over as the new Chicago Bears wide receivers coach. Not only did he work with Beckham in 2018 with the New York Giants, but he also was teammates and friends with Beckham’s father. So the two know each other quite well. Beckham is proving that he is still a playmaker, posting 541 yards and six touchdowns in his first 11 games with the Rams. He’s only 29-years old. This might be a worthwhile venture if the team is willing to trust Tolbert can keep him under control.
Christian Kirk (WR, Arizona Cardinals)
He isn’t the only receiver the Bears have an in with, though. Thanks to the arrival of new tight ends coach Jim Dray, they now can exploit possible ties to Kirk. The 26-year old finished just shy of 1,000 yards this season. A former 2nd round pick, it’s been felt for some time that Arizona never did enough to utilize his talents fully. Dray was an offensive quality control coach for them. So he worked with Kirk every day for the past two years. While he isn’t a true #1 target, he would be a welcome pairing with Darnell Mooney.
Anthony Walker Jr. (MLB, Cleveland Browns)
A former no-name 5th round pick out of Northwestern, Walker Jr. emerged as a quality middle linebacker in 2018 when a new defensive coordinator named Matt Eberflus took over the Indianapolis Colts defense. Walker collected 321 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions in three years together. He was a massive part of the Cleveland Browns going from the 17th overall defense to 5th this past season. With Roquan Smith likely moving to outside linebacker in the Bears’ new 4-3 alignment, signing Walker to man the middle would make perfect sense.
Colts free-agent LB Anthony Walker is visiting the Browns today-Adam Schefter
Here’s some tape from 2020: pic.twitter.com/gaQp5XaPy8
— Tattoo Baker 🎥✨ (@QB1TATT00) March 18, 2021
Kemoko Turay (EDGE, Indianapolis Colts)
One of the more significant changes coming to the defense is their edge rush positions. Defensive ends in a 4-3 are pretty different than outside linebackers in a 3-4. That is why guys like Jeremiah Attaochu, Bruce Irvin, and Sam Kamara may no longer be the best fits. One person who could provide quality depth behind Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack is Turay. He’s enjoyed a productive run in Indianapolis as a rotational pass rusher, collecting 5.5 sacks in 2021. Eberflus knows him well and how best to maximize his talents.
Charvarius Ward (CB, Kansas City Chiefs)
Cornerback was a sore spot for the Chicago Bears defense most of this season. Jaylon Johnson was the only credible player they had. Anybody with common sense knows having one good corner won’t win many games in the NFL. This team needs another. Luckily Ryan Poles has connections to one. Ward was excellent for the Chiefs this past season, collecting two interceptions and allowing a 79.4 passer rating. He would make a solid complementary piece to Johnson. The problem is the price will likely be steep.
