The Chicago Bears have more spring practices to go through. Aside from getting players back and bringing the young guys up to speed, it is a great chance for the coaches to assess where the roster is before training camp. Often, they may find that a position they thought would be okay has some issues they’re uncomfortable with. This is why you see teams make late additions to the roster by signing a prominent veteran in free agency before training camp.
Given where things stand and what head coach Ben Johnson may see in OTAs next month, here are some players the Bears may look to add, ranked by the probability of it happening.
The Chicago Bears have a few notable names to monitor.
#5 – RB Najee Harris
Adding another prominent running back doesn’t seem necessary for the Bears. They already have D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who were highly effective together last season. Still, this position is notorious for injuries. Can the Chicago bank on those two staying mostly healthy again? They decide to hedge their bets by bringing in Harris. The former 1st round pick has had a productive career with four-straight 1,000-yard seasons in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, last year was cut short by injuries. He’s still 28 years old and has a running style that would fit this offensive system quite well, with his good vision and contact balance.
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#4 – OT Taylor Decker
It was a genuine shock when the Bears didn’t immediately sign Decker after he was waived by Detroit. It made so much sense. They needed a left tackle after Ozzy Trapilo’s injury. He has ties to Ben Johnson from their time together with the Lions. Unfortunately, it appears the former Pro Bowler cannot bring himself to play for a division rival, having too much loyalty to Detroit. Thus, the Bears pivoted to bring back Braxton Jones and signed former 1st round pick Jedrick Wills. That is the level of competition expected in training camp. However, minds can always change. Decker may feel the itch to play. The Bears may not like what they see from Jones and Wills in OTAs and decide to make a determined push to bring him in.
#3 – EDGE Cameron Jordan
This may surprise some people. Jordan played for Dennis Allen in New Orleans for years. One might think he would be the most obvious target for the Bears. However, it is pretty apparent that Jordan still carries himself like a full-time defensive end and will expect to be compensated like one. If he demands anything close to what he was making last year with the Saints ($9.77 million), that is too much for Chicago. Their cap space is already tight, and they don’t want to restructure other deals to make more. Not too much anyway. Still, Jordan had 10.5 sacks last season and is still an effective pass rusher. Maybe the two sides can find common ground.
#2 – CB Kenny Moore
This wouldn’t have even been on the list a week ago. However, the news that Kyler Gordon is injured yet again changes everything. He is their primary nickel cornerback. The team was victimized in the slot constantly during the 14 games he missed last season. The Bears can’t afford to go another year trusting that his body will suddenly become more durable. Moore has been one of the best nickel corners in the league over the past few years. Though 31 years old, he still showcased his versatility last season in Indianapolis, collecting an interception and 1.5 sacks. As emergency options go, this is as good as it gets.
#1 – EDGE Von Miller
The Chicago Bears don’t want to add a veteran edge rusher who will take too many snaps away from Austin Booker. At the same time, they badly need a third option that can get to the quarterback. Miller represents the perfect compromise. At 37, he no longer has the juice to play full snaps every week. That is fine. The Bears won’t need him to. They could utilize him as their rotational pass rusher. His nine sacks last season demonstrated that the future Hall of Famer can still be highly valuable in that role. He has ties to Allen from their brief time together in Denver, and Miller has a glowing reputation as a locker room leader. It isn’t about money for him at this point. He’s chasing one last chance at a Super Bowl.
