The Chicago Bears are entering a much different offseason than fans have become used to over the last decade or so. Gone are the days of searching for the franchise’s savior at quarterback or the game-changing pass-rusher in free agency or the draft.
Instead, general manager Ryan Pace will be tasked with rounding out a potential championship roster that’s missing just a few pieces necessary to threaten the NFC’s elite for a trip to the Super Bowl in 2019.
Chicago will have a few extra dollars to spend in free agency — $3.6 million to be exact — that Pace can use to continue the Bears’ rise into the NFL’s elite class of teams.
Here are five moves Pace should make in free agency.
Sign Robbie Gould | K | 49ers
This one’s obvious. The Bears can’t go into the 2019 season with Cody Parkey on the roster and it just feels too perfect that Gould is an unrestricted free agent. He’s been lights out since Ryan Pace’s ill-advised decision to cut ties with him prior to the 2016 season and is an unapologetic Bear at heart. Believe it or not, bringing Gould back to Chicago would be the biggest ‘win’ of the offseason for the Bears.
Re-sign Bryce Callahan
Callahan may have played his way out of Chicago with his at-times dominant performance prior to suffering a season-ending broken leg in December. The premium placed on high-end slot corners could make Callahan one of the most coveted free agents on the open market this year, assuming his medicals check out. The Bears may have no choice but to watch him leave town.
Sign Clay Matthews | OLB | Packers
This would be a classic case of joining the enemy for a Super Bowl run by Matthews, and it would serve a big need for the Bears. Chicago has to add reliable depth behind Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd and Matthews, at this stage of his career, is more of a rotational defender than an every-down starter. His asking price should be reasonable, too, considering the limited number of reps he has left in the tank.
Sign Bradley Roby | CB | Broncos
Even if the Bears manage to re-sign Bryce Callahan, they should keep cornerback on their free-agent wish list because of how important depth at the position is. Roby flashed high-end potential before having a sub-par season in 2018 as a full-time starter in Denver’s defense. He may be better suited as a rotational defender and he’d have a chance to serve in that capacity in Chicago. The Bears don’t want to rely on players like Kevin Toliver in case of injury next season. Roby would be a good get.
Sign Tyrann Mathieu | Saf | Texans
This one comes with a condition: If the Bears can’t come to terms with Adrian Amos, who like Bryce Callahan is also set to become an unrestricted free agent, then Mathieu would make a great and fun signing for a defense primed to be the best in the NFL next year. With Eddie Jackson serving as the elite playmaker against the pass in the Bears’ defense, Mathieu could play to his strength — around the line of scrimmage — while still offering more game-changing ability than Amos.
