19 free agents Bears may pursue if they hit the market next week originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
We’ll soon know which premium players will hit the free agent market, and which will not. NFL teams have until 3 p.m. Wednesday to use the franchise tag. If a player is tagged, he’ll have extra time to negotiate a long-term deal with his current team. If not, he’ll be slated to officially become a free agent on Mar. 13.
After cutting both Cody Whitehair and Eddie Jackson, the Bears are projected to have $66.5 million in effective cap space per OverTheCap. And with plenty of holes to fill on the roster, there’s a good chance GM Ryan Poles will be active when the market opens.
Here’s a stab at some players who could be on Poles’ wishlist, should they become free agents next week.
NICK ALLEGRETTI – CHIEFS BACKUP INTERIOR LINEMAN
Not every free agent signing has to be a big splash to make a big impact for a team. Allegretti might not hit the market since he’s proven his worth to the Chiefs as the next man up on their interior OL, but if he does he could help the Bears. Injuries happen on the OL. Starters Teven Jenkins, Nate Jones and Lucas Patrick all missed time due to injury and the Bears backups weren’t always up to snuff. Ja’Tyre Carter has yet to develop into a convincing option after the Bears selected him with a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, and the Bears will need to replace what Whitehair brought to the team as a versatile, reliable player.
Allegretti proved he’s a warrior by playing through a torn UCL in the Super Bowl. He’s also a Certified Local Guy from Frankfort, and we know Poles loves bringing in Local Guys.
MARQUISE “HOLLYWOOD” BROWN – CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVER
Brown hasn’t been in the spotlight as much as one would expect for a player who goes by Hollywood, but if the Bears draft a promising rookie and don’t re-sign Darnell Mooney, he could be a solid veteran to add to the mix.
Brown is a former first-round draft…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/19-free-agents-bears-may-015728350.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-03-05 01:57:28
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