The Chicago Bears are set to be one of the biggest spenders this offseason and with the free agency period beginning next week, all eyes are on general manager Ryan Poles to make some moves to round out his roster in Chicago.

Last free agency, the Bears came out of the cycle with Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Robert Tonyan, D'Onta Foreman, Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker, and Nate Davis as their notable signings during the first days of the free agency frenzy.

Chicago has plenty of money to fill some of their major holes on the roster and can even bid high for some of the top players on the market. ESPN's Courtney Cronin listed defensive line, wide receiver, safety, and running back as positions of need for the Bears. Here's who I believe the Bears will sign to fill those needs.

---

Christian Wilkins – Defensive Tackle

Age: 28-years-old (at start of season)
Contract: 3-year, $69 million ($23 million per year)

If the Bears are to spend big on a top free agent next week, I believe that player will be defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The Bears already have one top edge rusher locked up on a big deal in Montez Sweat and I don't believe the best allocation of resources will be by pursuing another top edge rusher on the open market.

However, head coach Matt Eberflus' defense is in dire need of a dominant 3-technique in the middle of the defensive line. Wilkins can serve that role while being a mentor to Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens over the next three years. The addition of defensive coordinator Eric Washington will also give Poles another voice in his ear pleading to make a splash on the interior of the defensive line.

Our AtoZ Sports cap experts project Wilkins to land a 4-year, $92 million deal in free agency. I see him landing the same $23 million average per year but on a 3-year deal with the Bears. This average per year will be ranked as the sixth-highest among defensive tackles and will be slightly more than Javon Hargrave's deal with the San Francisco 49ers last offseason which serves as a great reference for this contract.

---

Curtis Samuel – Wide Receiver

Age: 28-years-old (at start of season)
Contract: 2-year, $16.0 million ($8 million per year)

The Bears are in dire need of at least two wide receivers this offseason (one outside and one in the slot). The Bears should look to find that slot player in free agency at a lower price compared to the top outside wide receivers on the market. Curtis Samuel can fill that role for the Bears while reuniting with wide receiver DJ Moore after spending time together as teammates with the Carolina Panthers.

Samuel is coming off a 613 yard, four touchdown season as a receiver and offers some versatility to the offense in the run game as well. The Bears tried to experiment with utilizing Moore a bit in the run game in 2023 but that clearly does not fit his skillset. With Samuel, new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will have a versatile weapon to get creative with while using Moore in his preferred area of expertise.

As for the contract, I believe Samuel will get slightly more than his projection price of $7.5 million per year. Depending on where you look, some sites have Samuel landing upwards of $10 million per year on the open market. I have him landing just below that to join the Bears' offense and provide a much needed option in the middle of the field for whomever is at quarterback next season.

---

Kevin Byard – Safety (SIGNED)

Age: 31-years-old (at start of season)
Contract: 2-year, $15 million ($7.5 million per year)

The Bears have already found their replacement for Eddie Jackson after agreeing to a 2-year deal worth a base $15 million with former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.

Byard recently met with the Bears in Chicago after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was brought into Philadelphia at the 2023 trade deadline after the Eagles made a deal with the Tennessee Titans. His final 10 games of the season didn’t prove to be enough to stick around, leading to his release.

On a two-year deal, Byard fills the short-term hole in the secondary while adding veteran leadership to the unit. His ball skills will also come into play for the unit that finished tied for the most interceptions in the NFL in 2023.

---

Zack Moss – Running Back

Age: 26-years-old (at start of season)
Contract: 2-years, $9.5 million ($4.75 million per year)

The Bears seem to be interested in adding an additional running back to the offense in free agency based on reports coming out of the NFL Combine. While many fans would love to see one of the top names such as Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs land in Chicago, it's more likely the team adds a back from the second tier free agents.

Zack Moss seems like the ideal back the Bears would be interested in adding. Moss has experience in being the lead back and producing well in a committee. With Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson already on the roster in 2024, Moss can lead the unit on the ground while the other two can be tossed in as supplements.

With Herbert's contract set to expire following next season, tacking on an extra year to the contract seems ideal. Last offseason, the Bears signed D'Onta Foreman to a one-year, $3 million deal. I see Moss getting closer to $2 million more per year following his season where he totaled 986 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns.

Bears are interested in pursuing a starting safety in free agency at the perfect time

Which free agent should they land?