The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of the 2024 free agency frenzy that officially begins on March 13th.

The Bears are once again expected to be heavy bidders on the free agent market after general manager Ryan Poles opened up his check book for really the first time last offseason.

After cutting ties with veteran and former Pro Bowlers Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair, the Bears now have nearly $67 million in available cap space, the third-most in the NFL, according to OverTheCap. However, before we get to the frenzy, let's take a step back and rank how the top Bears' free agent signees from last offseason performed during their first season in Chicago.

1. T.J. Edwards

T.J. Edwards wasn’t the biggest signing the Bears made in free agency last offseason, and in fact he wasn’t even the biggest signing made at the linebacker position. Despite that, Edwards finished the 2023 season as arguably the best player on that side of the ball and proved to be a bargain for years to come in Chicago.

Edwards finished the season with 91 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, eight tackles for a loss, three interceptions and seven pass deflections. His 155 combined tackles ranked seventh in the NFL and third on the Bears all-time single season leaderboard.

He was an exceptional play-maker who was all over the field and one of the most reliable players on the entire team. Edwards started all 17 games and played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in nine different contests. Not bad for a player who was signed to a $3 year, $19.5 million contract on the open market.

2. Tremaine Edmunds

While Edwards stole the spotlight of the 2023 free agent class in Chicago, Tremaine Edmunds also lived up to his high price tag during his first season with the Bears. Edmunds signed a monster 4 year, $72 million deal with Chicago after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Buffalo Bills. 

In his first season with the Bears, Edmunds posted 113 combined tackles, five tackles for a loss, and was tied for a team-high with four interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown). His season wasn't as memorable as Edwards' debut but he still played at a consistent level for the team's defense last season.

Edmunds and Edwards proved to be an exciting duo together playing under head coach Matt Eberflus and his monster contract in free agency proved that the front office isn't scared to open the wallet to bring in a top name on the market.

3. D'Onta Foreman

One of the Bears' most underrated and under-appreciated free agent signings last offseason has to be running back D'Onta Foreman, who's season started and ended in a frustrating fashion with the Bears. However, he played his best ball when it mattered most and when the entire team was counting on him. 

After making his Chicago debut in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, Foreman was a healthy scratch for the next four straight weeks. He then stepped up in a big way after starting running back Khalil Herbert got injured against the Washington Commanders and was forced to miss Weeks 6-10. In that span, Foreman took over as the team's starter and rushed for 351 yards and scored four total touchdowns.

Once Herbert returned to the lineup, Foreman's usage dwindled leading to him becoming an inactive once again during the final two games of the season. It was a frustrating turn of events for the veteran back who will likely find a new home elsewhere next season, but proved his worth after signing a one-year, $3 million deal.

4. Andrew Billings

After joining the Bears last offseason, defensive tackle Andrew Billings quickly emerged as one of the top leaders in the locker room and was soon awarded for it. It only took until November for Billings to land a two-year extension after originally signing a one-year deal as a free agent.

Billings finished his first season in Chicago with 27 total tackles, two QB hits, and three tackles for a loss while starting in all 17 games. His main impact came in the run game clogging the interior holes in the running lane. Pro Football Focus credited Billings with 14 stops during the season.

As a locker room leader, his true impact comes unnoticed with the team's general manager openly mentioning his "professionalism, dependability and toughness" as key attributes that warranted a longer contract to remain in Chicago.

5. Yannick Ngakoue

Yannick Ngakoue's season was unfortunately cut short due to a broken ankle and we missed out on fully seeing him shine alongside defensive end Montez Sweat but he certainly played a major role as a veteran leader for the young players on defense.

Ngakoue finished his lone season in Chicago with 4.0 sacks, 22 total tackles, and seven QB hits. It was certainly a down-year by his standards and even more so after joining the Bears on a one-year $10 million contract late in the offseason.

The veteran pass rusher will likely be forced to rehab from his major injury before he can find himself landing with a new team next season as a playoff mercenary. While the outcome was unfortunate, he still played a major role on defense starting all 13 games he played even after Sweat joined the team at the trade deadline.

Honorable Mentions: Marcedes Lewis and Travis Homer

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