3 future free agents the Bears' front office should pay close attention to during the NFL playoffs
After missing the playoffs and finishing with a 5-12 record during the 2024 season, the Chicago Bears know they have a lot of work to do this offseason.The Bears' front office has plenty of assets to work with in the coming months including three draft picks in the Top-50 selections and nearly $80 million in […]
After missing the playoffs and finishing with a 5-12 record during the 2024 season, the Chicago Bears know they have a lot of work to do this offseason.
The Bears' front office has plenty of assets to work with in the coming months including three draft picks in the Top-50 selections and nearly $80 million in available cap space.
For the players and the fans, missing the playoffs sucks. But look at it this way, the Bears can now get ahead of the game on the offseason and start scouting out new players to add to the roster while also continuing with the head coaching search.
In terms of the free agent pool, the Bears can use the extra time off to their advantage by scouting out some potential free agents still playing during the playoffs. Here are 3 future free agents in particular the Bears should keep their eyes on in the postseason.
Trey Smith – Kansas City Chiefs OG
This should be target #1 for the Bears' front office this offseason. Trey Smith is easily the best interior offensive lineman who could potentially hit the market once the Chiefs' season comes to a close.
The 2024 Pro Bowl selection is projected to break the bank at his position, whether that's with the Chiefs or with another team looking to sign him, and he's well worth the money. Smith's still really young, durable, and super aggressive in the run game.
His only downside is in pass protection where he's had his fair share of holding penalties. However, during the regular season, Smith never allowed a sack and only allowed 26 pressures on 708 pass blocking snaps. Only four other guards played more pass blocking snaps than Smith in 2024.
Smith would be the ideal right guard to pair next to right tackle Darnell Wright in Chicago, giving the team two maulers in the run game on the right side who each still have more room to grow together in pass protection. We'll see if Smith's solid work continues during the Chiefs' quest for a third straight Super Bowl.
Milton Williams – Philadelphia Eagles DT
As for the defensive front, which should be viewed as the team's second biggest need this offseason, my eyes are on Milton Williams. The Eagles defensive tackle has stepped up in a big way replacing Brandon Graham and playing next to Jalen Carter.
Williams will be a tough player for the Eagles to let go after the season he had, but the team has options to replace him in young players like Moro Ojomo. Production-wise Williams is heading into the playoffs after posting career-highs in sacks (5.0), QB hits (10), and a 90.4 PFF pass rush grade, which ranked second behind Chiefs' Chris Jones among all interior defensive linemen.
Pairing Williams in Chicago with an ascending Gervon Dexter would give the Bears a stout interior front and can allow the front office to find another edge rusher in the draft, since they're harder to come by on the open market.
Marquise Brown – Kansas City Chiefs WR
I'm going to go with a wildcard option here only because he's someone I've been waiting to see all season with this offense. Marquise Brown only played 45 total snaps during the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery following an injury suffered during his first preseason game with the Chiefs.
Brown returned to the lineup for Week 16 and Week 17 catching nine passes for 91 yards on 15 targets. The Chiefs are still getting Brown back into the swing of things, but I expect him to be heavily involved during the team's upcoming playoff run.
Looking beyond that, the Chiefs only signed Brown to a one-year deal and might be inclined to bring up back based on how this season went for him. If not, the Bears should absolutely look into the speedy deep threat, considering having a downfield deep threat was an area that was non-existent from the offense all season long.
Chicago Bears players set to be NFL free agents now that their 2024 season is over
Let the offseason begin.
