Former Chicago Bears Exec Reveals Two Free Agents They Will Pursue

The Chicago Bears must get through free agency before discussions can begin on the draft. GM Ryan Poles will have more than enough cap space to do some work if he wishes. What nobody knows for sure is how aggressive the team will be. It's been stated many times that Poles prefers to build through the draft. So it doesn't seem like he plans to spend big on the market this year. He will likely be more focused on retaining in-house candidates like Jaylon Johnson. That said, it's hard to imagine the Bears don't make one or two calculated moves to upgrade certain positions.

Greg Gabriel of Windy City Gridiron worked for the organization for several years in the 2000s and early 2010s. He's had conversations with Poles in the past. Based on his evaluations, the position likely to get the most attention on the free agency front is not wide receiver or even pass rusher. It will be center. The Bears can't go through another season with Cody Whitehair or Lucas Patrick in the middle. They have to find an upgrade. Gabriel pinpointed two names on the market they are likely to pursue.

Both fit their new scheme and have ties to the coaching staff.

"The best center on the market is Miami's Connor Williams, but we can be sure the Bears won't be trying to sign him. Williams tore his ACL in a late-season game and won't be available until most likely the last third of the '24 season, if that. Two players the Bears could very well go after are Seattle's Evan Brown and Tennessee's Aaron Brewer. Both have ties to members of the Bears coaching staff and are fits in the Bears offensive scheme.

Brown played for the Bears' new Offensive Coordinator last year and has been a starter in the League for the last three years. At close to 320 pounds, he would give the Bears another big body in the middle of the Oline. Brewer played in a similar scheme to what the Bears play, and his coach in Tennessee was Jason Houghtaling. Houghtaling is now the Bears' new assistant offensive line coach this year. Brewer also played with Bears guard Nate Davis for three seasons, so there is already a familiarity with each other."

The Chicago Bears' move will come down to price and preference.

Brewer and Brown come with different strengths. Brewer established himself as a quality run blocker in Tennessee. His 78.7 run-blocking grade in 2023 was the sixth-best of any center in the NFL. He displays the desired mobility, strength, and nastiness the Bears would covet for their blockers. The problem is Brewer also has a reputation for being a mediocre pass blocker. He allowed six sacks, seven hits, and 34 pressures on the quarterback last season. That is actually worse than Patrick.

Brown is the opposite. Over the past three years, he's built a reputation as a high-quality pass blocker between Detroit and Seattle. He allowed only three sacks and three hits on the quarterbacks last season. Much of that wasn't his fault, either. The Seahawks were plagued by injuries last season, forcing constant lineup changes. Unfortunately, Brown is also known for being a somewhat mediocre run blocker. His 57.2 grade last season was his worst in three years as a starter.

So, if the Chicago Bears aim to sign one of them, it will come down to what their priority is. Do they prefer to fortify the pass protection at the cost of their running game or keep the running game strong? With a rookie quarterback likely coming in, it feels like the former is the one to watch.