Two Names Are Said To Top Ryan Poles' List For Free Agency

The Chicago Bears have made their preparations. Scouts have done their evaluations. Coaches expressed their preferences. GM Ryan Poles has his game plan. Free agency is about to begin. The legal tampering period starts on Monday, March 10th. That means teams will be free to negotiate with top names on the market. It shouldn't take long for agreements to start happening fast. That means Poles must be prepared to move swiftly. He can't afford to take a casual approach. He's under far too much pressure to win.

Albert Breer of the MMQB has strong ties to the Bears organization. As things prepare to kick off, he released a complete breakdown of the market. He mentioned two names to watch for in Chicago.

The Chargers would like to retain his bookend Khalil Mack, but the cost will probably be similar to Bosa’s, and the Chicago Bears might look to bring him back...

...Indy’s Will Fries could be another guard that surprises, with Smith tagged, and contending teams such as the Vikings and Houston Texans potentially looking to upgrade on the interior. And while we’re there, teams really like the Atlanta Falcons’ Drew Dalman atop the center market. He could, perhaps, be the last piece of Ryan Poles’s offensive line makeover in Chicago.

Mack turned 34 years old in February, but he had a terrific 2024 season with six sacks and 49 pressures. Chicago needs a second option across from Montez Sweat. While not a long-term solution, Mack could provide an instant jolt. Dalman? He's the best center available and would be the final piece to the Bears' rebuild of their interior offensive line after trades for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney.

Ryan Poles must be prepared to open the wallet.

Even though Mack is on the backside of his career, experts still believe he will command a pretty penny. Projections have it around a two-year deal at $22.5 million per. That is a lot, considering there is no telling when his productivity will inevitably fade away for good. If he's willing to sign a deal that short, it would at least protect the Bears against long-term issues on their salary cap. They would then likely draft another pass rusher to give them some depth and insurance.

As for Dalman, the belief is he will land somewhere in the vicinity of $14 million per year. That is far more manageable. It also might be the desired move, given how weak the center class is in the draft. Dalman is a solid run blocker who has steadily improved in pass protection over the past couple of seasons. Landing both players would give Ryan Poles free rein to go in any direction he wants in the first two rounds.