Ryan Poles has been very active in the free agency market during the first few days but has not made a signing in nearly a week. As free agency progresses, fewer players are available, and signings slow down. However, the Bears still have plenty of cap space. There is no need to use all of it this season; the majority of the Bears’ remaining cap will most likely be saved for next offseason. But there are still a few free agents on the market that may be worth looking into for Poles.
Yannick Ngakoue: Edge Rusher
Yannick Ngakoue is a 27-year-old edge rusher coming off a 9.5-sack season with the Indianapolis Colts. Ngakoue’s 9.5 sacks were more than double the Bears’ sack leader, Jaquon Brisker, who had four sacks. Brisker being the sack leader as a safety is telling of how much of a need the Bears have at the edge rusher position. Trevis Gibson and Dominique Robinson, who were the Bears’ starting edge rushers last season, combined for just 4.5 sacks. Ngakoue can help fix this problem for the Bears as he has never had a season under eight sacks. Ngakoue could be signed for around $13-14 million per year, similar to his last contract. This price may seem like a lot, but it wouldn’t crack the top 17 highest-paid edge rushers. Having a pass rusher off the edge is extremely important in the NFL, as Bears fans have seen since the departure of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Making a signing like this could prove to be highly valuable.
Quinton Jefferson: Defensive Tackle
Quinton Jefferson could be a cost-effective option to bolster the interior of a defensive line unit that struggled significantly last season. Jefferson, who is 29 years old, has been a reliable choice at defensive tackle for the past five seasons. The Bears had the second-worst rush defense in the NFL last year, largely due to the lack of talent on their defensive line. While Jefferson alone may not entirely turn around the run defense, his addition would provide another experienced player on the line and certainly benefit the defense against the run. Jefferson would most likely play for around 2.5-3 million dollars per year, considering he is coming off a $1.75 million contract with the Seahawks. Additionally, Jefferson recorded 5.5 sacks last season, which, like Ngakoue, would have led the Bears in sacks.
Rock Ya-Sin: Cornerback
Rock Ya-Sin, a 26-year-old cornerback, quietly excelled under Matt Eberflus. The Bears have their top two corners in Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, but there is still a question regarding who the third and fourth players will be. Ya-Sin has the ability to fill either of those roles and be productive. With prior experience working with Eberflus and demonstrating the ability to perform at a starting-caliber level, Ya-Sin could resolve the depth issue at cornerback for the Bears and be a reliable third or fourth option at the position. Ya-Sin’s annual average value (AAV) could vary, but he will most likely fall between 8-10 million per year, which would be suitable assuming he adapts well to Eberflus’ system.
These three players could all play a significant role on the defensive side of the ball, which still has several front-line issues and depth problems. Of course, not all three will be signed, but even having one or two of them on the Bears’ team would be beneficial and could lead to a substantial improvement in their defense.
