The article “5 Free Agent Targets for Bears Following the 2024 NFL Draft” originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago.

Following the NFL draft, the Bears have a better understanding of their depth chart and areas for improvement for the upcoming season. GM Ryan Poles will focus on filling roster gaps by evaluating available free agents.

Compared to when the Poles decimated the roster in 2022, the front office has little work left to do. Following the first waves of free agency and the draft, the team has settled on the skill positions on offense. Their secondary remains stacked. If the team could use extra bodies anywhere, it would be on the offensive and defensive lines (as with most NFL teams), so we’ll look there.

It’s also worth noting that the Bears are unlikely to make another high-profile signing. Depending on where you look, the Bears are expected to have $8 million to $12 million in effective cap space following the draft, and Poles may want to save some powder for later in the season. So don’t expect big deals here.

Rasheem Green – Defensive End.

Green could return for a one-year stint with the Bears, who also drafted Austin Booker. The depth on the defensive line is adequate, but his contributions to special teams are superior. Green blocked two kicks for the Bears last year.

PHIL HAYNES, GUARD

Haynes has struggled with injuries throughout his five-year career, so he is unlikely to start for the Bears. However, he could still help the Bears achieve two goals: 1) increase competition for depth positions on the interior, and 2) assist in teaching new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme and verbiage. Haynes worked for Waldron in Seattle for the past three seasons.

Linval Joseph is a defensive tackle.

Joseph will be 36 years old next year and is no longer the player he once was with the Vikings. Joseph, a veteran at defensive tackle, could provide valuable support to Gervon Dexter, who is expected to take over as the starting three-technique.

YANNICK NGAKOUE: DEFENSIVE END.

Last summer, the Bears signed Ngakoue on a one-year contract to bolster their pass rush, but his season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury. If the medicals pass, it makes sense for the team to return because the two sides are familiar with one another. It would also relieve some of the pressure on Booker as he works to refine his raw talent during his rookie season.

RAKEEM NUNEZ-ROCHES: DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Nunez-Roches, 31, is younger than Joseph, but with only four career sacks, he lacks the same production as a pass rusher. He still has plenty of experience, having appeared in 118 games and made 42 starts, and he brings positional versatility to the table, having played NT, DT, and DE. Poles has also played an important role in selecting Nunez-Roches previously. Poles was Kansas City’s director of college scouting when the Chiefs chose Nunez-Roches in the sixth round of the 2017 draft.

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