Here are the five free agents that could give Bears total redemption in the New Year

With the New Year coming into focus, it is just about time to start truly looking ahead for the Chicago Bears.

It’s been somewhat tough to enjoy the improvements the Bears have shown this season, between the rumors and whispers about Justin Fields and the uncertainty regarding the coaching staff. The next few weeks should bring a lot of clarity, though, thankfully.

In that same light of honing in on the New Year, we thought we’d take a look at some free agents that could breathe new life into this franchise in 2024. Let’s kick it off in the trenches.

1. Connor Williams, C

This coming offseason, the Bears have to make a change at center. Cutting ties with Cody Whitehair is a must and allowing Lucas Patrick to hit free agency is another one. This team needs a new starting center; one that’s dependable and a proven commodity, if not a top-tier rookie.

Current Miami Dolphins center Connor Williams is one of the very best in the league at his position. He’s great at both run blocking and pass blocking, but especially excels mauling in the ground game. The Bears’ offensive line could be set after signing Williams, unless the team also looks at replacing Braxton Jones or giving him some healthy competition.

Williams will likely be the most expensive offensive lineman signed this offseason, at least on the interior. But, he is worth every single penny the Bears could pay him.

2. Brian Burns, EDGE

This season, the Bears made the move to acquire Montez Sweat from Washington; a move that’s worked out better than anyone could have expected. Then, signing Sweat to a long-term deal, the Bears secured a cornerstone piece to their defense.

But, they still need some more help at this position. Getting another long-term starter opposite Sweat should be an offseason priority. And, while the Bears are likely to do that via the draft, they could always surprise us and sign a veteran. Brian Burns has long been rumored to want out of Carolina, but the Panthers still haven’t traded him. Now, he’ll enter free agency and, unless he gets the franchise tag, he’ll be signing elsewhere in 2024.

Burns and Sweat could give the Bears a dynamic pairing at the pass rusher position. It would be the a complete 180 from where the defense was at a year ago, and the position would immediately become a strength if the Bears were to do something like this.

This year, Burns has had a down season and only has 6.0 sacks at the moment. But last year, he finished with 12.5. He’ll likely want a hefty contract, but the Bears should be careful not to pay him more than he’s worth.

3. Budda Baker, S

Another in-house move the Bears should make this offseason is to cut safety Eddie Jackson. The Bears’ secondary could be a strength all-around if they did this and replaced him with a viable option. They would also save almost $13 million by cutting Jackson.

The best free agent safety next year is, without a doubt, Cardinals standout Budda Baker. Arizona is headed for a rebuild, and might even move on from Kyler Murray. Baker has wanted a new contract for a while now, and the Cardinals haven’t given it to him.

In a nutshell, he deserves a big, new deal. He is one of the best all-around safeties in football and, at almost 28 years old, he is in the middle of his prime. Baker is a 5-time Pro Bowler and a 2-time All Pro, having totaled 723 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 34 passes defensed, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in almost seven full seasons.

If the Bears added Baker to their secondary of Jaylon Johnson (assuming they re-sign him), Jaquan Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon, that would give them one of the best secondaries in the game today.

4. Michael Pittman Jr., WR

The Bears will be a team to watch at the wide receiver position, for sure. What they do in free agency will say a lot about their draft plans. If they don’t make a major move in free agency, and allow Darnell Mooney to leave for another team, then you can almost bet that they will be drafting a receiver in the first round. Marvin Harrison Jr., anyone?

One of the top free agent wide receivers this March is going to be Michael Pittman Jr., who has spent his first four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Pittman is a 6-foot-4 wideout who can play both outside and in the slot, and is a huge target. He’s a fantastic possession wide receiver and would give the Bears a nice tandem between he and D.J. Moore.\

Over his first four seasons, Pittman has caught 326 passes for 3,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. If he had better quarterback play during that time span, Pittman’s numbers could be even higher. He’s capable of far more than he’s done thus far in Indianapolis.

Still, the Bears would need to find themselves a deep threat if they let Mooney go. Some are still hoping Tyler Scott can take some steps after a rough rookie year this season, and if he does, he could be that guy.

But, Pittman and Moore would be a heck of a duo for (hopefully) Justin Fields next year.

5. Chris Jones, DT

Finally, this would be a move that the Bears only make if they think they’re true contenders in 2024, which is asking quite a lot. The main reason this should only happen if the Bears are contenders? Chris Jones is going on his age-30 season next year.

The Bears’ defense has made major strides this season and looks mostly intact for next year, but the defensive line still needs some work. Hopefully, the Bears let go of veteran Justin Jones and look at giving more time to guys like Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, along with Andrew Billings.

Adding a veteran like Jones would be quite the statement, though. He is one of the most dominant interior linemen in the game today, being able to affect games in both the pass and run game. Jones is a key anchor in the Chiefs’ defense, and had he not gotten a deal worked out with Kansas City this year, that defense would look a whole lot different.

It appears unlikely the Bears would make a signing like this, but again, it would signal that this franchise is all-in on winning right now. It might sound crazy to think that, but the signs of improvement are certainly there. It all depends on what the team does offensively, going forward.