Chicago Bears: Overlooked free agents they should sign

The Chicago Bears certainly haven’t given fans much to talk about lately. After a quick flurry of free agent signings, things have pretty much gone silent.

This is puzzling because they currently have just 62 players under contract at the moment. Teams will require 90 by the time training camp begins in July. That means there are 28 more spots to fill. With only five picks in the upcoming NFL draft, that leaves 23 slots still to fill. It’s unlikely GM Ryan Pace will plug those gaps with undrafted free agents. Thus the likelihood remains strong that they will eventually sign more veterans.

It’s a matter of who they will be. There are still plenty of notable names out there, but the general feeling is Pace may be seeking out potential bargains at this point. Mostly out of maintaining financial flexibility and also not jeopardizing his team’s chances at one or two compensatory draft picks next year.

Keeping to that idea, there are some players who won’t get any mainstream attention that would still be quality additions. Here are some fans should know about.

Jermaine Gresham (TE)

A few years ago the Bears actually came close to signing Gresham before he decided to stay put with the Arizona Cardinals. Now he’s been released and at age 30 is hoping to find a new home. While he’s far from an ideal option as a receiving threat, the man remains one of the better blocking tight ends in the league. He did not allow a sack last season. There is a use for players like that in an offense and the odds are they’ll get him cheap this time around.

Quinton Spain (OG)

Signing Ted Larsen was a decent move after the Bears lost both Eric Kush and Bryan Witzmann to free agency. However, they still have a lingering depth concern at the position. Quinton Spain was unceremoniously released by the Tennessee Titans despite having a solid season last year. While his run blocking has never been a strength, he only allowed one sack the entire year. Having that sort of dependability as a backup would be ideal.

Rodney Gunter (DE)

Not every free agent signing has to be a splash. Simply getting a good player at a fair price should be considered a win. Rodney Gunter is not the next Akiem Hicks, but he’s proven to be a capable starter. At 6’5, 300 lbs he had 4.5 sacks and 23 pressures on the quarterback last season while logging 27 stops for no gain or a loss against the run. He would make perfect competition for Roy Robertson-Harris and Jonathan Bullard opposite Hicks.

Cassius Marsh (EDGE)

The definition of a try-hard pass rusher. Marsh has a non-stop motor and violent hands that make him a pest for offensive tackles who don’t take him seriously. One could argue he’s been playing in the wrong defense his entire career. Being only 245 lbs with shorter arms, he isn’t a natural defensive end. Switching to outside linebacker in a 3-4 could maximize his strength while hiding his weaknesses. Chuck Pagano is no stranger to such things.

Brynden Trawick (S)

There’s always a place for special teams in Chicago. With DeAndre Houston-Carson a free agent, he leaves a considerable void in the third phase for the Bears as one of their better punt and kick coverage guys. Brynden Trawick is a journeyman veteran who has quietly had a good career on special teams. Since 2015, he has 39 tackles on coverage units between Baltimore, Oakland, and Tennessee. He’s also proven passable when asked to play defense as a backup.

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