Chicago Bears: 5 Big-name free agents team could still sign

Dominique Easley, DE, Los Angeles Rams

Honestly, there just aren’t a ton of intriguing defensive lineman left on the market. I considered Ndamukong Suh for a second, but I don’t think he’s a good fit for a 3-4 defensive end role. So I had to dig deep and found Dominique Easley as a potential addition to the Chicago defensive front.

The main reason he even makes this list of “big-name” free agents is due to his status as a former first-round pick. Easley flamed out with the New England Patriots after only two seasons, but seemed to get his career back on track with the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, a torn ACL before the 2017 season was a rather large roadblock on the path towards unlocking his potential.

Now back on the market, Easley makes some sense as a potential fit for the Bears. They just lost Mitch Unrein via free agency, leaving Akiem Hicks as the only proven starter at defensive end. I had hopes that Jonathan Bullard would pan out in the NFL, but that hasn’t been the case up to this point.

We’ve seen the potential Easley possesses — he flashed those first-round skills in 2016 when he racked up 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Rams as a reserve. Coming off an ACL tear, though, it’s anyone’s guess if he’s ready to return to relevance. If the Bears can get him on a cheap, one-year contract, Easley may be worth the roster spot.