3 free agents Bears can still sign to put NFC North on notice ahead of NFL draft

2. Charles Leno, LT

Why not bring back an old friend? Charles Leno Jr has proven to still be an adequate left tackle even as he ages into his 30s, and Braxton Jones is currently the LT1 in Chicago. Jones has had a serviceable career thus far; nothing special. The Bears could do a lot better than Jones, but they could also do a lot worse.

I don't see the harm in bringing someone like Leno into the mix, who has played a ton of football and is familiar with the city and the expectation in being a Chicago Bear. He'd also be a nice hedge in case Jones falters or could even win the LT1 job outright.

3. Carl Lawson, DE

The Chicago Bears should take a low-cost, high-reward chance on a former 30 QB hit player in Carl Lawson, who fell out of favor with the New York Jets in 2023. However, between the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Lawson had 54 QB hits and 10 tackles for loss. If nothing else, the Bears could bring Lawson in as some quality depth, but the potential could still be there.

Montez Sweat proved to be a huge difference-maker up front for Chicago, and perhaps Lawson can enjoy some of that secondary success from playing alongside an elite DL.