5 former high draft pick free agents the Chicago Bears can signRyan Heckmanon March 24, 2022 at 1:30 pm

New general manager Ryan Poles has been often criticized by part of the fan base due to his being very patient thus far. After all, much of the movement around the league has come anywhere but Chicago.

In one of the craziest free agency periods we have ever witnessed, the Bears have only made one real headline, and that came when the team traded star pass rusher Khalil Mack. Other than that, the headlines have been few and far between.

While Poles remains confident in his approach, fans try to stick with him and understand that this rebuild is going to take some time. If he’s going the smarter, cheaper route in his first year, Poles still has a lot of options remaining.

The Chicago Bears could look at signing one of several former high draft picks which remain free agents.

Looking at the pattern thus far for the Bears, they have gone with shorter contracts and have done it with players who are anything but aging. While other teams that are ready to win right now have made big moves for veterans over the age of 30, Chicago has stayed away.

If anything, Poles has shown great restraint in a wild offseason that could have seen him make a risky move if he chose to do so.

The free agent pool continues to be stocked with plenty of players whom the Bears could sign. They’ll still need to sign a good amount of players to fill out the roster, even aside from the draft.

If Poles wants to take a shot on a former high draft pick in order to fill out his depth, he has a lot of options. A few of them are intriguing, and we begin with a former first-round pick from a divisional rival.