***LAKE FOREST, Ill.,***— The first wave of free agency has officially passed and from the Chicago Bears perspective, the team accomplished a goal that general manager Ryan Poles laid out at the scouting combine last month: getting faster on defense.
After a solid first year Dennis Allen, the Bears went into the offseason with a clear priority of finding players who fit Allen's scheme, the Bears were expected to be active in free agency. Within hours of the legal tampering window opening, the franchise signed safety Coby Bryant to a three-year deal worth $40M and linebacker Devin Bush to a three-year deal worth $30M.
"I think especially in the postseason, and really down the last part of the fall, in order to play the style we want to play, we need to be able to close on the football a lot faster than we have been doing," said Poles. "So that was the emphasis going into this."
Roster turnover is a key theme for all 32 franchises every offseason. Signing Bryant and Bush are both moves the Bears made in response to releasing Tremaine Edmunds and letting defensive backs Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Nahshon Wright leave via free agency. When the Bears take the field this fall, the defense they'll field will look a lot different compared to the one that took the field last season.
While the Bears lost a lot of veteran leadership from the front office's perspective, adding players who bring speed and physicality are two essential traits for the entire unit to take a step forward in 2026.
"We wanted to get faster and more explosive, and I think we did that," said Poles. "I know we did that. We want guys that are passionate about football, that play our style and our brand of football and I know we did that. And then especially the leadership to continue to enhance our roster so that we can continue to push forward, be a championship-caliber team. I know we got better through this phase."
The results of free agency won't be determined until the Bears actually start playing in meaningful football games later this fall but there is a natural confidence that players like Bush bring to the table. The Bears are hopeful that Chicago's
"My expectation every year is to go out there and make as many plays as I can," said Bush. "The plays come and you've got to make them. They are looking for a guy with my play style to come in and fit into DA's system."
As NFL offense's continue to get faster and more versatile, part of getting faster was also figuring out a way to combat modern offenses. Effective defenses match speed with speed and that's exactly what the Bears are doing with some of their big-ticket acquisitions.
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