The Chicago Bears are going to be among the most active teams in the NFL during free agency this year. Ryan Poles has a ton of money to spend as there is a more than $36 million gap between the Bears and the next closest team in terms of cap space.

There are plenty of holes on the Bears’ roster that need to be addressed, but the most pressing may be on the offensive side of the ball. If Justin Fields is going to take that next step in his development, the front office needs to upgrade the weapons around him.

Last season, the wide receiver that had the most receptions was Darnell Mooney with 40. Cole Kmet was the only pass catcher to surpass the 500-yard plateau in 2022 as well. Chicago desperately needs to add some firepower to its receiving core and there are a few free agents they should be setting their sights on.

One of them is Jakobi Meyers of the New England Patriots. New England should do everything in their power to re-sign him as the top four wide receivers on their depth chart could all become free agents this offseason. Meyers is the best of the group, but given the franchise’s tendency to not overpay once a rookie contract is over, the Bears are in a great spot to swoop in and nab him.

There aren’t many viable options for Chicago to target in free agency, but Meyers is worth the risk. He is still only 26, which should give him plenty of more productive seasons and time to grow with Fields.

While he isn’t regarded as a bonafide No. 1 receiver, Meyers is certainly an upgrade over what the Bears currently have. In 14 games in 2022, he caught 67 passes for 804 yards and six touchdowns. Adding him to Chase Claypool and Mooney would at least give Fields three NFL-caliber wide receivers to get the ball to.

With Mooney and Claypool both playing on expiring contracts, signing Meyers also gives Chicago some insurance and continuity at the position beyond 2023. That could be when they strike to make a blockbuster addition to the position if that doesn’t come to fruition in 2023.