One of the teams many people are keeping an eye on this NFL offseason is the Chicago Bears. They can change the landscape of the league with the assets they have, as the Bears own the No. 1 pick in the draft for a second consecutive year and have the cap space to be players in free agency.
While a lot of the focus has been on the quarterback position in Chicago, there are other areas of the roster that Ryan Poles and the front office will look to address. One of them is the running back position.
The Bears have been one of the most successful rushing teams in the NFL since Justin Fields took over as their starting quarterback. With him potentially moving on, the team could be in the market for an upgrade at running back.
Roschon Johnson showed some signs of being a reliable player during his rookie season, but the Bears would assuredly look to bring in a complement for him this offseason. If they look for that in free agency, one player to keep an eye on is Saquon Barkley.
NFL News & Rumors: Saquon Barkley, 2024 NFL Free Agency, Chicago Bears Updates
The New York Giants star is hitting the open market as they opted not to place the franchise tag on him for a second consecutive offseason. He battled injuries once again in 2023 but would be a nice addition to a Bears’ offense that could certainly use some more weaponry around whoever is quarterback.
The Bears are one of the teams that Giants insider Jordan Raanan of ESPN has linked to Barkley. His reports would seemingly be accurate, as Chicago is the odds-on favorites to land Barkley in free agency according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Bears have odds of +200, but the Houston Texans aren’t far behind with odds of +250. The Philadelphia Eagles at +350, Los Angeles Chargers at +450 and the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens round out the top-five odds at +650.
Chicago, Los Angeles and Baltimore have been mentioned the most as potential landing spots as all three could use an upgrade in the backfield. It will be interesting to see how things unfold for Barkley, as the Giants are taking a major risk allowing him to hit free agency and set his market.
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