The Chicago Bears are slated to have substantial cap room this offseason, so they will have plenty of money to play with when it comes to signing free agents.

Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago sees a potential big-time target for the Bears next month: Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns.

Shapiro mentions that the Bears checked in on Burns at the trade deadline back in October, and last year when Chicago traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers, Burns was named as a potential piece in the deal. So, obviously, there is already interest in Burns on the Bears’ end.

The question is, would Carolina allow Burns to walk?

Burns, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, was selected by the Panthers with the 16th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

After a solid rookie campaign in which he logged 25 tackles and 7.5 sacks, Burns showed some marked improvement with 58 tackles and nine sacks during his sophomore season.

The 25-year-old then made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2021 after posting 50 tackles and nine sacks, and in 2022, Burns enjoyed the best year of his career to date, racking up 63 tackles and 12.5 sacks en route to another Pro Bowl selection.

Burns took a bit of a step back this past year, registering 50 tackles and eight sacks, but he was clearly still very productive.

The Panthers could always slap a franchise tag on Burns and try to negotiate a long-term deal with him between now and mid-July, and given how crucial he has been to the defense over his first four seasons, that seems like an avenue that Carolina will probably take.

But if the Panthers elect to allow Burns to test the open waters, the Bears could very well try and nab him to put alongside of Montez Sweat, which would give the team a lethal pair of pass rushers.

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