Emma: There's purpose behind the Bears' cautious approach in free agency

(670 The Score) In carefully implementing his plan for the Bears’ future, general manager Ryan Poles has likened the process to constructing a house.

Now in the third year of the Poles era, the Bears have established cornerstones and are continuing to gradually build off the foundation that's in place. But even amid the hope that lies ahead, patience is still required.

By design, the Bears have been cautious in the early days of free agency as many of the top players available have found new homes. Though Chicago entered free agency with the fifth-most salary cap space in the NFL, Poles has avoided the inherent risk that comes with handing out lucrative contracts. Overspending in free agency often means overcommitting in a short-term window, and Poles is hoping to build lasting success.

The Bears have done their due diligence on the top players available, but many of them didn’t receive a formal offer from Chicago – even at positions of need. The Bears want to emerge as a contender in 2024 but don't want to overcommit now with significant investments.

That choice is a reflection of a roster that's still taking shape, and Poles is wary of his plan being putting at risk with poor decisions in free agency.

"Still feel some caution in their approach,” one league source said.

Poles has been prudent over three rounds through free agency since taking over as general manager in early 2022. The Bears' top contract tendered to an unrestricted free agent in that span was a four-year, $72-million deal for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Second to that was the three-year, $30-million contract for guard Nate Davis.

The Bears watched as premier free agents like defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (Raiders) and pass rusher Danielle Hunter (Texans) agreed to deals with new teams across Monday and Tuesday, the first two days of open negotiations. The Bears also never made a serious offer for pass rusher Jonathan Greenard (Vikings) or defensive tackle Leonard Williams (Seahawks), and they backed off on the market for receiver Gabe Davis (Jaguars).

Despite the Bears’ salary cap flexibility, Poles hasn't yet been willing to take chances with long-term risk.

As of Tuesday evening, the Bears had struck deals with running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everett and safety Jonathan Owens in free agency. The team also signed former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard on Sunday as he was eligible to sign earlier after being released, and the Bears locked in Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a four-year contract extension last week.

Those were all key moves for the Bears, but they still haven't addressed their top needs: wide receiver, edge rusher and defensive tackle.

The Bears are in dire need of wide receiver depth behind top target DJ Moore. The free-agent market is lacking depth at wide receiver, meaning Poles may have to exceed his preferred price point to sign one. Veteran receiver Tyler Boyd, who has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Bengals, would fit well for the Bears in free agency. But Chicago will also address the need in the NFL Draft, which is loaded with dynamic receivers who could complement Moore.

The Bears could address their need for a pass rusher with D.J. Wonnum, who will visit Halas Hall on Thursday, a source said. The 26-year-old Wonnum posted a career-best eight sacks for the Vikings in 2023. He has 23 career sacks – including 7.5 sacks in eight games against the Bears.

Just as Wonnum found success with the Vikings alongside Hunter, he could be a strong fit for the Bears opposite of Montez Sweat.

Poles has been active in exploring the market for a defensive tackle as he seeks the anchor for the Bears' defensive front at the three-technique role. The Bears could turn to eight-year veteran Sheldon Rankins, who had six sacks in 15 games for the Texans last season. D.J. Reader remains unsigned as one of the top interior defenders available, though he’s coming off a torn right quad injury late last season. Given how the saga with defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi played out two years ago, Reader, who turns 30 in July, may be too much of an injury risk in Poles' mind.

As free agency has played out swiftly early this week, the Bears also haven't made a move yet at the most important position in the game: quarterback.

The trade market for quarterback Justin Fields has been cold as Poles has sought a strong return. The 25-year-old Fields is coming off a season of individual growth in which he threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 games.

As the league wonders what Fields' future holds, the Bears are still expected to covet USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, a move that would in some form mark the end of Fields’ time as the team’s starting quarterback. Identifying the right transition plan has been a challenge for Poles as the quarterback carousel has begun. The Steelers signed Russell Wilson, the Falcons added Kirk Cousins on a four-year megadeal, the Raiders brought in Gardner Minshew and the Vikings acquired Sam Darnold. While Fields is beloved in Chicago, the rest of the NFL simply doesn’t view him as a franchise quarterback, league sources have said.

Poles isn’t willing to part with Fields until the trade return is to his liking or until he’s completely comfortable with Williams as the Bears’ young quarterback. With those dynamics in play, Fields could remain on Chicago’s roster until the NFL Draft in late April. He may well demand a trade before that, which would match his team’s own desire.

Without complete clarity yet at quarterback, Poles needs to strike a delicate balance with the rest of the Bears’ roster. That's one of the many reasons he's working with caution as the Bears undergo the next phase of their rebuilding process.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .