ESPN writers Jason Reid and Field Yates have named the Bears as the NFL team that improved the most during the first week of the new league year.
Since last Wednesday, the Bears have signed nine free agents and made a blockbuster trade in which they acquired receiver DJ Moore and four draft picks from the Panthers in exchange for the No. 1 selection.
The free-agent additions are running backs D'Onta Foreman and Travis Homer, guard Nate Davis, tight end Robert Tonyan, quarterback P.J. Walker, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, defensive tackle Andrew Billings and linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards.
Wrote Reid: "General manager Ryan Poles entered the offseason with a whole lot of cap space, the No. 1 overall pick in next month's NFL draft and a plan to upgrade a roster with canyon-sized holes. Poles made many cost-efficient moves to sign veterans who should provide the Bears with a significant boost next season. And in their trade with the Panthers, the Bears acquired productive wide receiver DJ Moore (and a haul of picks). He is exactly the type of wideout that young quarterback Justin Fields needs to take the next step in his development."
Wrote Yates: "They entered the free agency period with more resources to use than any other team but still managed to thread an important needle: They added a ton of talent without spending above market value on said players. And when you factor in the trade down from pick No. 1, the Bears also added a top-20 wide receiver to their roster in Moore."
