The Chicago Bears will begin their first talent-acquisition period under new head coach Ben Johnson in three weeks when 2025 NFL free agency opens.
In the meantime, though, Chicago's front office must decide what fat it wants to cut from the roster, whether that be cutting veterans who have underperformed or shedding expensive contracts that no longer fit their plans for the future.
The roster overhaul could even include a two-year starter on the team's defensive line, at least as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler views his situation.
Fowler recently flagged defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker as a potential cut candidate for the Bears during the 2025 NFL offseason, noting the team would save $5.25 million in cap space by releasing him before the start of next season.
Walker has made 29 starts and played in every game for the Bears over the past two seasons, averaging 3.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and 16 QB hits in each. He has also offered inside-out versatility for their defensive line, playing both edge rusher and tackle for Matt Eberflus' defensive system.
Unfortunately for Walker, a coaching change has come at a bad time for him.
The Bears hired Dennis Allen as their new defensive coordinator under Johnson last month, and while that does not mean a shift away from their 4-3 defense, it could put some of the old regime's preferred veterans on the chopping block.
Walker may have started all 17 games for the Bears in 2024, but he will turn 31 in September and has a contract the team can easily shed. He is due to carry a cap hit of roughly $5.92 million during the final year of his three-year, $21 million contract in 2025 and would leave behind less than $700,000 if released.
The versatility is what could save Walker — or at least buy him time.
The Bears have evident needs at both defensive end and defensive tackle in 2025, and keeping a mix-and-matcher like Walker in the fold for less than $6 million next season could appeal to them from a depth standpoint.
Chicago could also wait and see how its acquired talent fares before deciding on Walker. After all, there is no financial difference between cutting him in February versus cutting him in August unless they need immediate cap space.
