The Bears shed a lot of salary cap space this week by cutting safety Eddie Jackson. The Eagles shed a lot of salary cap space this week by cutting Kevin Byard. Now Byard may take Jackson’s place in Chicago.
Byard visited the Bears on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Because Byard was released, he is free to sign any time and does not have to wait until the official start of free agency on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Byard was traded to the Eagles in October and finished the season in Philadelphia, but prior to that he had spent his entire career in Tennessee. He’s a two-time first-team All-Pro but is on the down side of his career.
The Bears are near the top of the league in available salary cap space and are likely to be buyers in free agency. Byard could be an addition who makes a difference on defense before they get to work on building their offense, with the cornerstone of that project likely to be drafting Caleb Williams with the first overall pick.