Chicago Bears not out of free-agent picture

A number of NFL teams burst out of the starter's gate at 11 a.m. local time Monday, the beginning of what has become known as the NFL's "legal tampering" period preceding the official beginning of free agency that kicks off Wednesday at 3 p.m.

While not yet official, I cannot remember a single deal reported on a Monday that didn't get signed on Wednesday since the "legal tampering" period was created.

For a while it looked like the New England Patriots - who added Jonnu Smith, Matthew Judon, Jalen Mills, Davon Godchaux, Nelson Agholor and re-signed Deatrich Wise - were just going to sign everybody. But the Kansas City Chiefs (Joe Thuney), Los Angeles Chargers (Corey Linsley), Baltimore Ravens (Kevin Zeitler) and Cleveland Browns (John Johnson) all made some thunderous noise early as well.

Other clubs moved the needle by locking up their own without using tags, including the Green Bay Packers (Aaron Jones) and Tampa Bay Bucs (Shaq Barrett and Lavonte David).

Noticeably absent from professional sports' favorite flea market? The Chicago Bears.

Of course, one of the reasons for all this is the Pats, Chargers and Browns were among the few in the NFL that approached this year's market with plenty of cap space. The Ravens had enough to do some damage, and the Chiefs could guarantee a guard like Thuney over $50 million only after cutting both their starting offensive tackles, Eric Fisher and all-pro Mitchell Schwartz.

But don't despair, Bears fans. While a number of other clubs might be making it rain a little sooner than some expected, not a single sweet fit or likely target for the Bears was off the board as of this writing.

Let's talk for a minute about free agents who should be near the top of the Bears' shopping list, and then get a little reminder of what's to come.

If the Bears can, the guys they should be most focused on are tackles Trent Williams, Russell Okung and Mitchell Schwartz (if he can pass a physical), wide receivers Cordarrelle Patterson and Demarcus Robinson, defensive lineman Brent Urban, safeties Malik Hooker, Anthony Harris, and Keanu Neal, and quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mitch Trubisky - assuming they can't trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, David Carr or Marcus Mariota.

All still out there, waiting for the Bears to find some money.

General manager Ryan Pace has retained key cogs kicker Cairo Santos and punter Patrick O'Donnell and made an intriguing investment in defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr.

Edwards Jr. is interesting because he came to Chicago with a similar background to Akiem Hicks, played well his first year in Chicago and did show a few flashes of special.

But he will be suspended the first two games of 2022 for a violation of the NFL's P.E.D. policy, and we still are waiting to hear the outcome of a criminal summons he was served for an alleged assault and domestic violence last season when the Bears were in Carolina.

His re-signing fills a huge need for depth on the defensive line, and apparently the Bears are comfortable enough with where his legal situation currently stands.

Beyond that, we have heard the Bears have renegotiated the deals of Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair to clear about $23 million in cap space.

That probably still is not quite enough to get them even with the cap after tagging Allen Robinson and signing Santos, O'Donnell and Edwards Jr., which tells us their focus is still far more on who else they can renegotiate, and who they will be cutting between now and Wednesday before they can really jump in the pool.

Wednesday at 3 p.m. local time also is when the total of the 51 highest-paid players on every NFL roster has to be under the salary cap.

Bringing us to the other side of the Bears' treasure hunt, quality players are likely to be cut in the next 48 hours at the same time the Bears are almost certain to be saying goodbye to a few more of their own.

It could very well be the Bears are just waiting to see all the merchandise before they decide where they can afford to and need to spend.

• harkush@profootballweekly.com