FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 18: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Garrett Bradbury #65 after a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the second quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

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Tyler Erzberger

By Tyler Erzberger

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No team is currently more active heading into NFL free agency than Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears.

They traded DJ Moore, freed up some cap room by releasing former Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds, and now have made a big trade with the New England Patriots to fill a hole that they weren't expecting to need to fill this offseason.

More news: Bears Release Former Pro Bowler in Shocking Pre-Free Agency Move

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 06: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to DJ Moore #2 against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Soldier Field on October 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Per The Athletic's senior NFL insider Dianna Russini, the Chicago Bears are acquiring New England Patriots center Garrett Bradbury for a fifth-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

The Bears were pushed into making this move when one of the league's best centers, Drew Dalman, surprisingly retired earlier this week.

Although there were rumors that the Bears could use their extra cap space to target the Baltimore Ravens free agent center Tyler Linderbaum, there are expected to be numerous suitors with ample cap space going after the star big man.

Bradbury, a veteran, was a workhorse for the Patriots in 2025, playing the ninth most offensive snaps at his position in the NFL. Although he didn't have the strongest grades from Pro Football Focus, he's a consistent backup at worst, with the upside of being a strong stopgap for the Bears as they look towards the Draft for their center of the future.

The trade by the Bears means they will likely use their cap space to target their secondary, which has holes throughout that need to be filled if they want to contend for another NFC North crown next season.

For teams who want Linderbaum, Friday's trade could be great news. But to sign the Ravens center, they might have to make him one, if not the highest-paid center in all of football.

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