Bears add two free agents to the roster ahead of training camp, including a new pass rusher who spent time with Dennis Allen

Kpassagnon, the former Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints defensive end, is the big name with the most connections. The Chiefs drafted Kpassagnon in the second-round of the 2017 NFL Draft when Poles served in the Chiefs front office as the director of college scouting.

Kpassagnon spent the first four years of his career in Kansas City where he totaled 7.0 sacks and 18 QB hits in 61 games played. After playing out his rookie deal, he signed with the New Orleans Saints under head coach Dennis Allen, his new defensive coordinator in Chicago.

With the Saints playing in Allen's scheme, Kpassagnon appeared in 43 games with 10 starts racking up 9.5 sacks and 24 QB hits as a depth player off the edge. To learn more about his role and impact in Allen's scheme, I spoke with A to Z Sports New Orleans writer Adam Holt.

"Kpassagnon had an interesting tenure in New Orleans. Added in 2021 as a depth piece, the pass rusher actually made a notable impact in his first three seasons in black and gold. He was efficient in getting into the backfield, totaling 9.5 sacks, 24 QB hits, and ten tackles for loss across those three campaigns. During that stretch, he only started ten games but appeared in 43. Kpassagnon was also a vocal leader in the locker room for a defense that had plenty of veteran voices around it. Last year, Kpassagnon missed a ton of time due to a torn Achilles that he suffered in the offseason. That was a tough blow and another reason that the Saints were one of the worst teams in the NFC in terms of pass rush in 2024. This move for Chicago makes plenty of sense if the veteran is healthy." - Adam Holt, A to Z Sports New Orleans

As for Flowers, the former fifth-round pick will be heading into his eighth NFL season and has previously played for five different teams in his career. Flowers spent the 2024 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, playing just five games.

The season prior, however, Flowers played all 17 games for the Atlanta Falcons as a depth player in the secondary while playing 70% of the snaps on special teams.

The signing to these two players just gives the roster more established veterans to compete for a final roster spot and see what they can bring to the table. Kpassagnon brings the most upside given his previous knowledge of the scheme but Flowers brings some much needed depth to the safety position.

In a corresponding move, the Bears waived defensive back Alex Cook and defensive end Jereme Robinson.