Eddie Jackson’s possible replacement is available.

The tag deadline came and went, and some players who would be of interest to the Bears looked to become free agents, barring a late deal agreement before the March 13 start of the league year. Players such as Tee Higgins, Brian Burns, Michael Pittman, Justin Madubuike, and (defensive end) Josh Allen got labeled.

With defensive tackle Justin Jones, center Lucas Patrick, edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, and wide receiver Darnell Mooney all free agents and safety Eddie Jackson discarded, the Bears could find someone among this list of players who were left unprotected.

The 6-foot, 201-pound, four-year veteran let up only one touchdown pass each of the last two seasons, according to Sportradar. He has nine career interceptions, which is less than Jackson had over his first four seasons. His passer rating against stats has been superb throughout his career, with 69.8 last year and 65.4 as a rookie over six games. But he had a 72.2 in 2021 and a 93.6 in 2022.

Maybe the best part about McKinney’s play has been his tackling. He has never gone above 9.7% in missed tackles. Jackson was only below 9.7 once. When Antoine Winfield was protected with a tag, this pushed McKinney into prominence at the position among free agents. And who better to replace Jackson than another Alabama defensive back?

If the Bears wanted to engage in a bidding war with the Chiefs, they probably could and would win since they have tons more cash. Bringing in probably the game’s most well-rated defensive linemen would be appealing, even if he is now in his 30s. Jones can rush from inside or out, but it’s probable he’s going to give hometown, ring-chasing discounts to the Chiefs. He already claimed at the trophy celebration that he wasn’t going anywhere, but he hasn’t been tagged, so he’s fair game.

He’s presumably available solely because the Dolphins have a tough cap issue and can’t tag him. Coming off a nine-sack season, a career best, the 6-4, 310-pound sixth-year veteran also had a career high in quarterback hits (23) and pressures (30). His bests last year were so much better than previous tries that it almost makes you question whether he had a career year and will fall back to the type of statistics he put up in 2021 and 2022.

He has followed a career trajectory much like Javon Hargrave, who had only ever gone over 4 1/2 sacks in his first five years but has since put up 7 1/2, 11, and seven sacks in the last three years to go with two Pro Bowls.

Coming off his time away with a gambling suspension, Ridley made good on his comeback last year with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight TDs. The gambling factor can frighten teams off. Also, he had a career-worst 55.9% targets/catch ratio last year after missing all but five games in 2021 when he suffered a foot ailment and then all of 2022 with a suspension.

Spotrac.com thinks he’ll get $17.5 million. Whether the Bears would be up for spending that kind of money at receiver when they have DJ Moore making roughly $16 million against the cap isn’t certain.

The Bears need a back but presumably wouldn’t be interested in spending the kind of money they would need to in order to bring in a runner as dynamic as Barkley, who is 27 years old. They would undoubtedly find ways to make use of his sprinting and receiving skills, though.

There are plenty of backs of good quality in free agency to select from, and the lack of a market for any running backs these days could push the price down to a place where the Bears feel comfortable bringing in a veteran. Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Austin Ekeler are all going to be available in free agency as well.

But is it a worthwhile investment when they’re actually simply seeking a third back because Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson are not awful running backs?