(670 The Score) After several years of rebuilding, the Bears have established a a quality foundation on their roster and are now looking for sustained success.
What awaits this week is the opportunity to fill voids and fortify what's in place, as the legal tampering period begins Monday at 11 a.m. ahead of the start of the new league year and free agency Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Follow along with this live tracker as the Bears and the rest of the NFL work through free agency.
MONDAY
3:50 p.m. -- Quarterback Nick Foles, the Super Bowl LII MVP, will sign a massive deal with the Jaguars -- four years and $88 million, according to NFL Media.
3:20 p.m. -- There's yet another addition for the Lions, who will land tight end Jesse James, according to reports. They have been big winners so far today.
2:26 p.m. -- The Lions continued a good Monday by agreeing to a deal with pass rusher Trey Flowers, who was viewed as their top free-agent priority. Flowers has 21 sacks in the last three seasons.
2:15 p.m. -- The Redskins and safety Landon Collins have agreed to a six-year, $84-million contract, taking one of the top players available off the board.
1:52 p.m. -- The Lions are set to sign free-agent cornerback Justin Coleman to a record four-year, $36-million contract, the most ever for a nickelback. That should drive up the price on Bryce Callahan.
12:49 p.m. -- A big agreement is in place out of San Francisco, as the 49ers have agreed to a deal with linebacker Kwon Alexander at four years and $54 million -- which will be the largest contract for an inside linebacker in NFL history.
12:37 p.m. -- The Bears have officially re-signed tight end Ben Braunecker to a two-year deal. Signed in 2016 as an undrafted free agent, the Harvard product has carved out a role in Chicago as a blocking tight end and on special teams.
12:25 p.m. -- There's no action with the Bears at the moment, so here's a fun fact to hold you over: Adrian Amos is the Bears' last asset remaining from the Greg Olsen trade to the Panthers in 2011. Amos was drafted in the fifth round (142nd) in 2015, a pick acquired in return for Brandon Marshall, whom Chicago landed with the third-round pick it acquired from Carolina for Olsen.
11 a.m. -- Tampering is now legal! The NFL's window for open negotiations is officially underway, and teams can begin discussing deals with free agents. Players can officially sign contracts with new teams when the new league year opens Wednesday at 3 p.m.
9:19 a.m. -- The sweepstakes to sign running back Le'Veon Bell have begun with an interesting sleeper team, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network: the Raiders, who are also set to acquire receiver Antonio Brown at the start of the new league year.
9:17 a.m. -- The Bears began the week with a couple of moves. They re-signed tight end Ben Braunecker to a new two-year deal, Moon Mullin of NBC Sports Chicago reported. They also restructred the contract of nose tackle Eddie Goldman to open up another $2.25 million in cap space, Field Yates of ESPN reported.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
