Column: The Chicago Bears need more from rank-and-file free agents. Robert Tonyan, Andrew Billings and D’Onta Foreman believe they can deliver.

The first wave of NFL free agency goes fast, and the majority of the big deals are wrapped up in the negotiating period, which leads to about two weeks of bargain shopping before teams reassess and turn focus to the draft.

The Chicago Bears didn’t skip a beat moving from bigger acquisitions such as linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and guard Nate Davis to more modest additions such as tight end Robert Tonyan, nose tackle Andrew Billings and running back D’Onta Foreman, all of whom signed contracts Friday.

All figure to be in position to play meaningful roles. Tonyan offers a lot more as a receiver than last year’s No. 2 tight end Ryan Griffin did. Tonyan has the added benefit of knowing the offense as well as any outsider based on his time in Green Bay with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Billings, who will earn $3.5 million on a one-year deal, projects as the starter in the base defense, a capable run stuffer that was n...