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Run on Centers and High Receiver Demands

The Bears were left looking at a receiver market where demands suddenly became higher after Jacksonville threw money around excessively
Gene Chamberlain|
Run on Centers and High Receiver Demands
Run on Centers and High Receiver Demands

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Chicago Bears

Center Sam Mustipher has to be looking much better to the Bears.

He may have to, after the first day of the free agency tampering period resulted in a run on centers and a distorted wide receiver market place thanks largely to excessive contracts given out by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As a result, the decision to move slowly and wait on second and third phases of free agency by Bears GM Ryan Poles looks wise. Either that or he simply is caught up in what appears to be a fickle market. Or perhaps both have occurred.

Poles did reportedly agree to terms with defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi but the three technique defensive tackle is a niche position and apparently Poles felt Ogunjobi offered enough talent to warrant the cost of a contract averaging $13.5 million.

After that the market took shape with a run on centers who would have been capable of upgrading the position for the Bears with experienced talent.

  • Tampa Bay agreed with Ryan Jensen on a three-year, $39 million deal.
  • The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms with Chicago native Brian Allen for what Spotrac.com has reported as three years and $24 million.
  • Tennessee retained veteran Ben Jones for two years at $14 million.
  • Buffalo gave Mitch Morse a two-year, $19.5 million extension even though his contract wasn't up yet.
  • Detroit's Evan Brown signed a two-year, $2.025 million extension with the Lions.
  • The Bengals signed Ted Karras to a three-year, $18 million contract.
  • Even Rams backup center Coleman Shelton got in on the grab with a two-year extension.

It leaves Poles with only a few options who might upgrade the position, including Ravens center Bradley Bozeman.

The wide receiver market proved to be a slow-moving one after the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to terms with Christian Kirk for what seemed an excessive amount, at four years and $72 million considering this is a receiver who has never started more than 13 games. They also paid $24 million for three years to Zay Jones, who averages 34 receptions for his five seasons.

The end result looks like higher receiver demands and a slow-moving market.. Before the deal for Kirk, Michael Gallup had pulled in a five-yeard extension with Dallas for what was widely reported at $12.5 million a year. It seemed in line with pre-free agency projections but Gallup wound up with $10 million less than Kirk, who has the exact same number of receiving yards for 10 fewer targets in his career.

As the prices rose, Braxton Berrios, a fourth-year receiver with only 89 total catches, got $6 million a year to stick with the Jets.

Receivers like D.J Chark, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry, Jamison Crowder, T.Y. Hilton, Odell Beckham Jr. and A.J. Green all remain unsigned, most likely hoping to capitalize on how the Jaguars drove up the prices. Even Bears free agent Allen Robinson remained unsigned despite numerous reports of multiple teams showing interest.

The Bears need wide receivers, offensive linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks and even safeties. They even could use more defensive linemen even after signing Ogunjobi.

On Monday, the release of nose tackle Eddie Goldman became official. The move was widely reported last week.

In another signing of interest to Bears fans, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Mitchell Trubisky signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for two years and $27 million. He'll get to compete with another first-round washout, Dwayne Haskins for the starting job.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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