One Way Bears Could Spend Their Cash
Last year after the free agency period began and the Larry Ogunjobi signing fell through, the Bears had a few moderately priced free agents to add before signing players at rates barely above or at the minimum priced.
Only Lucas Patrick, Justin Jones and Al-Quadin Muhammad got multiple years. Both Byron Pringle and Nicholas Morrow accepted above-minimum deals for one year and not exactly at rates putting them on easy street.
Eventually, at the start of training camp, tackle Riley Reiff received a deal paying him $10 million for a year. However, a big chunk of it came on incentives.
It was a one-year contract approach, and with little money under the cap available due to dead cap space that they created in order to clean up their financial situation and bring in players more suited to their systems the Bears abstained from high-priced veteran talent.
They paid for taking this approach with 14 defeats.
It can look much different this year. It better.
Free agency begins March 13 and franchise players can begin to be tagged in just over two weeks, on Feb. 21. With over $90 million in cap space according to Overthecap.com, the Bears have about $35 million more than the next closest team to spend.
Remember, the Jaguars had about $20 million last year less than the Bears and signed: Christian Kirk for three years, $72 million; Brandon Scherff for three years and $49.5 million; Foyesade Oluokun for three years and $45 million; Foley Fatukasi for three years and $30 million, Zay Jones for three years and $8 million and Evan Engram for a year at $9 million. They still had about $27 million in cap space left.
Here's one way to go about spending it. Call this Bears Mock Free Agency 1.0. It's a plan that allows cash for bringing back Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, Darnell Mooney and possibly even Chase Claypool on contract extensions.
1. Defensive Tackle
The top two names out there are Javon Hargrave and Daron Payne and both are coming off career years. The Bears don't need to shy away from the big cash for the best players. You have to be wary of Hargrave because he has been around a while before his big year. With Payne, it's a concern as well because he hadn't done much until 2022. But if they are planning to draft Jalen Carter or even explosive three technique Calijah Kancey from Pitt, what would they need with either of those two players who suddenly started making big plays this season? Someone who is a very good one technique and with versatility but above all consistency would be a better fit. Minnesota's Dalvin Tomlinson is the defensive lineman they need. Besides stealing a key player from a divisional opponent, they would be getting a player who would be more complementary to both Carter or Kancey and Jones and far more consistent. Tomlinson has played both four-man and three-man fronts and was always a key reason the interior of the Giants defense was tough. He brought it to Minnesota the last two years. The Bears had 78 yards rushing against the Vikings in their first game, the only one of the two played entirely with starters. They were one of the few teams to shut down the top-ranked Bears running attack. This isn't a defensive tackle who is making all the plays himself. Instead, he knows how to make it possible for Jones and Carter to make them.
Signing: DT Dalvin Tomlinson, three years, $35.5 million. $23 million guaranteed.
2. Right Tackle
Being cognizant of the fact there could be right tackles cut for cap purposes who would be even better, the signing here has to be Mike McGlinchey of the 49ers. He's been a dominant run blocker in the wide-zone blocking scheme with the 49ers, the same type used by the Bears. Pro Football Focus gave him an 85.4 run-blocking grade since he entered the league and that's an elite score. They also note how he improved overall at limiting pass rush pressures over the past two seasons. He's still young enough to improve and be part of a young offense moving forward. PFF graded the Bears offensive line highly over the last half of the season and McGlinchey lets them continue their improvement.
Signing: T Mike McGlinchey four years, $63 million, $37 million guaranteed.
3. Defensive End
Yannick Nagakoue is a former Colts end and not much help as a run defender but someone needs to rush the passer off the edge in pass rush situations. None of the current Bears defensive ends show an inkling of how to do it. It's surprising because Muhammad had six sacks himself in this scheme the year before in Indianapolis. The Bears had 6 1/2 sacks total from all their ends last year. Muhammad failed to carry over the improvement he had shown with the Colts under Matt Eberflus in 2021 and did virutally nothing. They need him to rebound in a contract year. Ends in this scheme must be disciplined and not give away the edge in the pass rush because of their run-containment responsibilities. They need to handle their own gaps. So they need specific types at end, and not a player who sells out to get outside around the tackle every play. This isn't Nagakoue, but then again they would be getting him to be their sack specialist, the player with a high pass-rush win rate used in a rotation at end who is mainly there for the sacks. He would be what Robert Quinn could have been if he hadn't been entirely inconsistent in his 30s. Nagakoue might be a former Colts end but he's not a former Eberflus end. He will be now when he's producing sacks as a consistent pass rusher after going seven years without ever being below eight sacks.
Signing: DE Yannick Ngakoue, two years, $26 million, $20 million guaranteed.
4. Linebacker
Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke is about as pure of an Eberflus signing as they could find this free agency period. He was an Eberflus linebacker from 2019-2021 and last year took over Shaq Leonard's weakside playmaking linebacker position after Leonard's season-ending back surgery. He knows the HITS principle and has had four forced fumbles and three interceptions. The Bears need more athletes at linebacker. This scheme depends on it. They tried to get by with two undrafted free agents, Jack Sanborn and Nicholas Morrow, last year. Both tried hard and had some success but weren't the entirely disruptive influences the weakside must be in this system. Signing Okereke would be a start.
Signing: LB Bobby Okereke, three years, $26 million, $16 million guaranteed.
5. Running Back
David Montgomery is the only free agent they have who really needs to be retained. The position is so undervalued these days that signing someone else's running back seems a foolish waste of cash.
Montgomery may lack breakaway speed but has the power for short yardage runs and to start games by hammering at the inside of defenses. He also has always been an effective pass blocker and receiver. It's hard to find these traits in rookies.
Sadly, Montgomery won't find a pot of gold out there in free agency because of how backs are undervalued and in abundance.
Signing: RB David Montgomery three years, $20 million, $13 million guaranteed.
6. Wide Receiver
They're not spending big money in free agency here because the market is poor and they would be better off aiming one of their Day 2 picks at this position in the draft. However, Slayton is an entirely valuable target, only in his fifth year and he has extensive experience working with Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert. He had 50 and 48 catches in his first two years working with Tolbert, then an injury limited him in Year 3. He'll be a potential slot target with speed for Justin Fields and unlike Pringle, he will deliver. He proved this in three of his four Giants seasons.
Signing: WR Darius Slayton, two years, $9 million, $5 million guaranteed.
7. Cornerback
They're unlikely to devote much to free agency here after making it a focal point for last year but if they want a player who produced in limited chances and showed promise it's Tavierre Thomas. The cost would be nominal and he could be a slot cornerback in the future, which is where he seemed to have a knack for playing. In the last two years when the Texans were using a Tampa-2 defense, Thomas had passer ratings against of 63.3 and 72.8. He allowed just 61.9% and 62.1% completions for only 8.3 and 7.3 yards a catch. He's trending upward and would be a valuable addition.
Signing: CB Tavierre Thomas, two years, $4.4 million, $2 million guaranteed.
8. Tight End
They're not spending much here, either, as Cole Kmet will be in line for a contract extension. But both veteran backups didn't provide much last year. Ryan Griffin and Trevon Wesco had six catches between them and the undrafted players did nothing. Houston free agent Jordan Akins has averaged 34 catches over the last four years and part of his career goes back to when he had a very mobile passer in Deshaun Watson who would find him for unscripted gains. He could be a fit with Fields and as a second tight end to Kmet.
Signing: TE Jordan Akins, two years, $6 million, $3 million guaranteed.
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