Super Help Available for Bears
Super Bowl LVII brings together two teams loaded with potential shopping targets for teams with big salary cap bankrolls, like the Bears.
Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are about $1 million in effective cash over the salary cap so they're going to have difficulty bringing back many of their free agents.
The Bears lead the league in cap space available and could come after free agents in the high-priced range. Bears writer Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic wrote that at the Senior Bowl "...one league source confirmed the obvious—there is already talk that the Bears will be active in free agency on the offensive line."
This statement doesn't necessarily mean the talk was by the Bears but could have been from agents speculating. Whatever, it only makes sense the Bears would look at the offensive line in free agency.
It's normally easier bringing in a free agent offensie lineman than waiting a few years for a draft pick to develop on the line.
The Super Bowl teams have two very good offensive linemen who could be free agents, Kansas City left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo. Brown played on the franchise tag in 2022 and could be tagged again if KC can arrange its cap situation with cuts and/or restructured contracts.
Bears fans can draw their own conclusions about these potential free agent players and others while watching Super Bowl LVII.
Considering Bears GM Ryan Poles came from the Chiefs and assistant GM Ian Cunningham came from the Eagles, it's likely the Bears already have their own conclusions on these potentially available free agents.
Eagles
DT Javon Hargrave: Pro Football Focus' top-ranked defensive lineman in free agency will be in his eighth year in 2023 and has produced back-to-back career highs for sacks and tackles for loss. He is projected at $55 million with $36 million guaranted for three years by PFF. The 30-year-old, 6-foot-2, 305-pounder would be a three technique in this Bears scheme. The Bears are all about getting younger. Are they bringing in a 30-year-old defensive tackle?
CB James Bradberry: The Bears definitely could use cornerback help but do they need it enough to pay $24 million for two years as PFF projects when there are other pressing needs? A big corner at 6-1, 217, he can outmuscle receivers for the ball, as he did once to Allen Robinson in a game against the Bears. He's played most of the time at left cornerback, where the Bears had Kindle Vildor starting most of last year. In four of Bradberry's five seasons, he has allowed a passer rating against of 82.5 or lower and in the other for the Giants in 2021 it was 93.0. The 14th-best free agent available regardless of position says PFF.
LB T.J. Edwards: Yes, that T.J. Edwards, from Lake Villa, IL, Lakes Community College and then Wisconsin. At 6-2, 242, he has been a tackling machine with career highs of 159 tackles and 10 for loss as well as seven pass breakups. He had a passer rating against of 82.1 according to Sportradar and PFF says it costs $40.5 million for three years, $25 million guaranteed -- or about what they were going to pay Larry Ogunjobi to be a three technique last year.
G Isaac Seumalo: He'll be 29 and in his eighth season, is at a peak for his career as PFFs 28th-ranked player. His play is the result of a rare season with full health. It only happened once before as a starter, and that was 2019. He played only 12 games total for 2020-21 due to injuries. The projection is Seumalo gets a three-year, $33 million deal. The Bears have Cody Whitehair at left guard and he's their second highest-paid player but signing a player like Seumalo for similar money when he's only a year or two younger doesn't sound like the kind of move Poles would make.
RB Miles Sanders: If the Bears decided not to bring back David Montgomery, would they be interested in Sanders, who is projected to cost $22.5 million over three years by PFF? Sanders does have more speed than Montgomery, but really lacks the inside power of 224-pound Montgomery at 211 pounds. He initially had been every bit the receiver Montgomery is but in this Eagles offense has just 26 and 20 catches the last two years.
LB Kyzir White: A player who would fit in situational coverage as a linebacker, he has also been a safety at 216 pounds. White had passer ratings against of 88.1 or better four of the last five years. Called PFF's 83rd best free agent, he is projected at $8 million for two years.
CB/S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson: The defensive back who the Bears, under Matt Nagy, had problems with as he goaded two receivers into ejections in 2020 while with New Orleans. Gardner-Johnson moved to safety with the Eagles and led the NFL in interceptions with six despite missing five games with an injury. PFF calls him the 24th best available free agent and he's projected at three years and $34.5 million by them.
DE Robert Quinn: It doesn't seem likely but Quinn would actually be free to return to Chicago if pursued in free agency. The big payday he had with the Bears would be extremely unlikely, though. He did have plenty of respect from teammates and coaches at Halas Hall when he left, but at age 33 next season it's unlikely he'd draw great interest from his old team unless they signed him as a situational pass rusher.
Chiefs
T Olando Brown Jr: The prize lineman of this free agency. What would his fit be in Chicago? The Chiefs signed him while Poles worked for them and lent his line expertise. If he came to Chicago, someone would need to either persuade Brown to move to right tackle or they'd need to move Braxton Jones there and hope he could do it because he played there only a game in college.
Brown's not going to want to move to right tackle even though most of his Baltimore years were spent there. When traded by Baltimore to the Chiefs he was excited about playing left tackle, a position his late father had always told him was the most important to play. For five years and $105 million, as PFF projects, maybe he'd be willing to move.
The Bears need a right tackle and Brown is 6-8, 360, a much bigger player than normally plays in this type of a wide zone blocking scheme. His run blocking is graded far below Jones' run blocking but is a superior pass blocker.
Overall, he is eighth-best among PFF free agents but was only graded a few spots higher than Jones was with the Bears.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: Projected at three years and $36 million by PFF, it seems rather unlikely the Bears would have interest after they could have signed him last year at a much lower rate but did not. He rebounded nicely from an injury marred year and had 78 catches for 933 yards. He's rated 35th among PFF free agents.
WR Mecole Hardman: An explosive 5-10, 187-pound slot receiver who has been plagued by injuries this year. He simply hasn't been as effective following the departure of Tyreek Hill. Hardman was projected by Spotrac.com to be worth $11 million a year. This would be for a receiver with 25 catches this year, a high of 59 for his career in 2021 and 16 career TDs for four years.
S Juan Thornhill: The Bears wouldn't have a need at safety but Thornhill is projected at $11 million over two years by PFF.
DT Khalen Saunders: A backup rotational defensive tackle who had career highs of 3 1/2 sacks and 48 tackles for 2022 and is going into his fifth season.
G Nick Allegretti: If the Bears are looking for offensive line depth, here's a U of I and Illinois (Frankfort) native who has started 12 times in four seasons.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
