Bear Digest

How Ryan Poles' 2022 success returns to hinder Bears free agency

Restricted free agency normally hasn't been a Chicago Bears problem, but this year it is more troublesome because of some of their past successful decisions.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears DB Josh Blackwell and linebacker Jack Sanborn start the celebrating after a fake punt return TD burned the Packers.
Bears DB Josh Blackwell and linebacker Jack Sanborn start the celebrating after a fake punt return TD burned the Packers. | William Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears' approach to rebuilding the roster in 2022 comes back to haunt them in a small way as free agency approaches this year.

GM Ryan Poles chose to gut the roster and clear up their salary cap issues first. They didn't have cap space or sufficient Day 1 or 2 draft picks to fill up roster spots. So they wound up using undrafted free agents and waiver wire pickups in some spots.

Several of those players have exceeded the level teams usually expect from players acquired in this manner, which is a real positive on one hand for their personnel department. On the other hand, it creates more financial burdens and decisions because of the system.

It's a negative in another way because these players become restricted free agents this year. They are mostly undrafted players the Bears must make a decision on as the regular unrestricted free agent market is about to unfold.

Linebacker Jack Sanborn, cornerback Josh Blackwell, cornerback Jaylon Jones, center Doug Kramer and defensive tackle Chris Williams are all restricted free agents. Kramer was their only draft pick in the group, a sixth rounder.

They aren't to be confused with the exclusive rights free agents. This is a relatively meaningless title given to low budget players on one-year deals after a year or two in the NFL and all the Bears need to do to retain them is make a tender offer. They either play for the Bears then, or not at all.

These players include guard Bill Murray, defensive end Daniel Hardy, cornerback Ameer Speed, safety Douglas Coleman and defensive tackle Jonathan Ford.

It's the restricted free agents who are the problem, and it's because of the way the tender offer system is designed.

The Bears can make tender offers to Sanborn, Jones, Blackwell, Williams and Kramer at three levels and retain some level of control over them.

They can tender them at $7.466 million and would receive a first-round player in return as compensation if another team swooped in with a higher offer. This isn't going to happen. They can tender them at $5.351 million and then receive a second-round pick as compensation should another team offer more. This is also not going to happen.

Finally, they can tender them at $3.267 million and retain a right of first refusal only.

From looking at the Bears' list, it seems Sanborn comes closest to requiring a tender offer, but he was only on the field for 22% of defensive snaps this past year after he played 39% in 2023 and 38% in 2022.

The strongside linebacker is a reserve position now, not a starter. Teams are in nickel defense more often than not.

Dealing with Sanborn probably isn't that tricky. A tender at first refusal level only lets the Bears retain him unless someone is smitten with him and tries to offer more. Even then, it's not likely to be much more than $3.267 million. Considering that's more than veteran Amen Ogbongbemiga got from the Bears as an unrestricted free agent last year, it would seem Sanborn isn't in line for a tender offer, either.

The players not tendered offers essentially go from restricted free agents to unrestricted free agents if they don't sign extensions prior to March 12 at 3 p.m. So the Bears must be busy negotiating extensions at less than the first refusal level for any of these players.

Blackwell plays a big role on special teams but also is a slot cornerback who played at a very competent level when Kyler Gordon has been injured. He also had the punt return TD for the ages on a fake play against Green Bay. He could even continue in the role of punt returner if they don't bring back unrestricted free agent DeAndre Carter.

So even if they have decided unrestricted free agents like guard Teven Jenkins, tackle Larry Borom and receiver Keenan Allen are not in their future, there has still been a good deal of decision making going on to lighten the free agent load, so to speak.

It's just happening at a lower level and it needs to be accomplished by the 3 p.m., March 12 deadline or there will be a bigger group of Bears unrestricted free agents than there needs to be.

Rating Bears Restricted Free Agents

1. LB Jack Sanborn

Their strongside linebacker made 35 tackles last season after making 64 and 65 his first two years. Sanborn has started 19 games and played in 48, and had just three starts last year as the Bears chose to stick with their nickel defensive scheme at the outset of a huge majority of games. He made three of his five pass deflections last year and had 1 1/2 sacks. In other years, Sanborn showed he can play middle linebacker and weakside if needed. He became the starting middle in 2022 when Roquan Smith was dealt.

2. CB Josh Blackwell

Blackwell had to start one game last year for starter Kyler Gordon and played in all 17 for the first time. He had an interception, 13 tackles and two pass breakups. He was in on seven special teams tackles and averaged 20.9 yards for seven punt returns, including the 94-yard TD and also had a 25-yard kick return.

3. DT Chris Williams

A very active backup who contributed greatly when he did play, he also was part of a defensive front that struggled against the run. Williams was in every game and made 23 tackles. His three sacks were only half a sack less than starting defensive end DeMarcus Walker had, and he made three tackles for loss. All of his numbers were career highs after he had played 2020-21 in Indianapolis. Williams is still a young player and it's possible they would view him as a lineman who can develop with a new staff.

4. DE Jaylon Jones

Active for only eight games, he was in on 15 tackles for the five games when he made it into the stat column, and also had two pass breakups. Jones made five special tackles.

5. C Doug Kramer

About all they learned of Kramer is he can line up in the backfield as a fullback provided he reports to the ref properly, and he can block in that blocking back role but definitely can't be expected to run with it after he fumbled. He did throw a few devastating blocks in that role at the goal line for Roschon Johnson. The Bears lost him once off of their practice squad when the Cardinals signed him to their roster but then they cut him and he came back to Chicago, where he continues not to receive a chance to show what he can do at center. Perhaps the new coaching staff will see something in him Chris Morgan didn't.

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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.