Possible Connected Tackle Free Agent

Colts tackle Eric Fisher played on teams where both Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles worked and could be entering free agency, according to an ESPN report.

The tackle market could become more enticing for the Bears in free agency thanks to a player familiar both to coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Pace.

Colts tackle Eric Fisher, who played with Kansas City prior to last year, has reached a dead end in trying to get a contract with Indianapolis according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. As such, he is expected to hit free agency.

The Bears are looking to upgrade their offensive line, although they haven't specifically said it had to be through free agency or the draft.

Fisher, who twice made the Pro Bowl, suffered a torn Achilles in the AFC championship game after the 2020 season when he was about to become an unrestricted free agent. He managed to have surgery and rehab from the surgery in time to sign a prove-it, one-year deal for $8.38 million and was looking for a long-term deal.

Pro Football Focus has Fisher graded as the fifth-best tackle in free agency while Sports Illustrated's top free agents list ranks him eighth among tackles, behind Rams backup Joe Noteboom. The SI rankings actually have Fisher ranked 70th among all free agents, which is two spots behind Bears free agent guard/tackle Germain Ifedi.

Fisher has basically failed at two different places (KC & Indy). Neither team wanted him back. Bears should feel the same way

— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) March 9, 2022

Fisher managed to come back from the injury well enough to earn a 68.2 overall grade last year from Pro Football Focus, which is above average. He also had a 73.3 run-blocking grade from PFF. Last year Fisher committed eight penalties and allowed seven sacks. It was the most sacks he'd allowed since his second year in 2014 when he also allowed seven. His eight penalties were his most since he had 10 in 2016.

Signing Fisher would be a big investment for the Bears when GM Ryan Poles had made it apparent he is aiming at second-phase and third-phase free agency.

The Bears currently have second-year tackles Teven Jenkins or Larry Borom as possible left tackles. Jason Peters is a Bears urestricted free agent and played there 15 of 17 games in 2021 at the age of 39.

A tackle graded just above Fisher by SI.com, Cam Robinson, was tagged and is getting $16.5 million so Fisher would probably approach this much. PFF, in its free agency assessments, has projected he will get a deal averaging $16 million a year.

Signing Fisher would definitely depart from the approach of using secondary and third phases of free agency as Poles said he would do. It would also eat up a huge chunk of the $25 million in cap space the Bears currently possess.

However, upgrading the line was the first thing Poles talked about after being hired, and both Eberflus and Poles were with teams where Fisher played.

As a result, it would be easy to assume if the Bears do pursue Fisher they have insight into how much he would help them and how much he would be worth paying.

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