The new NFL year is just over a week old and we have seen the Chicago Bears at least attempt to address some needs on their roster.
Chicago acted quickly in the tampering period signing both Jimmy Graham and Robert Quinn while also trading for quarterback Nick Foles. Since then, Chicago has made some additional depth moves with signings of free agents and bringing back some others from their roster.
But what has been the overall consensus on what Chicago has done so far? It depends.
The Graham signing had a negative vibe from fans while the Quinn signing had a positive one. The fans seem split on the Foles trade, with some backing it and others hoping Mitchell Trubisky gets another shot to start.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report graded every team’s Free Agency period so far focusing on three key parts:
- How well did the team address its needs?
- How wisely did it spend its money?
- When considering inbound and outbound talent, did it get better?
They didn’t think too highly of what Ryan Pace has done so far in this free agency period, grading their moves overall at a D so far. Here is what they said about the Bears’ offseason:
The Chicago Bears were one of the most disappointing players in free agency. When faced with the choice between Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski at linebacker, they opted for the older, less productive Trevathan, and the two went for nearly the same price.
After the Bears gave Jimmy Graham $16 million over the next two years with a no-trade clause, you have to assume they haven’t been paying attention. The former Green Bay Packers tight end had four catches for 30 yards against Chicago last season. His days as an elite option are over.
Then there’s the quarterback position. With plenty of veteran quarterbacks available to push Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears traded for Nick Foles, who has a $15.6 million cap hit in 2020. There is an out in 2021, but spending that much on a guy who will potentially be the backup isn’t wise for a team that went 8-8 last season.
Robert Quinn may be the lone upgrade. He’ll likely outproduce the departing Leonard Floyd, who managed just 11.5 sacks over the last three seasons. Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and cornerback Prince Amukamara were allowed to walk, while they re-signed Deon Bush and brought in Artie Burns. They’ll be fortunate if those moves end up being net neutral.
Ouch.
Of course, that’s only one outlet but we can see their point in that they gave too much money to Graham and the price on the players they have signed. Only time will tell on these moves.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offers her takes on Ryan Pace, Chicago Bears
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