Ryan Pace doesn’t view free agency as the avenue to making his team contenders. Even so, it’s clear the Chicago Bears free agency plans for 2018 must be directed towards finding upgrades to the roster. Pace can’t afford another losing season, even with the arrival of a new coaching staff buying him a little more time. He also has to erase serious doubts about his ability to navigate the veteran market after his disastrous 2017 free agent class.
Does this mean he’ll be more aggressive in his pursuit of top names? To be fair word persists the Bears made a hard run at several last year. They just failed to secure any of them, no doubt due to their ugly finish in 2016. Be that as it may, Pace is almost certain to maintain his current style of seeking out underrated bargains in an effort to avoid shelling out large guaranteed deals.
According to a source, it appears the primary focus of the Bears plan of attack for this March is at two positions. The first being wide receiver and the other being cornerback. This isn’t a surprise since both are in a state of flux for Chicago at the moment. There are even some names they have in mind, including one many fans don’t know.
Chicago Bears free agency plans include emerging Rashaan Melvin
Early indicators are the Bears will be in on almost every big name on the receiver market. They, of course, will be interested in re-signing all of their corners including Kyle Fuller. However, there are two other names they’re positioning to pounce on.
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“The Bears are focusing on Sammy Watkins and Marquise Lee. A Landry trade is still possible. They’re also preparing runs at Trumaine Johnson and Rashaan Melvin.”
Melvin is quite the story. This is a kid who took the long road to NFL success. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, he made his mark at Northern Illinois. Despite considerable production, he didn’t get much attention from teams in the 2013 draft, going undrafted. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent. Over the next three seasons, he bounced between several teams including Tampa, Miami, Baltimore and New England. It wasn’t until he landed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2016 that he finally got his shot.
He played well his first year with the team, enough to earn him full starting honors this past season. Despite only playing 10 games due to a hand injury, he still managed three interceptions and 13 passes defended. At 6’2″ he features the kind of rangy size that Vic Fangio covets in his cornerbacks. With the Colts shifting to a 4-3 defense, he’ll likely seek out a team that runs the 3-4, making Chicago an obvious possibility.
The price tag won’t be too high for him and his local connections should give the Bears an advantage in negotiations. This may not be a premier signing but if they’re looking for underrated value Melvin is as good as they get.
