The Chicago Bears are sitting quite pretty after the first wave of free agency. GM Ryan Pace went in to the legal tampering period on a mission; and wow, did he come out victorious.
In the span of what seemed like seconds, Pace agreed to terms with: Allen Robinson, Cody Parkey, Trey Burton, Taylor Gabriel, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray, and Aaron Lynch. What’s more, he retained Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller on team-friendly extensions, along with bringing back role players such as Pat O’Donnell, Sherrick McManis, John Timu, and Daniel Brown.
I think it’s obvious that QB Mitch Trubisky is the biggest winner here. He gets a revamped set of pass-catchers to work with along with a backup QB mentor who has worked in head coach Matt Nagy’s system before. Not only that, but drives that don’t result in touchdowns won’t be wasted anymore because Chicago finally has a kicker!
Trubisky is set up to succeed in 2018, and there’s no telling how much more exciting this roster will look after the draft in late April. Get excited, Bears fans.
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With that, we reach into this week’s Bears Mailbag. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions — the Mailbag was nice and full this week. Always appreciate your participation!
Saquon Barkley drops to 8, what do you do?
— Paul (@mrpchvz) March 26, 2018
I actually Tweeted about this last weekend. I know I probably have one of the more unpopular opinions about this subject, but it is what it is. Here’s the deal: I don’t really care about Saquon Barkley. If he’s available at 8, I either field trade requests from teams that are in love with him, or I see who else that’s higher on my board is available. Here’s what I Tweeted last weekend:
I might be the only person in Chicago who doesn't care about Saquon Barkley potentially falling to 8. Give me Quenton Nelson, Harold Landry, or Roquan Smith. #Bears
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) March 17, 2018
I would add Denzel Ward, Joshua Jackson, and Minkah Fitzpatrick to this list, too.
Don’t get me wrong, Barkley is a world-class athlete and a great pass-catcher out of the backfield. But his running style leaves much to be desired, especially when he goes up against better athletes in the NFL.
Jon Ledyard of NDT Scouting wrote a fantastic piece about Barkley and what makes him both a special athlete and a concern going forward. He captures much of what I’ve felt about Barkley: His decison-making as a runner is suspect at best and that will kill him in the NFL when trying to escape a much higher level of athlete. Yes, Barkley has some shiftiness, but he isn’t Barry Sanders. Not even close. Better instincts *could* be taught, but it takes a lot of work to correct that. I would strongly suggest reading this piece from Ledyard to learn more.
Jordan Howard, on the other hand, the Bears’ incumbent bell-cow back, is a terrific runner. He doesn’t have Barkley’s athleticism, agility or, speed, but he’s decisive with his carries, breaks tackles with the best of them, and will wear down a defense like he has countless times. You can argue that Barkley could potentially “fit” Nagy’s offense “better” because of his skills, but Howard is special in his own way — and in a way I find more dependable than Barkley.
So if it’s me, and Saquon is available at eight, I pass. He could certainly prove me wrong and set the NFL on fire like many expect him to. But I’ll take my chances elsewhere.
What second wave free agents do you want to see the most?
— Nick P (@nickdabears34) March 26, 2018
The Bears certainly still have multiple needs to address despite a strong free agency start so far. They have to add multiple bodies at EDGE, and depth to quite a few positions across the roster.
SM’s Kyle Yates wrote an article recently that summarizes a lot of the Bears’ remaining needs and potential targets, both in free agency and the draft.
From this list, I certainly would like to see depth upgrades made quickly at DL, EDGE, CB, and S. Some of the names I like most:
Johnathan Hankins (DL), Kony Ealy (EDGE), Courtney Upshaw (EDGE), Tamba Hali (EDGE), Jeremy Lane (CB), Eric Reid (S), Kenny Vaccaro (S)
Which EDGE/OLB in the Draft fits the #Bears' scheme and requirements? Thanks. 🐻⬇
— Paul (@mrpchvz) March 26, 2018
It’s fair to say that EDGE is by far the biggest need remaining on the Bears’ roster. They expect Leonard Floyd to return fully healthy next year, and added Aaron Lynch on a one-year deal (great move). But they need a lot of depth.
The EDGE position took a hit in the draft when Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant of Clemson both chose to return to school. Couple that with many talented players with certain red flags (off the field, light frames, etc.), and the consensus seems to be that the EDGE talent is only “OK” in this draft.
That being said, there are plenty of players who could help the Bears immensely, and right away, either starting or at least on a rotational basis. Harold Landry is my favorite EDGE in this draft and I frankly think he’s one of the best overall talents in this class. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares him to Bruce Irvin, but I honestly see some Vic Beasley in him. If he fell to the eighth pick, I’d have a tough time passing him up.
Tremaine Edmunds is listed as an ILB but many feel he has the size, athleticism, and traits to be an EDGE rusher. Marcus Davenport is a strong prospect, but it feels like eighth overall is too rich for him, but second round is too low. Arden Key is talented but has a multitude of red flags that are well documented. Dorance Armstrong is talented but seems to lack technique.
There are plenty of players I like who could be available in the second round onwards that I’d be ecstatic about adding: Lorenzo Carter, Josh Sweat, Jeff Holland, and Shaquem Griffin would make for great players in an EDGE rotation. If the Bears can land one of these prospects in addition to Landry, their pass rush just became so much better.
Would you trade a future 1st (plus other picks I'm sure) for Odell and his attitude/injuries/price for extension?
— Mason West (@MasonMDubbsWest) March 26, 2018
I would not. Odell Beckham is a great receiver, don’t get me wrong. But the Bears have already committed a good chunk of money to Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel this year, and are likely to do something similar for Cam Meredith. Adding Beckham to the mix would make this group of pass catchers absolutely ridiculous, but I don’t think Ryan Pace is trying to commit 1/3 of the salary cap to wide receivers once Beckham’s potential extension comes into play.
What’s more is that while Beckham is great, the drama surrounding him wouldn’t be good for a young, up-and-coming core like the Bears are building. And while Matt Nagy comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree, he’s still a first-year head coach. I don’t think Beckham is a “problem” to deal with per se, but I don’t think the Bears want that scrutiny and media attention surrounding their team. So it probably won’t happen.
