The Chicago Bears free agency plan isn’t entirely clear yet. It’s not like they’d make an effort to let people know what it is anyway. At this point, GM Ryan Pace is focused on dealing with the names on his own roster who are coming out of contract. Right tackle Bobby Massie already got an extension. Now the focus shifts elsewhere.
What people want to know though is whether Pace has any big moves planned. It won’t be easy. His 2018 offseason, while a huge success in every way possible, also chewed deep into the vault of Bears assets. They have no 1st or 2nd round picks due to the Khalil Mack and Anthony Miller trades. Mack also commanded a massive new contract along with those given to Allen Robinson, Trey Burton, Taylor Gabriel, and Cody Parkey.
If Pace wants to makes some sort of splash, it will likely be for just one player. It’s a matter of figuring out which position that will be at and who the name could be. According to Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly, he has an idea of the former part of that as he told 670 The Score.
Chicago Bears free agency plan could shift if Adrian Amos price is too high
Perhaps the biggest name left on the in-house free agent list is safety Adrian Amos. He had another solid year at strong safety for the team and is now set to become a free agent. Hub Arkush believes that the Bears aren’t liking the price his agents are hinting at to this point. This could encourage them to use that money and seek out a possible upgrade rather than just stick with Amos moving forward.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
“There’s a growing sense that the Bears will be big-time players in the safety market if Amos’ asking price doesn’t come down…
…The feeling is why pay Amos top safety money when they could pay a few million more per year for a top-end safety.”
*Starts at 17:59
It’s no coincidence that this is brought up now. The safety position has a chance to be one of the strongest in the entire 2019 market. Among the names that could be involved are former Pro Bowlers like Landon Collins, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Earl Thomas. Anyone of those names would be considered an upgrade over Amos at this point.
Imagine what an Eddie Jackson-Collins or Jackson-Clinton-Dix combination might do together. Amos has been steady for a long time, but it’s hard to see where his inflated sense of worth is coming from. He only has three interceptions in his entire career and nobody can call him a dominant box safety either.
On the totem pole of Bears starters who made the defense great this past season, he’s on the low end. He has every right to chase a payday, but he can’t expect the team that knows him better than any other to give it to him.
