Something really weird is going on with the 2019 NFL free agent market. Anybody who understands football knows that few position groups are in higher demand than pass rushers. Quarterbacks are the most important of course, but having guys who can put them on the ground is second-most important. One would think all the big names would’ve been scooped up early this year. It hasn’t happened, much to the Chicago Bears good fortune.
ESPN did a recent reshuffling of their top remaining free agents on the market. Three of the names among the top six are former Pro Bowl pass rushers in Justin Houston, Ezekiel Ansah, and Clay Matthews. This doesn’t include two former 1st round picks in Nick Perry and Shane Ray either. It’s a remarkably rich assortment of talent that has yet to find a new team.
Why is this so significant for the Bears? Well aside from their glaring need for help at outside linebacker, there is how the market works. Typically the longer a player is out there without a new team, the more his price drops. There is evidence from last year to prove it.
Chicago Bears have a chance to score a big pass rush name for cheap
What’s happening now brings up memories of the safety market in 2018. It wasn’t a star-studded group by any means but there were plenty of talented names including Eric Reid, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, and Morgan Burnett. All four of those men were forced to sign one-year deals with their eventual teams. Reid and Vaccaro, both ex-1st round picks, didn’t find a home until during the season.
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This certainly benefitted those teams. Not only did they get quality years from those players, but in the case of Reid and Vaccaro, they were eventually secured to long-term deals. This is the possibility that could be presented for the Bears. They remain in a difficult position regarding their salary cap. An ideal scenario would be snagging a noted pass rusher on a cheaper deal.
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Remaining 2019 NFL Free Agents#NFLTwitter #NFLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/jNqoa7aLau— James E. LeAir II (@JLeAirII) March 14, 2019
Based on how the market has unfolded, they’ve received a remarkable stroke of good luck. It remains to be seen whether they can take advantage of it. Word is they’re in the process of meeting with possible options as recently as Saturday evening. If they were somehow able to secure a player of Ansah’s, Houston’s, or even Matthew’s quality as the #3 guy at outside linebacker?
Suffice to say this defense would be even scarier than it was a year ago.
