GM Ryan Pace has stated for years that his endgame is to draft well and do his best to reward his own players when the time comes. He’s been able to do this quite a bit recently with Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, and Eddie Jackson all getting lucrative and well-deserved extensions. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears weren’t able to do the same for Adrian Amos. Some believe the same will end up happening with Nick Kwiatkoski.
Already there has been significant buzz that the 26-year old will command a considerable new contract in free agency. Even the Green Bay Packers are prepared to make a run at him once March 18th arrives. Some have already made up their minds that he is gone.
He isn’t yet though. There are still over two weeks left before the deadline arrives. According to Chris Emma of 670 The Score, the Bears have made Kwiatkoski their current priority among free agent targets. Somebody they really want to keep long-term. The sticking point is obviously price.
“The Bears are prioritizing Kwiatkoski as a top free-agent target, sources said. But they must balance the cost of a contract for the 26-year-old linebacker against their other needs — namely quarterback, where Chicago is set on bringing in competition for Mitchell Trubisky, sources indicated.
With Kwiatkoski and a veteran quarterback among the Bears’ top priorities for the open market, general manager Ryan Pace and his brass must be creative with the cap. But if the bidding for Kwiatkoski goes beyond the Bears’ comfort, they could side with the lower-cost alternative in Danny Trevathan.”
Nick Kwiatkoski has earned his opportunity somewhere
It would be such a great story if the Bears were able to make this work. Kwiatkoski was a 4th round pick out of West Virginia in 2016. He served as a primary backup most of the past four seasons. Midway through 2019 though, he was thrust into the starting lineup when Danny Trevathan injured his elbow. In eight games including seven starts that followed, he racked up 58 tackles, two sacks, a safety, and an interception.
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What really stood out was how much better he’d gotten in coverage. A consistent point of concern dating back to his rookie year. Combined with his excellent tackling prowess and ability to blitz, it looked like the Bears had an emerging star on their hands. Being able to keep him next to Roquan Smith who was also playing great before tearing his pectoral last year, could secure the middle of the Bears defense for years to come.
