The Chicago Bears remain one of the more confusing teams with the NFL offseason off and running. Thus far they haven’t really made any significant moves. Andy Dalton is the only notable name they’ve added. He will be their starting quarterback in 2021. Kyle Fuller and Akiem Hicks reportedly will be cut or traded but that still hasn’t happened. Word is the team is interested in wide receiver Kenny Golladay too. Yet no movement. One other name that should be watched is Nick Foles.
Today is March 20th. It may seem like another day in the offseason but it’s actually an important one for the Bears quarterback. This is a day Foles will receive a $4 million bonus in his contract that is fully guaranteed. This would mean any attempt to trade him afterward would not result in any sort of salary cap relief. So if the Bears do plan to move him out, it is now or never.
Is this a possibility?
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN alluded to that being an option. He listed two teams that could be destinations. The Philadelphia Eagles have strong ties to him from that Super Bowl year and need a backup behind Jalen Hurts. Also, the Denver Broncos are seeking veteran depth behind their young starter Drew Lock who was uneven last season. Chicago would only net a late round pick in either scenario but it would be something.
Then they’d be free to reshape the quarterback depth chart with Dalton being the placeholder for this season. Does that mean a rookie draft pick could be incoming? Possibly. Chicago has had scouts and coaches spotted around the country evaluating quarterbacks. Ryan Pace was present to watch Trey Lance in North Dakota. John DeFilippo worked out Davis Mills at Stanford. They’re watching the rookie class carefully.
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Nick Foles another cautionary tale but Super Bowl heroes
Just because players happen to deliver epic performances in the biggest game of all doesn’t mean they’re capable of sustaining it over a full season. This was always a concern with Foles. He’d never successfully started an entire year for any team. Either injuries or erratic play saw him end up on the bench. Yet the Bears still gave up a draft pick and millions in guarantees to get him. Now a year later they may try to unload him.
The “eventually” makes me think teams definitely plan on waiting until after Chicago pays Foles a $4M roster bonus today https://t.co/eztc2CxpkT
— Brad Spielberger (@PFF_Brad) March 20, 2021
This risk was understood at the time. It’s not like the team was blind to it. They just felt the coaching staff in place knew Nick Foles the player enough to get what they needed from him. What they failed to account for was the supporting cast. In Philadelphia, he had elite blocking on the offensive line and multiple weapons. That was not the case in Chicago. Their offensive line was already iffy and then endured injuries. Outside of Allen Robinson, his arsenal of weapons was also thin.
That is where the misevaluation came in.
No doubt that realization is a big reason why the Bears may be adjusting things this offseason. It feels like they are starting to shift more resources towards the offensive side of the ball. With the defense getting older and among the most expensive in the NFL, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Dalton figures to reap the rewards if they can make some quality additions in the coming weeks.
