The Chicago Bears made some moves in the early wave of free agency adding to their offense and defense. But not all were met with optimism.
The Bears’ first signing wasn’t one that inspired much confidence in the addition of veteran tight end Jimmy Graham. Given general manager Ryan Pace’s history with Graham — he was in New Orleans when the Saints drafted Graham — it’s not a complete surprise. And if the Bears had gotten him for a discount, it would’ve made sense.
But the fact of the matter is that Pace gave Graham a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed. Which compared to some of the other tight end acqusitions in free agency — notable Eric Ebron’s cheaper deal — makes Pace look like a fool.
Bleacher Report gave the Bears’ signing of Graham a “D” grade.
But an $8 million average annual salary for a washed-up Jimmy Graham might look silly if Eric Ebron signs a similar deal. Ebron remains on the open market, is seven years younger than Graham and is a year removed from a breakout campaign in which he led all tight ends with 13 touchdown catches.
Graham has only five touchdown grabs in his last two seasons combined. He hasn’t scored since October, and he looked to be running out of gas down the stretch in 2019.
The Bears bolstered their already-dominant defense with the signing of pass rusher Robert Quinn. After parting ways with Leonard Floyd, Pace brought in someone with proven production to line up opposite Khalil Mack.
Quinn is coming off a solid outing with the Cowboys last season, where he notched 11.5 sacks, and you figure his production should only get better when one of the game’s best is lining up on the other side.
Bleacher Report gave the Bears’ signing of Quinn a “C” grade.
In theory, pairing Quinn with Khalil Mack could give Chicago one of the most feared one-two punches on the edge in the league. There was a time when an argument could be made that Quinn was the best pass-rusher in football.
But that time was 2013. Since 2014, Quinn has just one season with double-digit sacks. He’s missed time in four of the last five seasons, including two games a year ago. And the Bears now have tied up close to 20 percent of their cap space in two pass-rushers—one of whom will turn 30 in May.
Chicago made its quarterback room better with the addition of veteran Nick Foles via trade with the Jaguars. Not only does Foles have experience operating in an Andy Reid offense, but he also has history with head coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.
Whether you believe Foles will win the starting job or not, there’s no denying that have his veteran presence and leadership will only make this team better.
Bleacher Report gave the Bears’ trading for Foles a “B+” grade.
Foles isn’t an insurance plan; he’s competition for Trubisky’s starting job. The eight-year veteran is due $15.1 million in base salary this season.
The Super Bowl LII MVP played one season with the Kansas City Chiefs when Bears head coach Matt Nagy first became Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator. That familiarity should create an instant comfort level for Foles.
Trubisky’s continued development is no longer the Bears’ primary concern since Foles could easily end up Chicago’s starter sooner rather than later.
