So much for Justin Houston lining up opposite Khalil Mack in the Chicago Bears defense.
The former Chief and modern-day sack artist agreed to a two-year deal with the Colts, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
There had been speculation that the Bears freed up more than $11 million in cap space to make a run at Houston, but as is usually the case, it was nothing more than just watercooler talk.
It seems pretty clear that GM Ryan Pace will use the extra cap dollars in an effort to extend some of Chicago’s core players, like center Cody Whitehair, rather than spend it on a second-wave free agent at this point. And that’s a sound strategy considering there aren’t many difference makers — if any at all — remaining on the market now that Houston is locked up.
The Bears’ 2019 free-agent class isn’t as exciting as last year’s, but they should all have a pretty specific role and an opportunity to make a sizeable contribution next season.
Here’s how we rank Pace’s moves this year:
