There’s no doubt that NFL free agency is one of the most exciting time of the year for football fans. It’s the first major opportunity for teams to find new talent, shuffle their roster, and make the necessary changes to contend for a playoff spot in the season to come.
However, while a free agency class can take a team to the next level, another can cripple them financially and pull them down to the bottom of the division. When it comes to the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Pace, they’ve experienced both situations.
Pace, now in his sixth season leading the Bears, has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his free agent classes stack up against one another? Below is a ranking from Pace’s worst to best free agent groups between 2015 and 2019.
5) 2017 free agent class
Key hits – CB Prince Amukamara
Key misses – QB Mike Glennon, S Quintin Demps, TE Dion Sims, WR Markus Wheaton
What a group, huh? When free agency officially opened, Pace inked Glennon, Demps and Sims to three-year deals right off the bat, possibly becoming one of the worst “big three” ever assembled in sports. Glennon, signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was given the opportunity to start but only lasted four games before rookie quarterback and first-round selection Mitchell Trubisky took the reins.
Demps, meanwhile, truly only had one memorable play as a Bear which took place in week one when Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper stiff-armed the veteran to the ground on his way to an 88-yard score. Demps went on injured reserve just two weeks later. Both only lasted one season in Chicago.
Sims at least made it through two seasons, but was lackluster at best. Other signings such as receiver Markus Wheaton, who caught three more passes than I did for the Bears and cornerback Marcus Cooper, who’s most memorable moment in Chicago was showboating after an interception, turning a pick-six into a pick-three.
The only true standout from the class was cornerback Prince Amukamara, who was a consolation prize for the Bears after other corners such as A.J. Bouye and Stephon Gillmore spurned them for other teams. Amukamara became a solid starter for an eventual playoff team and turned his tryout into a bigger contract. But overall, this class was a colossal failure for Pace.
4) 2015 free agent class
Key hits – LB Sam Acho, CB Tracy Porter
Key misses – LB Pernell McPhee, S Antrel Rolle, WR Eddie Royal, DE Ray McDonald
The Pace regime began with a bit of a thud with his 2015 free agency class. Headlined by linebacker Pernell McPhee, the Bears were determined to turn around their defense which was historically bad the season prior. Admittedly, lumping McPhee into the “misses” category is a bit unfair because his first season was a success, but considering his five-year contract was worth nearly $39 million with $15 million guaranteed and his injury issues that plagued him for the next two years, the move was ultimately a failure.
Pace also tried to shore up the back end of the defense with safety Antrel Rolle, cornerback Tracy Porter and cornerback Alan Ball. Rolle and Ball quickly faded, but Porter had a brief career resurgence, his best game coming on Thanksgiving 2015 when the Bears beat the Green Bay Packers.
On offense, receiver Eddie Royal was brought in to serve as the team’s third receiver behind Alshon Jeffery and rookie Kevin White. Royal only played in 18 games in two seasons due to injuries and had paltry numbers when healthy.
Pace also dug himself into an early hole when the team signed defensive end Ray McDonald, who was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in 2014. McDonald joined the Bears, but was then arrested for domestic violence again just two months later and was released. The general manager and front office received much criticism for the decision to sign McDonald.
Overall, the 2015 class wasn’t a complete disaster like the 2017 group, but there were plenty of warts that gave fans pause about Pace’s ability to lead the franchise.
3) 2018 free agent class
Key hits – WR Allen Robinson, WR Taylor Gabriel
Key misses – K Cody Parkey, TE Trey Burton
Halfway through the 2018 season, this class looked to be quite the goldmine for Pace. But two season later, injuries and ineffectiveness for some players have knocked this class down to the middle of the pack. Let’s first address the elephant in the room: Cody Parkey.
The Bears inked Parkey to a four-year deal that guaranteed him $9 million in an effort to solve their kicker woes they’ve experienced since releasing Robbie Gould in 2016. Instead of shoring up the position, Parkey became a pariah after the infamous “double doink” in the 2018 NFC Wildcard playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Parkey was released and a position of need became a national storyline.
Meanwhile, tight end Trey Burton, who also signed a four-year deal, looked like a steal in 2018 but suffered a slew of injuries and was invisible when he was on the field in 2019. But the 2018 class also brought in a few key contributors.
Receiver Allen Robinson was easily the team’s best signing of the year and one of the best acquisitions in all of free agency. The former Jacksonville Jaguar, coming off a torn ACL, signed a three-year deal and gave the Bears a true WR1 for the first time since Brandon Marshall was in town. The team also inked receiver Taylor Gabriel, who had stellar moments for the Bears as a complimentary option. Finally, quarterback Chase Daniel was brought in to be the backup behind Mitchell Trubisky and gave the Bears a reliable option when needed.
Pace essentially went .500 with this class and found a franchise cornerstone in Robinson. It’s not the best, but it’s far from the worst.
2) 2019 free agent class
Key hits – KR Cordarrelle Patterson, CB Buster Skrine, S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Key misses – RB Mike Davis
This class is just one year old so things may change rather quickly in the 2020 season. But as it stand now, the 2019 free agent group was rather solid. The Bears saw two key defenders leave in free agency with safety Adrian Amos and cornerback Bryce Callahan signing with the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers, respectively.
To replace them, Pace signed cornerback Buster Skrine to a three-year deal and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to a one-year deal. Skrine proved to be a valuable signing as Callahan ended up missing the entire season for Denver. Clinton-Dix, meanwhile, had a nice season for himself, even though he wasn’t the best fit next to his former college teammate, Eddie Jackson.
But the best signing was All-Pro kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson, who signed a two-year contract, revitalized the Bears return game. He averaged 29.5 yards per return, scored one touchdown, and became a valuable gunner for the special teams unit.
The only true miss during free agency was the signing of running back Mike Davis. The former Seahawk was supposed to be part of the “Run DMC” group that consisted of him, rookie running back David Montgomery and running back Tarik Cohen. But Davis was sparingly used and ultimately was released halfway through the year.
Again, this class may be viewed differently in 12 months, but for now it’s quietly one of Pace’s best group of signings.
1) 2016 free agent class
Key hits – DE Akiem Hicks, LB Danny Trevathan, RT Bobby Massie
Key misses – LB Jerrell Freeman
It’s a bit ironic that the Bears’ worst season record-wise took place following their best free agency class. Defensive end Akiem Hicks, linebacker Danny Trevathan and right tacjke Bobby Massie all earned second contracts with the team and go into 2020 as projected starters.
Massie, easily the weakest of the trio, fell off in 2019 after steadily improving and bringing stability to the offensive line. Still, the initial move to sign him away from the Arizona Cardinals was a success. But the true stars of this class are Hicks and Trevathan.
The two veterans are often considered to be the biggest leaders on the defense. Hicks, who signed a two-year deal, found a home after being traded from the New Orleans Saints to the New England Patriots and became one of the NFLs most feared defensive lineman. While OLB Khalil Mack may be the star of the defense, Hicks is the foundation.
Trevathan, fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Denver Broncos, was inked to a four-year deal and provided key stability at the team’s linebacker position. He’s a crucial piece to the Bears defense and mentor to younger players like linebacker Roquan Smith.
Even players like quarterback Brian Hoyer (one-year deal) and linebacker Jerrell Freeman (three-year deal) had brief success with the team. Hoyer, playing for an injured Jay Cutler, had four-straight games with 300 yards passing and finished his brief season with six touchdowns to no interceptions before going down with a broken arm. Freeman led the team with 102 tackles, but ended the next season on injured reserve and was then pinched for performance-enhancing drugs.
While this group didn’t do much to move the needle in 2016, most of them became an integral part to the team’s success in 2018 and will all likely be looked upon to contribute this upcoming season.
