The Chicago Bears will join the rest of the NFL in the free-agency spending spree set to kick off March 13, with the legal tampering period starting two days sooner on March 11.
And with each big signing comes the hope and excitement that a problem on the roster has been fixed by dollars, but not every contract ends up making sense in the long run.
The Bears were one of the most active teams in free agency last year and added several key players who immediately contributed to their 12-4 season in 2018. But was every move a success?
Here’s a look at how each of the key free agents worked out one year into their tenure in Chicago.
Allen Robinson
Robinson was the biggest catch for GM Ryan Pace last offseason and his contract was proof of that. He signed a three-year, $42 million deal despite tearing his ACL only six months earlier and his first year as a Bear was proof he’s still on the mend.
Robinson played 13 games and finished with 55 catches for 754 yards and four touchdowns. Hardly numbers expected for $14 million per season.
But Robinson saved his best performance for last. He had a monster game against the Eagles in Chicago’s wild-card loss, recording 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Robinson will be even better next season, which makes the investment in him a really good one.
Grade: B
Trey Burton
Burton was signed with the expectation he’d enjoy a breakout in Chicago as a full-time starter after years of being blocked on the depth chart in Philadelphia.
The season didn’t go exactly as expected, however. Burton finished the year with 54 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns; respectable numbers, but not exactly $8 million-per-season numbers.
Burton’s four-year, $32 million deal suggested he’d be one of Mitchell Trubisky’s primary targets in Matt Nagy’s offense, much like Travis Kelce is in Kansas City. And while Burton could still evolve into that kind of playmaker, his first year was a bit of a disappointment.
Grade: C+
Taylor Gabriel
Gabriel flew a bit under the radar when he was signed by the Bears to a four-year, $26 million deal. He was viewed as an option for the ‘zebra’ role in Matt Nagy’s offense, but he was third in the free-agency pecking order to Allen Robinson and Trey Burton.
He ended up having arguably the most consistent season of the three.
Gabriel finished the year with 67 catches for 688 yards and two touchdowns and wast Mitchell Trubisky’s favorite target for a big stretch of games in the middle of the season.
The most promising part of Gabriel’s year was that he was moderately productive without any splash plays. Assuming he pops a handful of them next season, his contract will look like a big bargain.
Grade: B+
Cody Parkey
This one’s hard to write. Parkey signed a four-year, $15 million deal with the assumption he’d fix the longstanding kicker woes in the post-Robbie Gould era.
Instead, Parkey was the team’s biggest weakness and missed a season-ending kick against the Eagles in the wild-card round.
There’s no chance Parkey returns to Chicago in 2019. This was, perhaps, Pace’s worst move since taking the general manager job.
Grade: F
Aaron Lynch
Lynch did exactly what he was supposed to do in 2018. The Bears signed him to a one-year deal to bring some veteran pass rush help to the roster. Lynch was more effective than Leonard Floyd at times, and if it wasn’t for a late-season arm injury, he may have ended the year with more sacks than the former first-round pick.
He’s a strong candidate to return to Chicago on a team-friendly multi-year deal.
Grade: B
Chase Daniel
Daniel was hand-picked by Matt Nagy to serve as Mitchell Trubisky’s mentor in 2018, and he did a great job at it. In fact, if his re-grade was based solely off of his impact on Trubisky, he’d receive an A+.
Daniel was called into duty for two starts after Trubisky injured his shoulder against the Vikings. He passed for 515 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in those games and was, well, good enough.
Daniel went 1-1, kept the Bears afloat and didn’t do the team any harm. And that’s really all that can be asked for from a backup.
He’ll return in 2019, but I don’t think he’ll be around beyond that.
Grade: B-
