The music started Monday, the metaphorical chairs spread six feet apart in a circle, for safety.
The NFL’s quarterback-hungry teams spent the next two days plopping down into a seat, overpaying potential answers at the most important position in sports during the league’s legal tampering period.
Teams can’t officially sign players until 3 p.m. Wednesday, but many have already made their intentions clear. Chief among them: the Buccaneers, who reportedly agreed to sign Tom Brady for about $30 million a year Tuesday hours after he announced he was leaving the Patriots after 20 seasons.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace, meanwhile, continues circling his candidates as if he were playing musical chairs, waiting for the appropriate — and cost-effective — answer for someone to push, or supplant, starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
Pace is prides himself on secrecy and surprise. But given the opportunity to fix his biggest mistake outright — a move that will define his Bears career — Pace appears limited to half-measures.
Trading for the Bengals’ Andy Dalton or the Jaguars’ Nick Foles seems the most realistic options for a team whose financial limitations have been exacerbated by their signings, in the past week, of veterans Robert Quinn, Danny Trevathan and Jimmy Graham.
There’s no time crunch with Foles or Dalton; neither is due a significant payment when the league year starts Wednesday. But he Bears must fear competition for their services — from the Patriots? the Chargers? — even though neither player would be considered sure-fire starters on the first day of training camp. Trubisky might actually have an advantage over them if, as expected, players are severely limited in how much they can practice during the offseason because of the league’s coronavirus containment strategy.
Pace’s other options are dwindling. Two future Pro Football Hall of Famers agreed to reported deals Tuesday. While Drew Brees agreed to stay with the Saints, the man who replaced him on the Chargers, Philip Rivers, is leaving after 16 seasons. He agreed to a reported one-year, $25 million deal with the Colts.
Monday, Marcus Mariota (Raiders) and Case Keenum (Browns) reportedly agreed to become backups. Dak Prescott got the Cowboys’ franchise tag, and Ryan Tannehill a Titans extension.
Two former No. 1 overall picks remain on the market, but each comes with questions. Jameis Winston led the NFL in passing yards – and interceptions — with the Buccaneers last year. He’s also less than two years removed from being suspended by the NFL after an Uber driver accused him of groping her.
Cam Newton seems headed for a nasty divorce with the Panthers. Tuesday, both player and team offered different spins on their breakup. After the Panthers put out a press release saying they allowed him to seek a trade, Newton wrote on social media that he didn’t want to leave.
“Please do not try and play me or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this,” he wrote.
Within hours, the Panthers agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal with former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater, per ESPN. Bridgewater, who interested the Bears, will be their starter. Netwon figures to never play for them again.
Newton is a former NFL MVP and, if healthy, a tremendous talent. But he’s 31, and acquiring him would be fraught with complications. He’s had multiple right shoulder surgeries and suffered a Lisfranc break in his left foot last year. Any team that would want to add Newton would undoubtedly want to give him a thorough physical — and player visits are banned because of coronavirus measures.
Any team would be nervous about trading for him until the NFL’s policies change. By that time — if not sooner — Newton figures to be given his outright release.
Would the Bears be interested? Would they dare wait that long?
The music continues to play. Where is that chair, anyway?
