The Chicago Bears, according to the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, met the Las Vegas Raiders’ two first-round pick asking price for Maxx Crosby. So did the Baltimore Ravens, who won the sweepstakes because their pick this year is 11 spots ahead of the Bears.
Chicago, coming off the big game pursuit failure, could have gone with an aggressive strategy to get a huge name on the first day of free agency. Instead, the Bears went with an approach that isn’t likely to get the casual fan excited, but it is the right way to build towards championship contention.
General Manager Ryan Poles’ biggest addition on Monday afternoon was the signing of safety Coby Bryant. Chicago’s defense suffered tremendously against offenses that knew they could attack a slow middle of the field. Injuries plagued the secondary, which didn’t have the speed and versatility to keep up with skilled wide receivers.
Bryant is good at everything. He has a 75+ run defense grade in the last two yards, ranking as one of the top run-defending safeties. He made four interceptions and had a 78.4 targeted passer rating, which was the best in the free agent class.
Bryant comes off a Super Bowl Championship with the Seattle Seahawks as a speedy cog in their dominant defense. He is also still ascending, only 26 years old, giving him ample opportunity to become a mainstay on a rising Bears team.
Chicago’s linebacker core was steady but slow, led by Tremaine Edmunds. He signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Bears in 2023 and provided decent production teaming with T.J. Edwards. Chicago’s management, though, realized to take the next defensive step, it needed to create cap flexibility and get a quickness bump. Therefore, it decided to cut Edmunds last Thursday to create $15 million in cap space.
Enter Devin Bush, coming off an excellent season with the Cleveland Browns. He amassed 125 tackles, two sacks, three INTs, and scored two touchdowns, showing a terrific ability to make impact plays. He brings 4.43 speed, making him one of the game’s quickest men in the middle. He, like Bryant, is also just entering his prime at only 27 years old.
Head Coach Ben Johnson and Poles are skillfully moving the franchise away from an aging group created during the Ryan Pace days. They have masterfully crafted an exciting young offensive core led by quarterback Caleb Williams. Now, they are doing the same on defense with Bryant and Bush as key components of the future.
Poles got an upgrade in linebacker from Edmunds to Bush and did it by spending six million less. The New York Giants agreed to sign Edmunds to a three-year, $36 million contract, and Poles inked Bush to a three-year, $30 million contract. Poles is getting a younger player who performed exceptionally well last season at a lower price. Bush isn’t a headline grabber, but he fits the definition of a magnificent, cost-effective contributor.
Johnson and Poles decided to bring back several key pieces of last season’s playoff run. Special teams ace Daniel Hardy agreed to a two-year deal for $6 million; he has been Chicago’s best special teams player. The third phase often gets overlooked until mishaps occur to cost teams games. Emphasizing special teams excellence is critical, and ensuring Hardy’s return was essential to the Bears moving towards sustained championship contention.
Linebacker D’Marco Jackson, a standout after Edmunds got injured during the season, agreed to come back for two years for $10.5 million. He made a strong case for sustained playing time, and Chicago management rewarded him, giving him a chance to team with Bush. Jackson displayed quickness and impact plays and looks to be only scratching the surface at 27 years old.
Quarterback Case Keenum, a fantastic mentor to Williams, agreed to return to a two-year, $5.5 million deal. His contract is similar to Tyson Bagent, who has been in trade rumors throughout the offseason. The Bears are holding firm in demanding a second-round pick for a quarterback, Bagent, who Johnson says is one of the best 32 in the game. Chicago should continue to hold firm, second-round pick or no trade. Keenum’s extension indicates that it may have a team about to pay an acceptable price.
The Bears didn’t go crazy on any deal signed on free agency day one, unlike contracts handed out by the Las Vegas Raiders to Tyler Linderbaum at three years, $81 million. That’s $27 million per year for a center, insanity. Poles will need to restructure contracts to create more cap room, but he has expressed a willingness to do so. By not chasing the foolishness of many contracts today, Chicago has ample flexibility to pursue sensible moves that may still come open.
Pass rushers like the Minnesota Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard are rumored to be available for a second-day draft pick. The Detroit Lions cut longtime standout left tackle Taylor Decker, due to his request. The Bears can be firmly in play for standouts such as these and many more thanks to the smart, cost-effective transactions Johnson and Poles made.
Chicago upgraded the secondary with the excellent Bush addition and may still be in play for last season’s standout Kevin Byard III. It elevated at linebacker with Bush and the opening of ample playing time for Jackson. Youth and speed are the themes of all they did today; none of them is going to incite a season-ticket demand frenzy. Instead, Chicago’s moves will strengthen the foundation for sustained winning.
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