Free Agency Reset: Grading Chicago’s 2022 FA Acquisitions
The rush of free agency has passed. General Manager Ryan Poles has kept his cards close to his chest and has quietly assembled his first free agent class in Chicago.
Bears fans thought they were welcoming a big name signing on the first day. Defensive Tackle Larry Ogunjobi was reportedly going to sign a three-year deal, filling the void left by Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols and Eddie Goldman.
But after failing his physical, the Bears backed out of the deal. We’ll know in the future if that was the right move, but it’s encouraging to see the Bears doing their homework, instead of risking that much money.
Other than that, it’s been a relatively low-key offseason in terms of free agent signings. The main focus has been plugging holes across the roster with the hope that someone will outperform their contract. It’s a vastly different approach than Ryan Pace, who was content on spending big money and signing multiple players to fill one spot.
Here are some early grades on the new players that haven’t been covered on Windy City Rant.
DL Al-Quadin Muhammad, 2 years $8 million
One of the biggest moves the Bears made this offseason was trading Khalil Mack. Age, injuries and a large cap hit all factored into that decision. Robert Quinn starred even without him last year, but more production is needed off the edge.
In comes Muhammed, who played on Eberflus’ defense last year in Indianapolis. It can’t be underestimated how important it was for Chicago to sign a player familiar with the defense and his role. It’s a safe signing from the Bears’ perspective.
He played in all 17 games last year with six sacks. At 6-foot-4 250 lbs, he’ll likely play across the defensive line. Another player on the younger side (27 years old) on a short term deal, he’ll be motivated for a larger payday in the future, either with Chicago or elsewhere.
Grade: B+
OL Lucas Patrick, 2 years $8 million
One of the areas we most expected the Bears to flash the cash was on the offensive line. A unit tasked with protecting the face of the franchise, it was in dire need of investment. By no means was this the flashiest signing, but you have to like what Patrick brings to the table.
Playing for the Green Bay Packers for the last five years, he was a more regular starter the last two years in one of the better units in the league. And despite playing for the Bears’ bitter rivals, he seems to really enjoy the idea of playing in front of Justin Fields.
Again, this signing fits the mold of what the Bears are doing, grabbing players on short term deals who are looking to earn larger ones. Patrick has experience at all three interior o-line positions and projects to be a starter at any of them.
Grade: A-
DL Justin Jones, 2 years $12 million
Shortly after the Ogunjobi deal fell through, Chicago pivoted to plan B, which was Jones. Signing from the Los Angeles Chargers, the first thought Bears fans had was that he was a part of a defensive line that was one of the worst at stopping the run last year.
But if you dive deeper, you’ll see some of their struggles were due to Jones missing some games. Jones played in 11 games and had 37 tackles and three sacks. The former third-round pick out of NC State is only 25 years old entering his fifth NFL season.
He is signed to play the three-technique role along the defensive line, a very important position in Matt Eberflus’ defense.
Other than the panicked nature of the signing, Jones has struggled to stay fully healthy in his career. He has played in 15, 12, 13 and 11 games in his first four years. As one of the more integral pieces on defense, he’ll need to stay healthy.
Grade: B
S Dane Cruikshank, 1 year $1 million
Chicago needed a replacement for Tashaun Gipson who they elected to not resign. DeAndre Houston-Carson could be in line to take that role, but Cruikshank will have a say.
He makes the switch from the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal. Dubbed the “tight end eraser” in Tennessee, it’s a fun chess piece for Eberflus to deploy. It could be a very specific role for Cruikshank, but having a specific role is better than trying to find one. Expect him to play safety but also some nickel corner, especially with a TE lined up across from him.
Grade: B
LB Nicholas Morrow, 1 year $3 million
Morrow missed all of last year with an ankle injury. The former UDFA racked up 29 starts with Las Vegas through four seasons, recording 254 total tackles, four sacks and two interceptions, including against the Bears in 2019.
The linebacker spot next to Roquan Smith will be a heavily contested battle to watch. Signing Morrow is a bit of a risk since he’s coming off a season long injury, but he would’ve been able to play had the Raiders advanced to the divisional round in the 2022 playoffs.
Grade: C+
OL Dakota Dozier, 1 year $1 million
The seven-year veteran has played for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings over the course of his career. He started all 16 games for the Vikings in 2020, but outside of that season, has mostly been a reserve lineman. Dozier figures to be nothing more than a depth piece.
Grade: C-
QB Trevor Siemian, 2 years $4 million
An interesting signing considering Nick Foles and his $10 million cap hit in 2022 are on the books. It remains to be seen if this means the Bears are trying to find a trade partner for him or are considering cutting him loose.
However it shakes out, Siemian has a lot of experience despite being a 7th round pick as a quarterback. Splitting time between Denver, New York and New Orleans, he’s made 29 starts in his five pro seasons.
He’s had some good moments, particularly in Denver, but there’s a reason why he was a late draft pick. With that being said, you want your backup quarterback to be able to right the ship when called upon.
If your starting quarterback misses two games, you hope the backup can at least go 1-1. Siemian gives you that shot. The only thing holding this grade back from an A is the logjam at backup quarterback with Foles around.
Grade: B+
FB Khari Blasingame, 1 year $965,000
The Bears haven’t utilized a fullback for quite some time. It’s possible Blasingame is a player offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy wants. It’s also possible he’s nothing more than a special teams player. We’ll see if this move means anything going forward.
Grade: Incomplete
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