It was almost a week ago that news first broke the Chicago Bears were planning to meet with veteran offensive tackle Morgan Moses. A bit of a surprise at the time. Most felt that the additions of Teven Jenkins, Larry Borom, and Elijah Wilkinson along with the retention of Germain Ifedi set that position in stone. That was the wrong assumption it seems. Moses is as proven a veteran as there is out there. The Bears clearly feel he’d make them better.
So what exactly happened? The meeting itself took place last Wednesday. While it isn’t clear what went down, one source did offer a couple of details. The interest between the two sides remains “strong.” Moses likes the idea of signing in Chicago mostly due to the clear opportunity he’d have to grab a starting job immediately. It isn’t like Ifedi and Jenkins can be called clearly superior options to him at either tackle spot.
What is holding things up?
Money is the most likely culprit. Moses seems content to continue feeling out the market with other teams. He’d already met with the Jets prior to his Chicago visit. There really isn’t much rush from his point of view. There aren’t any tackles left out there with his talent and relatively decent age (30). Russell Okung is the only one who stands out. He’s 33 and hasn’t started a full season in years.
It comes down to what the Bears can offer financially. Having the job opening is good but Moses likely has a certain dollar amount in mind he’s hoping for. Chicago doesn’t have a lot of cash to throw around, even after collecting $9 million from cutting Charles Leno. After inking the rest of their draft class, the most they’ll have is around $5 million. So either Moses would have to take a team-friendly deal or the Bears would have to secure a multiyear agreement that keeps his 2021 cap hit low.
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Morgan Moses would add stability to a questionable area
The Bears offensive line is a tail of two sections. On the interior? They look as solidified as one could hope for. Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher, and James Daniels should make for a capable interior trio with Alex Bars serving as a high-quality backup. At tackle, it’s a different story. Ifedi wasn’t even supposed to play there last season before injuries necessitated the move. Wilkinson has been a serviceable backup in his career. Jenkins and Borom are rookies.
Morgan Moses would give Chicago much more certainty at that position. Especially considering they have a new quarterback in Andy Dalton who isn’t exactly known for his scrambling prowess. This would enable Ifedi to become a perfect reserve who can play both tackle and guard. Or maybe the Bears might even consider shifting Moses to left tackle, allowing Jenkins time to develop on the sideline.
It gives them options.
As things stand, the veteran isn’t rushing anything. He is aiming to get the best idea possible of his market before making a decision. The Bears are very much on the table. One can probably surmise he’ll have a deal done with somebody before the end of next month when training camps begin across the NFL.