Pace said during his introductory press conference for the new additions to the roster that his mission remained unchanged since he took over the team. Free agency wasn’t going to be how he fixed the roster. Instead it would be used as a tool to fill up some notable needs with reasonably priced talent so the Bears could then take the absolute best player available. Not a bad idea. It certainly worked last year, allowing them to secure Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair and Jordan Howard.
However, when looking at the list of notable additions the team has made in free agency thus far, it’s hard not to speculate about what it could mean for their draft plans. Here is why. Below is the full list of unrestricted free agents they’ve added since the league year opened.
- Mike Glennon (QB)
- Markus Wheaton (WR)
- Kendall Wright (WR)
- Dion Sims (TE)
- Prince Amukamara (CB)
- Marcus Cooper (CB)
- Quintin Demps (S)
What stands out about the list are two things. First it fulfills exactly what Pace mentioned by meeting team needs. Quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and defensive back were at the top of the list. The other thing that stands out? Absolutely no movement on the defensive line. This is unusual because free agency had plenty of intriguing option. Many of whom remain available like Dontari Poe, Johnathan Hankins, and Bennie Logan. Yet nothing. No sign of reported interest at all.
Most surprising aspect of free agency so far is probably the good DTs that are still available like Dontari Poe, Bennie Logan, Hankins, etc.
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) March 12, 2017
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How could this be possible? Outside of Akiem Hicks, who was superb in 2016, the team has a lot of question marks up front. Eddie Goldman can’t stay healthy. Cornelius Washington left for Detroit. Jonathan Bullard had a quiet rookie year. Mitch Unrein turns 30 this year. Ego Ferguson hasn’t played since 2015. How could they not believe adding help there is paramount?
The answer is simple.
