The Chicago Bears free agency plan can’t get off to a bad start like it did in 2017. When Alshon Jeffery left for Philadelphia last March, it almost gave the team some seriously bad luck. One can bet GM Ryan Pace doesn’t wish to have a repeat performance like that. He got off on the right foot when he successfully extended defensive end Akiem Hicks. However, there is still one big fish left to reel in.
That’s cornerback Kyle Fuller. The 26-year old had a breakout year last season. He finished with two interceptions and 22 passes defended. There was no doubt he was the best player in the Bears secondary. Keeping him would be ideal for them, especially given the host of other players coming out of contract on defense.
The problem is it looks like the Bears don’t plan to use the franchise tag on him. That deadline concludes at 3 p.m. this afternoon. From that point forward the team will have eight days to negotiate a long-term extension before he hits the open market on March 14th at 4 p.m. After what happened with Jeffery, people aren’t confident the Bears can pull it off.
It seems they feel differently though.
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Chicago Bears free agency plan definitely involves retaining Fuller
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has remained on top of the Fuller situation. The word continues to be that the two sides are interested in getting a deal done. Fuller wants to stay in Chicago. The Bears want him back. The tricky part is finding common ground on a contract. Hence why Fuller is interested in avoiding the tag. He wants to get an idea of his value on the market before making a decision.
The Bears are gambling by not using the tag, but it seems that isn’t because they trust Fuller’s word. More it’s they feel strongly that they can get a deal done without it.
“The deadline to use the franchise or transition tags is 3 p.m. Tuesday and while general manager Ryan Pace said last week at the NFL combine in Indianapolis that all options remained on the table for the team, sources indicate it’s unlikely the Bears will tag Fuller…
..It’s worth wondering if confidence in the ability to re-sign Fuller has played into the club’s decision to not use the tag. While it’s been expected Fuller would wait until reaching the open market when the new league year opens March 14 to determine his future, one source said a deal could be struck to keep him in place before then.”
This is great news for the Bears. Locking up Fuller long-term would instantly ease concerns at the cornerback position, allowing Pace to put his entire focus toward being aggressive at other positions in free agency. Namely wide receiver and edge rusher among others. Odds are Fuller will get somewhere in the $10-12 million per year range, similar to the likes of Dre Kirkpatrick and Darius Slay. If that’s true, the Bears salary cap will remain in great shape.
