A year ago, Chase Daniel marveled at something that struck him upon signing with the Bears as a free agent.
“I’m now like the oldest guy on the team, which is crazy,” Daniel said. “Because I’m only 31.”
The Bears’ 2018 spending spree — which is why this could be a relatively quiet week at Halas Hall — was focused on bringing in young, impact talent. That led to the signings of Allen Robinson (then a 24-year-old), Trey Burton (26) and Taylor Gabriel (27), while Kyle Fuller (26) and Prince Amukamara (28) were re-signed. The Bears’ blockbuster trade for Khalil Mack added an elite, 27-year-old edge rusher. Players on rookie contracts littered the depth chart, from Mitch Trubisky to Cody Whitehair to Leonard Floyd to Eddie Jackson.
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The Bears, in 2019, will still be a young team. But the team’s reported interest in 34-year-old safety Eric Weddle may represent a shift in the team’s approach to free agency — or, perhaps, a shift in what players may be interested in signing with the Bears in free agency.
A few thoughts here:
— This doesn’t necessarily mean the Bears are moving on from Amos. Weddle could’ve shot to the top of the team’s wish list after he was somewhat surprisingly released by the Baltimore Ravens last week. We’ll see how Amos’ market shakes out this week, though NBC’s Peter King listed Amos among the underrated members of this year’s free agent class who are in line to receive rich contracts. If that’s the case, the Bears very well could be planning to move on from Amos — with the interest in Weddle an indicator of that line of thinking.
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— Weddle may be 34, but he’s only missed three games this decade and picked off 10 passes his first two years in Baltimore. He didn’t have an interception last year, but it’s easy to see why the Bears would’ve wanted to pair him with their rangy ballhawk in Eddie Jackson.
— The Bears’ interest in Weddle could signal a few things: First, and perhaps most obviously, the Bears don’t have the cap space to pursue the kind of free agents they did last year (i.e., productive players in their mid-20’s coming off their rookie contracts). Older players who can be had for shorter, cheaper contracts fit the Bears’ budget, which after converting a roster bonus to Eddie Goldman into a signing bonus sits at about $19 million in cap space.
— If the Bears are in on older veterans who are still productive, those veterans are likely to be far more interested in the Bears than they’ve been in quite a long time. A 12-4 record, popular head coach and legitimate Super Bowl goal mean those kind of players could seek out the Bears as a destination to chase a ring.
— This doesn’t mean the Bears will only be in on free agents north of 30 who still have a little left in the tank, of course. But as Ryan Pace aims to fill out a roster that’ll defend an NFC North title in 2019, some of these older free agents who haven’t fit the Bears’ plans in recent years could be viable options over the next week or two.
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