Upgrade or downgrade? Analyzing Bears' free agent class
The Bears’ salary cap situation limited them from spending big in free agency — which was probably a good thing. The first wave of free agency is often fools gold, but teams can win big with smart bargain signings. Here’s a look at how the Bears did with seven free agent additions.
Reported contract: 1-year, $10 million
The Dalton signing is getting criticized everywhere — locally, nationally, internationally — but he’s better than he’s getting credit for. Dalton went 4-5 with the Cowboys last year, which was more impressive than it sounds because Dallas had a horrible defense and the season was lost when Dak Prescott suffered his gruesome leg injury. There was a considerable drop-off in the two games Dalton missed. That’s because he’s a high-floor, low-ceiling quarterback, which isn’t a bad thing to have on your roster. Still, it leaves you wanting more — which is why the Bengals eventually benched Dalton two years ago to get in position to draft Joe Burrow.
Upgrade or downgrade? Same. Mitchell Trubisky has more overall talent and athleticism, but whatever Dalton lacks in that department, he should make up for with his decision-making and overall operation of the offense. I can’t make an argument that Dalton is an obvious upgrade, but can he bring more consistency over 16 games compared to what the Bears had last year with Trubisky and Nick Foles? Sure. He’s good enough to give the team a chance to win.
Reported contract: 1-year, unknown amount
The Bears’ cap-crunch put the defense in a vulnerable situation and that eventually led to the release of former All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller and his $20 million cap hit. General manager Ryan Pace moved quickly to sign Trufant, a capable corner who plays a similar style, but comes with durability concerns.
Upgrade or downgrade? Downgrade. Let’s be clear: losing Fuller is a blow to the defense. That said, Fuller only had one season (2018) that justified anywhere near a $20 million cap hit and the drop-off to Trufant is not as big as you think. This was a relatively normal business move in today’s NFL, especially considering the Bears have a young, talented cornerback in Jaylon Johnson on the opposite side. The big question here is durability — for both Trufant and Johnson. If they stay healthy, the secondary should be fine. If they don’t, there’s not a ton of depth.
Reported contract: 1- year, unknown amount
After scoring the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LIV, Williams opted out of the 2020 season because his mother was diagnosed with cancer. The Chiefs moved on and Williams became an obvious target for the Bears, who needed a solid veteran to join David Montgomery in the backfield.
Upgrade or downgrade? Upgrade. While Cordarrelle Patterson was a tough runner who could take a handoff and get you yards, he was mostly just a straight downhill runner. The Bears lacked a true backup running back who could handle a full load if Montgomery got injured. That really showed when he missed a game against the Vikings mid-season. Williams fills an obvious need at a (presumably) cheap price.
Reported contract: 2-year, $5.55 million
After two years playing under Vic Fangio, Attaochu is a great scheme fit with new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. The former second round pick enjoyed somewhat of a career-revival in Denver and delivered five sacks and nine quarterback hits while only playing 38 percent of the defensive snaps in 2020.
Upgrade or downgrade? Upgrade. Attaochu provides starter-quality reps as a reserve player, which makes him valuable. He essentially replaces Barkevious Mingo, who also had a knack for flashing as a backup, but Attaochu can probably carry a larger load. It’s a sign to me that Robert Quinn likely won’t take on a large increase in reps in 2021, but if he and Attaochu can provide more quality reps when they are on the field, it will improve the overall pass rush.
Reported contract: 2-year, $5.5 million
Pace has a knack for adding impact veteran backups to the defensive line and Blackson appears to be the latest candidate to be that guy in 2021. The big difference is that longtime defensive line coach Jay Rodgers is now with the Chargers and he played a big role in getting the most out of players like Mitch Unrein, Nick Williams and Brent Urban.
Upgrade or downgrade? Same. Blackson should have some versatility on the Bears’ front and do the dirty work while making the occasional splash play. How much is asked of him will depend on what happens with Akiem Hicks, who is still currently on the roster. Blackson is a solid depth piece on what is always a good defensive line.
Reported contract: 1-year, unknown amount
Jones returns to the Bears after three years in Detroit, where he started 42 of 45 games. He knows the system and is a reliable linebacker who provides good special teams value. Jones’ nickname in Chicago was “Cheese” because he’s always smiling. I always appreciated that because he played on some bad teams that lost a lot of games, but always stayed positive.
Upgrade or downgrade? Upgrade. Raise your hand if you remember that Manti Te’o started the Bears’ playoff game. The Bears had two very good backups at inside linebacker in 2019 with Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis, but they both (rightly) became starters elsewhere. That left the Bears shorthanded last year and really hurt them when Roquan Smith missed the playoff game. Jones’ knowledge of the defense and reliability makes him a smart addition.
Reported contract: 1 year, $1.1275 million
Wilkinson’s biggest strength is his versatility as he can play guard and both tackle spots. He started last season as the Broncos’ starting right tackle, but only played in nine games due to injury. He’s ideally suited as a backup.
Upgrade or downgrade? Same. Wilkinson is a strong candidate to be the veteran swing tackle. He seems to have played better at guard in his career, but Jason Spriggs didn’t give the Bears much last season so it’s impossible to say this is a downgrade as a backup tackle.
