What is it about the Bears offense that people don’t want to come be part of it?
Within the early hours of free agency, the Bears landed a cluster of defensive players (linebackers Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan, as well as D-lineman Akiem Hicks). But beyond former Arizona tackle Bobby Massie, the Bears have been spurned by a couple of targeted free agents where they appeared to be a preferred destination for playing-time opportunities.
Tight end has been a scratchy point for the Bears for more than a few years, with only the occasional Emery Moorehead or Greg Olsen or Martellus Bennett season or two to break the run of mediocrity since Mike Ditka. This offseason unfortunately hasn’t broken much from that pattern, with a couple of head-shakers thrown in.
Re-signing Zach Miller put a respectable 32-year-old band-aid in place before Bennett was traded to the New England Patriots. The Bears targeted New Orleans tight end Josh Hill with an offer sheet, only to have the Saints match their offer despite earlier signing Coby Fleener away from Indianapolis.
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Now the Green Bay Packers have signed Jared Cook, who was on the Bears’ wish list not once but twice. He chose the then-St. Louis Rams in 2013 with a five-year deal. Now Cook has opted for a one-year deal with a Green Bay team that already has Richard Rodgers in place as the starter, rather than the Bears and a clear vacancy as either the No. 1 or 1A tight end.
This comes after running back C.J. Anderson opted to sign an offer sheet with the Miami Dolphins for less money than the Bears were offering the Denver Broncos tailback.
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The Broncos matched the Miami offer, so likely Anderson wouldn’t have escaped Denver for Chicago even for a slightly higher offer anyway. But Anderson voiced a wish to get with the offense of Adam Gase, the Denver offensive coordinator before taking that post in Chicago last year and now the head coach in Miami — this in spite of knowing the offensive philosophy of John Fox, his initial coach in Denver, and Fox stating that the philosophy would remain in place as Dowell Loggains replaced Gase in Chicago.