Bears – Potential Free Agent Additions (Defense)
Defensive Line:
The Bears added free agent DE Akiem Hicks, 3rd round pick Jonathan Bullard, a couple of undrafted free agents, and re-signed Mitch Unrein, but still lack depth on the defensive line. The Bears need to add some more talent to the d-line, but there are very few quality defensive linemen left and the ones available all have some warts. Here are the best two available options in my opinion.
Henry Melton (6’3 | 280 | 4.69)
A name most Bears fan should be familiar with, Melton was a Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Bears in just his 3rd year in the league after 13 sacks between the 2011-2012 seasons. Due to some contract squabbles the Bears ended up losing Melton to the Cowboys, but he hasn’t been the same since. Whether it was injuries or just a loss of explosiveness as he aged (29 now), Melton has only started four games over the last two seasons.
Melton still has a knack for finding the QB with seven sacks over the last two seasons despite just four starts. At 6’3, 280 pounds, he’s a better fit inside as a 3-tech DT but the Bears do run plenty of four-man fronts and could find a use for an interior pass-rusher who still has a quick first step.
It wouldn’t cost much for the Bears to bring Melton back to Chicago and perhaps DC Vic Fangio could find a way to utilize Melton’s pass-rush ability and push youngsters Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton for a spot in the d-line rotation.
NT Randy Starks (6’4 | 305 | 5.03)
A veteran interior linemen who has had an impressive career despite a down season last year with the Browns. Starks made the Pro Bowl at both nose tackle (2010) and 5-tech defensive end (2012) which resulted in pricing himself out of Miami and earning a 2-yr / $8M deal with the Browns last season.
Like most Browns, Starks struggled last season as was released in a salary clearing move earlier this off-season. He’s no longer the Pro Bowl player he was in Miami, but at 32 years old Starks could still have some usefulness as a rotational defensive linemen. The fact that he can back up both Eddie Goldman at nose tackle and Akiem Hicks at the 5-tech, makes Starks at least worth a look from the Bears.
Pro Football Focus graded Starks as a mediocre defensive linemen last year with a similar grade (75.7) to new Bear Akiem Hicks (76.3), nose tackle Haloti Ngata (76.9), and high-priced 5-tech Cedric Thornton (76.2). Starks is still a valuable player, just not worth the $4M+ per season the Browns still owed him.
Starks is no longer an every-down player, but could have plenty of value as a rotational defensive linemen and backup for both Goldman and Hicks. His price-tag won’t be steep and the Bears could also release him if he’s outplayed by Ego Ferguson, Will Sutton, or recently signed rookie Kenton Adeyemi.
It’s a low-risk / high-upside signing for the Bears who could have significant value for the Bears as a rotational linemen and injury depth.
Next: Edge Rusher