As the second wave of free agency continues, teams are going to cut ties with players and narrow down from 90 to 53 plus a practice squad. The Chicago Bears must call and sign this offensive lineman now.
The Chicago Bears do not have any room on their current roster, but that should not stop them from making moves. I can think of a dozen guys the team could cut right now to make room for an offensive guard who would be better than any on their current roster. The Saints made a financial decision and cut ties with starting right guard Larry Warford less than an hour ago.
Ryan Pace needs to get on the phone and find out what it will take to get Larry Warford in a Chicago Bears uniform for the 2020 season. Warford was owed nearly $13 million dollars this season, but with a dead cap hit of under $6 million the Saints decided to move on from the big man. This is also likely due to the team drafting Cesar Ruiz in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The thing is, Warford is better than Germain Ifedi and would be an instant upgrade to an offensive line that still has question marks. The Chicago Bears could cut ties with Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker right now to make room for Warford. With over $9 million in 2020 cap space, Pace could bring Warford in fairly easily. Not to mention, the team would save another $2 million just for cutting both tight ends.
Warford has made the Pro Bowl the last three years. In 2019, Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 73.1. This is a good grade for a lineman and again proves how much of an upgrade he would be over the current projected starter. In 970 snaps last year, Warford only allowed two sacks. He was flagged six times, three false starts and one holding penalty. The other two were declined.
Warford was a third-round draft pick by the Lions in 2013. He did not see as much success in Detroit, but was never an issue. He has never committed more than three accepted penalties in a season, but he found Pro Bowl recognition with the Saints. This could honestly be due to the fact the Lions are somewhat of a laughing stock in the NFL compared to the Saints organization. Pro Bowl voting is more of a popularity contest at times than a recognition of performance.
Again, Ryan Pace needs to get on the phone now with Warford’s agent. He is coming off a four-year $34 million dollar deal. At the age of 29, Pace could probably sign Warford to a three-year, $24 million dollar deal. This comes to an AAV of $8 million, but the deal can be structured so the 2020 cap his is no more than $4 to $5 million. Money is not an issue here and the Bears would instantly become better up front on the offensive side of the ball. Make it happen Pace.