The Chicago Bears should look to free agency to replace Eddie Goldman
As the season approaches and training camps continue to run, players around the league are starting to opt-out to avoid health risks surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This could be just the start though as players have until August 3, 2020, to announce if they are opting out.
What does this mean for teams? Well, it means that the players opting out will earn either $350,000 or $150,000 for the season depending on if they are considered high-risk or not. This also means the players’ 2020 salary will be shifted to 2021 and the players will not accrue this season of their contract. Since Eddie Goldman is opting out, he was under contract until 2024, but now he will be under contract until 2025.
In 2020, Goldman was scheduled to earn just over $6 million dollars. This means his contract will continue to shift and that amount will now be due in 2021. In 2022, the Chicago Bears will owe him $7.7 million, followed by $11.8 million in 2023 and $9.2 million in 2024. The good news is that this means the team can look to add another person to the roster to replace him and with $6 million dollars at Ryan Pace’s disposal he should be able to sign a decent veteran.
The other option is leaving everything alone and having that $6 million roll over into the 2021 season. With rumors of drastic cuts coming to the salary cap in 2021, the Bears could use every dollar they can scrounge up. As it stands, the team could be in big trouble if the salary cap drops to $175 million — the lowest amount rumored teams could see. If Pace decides he is not worried about the salary cap ramifications for 2021, then one of these three free agents could help.
The Chicago Bears could bring in Damon “Snacks” Harrison
When you look at potential replacements for Eddie Goldman, the Chicago Bears should see what Damon Harrison is doing. Harrison is a proven talent and should sign with a team at some point before the season starts. With other teams losing players to the new opt-out clause, Ryan Pace should jump on the phone before it is too late.
Harrison is not the same player as Goldman. He is not a pass rusher and is less athletic than Goldman. Over his nine-year career, Harrison has only been able to generate 11 sacks. He is however great at stopping the run. Over the length of his career, he has averaged over four tackles per game. These are very good numbers for a nose tackle.
The thing is, Harrison might not be as good as Eddie Goldman, but he is better than John Jenkins who is likely to move up into the starting spot now with Goldman gone this season. Looking at who else is available, Harrison is the best option in my opinion. He is going to be 32 years old soon though and who knows if he will be the same player. His 2019 season lacked his normal tackle consistency, but he did record two sacks. Personally, I’d take the risk and give him a chance.
What if the Chicago Bears take a chance on Marcell Dareus
Damon Harrison is not going to be expensive, but he also is not going to come very cheaply. What about spending less on a player who has had a bit of a troubled past? This is not normally the case for the Chicago Bears lately. Ever since the Ray McDonald fiasco, the team has looked for guys on a more straightened arrow.
However, the guy I am referring to is not on the same level as McDonald when it comes to off the field issues. McDonald was a domestic violence offender. Marcell Dareus is a defensive tackle who has not been the same since his 2014 season. He was arrested prior to that season for racing and drug possession. Looking back at his first four years in the league though, Dareus recorded at least 5.5 sacks per year. He has experience as a nose tackle and an inside tackle in a 4-3 defense.
Since 2014, he has yet to reach more than 3.5 sacks and has dealt with both injuries and a drug suspension. In fact, he was placed on injured reserve while playing for the Jaguars last season due to a core-muscle injury. He played and started the first six games before the injury. He finished the season with only half a sack though. In 2018, he only recorded one sack in 15 games. The injuries and his age are likely catching up to him. He has the skills though and is a high risk, high reward option.
Timmy Jernigan could be the best option for the Chicago Bears
Damon Harrison might be the best option on paper to replace Eddie Goldman. He has proven to be a consistent player and despite the slight fall off over the last couple of years, he can definitely be counted on and should be highly considered by Ryan Pace.
The Chicago Bears should be on the lookout for a talent who could make a real impact. Looking back at Marcell Dareus, he would be a high-risk, high-reward option. Maybe a low-risk, high-reward would be the better option. This is where Timmy Jernigan comes into play.
Jernigan, like Leonard Floyd, did not see his option picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles. Jernigan is only 27 years old. He turns 28 in September. Last year, Jernigan started nine games but only played 27 percent of the snaps. He finished with two sacks and three pressures. He only played in three games in 2018.
Prior to 2018, Jernigan was a force to be reckoned with in Baltimore for three years before being traded to the Eagles in 2017. In his first three years in the league, Jernigan racked up four, four and five sacks consecutively. In his first year with the Eagles (2017), his sack total dropped to 2.5.
Let’s face it. Losing Eddie Goldman this season is a major blow to a team trying to fight to stay relevant in the conversation of competitive teams. Without him in the middle of the line, the inside linebackers could struggle to roam free. Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols might not reach our expectations either. Goldman is very underrated and underappreciated. Hopefully, the defense can make up for the loss of Goldman by either adding a free agent or getting creative with the roster.