Chicago Bears 2022 Free Agency Stay or Go: Jakeem Grant
The Chicago Bears finally have a General Manager so now it is time for him to make the tough decisions when it comes to roster building. The Bears did not keep any coaches, so it will be interesting to see what happens to this group of free agents.
Jakeem Grant is a player who Ryan Pace traded for during the season in 2021. Do the Bears see it as a sunk cost and move on, or are they interested in making the most of one last Pace investment?
The Chicago Bears should keep Jakeem Grant
Jakeem Grant had a highlight touchdown with the Bears. That is one of six touchdowns he has scored as a return man over his career. He may not be an elite wideout, but he impacts the return game, and you need that no matter what your philosophy.
Matt Eberflus preached team speed and it does not get any faster than having Grant, so he could be inclined to keep him around as well.
When it comes down to it, the Chicago Bears could save money by releasing Tarik Cohen. As long as Grant comes cheap enough, the offset difference would not matter. He has been more impactful than Cohen and they can trust his health much more. The money they save on Cohen may as well go to Grant.
The Chicago Bears should let Jakeem Grant go
There are going to be a lot of things that are new in Chicago. In some cases, Ryan Poles is going to have to eat money or deal with some of the mess that Ryan Pace left behind. Bringing back, or keeping pieces of the Pace era is not necessary.
Cutting as many ties as possible seems appropriate, and it helps the coaches and management bring in their type of people.
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The next question comes down to the money that he will command. As noted, they could save about $2.25M next year in releasing Cohen. If they are spending more than that to retain Grant, they are starting to get too deep into their pockets for a small role. If he comes in at less than that it is a different story.