Grading the moves the Chicago Bears made in free agency this season
When we look at the Chicago Bears free-agent acquisitions, not too many stand out. The first signing was a bust for Ryan Poles. However, in the end, it worked out in his favor. The team tried to sign Larry Ogunjobi to a three-year deal, but after a failed physical, Justin Jones ended up becoming the consolation prize. Jones has been a solid addition based on his salary and production.
Lucas Patrick was supposed to be the big signing for the offensive line. However, he has been hurt for more than half the season and didn’t look good when he was healthy enough to play. Ryan Poles added two wide receivers to the mix — Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle. St. Brown has been solid thanks to his run blocking, but Pringle has also struggled with injuries. Neither has made a huge positive impact.
AL-Quadin Muhammad and Nicholas Morrow have been key additions to the Chicago Bears’ defense. Unfortunately, even though they are starters, they haven’t done anything to stand out. Muhammad has actually been way below average, while Morrow has been just that — average. Khari Blasingame has been a solid signing as the team’s fullback. I would like him to return in 2023.
Here is the list of all incoming players the team signed in 2022:
- Matt Adams, LB
- Khari Blasingame, FB
- Dane Cruikshank, S
- Julien Davenport, OL
- Dakota Dozier, OL
- Ryan Griffin, TE
- Justin Jones, DT
- David Moore, WR
- Nicholas Morrow, LB
- Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE
- James O’Shaughnessy, TE
- Lucas Patrick, OL
- Byron Pringle, WR
- Trevor Siemian, QB
- Equanimeous St. Brown, WR
- Greg Stroman, DB
- Tavon Young, CB
When it comes to this group, there is not enough talent. Hardly any of these additions have made a consistent impact. Now, some notable names the Chicago Bears did not retain.
- Deon Bush, S
- Damiere Byrd, WR
- Marqui Christian, DB
- Xavier Crawford, DB
- Jimmy Graham, TE
- Tashaun Gipson, Sr.
- Marquise Goodwin, WR
- Akiem Hicks, DT
- J.P. Holtz, TE
- Jesse James, TE
- Cristian Jones, LB
- Cassius Marsh, Sr., LB
- Alec Ogletree, LB
- Jason Peters, LT
- Alex Bars, OL
- Artie Burns, CB
- Andy Dalton, QB
- James Daniels, OG
- Joel Iyiegbuniwe, LB
- Bilal Nichols, DT
- Ryan Nall, RB
- Pat O’Donnell, P
- Allen Robinson, WR
- Damien Williams, RB
Then, Ryan Poles moved on by cutting these three players.
- Tarik Cohen, RB
- Eddie Goldman, DT
- Danny Trevathan, LB
Looking at who the team lost, no one truly stands out as a big loss. Allen Robinson hasn’t amounted to much even with the Los Angeles Rams. James Daniels might have been the biggest loss, but even he appears to be replaceable. The problem is that the additions don’t really stand out either.
One thing I will note when it comes to the approach to the offseason was to make necessary cuts to generate an additional salary cap for 2023. It also was to sign inexpensive players who could make an impact but not hurt the team’s future. If not for that perspective, the grade would have been much lower.