The Chicago Bears are going to need to add some free agents to their defensive line. The unit was awful against the run, so they may want to focus on that area. One name that could come up is Jarran Reed.
Jarran Reed is known for his days at Alabama, but then he was drafted to the Seattle Seahawks, where he was a stud run defender during a few playoff runs. In 2021 he played for the Kansas City Chiefs before playing for the Green Bay Packers.
Should Chicago Bears sign Jarran Reed?
Reed only signed for $3.25M last season, and his market should be similar this year. The Chicago Bears could be looking at a cheap nose tackle option that also allows them to upgrade during the draft, but maintain depth.
The idea sounds good, but there is some downside to it. Reed is 30 years old now, and the tape and metrics agree that while he was a great run defender, his reputation may be ahead of his current play.
For example, in the past two seasons, his average tackle depth was 3.1, and 3.4 yards down the field. In Seattle, that number never topped three yards.
As a rookie it was 2.6, then went to 2.2, 1.7, and 2.3 during his best year. In his last year with Seattle, it went to 2.9, and Seattle saw it was time to move on.
On one hand, you could say that both Green Bay and Kansas City do not commit much to defend the run, and that stat can be misleading because of the players around Reed. Still, both teams signed him to be a cheap run stopped, and both teams are walking away a bit disappointed.
The Chicago Bears going down the same route may not be the best option. The Bears spent most of their time signing players closer to age 26, and off of their first contract in free agency, rather than signing 30-year-olds who may be on the downside of their career.
Jarran Reed makes sense on paper in that the team needs a run defender, he is known to be that, and the price is right. However, his age, declining performance, and where the Bears stand from a team-building sense may prevent this from being a solid union.