One of the surprising moves head of NFL Free Agency on Monday morning was the decision of the Atlanta Falcons to release former Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Upon his release, Jarrett instantly became one of the best defensive tackles on the market. There were immediate connections made to the Chicago Bears, who entered this offseason with a clear focus on improving their play in the trenches. The Bears wasted little time in moving on Jarrett, as they inked the former Falcons' defensive tackle to a three-year deal.
Chicago Bears sign Grady Jarrett, Grade: B
The Falcons were one of the few teams with little salary cap space this offseason. As recently as the NFL Scouting Combine, the Falcons were looking for ways to restructure current contracts to ensure Jarrett remained with the team. That is part of the reason why the Falcons weren't able to match the Bears' contract with Drew Dalman. Those efforts were for naught as Jarrett was released by the Falcons mere minutes before the legal tampering window opened for NFL Freee Agency. Jarrett's deal with the Bears is worth $43.5MM.
There is also some irony that in the first offseason after Matt Eberflus' firing, the Bears were aggressive in their pursuit of a defensive tackle. Under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the Bears will still be running a 4-3 scheme but one is more aggressive than the cover-two base Eberflus preferred.
Assuming Andrew Billings has recovered from the torn pec injury that ended his 2024 season early, the Bears now have a formidable defensive tackle combination with Billings and Jarrett. Billings was among the first Bears' players praised by Ben Johnson during his introductory press conference. It will be curious to see what the Bears do with Gervon Dexter Sr. Dexter did impress in his second-season with the Bears while playing in place of Billings. Considering his profile, it wouldn't be a complete shock if the Bears used Dexter in the hybrid role that DeMarcus Walker was in last season, splitting time on the interior and edge of the defensive line.