The Chicago Bears gave up too soon on James Daniels
I was one of a few Chicago Bears analysts on social media voicing my opinion that I thought James Daniels deserved a contract extension. He was only 24 years old and although he would never prove to be a good center in the NFL, he was an above-average guard. The Steelers signed him to a very affordable contract worth $26.5 million over three years.
Daniels had an exceptional season for the Steelers last year. In 1,160 snaps, Daniels didn't allow a single sack. Could you imagine if the Chicago Bears had that type of inside presence last year? Instead, they gave up 58 sacks. Keeping Daniels may have stunted the growth of Teven Jenkins. It also could have allowed the team to make a similar move to what they made this offseason. James Daniels could have played left guard, Teven Jenkins could have played right guard and Cody Whitehair could have slid over to center. That would have been better than last year's options.
Not to mention, Teven Jenkins' health has been an issue since he was drafted. I love the addition of Nate Davis, but with the amount of money this team has, there is no reason that they couldn't have kept Daniels and still signed Davis. They also might not have needed Davis this offseason.