Chicago Bears Free Agency: 3 Things we learned on Day 1
It turns out Ryan Poles is not afraid to pay off-the-ball linebackers
The narrative around Ryan Poles was that he did not believe in paying a premium for an off-the-ball linebacker after they traded Roquan Smith to the Ravens for a second and fifth-round pick ahead of the trade deadline. However, that notion was proven incorrect after Chicago signed both T.J. Edwards to a three-year, $18.5 million deal and Tremaine Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million pact on the first day of free agency.
The acquisition of Edmunds, who also got selected in the first round in 2018, the same year the Bears picked Smith eighth overall, is especially telling, as the contract made him the highest-paid off-the-ball linebacker on a four-year deal in the league. His $18 million AAV also ranks fourth in the league amongst linebackers. Many were surprised to hear they would be bringing him aboard after signing Edwards to a modest deal earlier in the day, but he is still only 24 and has plenty of good football ahead of him.
Adding Edwards and Edmunds to a linebacker room that already has a tackle machine in second-year man Jack Sanborn not only makes linebacker a strength of the Bears roster, but it also gives them one of the most stacked 'backer units in the league. To put their contracts into perspective, they will only make roughly $5 million more than Smith's average salary. Not a bad deal for Chicago.
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The Bears have a storied history of strong play from the linebacker position, and Poles is seemingly doing everything in his power to ensure the current roster maintains that reputation.